Introduction to Philosophy
I. Course Prefix/Number: HUM 127
Course Name: Introduction to Philosophy
Credits: 3 (3 lecture; 0 lab)
III. Course (Catalog) Description
IV. Learning Objectives
A. Identify philosophical problems and concepts.
B. Outline at least four selected philosophical approaches to these problems.
C. Analyze philosophical texts.
D. Apply the methods of critical analysis used by philosophers to a variety of topics.
E. Evaluate criticisms from a variety of perspectives of the philosophical arguments and positions they study, both orally and in writing.
F. Develop and debate alternative arguments and approaches both orally and in writing.
G. Integrate the philosophical approaches to thinking about their own lives.
H. Derive ethical implications from the philosophical theories covered and apply them at the personal, national, and global levels.
I. Demonstrate an awareness of the rich diversity of global philosophical traditions.
J. Exhibit values related to teamwork and collaboration, fostered by the pedagogy of shared-inquiry and critical dialogue appropriate to the humanities and philosophy.
V. Academic Integrity
• plagiarism (turning in work not written by you, or lacking proper citation),
• falsification and fabrication (lying or distorting the truth),
• helping others to cheat,
• unauthorized changes on official documents,
• pretending to be someone else or having someone else pretend to be you,
• making or accepting bribes, special favors, or threats, and
• any other behavior that violates academic integrity.
There are serious consequences to violations of the academic integrity policy. Oakton's policies and procedures provide students a fair hearing if a complaint is made against you. If you are found to have violated the policy, the minimum penalty is failure on the assignment and, a disciplinary record will be established and kept on file in the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs for a period of 3 years.
Details of the Code of Academic Conduct can be found in the Student Handbook.
VI. Sequence of Topics
Option I: Historical Approach
What is philosophy? (different cultural approaches to philosophy)
Ancient philosophy (e.g. Greek, Indian, Chinese, Roman)
Medieval Philosophy (Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu)
Early Modern and 19th Century Philosophy
20th Century philosophy (analytic, continental, feminism, radical challenges, postmodernism)
Option II: Topical Approach
Body and mind relation (e.g. Spinoza, Merleau-Ponty, and the Feminist challenges of Caroline Whitbeck, Lorraine Code, and so on)
Free will and determinism (e.g. Sartre, theory of Karma, Stoicism, Spinoza, Mesoamerican cosmologies)
Skepticism (e.g. Sextus, Dharmakirti, Hume, Postmodernism)
Questions about scientific method (Gandhi, Kuhn, Foucault…)
What version of morality should we adopt? (Kant, Utilitarianism, Ethics of Care)
What is justice or a just state? (Rawls, Marx, Feminism, Cornell West, Charles Mills, Franz Fanon, Gandhi, Simone de Beauvoir, Susan Moller Okin …)
Why does community matter? (Rousseau, MacIntyre, Charles Taylor…)
What is aesthetic value? (John Dewey, Carolyn Korsmeyer, Emily Hicks…)
VII. Methods of Instruction
Lecture and seminar-style discussion
Course may be taught as face-to-face, media-based, hybrid or online course.
VIII. Course Practices Required
Standards for written work
Special policies about make-up exams, late papers, or other matters of concern
IX. Instructional Materials
Instructors may choose to use several short works in their entirety such as Plato’s Apology, Descartes’ Meditations, Hume’s Three Dialogues on Natural Religion, Mill’s On Liberty, Sartre’s Existentialism and Human Emotion, and West’s Race Matters.
Another possibility is using a fairly comprehensive anthology of primary sources such as Pojman’s Classics of Philosophy.
Instructors may also choose to use an introductory text that emphasizes a multi-cultural approach such as Traversing Philosophical Boundaries edited by Hallman.
X. Methods of Evaluating Student Progress
A. Quizzes/Exams……40 points
A. Essays……40 points
B. Final project with oral presentation……10 points
C. Attendance and participation………10 points
D. Grading scale: 90-100, A…….80-89, B………70-79, C……….60-69……..D
XI. Other Course Information
Office and office hours:
Email and website
If you have a documented learning, psychological, or physical disability you may be entitled to reasonable academic accommodations or services. To request accommodations or services, contact the Access and Disability Resource Center at the Des Plaines or Skokie campus. All students are expected to fulfill essential course requirements. The College will not waive any essential skill or requirement of a course or degree program.