Introduction to Philosophy

Instructor Information

• Course Coordinator: Dr. Miriam Adler (Assistant Professor of Philosophy)
• Section Instructors: Listed for each section in AlkimiHub. Your section instructor's office hours and office are posted in your Canvas course page.
• Email: madler@university.alkimi.ai
• Office: Lovell Hall 244
• Coordinator Office Hours:
  • Tuesday & Thursday: 3:30–5:00 p.m. (In person, Lovell Hall 244)
  • Monday: 4:00–5:00 p.m. (Virtual via Zoom; link posted in Canvas)
  • Also available by appointment.

Course Description

Classic questions of philosophy (knowledge, mind, free will, God, and the good life) read through major thinkers from Plato to the present, with practice in constructing and evaluating arguments. PHIL 101 introduces students to systematic philosophical inquiry into fundamental questions concerning reality, knowledge, consciousness, morality, and meaning. We examine foundational debates across the history of Western philosophy, reading classic texts alongside contemporary analytical viewpoints. Students learn to reconstruct philosophical arguments with precision, interrogate underlying presuppositions, formulate counterexamples, and articulate rigorous written defenses of their own philosophical positions on skepticism, personal identity, determinism, and the nature of justice.

Prerequisites

None.

Measurable Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of PHIL 101, students will be able to:

1. Reconstruct and Evaluate Arguments: Identify premises, conclusions, logical validity, and soundness in primary philosophical texts and contemporary argumentation.
2. Analyze Epistemological Questions: Evaluate competing theories of knowledge, epistemic justification, radical skepticism, and the limits of rational inquiry.
3. Investigate Mind and Free Will: Examine major philosophical perspectives on the mind-body problem, consciousness, artificial intelligence, determinism, and moral responsibility.
4. Compare Normative Ethical Frameworks: Critique and apply consequentialist, deontological, and virtue ethics frameworks to enduring moral dilemmas and personal obligation.
5. Formulate Thesis-Driven Philosophical Writing: Compose clear, analytically rigorous essays that articulate a contestable thesis, anticipate objections, and offer reasoned defenses.

Required Course Materials & Approximate Costs

1. John Perry, Michael Bratman, and John Martin Fischer, eds. Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings. 9th ed., Oxford University Press, 2021. Approx. $45 digital rental, $85 print purchase.
2. Alkimi Guide to Philosophical Writing and Argument Reconstruction. Free digital access provided on Canvas.
3. Total estimated cost: $45 to $85.

Generative AI Policy (AI Level 1: AI Not Permitted for Graded Work)

In accordance with Alkimi University Academic Policies (Student Handbook §5.8), PHIL 101 operates under AI Level 1.

• What is permitted: You may use generative AI tools to explore general background definitions of philosophical terms or review rules of spelling and standard punctuation on preliminary drafts.
• What is prohibited: You may not use generative AI to compose thesis statements, formulate counterarguments, draft textual analyses, generate reading responses, or complete examination essays.
• Disclosure: All submitted essays must conclude with a signed statement certifying: 'I certify that this paper represents my own original philosophical reasoning and prose without generative AI assistance.'

Grading Components and Weights

• Philosophical Essay 1: Skepticism and Knowledge: 20% (Due Friday, September 25 at 11:59 p.m.)
• Midterm Examination: 15% (In class during week 8 (week of October 12))
• Philosophical Essay 2: Mind and Agency: 20% (Due Friday, November 13 at 11:59 p.m.)
• Weekly Argument Reconstructions: 15% (Weekly short argument analyses and reading responses submitted in Canvas on Mondays at 11:59 p.m.; lowest score dropped)
• Discussion and Seminar Engagement: 10% (Active, respectful, and prepared engagement in weekly discussion section dialogues)
• Final Philosophical Thesis Essay: 20% (Due Monday, December 14, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.)

Grading Scale (Alkimi University Standard)

• A: 93–100% | A-: 90–92%
• B+: 87–89% | B: 83–86% | B-: 80–82%
• C+: 77–79% | C: 73–76% | C-: 70–72%
• D+: 67–69% | D: 60–66% | F: Below 60%
• Extra credit: No extra credit assignments are offered in PHIL 101. Students should focus their energy on developing clear, well-argued papers and engaging in seminar discussions.

Course Schedule (Fall 2026)

All sections follow this common weekly schedule. Section meeting days vary, so dates are shown by week; your section instructor posts exact class dates in Canvas.

Course Policies

Attendance Policy

Philosophy is practiced through active, rigorous dialogic exchange. Regular attendance and punctual arrival are required in all lecture and discussion sections. Students are allowed two unexcused absences; each subsequent unexcused absence results in a penalty of one-third of a letter grade on your final course grade. Missing more than five class sessions will result in a failing grade. Students who miss the first two class meetings without notifying the instructor may be dropped. Students may miss class for religious observance without penalty if they notify the instructor in writing within the first two weeks of the semester (by Wednesday, September 9, 2026). Absences for university-sponsored activities (athletics, performances, conferences) are excused with a letter from the sponsoring office at least one week in advance.

Late Work Policy

Formal philosophical essays submitted late lose one-third of a letter grade per day (e.g., from A to A-) and will not be accepted after four days past the deadline without prior documented approval. Weekly argument responses cannot be accepted late.

Final Exam Policy

PHIL 101 has no final examination. The final philosophical thesis essay takes its place. Nothing is due on Reading Day (Thursday, December 10, 2026).