Course Syllabus

Springville High School

Course Description

The term “philosophy” derives from a combination of the Greek words philos meaning love and sophia meaning wisdom.  What philosophy is, or should be, is itself a rather philosophical question that philosophers have understood and treated differently since ancient times.  Philosophy is concerned with difficult and controversial questions that have kept man debating for centuries.  Some pertain to “WHAT IS… (What makes me what I am?  How is my mind related to my body?  Do all events, including the choices I make, have causes?)  Others pertain to “WHAT OUGHT TO BE”… (If the choices I make have causes outside me, can they be judged right or wrong?)  Yet, others pertain to what is knowable… “WHAT IS TRUTH”…(Are there truths that cannot be known at all?)  Other topics covered include ethics, free will of man, and the existence and nature of divine beings.

The Practical Use of Philosophy

Skills acquired by studying philosophy can be useful in all careers.  The main benefit, however, lies in learning to think in an organized way about confusing and controversial questions; to react to criticism not with outrage or fear but with a willingness to state the grounds for one’s views and to listen and learn from the views of others. 

What Do I Have To Do?

The success of this introductory course depends greatly on the willingness of the student to be mature, open-minded, and willing to discuss their thoughts, ask questions, and listen and learn from their peers.  

This class will be of an interactive environment in which students are coming to class prepared to talk, challenging each other’s ideas and feeling comfortable expressing their opinions.  If you consider yourself self-motivated, willing to learn how to construct logical arguments and debates, then this is the class for you.

While analyzing the viewpoints of the great philosophers, the following topics will be discussed in class:

            1. The Love of Wisdom                                 6. Death and the Afterlife

            2. How Do We Know Anything?                   7. Is There A Divine Being?

            3. Good vs. Evil                                              8. The Meaning of Life

            4. Are We Ever Really Free?            

            5. What Is A Person?

Materials Required:

Organization is a much needed skill for anyone who plans to be successful, thus, you are required to keep a philosophy portfolio, (a.k.a. “notebook”).  I suggest buying a three-ring-binder so you can keep your work organized.  You can keep this binder at home so that you can add to it throughout the week.  Bring a spiral notebook to class everyday for the purpose of taking lecture notes.  You can then transfer the lecture notes into your portfolio when you get home.  This helps in learning the material!! 

Grading Policy

Class Rules

Plato and Aristotle

The Thinker

Mark Twain