1. PHIL 101: INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY
General Education
Flexible Core-D Individual and Society
No pre- or co-requisites
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Studies the basic issues and traditions in philosophy. Thinkers include Socrates, Plato,
Descartes, Kant, Rawls. Issues include the soul, truth, god, reality, knowledge, ethics, mind,
freedom, religion, and social and political thought. Developing skills of critical analysis and
dialectical thinking, students will be able to identify traditional and current issues in philosophy.
FLEXIBLE CORE AREA AND LEARNING OUTCOMES-INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY
Students will:
1. Gather, interpret, and assess information from a variety of sources and points of
view.
2. Evaluate evidence and arguments critically or analytically.
3. Produce well-reasoned written or oral arguments using evidence to support
conclusions.
4. Identify and apply the fundamental concepts and methods of a discipline or
interdisciplinary field exploring the relationship between the individual and society,
including, but not limited to, anthropology, communications, cultural studies, history,
journalism, philosophy, political science, psychology, public affairs, religion, and
sociology.
5. Examine how an individual’s place in society affects experiences, values, or choices.
6. Articulate and assess ethical views and their underlying premises.
7. Articulate ethical uses of data and other information resources to respond to
problems and questions.
8. Identify and engage with local, national, or global trends or ideologies, and analyze their
impact on individual or collective decision-making.
This course will address Learning Outcomes 1,2,3,4,6 and 7.
DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES
A. Identify some of the basic content in the field of Philosophy (vocabulary, concepts, theories);
B. Identify traditional and current Issues in Philosophy;
C. Communicate awareness of and understanding of philosophical issues;
D. Demonstrate familiarity with the main areas of philosophic discourse and be able to state
what major schools of thought there are that have contributed to the ongoing discussion of
these issues;
E. Develop skills of critical analysis and dialectical thinking; and
F. Analyze and respond to the comments of other students regarding philosophical issues.
REQUIRED TEXT
Pecorino, Philip A. An Introduction to Philosophy. 2010. [available free online at http://
www.qcc.cuny.edu/socialsciences/ppecorino/intro_text/CONTENTS.htm]

2. OPTIONAL TEXTS
Note: any previous edition or used edition will do.
Soccio, Douglas. Archetypes of Wisdom: An Introduction to Philosophy. 6th ed. Belmont, CA:
Thomson Wadsworth, 2007. ISBN-13: 978-0495007074 [$147.00]
Great Dialogues of Plato. Ed. H.D Rouse. New York, NY: Signet, 2008. ISBN-13:
978-0451530851 [$6.95]
Weston, Anthony. A Rulebook for Arguments. 4th ed. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing
Company, 2009. ISBN-13: 978-0872209541 [$7.95]
ASSIGNMENTS
Quizzes (4 x 2 points) 8%
Discussion Board Participation (4 x 6 points) 24%
Formal Essays (4 x 12 points) 48%
Essay Exams (4 x 5 points) 20%
Total 100%
GRADING
94-100 A
90-93 A-
87-89 B+
84-86 B
80-83 B-
77-79 C+
74-76 C
70-73 C-
60-69 D
59 and below F
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
This course requires a lot of writing. Students should expect to spend several hours each work
making outlines, proofreading, revising, drafting, etc. This, of course, is in addition to the time
required to read and review the text, and participate in online discussions. Each learning module
also features a formal essay, a timed quiz, and a timed essay exam. If you are a weak writer, or
are unfamiliar with structuring persuasive essays, you should purchase and read the optional
Weston text.
Quizzes: Each learning module has a quiz that comprises 5 short answer questions designed to
test the extent to which students have internalized the material from the lesson. Quizzes are
timed and must be completed in 15 minutes. The quizzes assess Flexible Core Learning
Outcome 4 and Discipline-Specific Learning Objectives A and B.
PHIL 101/PAGE-2

3. Discussion Boards: Each learning module has a discussion board that requires students to
think critically about topics from the lessons, as well as criticize, comment, and expand upon the
posts of other students. Initial posts should be a paragraph or two, and should be approximately
200 words. Replies may be limited to a few sentences but should be approximately 100 words.
A detailed grading rubric for the discussion board is provided on the course Blackboard site. The
Discussion Boards assess Flexible Core Learning Outcomes 3,4,6 and 7, and Discipline-
Specific Learning Objectives C,D,E and F.
Formal Essays: Each learning module has a short, formal essay that requires students to
explore, articulate and assess views presented in the readings with regard to the underlying
premises discussed. Students will have to cite evidence to support their arguments, and apply
explicit ethical principles and values when selecting a position. Detailed grading rubrics for each
essay are provided on the course Blackboard site. The Formal Essays assess all Flexible Core
Learning Outcomes, and Discipline-Specific Learning Objectives A,B,C,D and E.
Essay Exams: Each learning module has a timed essay exam that requires students to
explore, articulate and assess a selected topic. Detailed grading rubrics for each essay are
provided on the course Blackboard site. The Formal Essays assess Flexible Core Learning
Outcomes 2,4,6 and 7, and Discipline-Specific Learning Objectives C,D,E.
ACCESSIBILITY AND ACCOMMODATIONS
The CUNY School of Professional Studies is firmly committed to making higher education
accessible to students with disabilities by removing architectural barriers and providing
programs and support services necessary for them to benefit from the instruction and resources
of the University. Early planning is essential for many of the resources and accommodations
provided. Please see: http://www.sps.cuny.edu/student_services/disabilityservices.html
ONLINE ETIQUETTE AND ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICY
The University strictly prohibits the use of University online resources or facilities, including
Blackboard, for the purpose of harassment of any individual or for the posting of any material
that is scandalous, libelous, offensive or otherwise against the University’s policies. Please see:
http://www.sps.cuny.edu/student_services/pdf/Netiquette.pdf
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Academic dishonesty is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Cheating, forgery, plagiarism
and collusion in dishonest acts undermine the educational mission of the City University of New
York and the students' personal and intellectual growth. Please see: http://www.sps.cuny.edu/
acad_policies/index.html
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
If you need any additional help, please visit Student Support Services: http://www.sps.cuny.edu/
student_resources/index.html
PHIL 101/PAGE-3

4. SCHEDULE
NOTE: This course is divided into four learning modules, each approximately 4 weeks long.
Individual reading assignments and more detailed descriptions of each unit’s objectives are
posted to the class Blackboard site.
Module 1
Lesson 1: Introduction
Lesson 2: The Greeks: The Origins of Philosophy in the West
Lesson 3: Philosophy of Religion and the Problem of God
Quiz 1
Remember to address the Discussion Board prompts
Formal Essay 1
Exam 1
Module 2
Lesson 4: Metaphysics
Lesson 5: Epistemology
Lesson 6: The Mind-Body Problem
Quiz 2
Remember to address the Discussion Board prompts
Formal Essay 2
Exam 2
Module 3
Lesson 7: Freedom and Determinism
Lesson 8: Ethics
Lesson 9: Social Philosophy
Quiz 3
Remember to address the Discussion Board prompts
Formal Essay 3
Exam 3
Module 4
Lesson 10: Political Philosophy
Lesson 11: Philosophy of Art
Lesson 12: Conclusion
Quiz 4
Remember to address the Discussion Board prompts
Formal Essay 4
Exam 4
PHIL 101/PAGE-4