Philosophy of the Human Person (Phil 115)

Dr. Joshua Stuchlik Office Hours:

Office: John Roach Center, 216a MWF 3:00-3:30 pm
Email: jstuchlik@stthomas.edu and by appointment

Course Description:

An ancient motto for philosophy is Know thyself. But what am I? Easy: a human
person. But what exactly is that? A soul? A body? A combination of the two?
Philosophers have struggled with these questions for two and a half millennia. This
course is devoted to understanding various competing accounts of the human person and
the meaning of human life. Our overall goal will be the difficultbut hopefully
rewardingtask of learning something about ourselves.

Some of the questions well be looking at in particular are the following: (1) Are we
capable of surviving death? (2) Do we have free will? (3) Do we have any reason to believe
that God exists? Finally, you will also acquire some of the basic logical tools needed to
analyze and evaluate different answers to these questions.

Course Objectives:

The course has three main objectives: First, you will learn fundamental philosophical
principles, generalizations, and theories. Second, you will gain factual knowledge about what
philosophers have said about the human person. Finally, you will learn how to analyze
and critically evaluate ideas, arguments, and points of view.

Meeting Times:

MWF Sept. 7 Dec. 14, 2016

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Note: For every hour of class time, students are expected to devote two hours of study to this
course, including homework reading, review, and written assignments.
Required Texts

1. Anthony Weston, A Rulebook for Arguments, Fourth Ed. (ISBN: 978-0872209541)

2. Plato, Five Dialogues, Second Ed. (ISBN: 978-0872206335)
3. John Perry, A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality (ISBN: 978-0915144532)
4. John Lemos, Freedom, Responsibility, and Determinism: A Philosophical Dialogue
(ISBN: 978-1603849302)

Course Requirements and Grading:

Midterm exam: 25%

Final exam: 25%
Logic Test: 5%
Homework: 25%
Weekly Quizzes: 10%
Participation: 10%%

Exams

Exams will consist of a combination of objective (multiple choice and true/false) and essay
questions. See the final page of the syllabus for the date and time of the final exam.

Homework

There will be 10 short homework assignments over the course of the semester. The purpose
of these assignments is to practice the logical skills you learn in class. Late homework will not
be accepted.

Please note that you will be completing the first five homework assignments through our
courses Blackboard website. Each of these assignments must be completed by noon on the day they
are due.

Quizzes

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There will be 10 short weekly quizzes, which will cover the reading assigned for the day and
material covered in the previous class. Each quiz will have three questions (multiple choice
and true/false). The purpose of these quizzes is to provide an incentive to do the reading,
review your notes, and attend class. Quizzes will be announced one class period in advance.
At the end of the term, your lowest quiz grade will be dropped. Make-up quizzes will only
be given in the case of an excused absence.

Participation

Regular attendance and attentive and respectful listening to me and to your peers will be
sufficient to earn a participation grade of C. In order to receive a higher grade, you must
thoughtfully contribute to full class discussions on a regular basis.

Attendance

I will be taking attendance as part of your participation grade. In addition, if there is a quiz
on the day you are absent you will not be able to make it up unless your absence is excused.

Excused absences are those due to (1) a serious illness, (2) a documented job/internship
interview, (3) the death of a friend or family member, or (4) an activity sponsored by the
university. Any other absence must be discussed with me in advance in order to count as
excused.

Academic Integrity:

Please note that we will be following the UST Academic Integrity Policy. Plagiarism and
other forms of academic dishonesty, such as cheating, will not be tolerated. Confirmation of
academic dishonesty will result in notification of the dean and the maximum penalty possible.
You can read more about the universitys academic integrity policy online:
http://www.stthomas.edu/policies/student_policy_book/academic_integrity_policy.asp.

Classroom Accommodations:

Students who may need classroom accommodations due to a disability should make an
appointment within the first two weeks of the term with the Enhancement Program

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Disability Resources office (Murray Herrick, room 110; Telephone: 651-962-6315 or 800-328-
6819, extension 6315).

