Introduction to Philosophy
                                
                   Professor David A. Salomon
                  Black Hills State University
                           Fall 1999
                       Office: Jonas 103A
     Office Hrs: MWF 1-1:50, T 11-12:15, and by appointment
                     Office Phone: 642-6249
                E-mail: DavidSalomon@bhsu.edu

This course is designed to give you an overview of the history of western philosophical thought.
Although we may occasionally allude to eastern philosophy, our focus is western philosophy as it
developed from the Greeks through the early Christians, into the Middle Ages, and, finally, in the
contemporary world. We will also consider some of the fundamental philosophical questions and
theories in Native American thought. As such, the course is a vigorous baptism in philosophical
ideas and will require students to engage themselves both in the reading and in class discussion.
Our credo is: philosophy is about ideas and expressing opinions and defending them. 

Over the course of the semester we will consider some of the major questions in philosophy:
1) What is "the good life"?
2) What is happiness, and how can we achieve it?
3) What are the basic concepts of good and evil, and how are they present in the world?
4) What is the soul?
5) What is beauty?
6) Can there be an absolute right?
                    
Our reading will not be scattered, and we will consider most texts in their entirety. Philosophy is
a discipline best studied when we look at the whole pie; one slice is not a good indicator. That's
the reason we will not use an anthology for the course.

Course Requirements: One In-Class Socratic Dialogue: Students will be paired at the first
                    class. A different pair of students will present a brief (10-15 minutes) Socratic
          dialogue on an issue of their own choosing but one that is relevant to that week's
          reading; a schedule of these presentations will be distributed after the first class.
          The dialogue can either be impromptu or read from prepared text, but the
          discussion should be vigorous, insightful, and provide the class with the spark for
          further discussion.
               Class Participation 
               Two short (4-6 page) papers; topics to be discussed
               One longer (8-11 page) paper; topic of your choosing
               Midterm Examination
               Final Examination

     
Texts (when possible, texts have been placed on reserve in the library, and editions have
been selected with cost in mind):
     Plato, Great Dialogues of Plato, trans. W.H.D. Rouse (New American Library, 1990)
          Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, trans. D.P. Chase (Dover Thrift Edition, 1998)
     Aquinas, Selected Writings (Prentice Hall Press)
               Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil (Dover Thrift Edition, 1995)
               Arthur C. Danto, After the End of Art: Contemporary Art and the Pale of History
          (Princeton UP, 1999)
               Yasmina Reza, Art (Faber and Faber, 1998) no need to buy this unless you don't have
          two hours to devote to reading this short play in the library    

     Special Accommodation: Reasonable accommodations, as arranged with the disabilities
     coordinator, will be provided for students with documented disabilities. Please contact the
     BHSU Disabilities Services Coordinator at 642-6099.