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Instructor: Nancy Salay

This course will offer students a critical examination of a selection of principal works in the Western philosophical tradition. We will examine each of our selections both in its historical context and also as a living approach to questions of enduring concern today, namely, the nature and possibility of knowledge, the freedom of the will, moral obligation, ethical objectivity, and the nature of human beings. As with all philosophy classes, evaluation will be based on performance in three areas: 1) Analysis: identifying argument claims and structure and critiquing them; 2) Synthesis: developing coherent and consistent arguments for a positive position; 3) Communication: presenting ideas clearly and cogently. Students will become familiar with a selection of foundational texts and ideas in the Western intellectual and scientific tradition, learn some techniques of critical analysis and argument development, learn how to read and evaluate fundamental texts, learn how to write clearly and effectively, and develop some logical reasoning skills. Students who put effort into this class will get a threefold return on their investment: improvement in reading, writing, and thinking.