Schedule:

DATE SUBJECT ASSIGNMENT

Week 1
1 Sept. 7 Introduction ----
2 Sept. 9 On Bullshit Frankfurt, On Bullshit
Week 2
3 Sept. 12 Arguments Weston, Rulebook Ch. 1
4 Sept. 14 Arguments vs. Non-Arguments Homework 1 Due by Noon (on
Socrates Blackboard)
5 Sept. 16 Meno Plato, Meno 70a-81e
Atomic and Molecular Statements Homework 2 Due by Noon (on
Blackboard)
Week 3
6 Sept. 19 Socrates on Trial Plato, Apology 17a-24b
Deductive Validity
7 Sept. 21 Socrates on Trial (cont.) Plato, Apology 24b-28a
Deductive Soundness, Modus Ponens, Weston, Rulebook Ch. 6, pp. 37-39
Modus Tollens
8 Sept. 23 Socrates on Trial (cont.) Plato, Apology 36a-42a
Two Invalid Argument Forms Homework 3 Due by Noon (on
Blackboard)
Week 4
9 Sept. 26 Socrates on Trial (cont.) Plato, Apology 36a-42a
More Common Valid Argument Forms Weston, Rulebook Ch. 6, pp. 40-43
Homework 4 Due by Noon (on
Blackboard)
10 Sept. 28 Philosophy and Death Plato, Phaedo 57a-67e
Combining Argument Forms Weston, Rulebook Ch. 6, pp. 45-47
11 Sept. 30 The Argument from Opposites Plato, Phaedo 67e-72e
Inductive Arguments and Generalizations Weston, Rulebook Ch. 2
Homework 5 Due by Noon (on
Blackboard)
Week 5
12 Oct. 3 The Argument from Recollection Plato, Phaedo 72e-77a
13 Oct. 5 The Argument from Affinity Plato, Phaedo 77a-84c
Arguments by Analogy Weston, Rulebook Ch. 3
14 Oct. 7 The Harmony Theory Plato, Phaedo 84c-95a
Week 6
15 Oct. 10 The Argument from the Form of Life Plato, Phaedo 102b-107d, 115b-
118a

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16 Oct. 12 Problems for Substance Dualism Perry, Dialogue First Night
Reductio ad Absurdum Arguments Weston, Rulebook Ch. 6, pp. 43-44
17 Oct. 14 The Somatic Theory and the Memory Perry, Dialogue Second Night (pp.
Theory 19-33)
Homework 6 Due in Class
Week 7
18 Oct. 17 The Transplant Operation Perry, Dialogue Third Night
19 Oct. 19 Hylomorphism ----
20 Oct. 21 ***MIDTERM EXAM***
Week 8
21 Oct. 24 No class-Professor at conference ----
22 Oct. 26 No class-Professor at conference ----
Oct. 28 Fall Break
Week 9
23 Oct. 31 Hylomorphism (cont.) Aquinas, Soul in Human Beings
and My Soul is Not Me
24 Nov. 2 Mind and Brain Adler, Is Intellect Immaterial?
25 Nov. 4 Artificial Intelligence Searle, Can Computers Think?
Week 10
26 Nov. 7 Categorical Statements ----
27 Nov. 9 Analyzing Categorical Syllogisms Homework 7 Due in Class
28 Nov. 11 Evaluating Categorical Syllogisms Homework 8 Due in Class
Week 11
29 Nov. 14 Freuds Critique of Religion Freud, The Future of an Illusion
Chs. III and VI
Homework 9 Due in Class
30 Nov. 16 The Cosmological Argument Taylor, God pp. 99-108
31 Nov. 18 The Cosmological Argument (cont.) ----
Week 12
32 Nov. 21 The Teleological Argument Paley, Natural Theology pp. 55-
62
33 Nov. 23 The Problem of Evil ----
Begin movie: God on Trial
Nov. 25 Thanksgiving Break
Week 13
34 Nov. 28 Finish movie: God on Trial ----
35 Nov. 30 Philosophy and Coping with Suffering Epictetus, Handbook 1-22, 44, 53
36 Dec. 2 Do We Have Free Will? The Leopold and Baatz, Leopold and Loebs
Loeb Trial Criminal Minds
Week 14
37 Dec. 5 The Dilemma of Determinism Lemos, Freedom Act 1
Homework 10 Due in Class
38 Dec. 7 Classical Compatibilism Lemos, Freedom Act 2 pp. 21-7
39 Dec. 9 Review for Logic Test Lemos, Freedom Act 2 pp. 27-37
New Compatibilism

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 Week 15
40 Dec. 12 Logic Test Lemos, Freedom Act 3
Libertarianism
41 Dec. 14 Free Will and Divine Foreknowledge Boethius, Consolation of
Philosophy Book 5 (excerpts)
Final Exam:

PHIL 115-14: Tuesday, December 20: 8:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m.

PHIL 115-19: Friday, December 16: 10:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m.