PHIL115 INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
| Course Code: | 2410115 |
| METU Credit (Theoretical-Laboratory hours/week): | 3 (3.00 - 0.00) |
| ECTS Credit: | 4.0 |
| Department: | Philosophy |
| Language of Instruction: | English |
| Level of Study: | Undergraduate |
| Course Coordinator: | Res.Dr. BERK YAYLIM |
| Offered Semester: | Fall and Spring Semesters. |
Course Objectives
This course is designed to introduce philosophical problems through arguments and counterarguments from various fields. We will examine major themes and problems in the history of philosophy, including:
- Logical argumentation
- Philosophy of religion
- Theory of knowledge
- Philosophy of mind
- Ethics
We will also explore how the concepts in these areas might relate to other areas, such as computer science, psychology, sociology etc.
Course Content
This course purports to introduce students to the views of the most important figures in the history of western philosophy. It starts with the ancient period including basically the most important ideas of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. After a short overview of the medieval philosophy, the course continues with the modern period. This period includes continental rationalists, such as Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz on the one hand, and British empiricists like Locke, Berkeley, and Hume on the other. It ends with expounding the most basic views of Kant who is supposed to have synthesized rationalism and empiricism. The last part of the course is devoted to the contemporary period including figures from the continental Europe such as Husserl and Heidegger as well as those belonging to the analytic school such as Russell, Wittgenstein, and Quine.
Course Learning Outcomes
By the end of the term, the students will be able to:
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Develop skills in logical argumentation and recognize common fallacies.
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Explain and critically evaluate major debates in the philosophy of religion, epistemology, philosophy of mind, and ethics.
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Analyze historical and contemporary philosophical arguments also using primary sources.
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Connect philosophical concepts to other fields.
Program Outcomes Matrix
| Level of Contribution | |||||
| # | Program Outcomes | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1 | Have the knowledge and skills of research method which is a requirement in order to be successful in academic studies. | ✔ | |||
| 2 | Have the capacity for applying philosophical knowledge to scientific and social issues. | ✔ | |||
| 3 | Examine and analyze a subject matter and make philosophical interpretations on it. | ✔ | |||
| 4 | Have the skills of critical thinking, analytical approach, problem solving, multi-dimensional view, making inferences and interpretations regarding to philosophical texts and scientific facts. | ✔ | |||
| 5 | Identify the basic concepts and issues in philosophy. | ✔ | |||
| 6 | Evaluate and understand the underlying philosophical assumptions of fundamental and social sciences. | ✔ | |||
| 7 | Have capacity to make interdisciplinary readings and analysis. | ✔ | |||
| 8 | Have verbal and written presentation and effective communication skills, be open to team work and do interdisciplinary study. | ✔ | |||
| 9 | Make connections between contemporary ethical, social, cultural, esthetic and politic issues. | ✔ | |||
| 10 | Interpret the historical development of scientific and philosophical questions. | ✔ | |||
| 11 | Have knowledge about contemporary philosophical issues and their relations to other disciplines. | ✔ | |||
| 12 | Use modern information tools in order to make research in philosophy. | ✔ | |||
| 13 | Improve their professional and personal skills lifelong. | ✔ | |||
| 14 | Use information technologies effectively in domain applications in philosophy. | ✔ | |||
| 15 | Have self-confidence and develop original ideas regarding to philosophy. | ✔ | |||
| 16 | Have social and ethical responsibility regarding to contemporary issues. | ✔ | |||
| 17 | Have good knowledge of English, research method and computer skills and use these skills effectively. | ✔ | |||
| 18 | Comprehend the basic theories and issues in sub-disciplines of philosophy. | ✔ | |||
| 19 | Have an advanced knowledge in certain specific fields such as environment, technology, culture, art etc. | ✔ | |||
0: No Contribution 1: Little Contribution 2: Partial Contribution 3: Full Contribution