Introduction to Philosophy & Critical Thinking

Course Outline

HUM 233
 Introduction to Philosophy & Critical Thinking
Course Description

This course seeks to explore and answer fundamental questions of human life such as Is our universe real? Am I simply a body or
spirit? How do I know what I know? Can we know anything with certainty? Am I master of my fate? What is meant to be good human
being? etc. This course provides students with an opportunity to learn the most thoughtful answers given by well-known Philosophers
to these primary questions as well as enables them examine their own views on these issues. Students will learn to critically analyze
and evaluate various philosophical thoughts and their implications. It will also enable them to rationally justify their own views. This
course will also develop critical thinking skills which will prove very essential in the pursuit of any career the students choose for
themselves.

Course Goals

The main goals of the course are to enable the students to:
 examine critically philosophical issues concerning the nature of reality, human experience, knowledge, value
 develop understanding of and appreciate multiple viewpoints on these issues
 reconstruct and debate these foundational issues in the philosophical tradition
 develop critical thinking skills

Course Objectives
The objectives of the course are to enable the students to:
 summarize and evaluate the arguments, problems, questions, or issues central to philosophy
 gain understanding of ideas of key figures of Western philosophical tradition
 compare the views of various thinkers on fundamental questions of Philosophy
 identify and articulate their own views on philosophical issues
 form arguments to support their views
 be engaged in thoughtful discussions
Week Topics SLOs

 Define the term ‘Philosophy’ and

identify the fundamental questions of
Introduction to Philosophy
Philosophy
 What is Philosophy?
 Distinguish between Philosophy and
 Why Philosophy Matters?
1 Philosophizing
 Branches of Philosophy
 Enlist various branches of Philosophy
 Division of Historical Eras of and explain their goals
Philosophy
 Examine the practical relevance and
importance of studying philosophy
What Level Thinker are you?
 Critical Thinking and Its Stages
 Identify the stages of development
 The Unreflective Thinker.
of critical thinking and analyze
 The Challenged Thinker.
them
 The Beginning Thinker.
2
 The Practicing Thinker.  Explain the essential qualities of
critical thinker
 The Advanced Thinker.
 The Accomplished Thinker  Apply the critical thinking model
in examining a given issue
 Qualities of Critical Thinker
 Critical Thinking Model
 Differentiate proposition from
other kinds of statement
What are the Principles of Correct  Define and identify the arguments
Thinking? and its parts; premises &
 Structure of an Argument conclusion
3
 Evaluation of an Argument  Evaluate an argument as valid or
invalid, sound or unsound
 Types of Argument  Build an argument
 Compare inductive and deductive
argument
  Define ‘fallacy’ & explain the
Common Fallacies of Reasoning
kinds
 Fallacies of Relevance  Demonstrate understanding of
4  Fallacies of Defective Induction various fallacies by identifying
 Fallacies of Presumption them
 Fallacies of Ambiguity  Develop a fallacious argument as
an example for each fallacy
 Examine the question of meaning
Does life has a Meaning/ Purpose? of life
 The Meaning of Meaning  Evaluate four major meanings as
 Children as Meaning ascribed to life
5  God as Meaning  Demonstrate understanding of
 Afterlife as Meaning various philosophical views on the
 No Meaning at All meaning of life
 Various Philosophical Answers  Identify and reflect on the meaning
of life they have
 Contrast between Idealism &
Materialism as two metaphysical
rival views
What is Reality?  Demonstrate understanding of
 Materialism: Reality as Matter Plato’s Idealism by interpreting his
6
 Idealism: Reality as Non- Matter allegory of cave
 Differentiate Plato’s objective
idealism from Subjective Idealism
 Explain Materialism and draw its
implication
  Explain and critically analyze
view of common sense realism
 Rephrase Descartes criticism on
How do we know what we know? senses as source of knowledge
 Common Sense Realism  Articulate & assess Descartes
Rationalism by referring to
 Rationalism
Cartesian methodic doubt and
7  Empiricism
cogito argument
 Intuitionism
 Articulate & assess Locke’s
 Scientism Empiricism
 Differentiate between Rationalism
& Empiricism
 List basic features of Intuitionism
& Scientism

8 Mid-Term

What is human nature?  Describe & critically evaluate the

 The Rationalist Version of the Greek rationalistic & Judeo-
Traditional Western View of Christian versions of the
9 Human Nature Traditional Western view of
 The Judeo- Cristian Version human nature
 The Darwinian Challenge  Explain how Darwinism
challenged these views
  Explain why dualism is so
What is human nature? influential as a view of human
 The Dualistic View nature, even though it leads to
 The Materialistic View mind-body problem
10
 The Mind/Brain Identity  Explain & critically evaluate the
 The Behaviorist View way materialism, identity theory,
behaviourism & new dualism tries
to solve the mind-body problem
 Examine the relationship between
free will & morality
Are We Master of Our Fate?  Explain & critically evaluate the
 Free Will and Good Life indeterminism
 Determinism a Challenge to  Explain & critically evaluate the
11
Morality deterministic view of human
 Determinism VS. Indeterminism nature
 Compatibilism  Explain Compatibilism as an
attempt to reconcile determinism
& indeterminism
 Identify & explain the various
philosophical approaches to art
Does Beauty Lie in the Eyes of Beholder? and beauty
 What is Beauty?  Analyze the various philosophical
 What is Art? issues and questions related to
12
 What is/should be the purpose of Aesthetics
Art?  Develop an understanding of
objectivity/subjectivity debate
surrounding the concepts of art &
beauty
  Explain & critically evaluate the
What are the Rational Arguments for the design, cosmological, ontological,
Existence of God? & pragmatic arguments for the
 The Design Argument existence of God
 The Cosmological Argument  Explain the difference between
13
 The Ontological Argument atheism & agnosticism
 The Pragmatic Argument  Define the Problem of Evil &
 Problem of Evil critically evaluate the it as an
argument against the existence of
God

Brief Introduction to Philosophical  Summarize the main features of

Trends of 21st Century Existentialism
14
 Existentialism  Identify the major thinkers of
Existentialism

Brief Introduction to Philosophical  Summarize the main features of

Trends of 21st Century Pragmatism & Postmodernism
15
 Pragmatism  Identify the major thinkers of
 Postmodernism Pragmatism & Postmodernism

16 Final Exams
EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT

Marks Distribution

Marks Head Frequency Total Marks

Quizzes 1+1 10

Mid Term Exam 1 25

Assignments 2 15

Presentations 1 10

Final Exam 1 40

Total Marks 100

SUGGESTED TEXTS
Warburton, Nigel. 2013. The Basics. Oxford: Routledge.
Velasquez, Manuel G. 2011. Philosophy, a Text with Readings. Boston: Cengage Learning
Solomon, Robert C. 2010. The big questions: a short introduction to philosophy. Belmont: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Chaffee, John. 2016. The Philosopher’s Way: a Text with Readings. New York: Pearson.