This course is an introduction to philosophical thinking, covering the main areas of philosophy, and concluding with a sustained reading of a text of American thought, Henry David Thoreau's Walden. Requirements for the course include:

· reasonable attendance

· homework assignments (usually a paragraph of writing on assigned questions) [20%]

· two in-class examinations [50%]

· a final paper of no more than five pages (typed or printed, double spaced). Due Monday, April 30. [30%]

The course begins with a discussion of logic and philosophical reasoning as applied to specific questions. We then pass to week-long treatments of these questions: the meaning of life, the existence of God, the distinctions between appearance and reality and mind and body; the nature of the self, human rights, freedom, justice, and non-Western philosophy. At the end of the course, we spend three weeks on Thoreau's Walden, the subject of the final paper. The course concludes with a week on philosophy and film.

(All readings through April 6 are from the main text: Robert Solomon's The Big Questions (Harcourt Brace). Thereafter readings are from H. D. Thoreau's Walden, ed. Shanley (Princeton University Press).

January 19 Introduction: Doing Philosophy 1-14.

Jan. 22 Logic, 16-25; Jan. 24 355-65; Jan. 26 Opening Questions, 28-34.

· First writing assignment due (choose one or two questions from pp. 30-2).

Jan. 29 More Questions 34-42; Jan. 31 & Feb. 2 The Meaning of Life 44-64

Feb. 5 God 68-73.

· Second assignment due: questions pp. 64-5

Feb. 7 Conceptions of God & the problem of evil 73-84.

Feb. 9 Death of God; faith and reason 84-100.

Feb. 12 Closing questions 101-2 & Opening questions about reality

· Third assignment: questions from pp. 100-2.

Feb. 14 Appearance and reality; science and metaphysics 107-116

Feb. 16 Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz 116-28

Feb. 19 Idealism 129-41

· Fourth assignment: questions pp. 139-41

Feb. 21 Review

Feb. 23 First Examination

Feb. 26 The Self, 180-94; Feb. 28 Mind/Body, 195-204;

March 2 Soul/Self 204-10

· Fifth assignment: questions pp. 211-12.

Mar. 5 Freedom 214-24; Mar. 7 & 9 Freedom and determinism 224-37.

Mar. 12-18 Spring break.

Mar. 19 Morality: Opening questions 240-50.

Mar. 21 Egoism/altruism; theories of morality 250-61.

Mar. 23 Consequentialism, Aristotle, relativism and skepticism 261-71.

· Sixth assignment: questions pp. 271-2.

Mar. 26 Justice 276-90.

Mar. 28 Rights.

Mar. 30 Sex, race, culture; non-Western philosophy 300-21.

April 2 Feminism, Afro-American philosophy 321-31.

April 4 · Seventh assignment: questions pp. 296-7, and 330.

April 6 Review.

April 9 Second Examination

April 11 & 13 "Economy," pp. 3-79 in Walden.

April 16 "Where I Lived and What I Lived For" 81-98.

April 18 "Reading" 99-110.

April 20 "Solitude" and "Visitors" 129-54.

April 23 "Higher Laws," & "The Pond in Winter," 210-222, 282-98.

April 25 & 27 "Spring," "Conclusion" 299-333.

April 30 Essays due. Topic: "Thoreau discusses a range of metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical issues in Walden Critically discuss his position on some of these issues." Limit: 5 typed double spaced pages.

April 30-May 4 Philosophy and film.