Introduction to philosophy B
6 points
* 3 hours per week
* Second semester
*
Clayton
Objectives On completing this subject students should have a better understanding of the nature of philosophical discourse, and have acquired the conceptual foundations for further study in the subject. They should also have developed an enhanced competence in both reading and writing text in which the presentation of a rigorously argued and coherent case for some point of view is developed.
Synopsis Students select any two of the following four components:
(i) Metaphysics
Aubrey Townsend and Richard Hanley
Objectives On completing the component students will have an understanding of some major metaphysical issues that arise from the interplay of commonsense and traditional views with the emerging world view of science. They will perhaps also have an openness to the excitement of ideas and argument about ideas.
Synopsis Some of the best science fiction stories explore metaphysical ideas. Much of the pleasure to be had in reading them comes from thinking about the metaphysical issues they raise - we wonder whether they present a coherent possible world. Stories about time travel, for example, provoke speculation about time, causation, and human freedom. Similarly reflection on what it is to be a person, and about personal identity, can issue from stories about personal survival in fantastic situations. In this component, science fiction will be used to introduce and illustrate the discussion of serious philosophical issues in metaphysics. Readings will include selections from both science fiction and the philosophical literature on time, cause and freedom, personal identity, consciousness and artificial intelligence, dreams and reality. The course is intended to provide a suitable foundation for later studies in epistemology and metaphysics.
Assessment Essay (1200 words): 25%
* Examination: 25%
Prescribed texts
A collection of readings available from the Monash Bookshop
Recommended texts
Glover J I:The philosophy and psychology of personal identity, Penguin
(ii) God, freedom and evil
Edward Khamara and Graham Oppy
Objectives This component aims to enable the student to state accurately the theses of determinism and of free-will and the arguments for and against their apparent conflict; to state the problem of evil as well as have a knowledge of the various types of solution to that problem; and to have an accurate idea of the so-called free-will defense.
Synopsis The existence of evil raises a problem for anyone who believes that God is all-powerful and wholly good. For if God is all-powerful, why does he not prevent evil? And if he is wholly good, why does he not wish to prevent it? One traditional solution to this problem is to say that God is not responsible for the moral evil in this world. God gave us freedom, the capacity to choose between good and evil; moral evils are due entirely to the bad choices made by human beings. But could God not have done better? Could he not have seen to it that, when we make free choices, we never commit evil? A natural reply would be to say that we would not then be genuinely free. This raises the central questions to be addressed in this course: what exactly does free action involve? And are we ever genuinely free, or is our sense of freedom no more than an illusion?
Assessment Essay (1200 words): 25%
* Examination: 25%
Prescribed texts
A collection of readings available from the Monash Bookshop
(iii) Morality and objectivity
Dirk Baltzly and Jeanette Kennett
Objectives On successful completion of this component students should have an appreciation of the dimensions of the central and enduring debate in moral philosophy concerning the objectivity of value and the foundation of morality. They should be able to demonstrate in their written work a critical awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments used to defend the rival philosophical positions presented in the component and be able to defend by argument their preferred position.
Synopsis What is the point or object of moral practice? Can we objectively justify our moral beliefs and our moral motivations? These questions are the subject of this unit. The first part examines the nature of value and the constituents of the good life, with particular reference to texts by ancient Greek philosophers.The second part of the unit examines the relationship between morality and social practice, religion, self-interest and the capacity to engage in rational reflection. The course serves as a useful foundation for later year courses in ethics and Greek philosophy.
Assessment Essay (1200 words): 25%
* Examination: 25%
Prescribed texts
A collection of readings available from the Monash Bookshop
(iv) Introduction to logic
Aubrey Townsend
Objectives Students who successfully complete the unit will have a knowledge of basic logical doctrine that should be a sufficient foundation for further work in both logic and philosophy. They will also have an increased sensitivity to appropriate standards of rigour in argument, not only in philosophy.
Synopsis The only prerequisite for this option is an interest in thinking and reasoning clearly and correctly. We all distinguish between valid (or correct) and invalid (or incorrect) reasoning and argument. Logicians seek to make this distinction precise and to develop systematic accounts of valid argument. We will be doing this at an introductory level in this course.
Assessment Four exercises: 5% each
* Test: 30%
Prescribed texts
Townsend A V Primary logic Department of Philosophy, Monash University, 1996
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