Professor Stefan Rodde

roddesw@yorku.ca
Office Location:  S417 Ross Building
Phone Number:  (416) 736-2100 Ext. 40901
Office Hours:  Virtual office hours: Virtual office hours will be held immediately following the lectures on Tuesdays and Thursdays (20:00)

Many philosophical problems concern knowledge, truth and reality. In this course we will look at a number of these problems, some of the positions that have been taken on these problems, the arguments that have been put forward in support of those positions, and possible flaws with these arguments. Students will vote for the problems that they would like to study during the first week of class. The choices are:

• Doubt: Can I be certain of anything? (Sextus Empiricus, Descartes, Moore, Wittgenstein)
• Dream: Are dreams a source of knowledge? (Al-Ghazali, Aristotle, Cicero, Freud)
• Dialectic: How can we know that a scientific theory is true? (Aristotle, Popper, Kuhn)
• Determinism: Do human beings possess free will? (Edwards, Stace, Kane, Frankfurt)
• Dualism: Is the mind separate from the body? (Descartes, Smart, Nagel)
• Identity (’dentity): What does it mean for me to be the same person now that I was in the past or will be in the future (and does it matter)? (Chisholm, Locke, Parfit, Olson)
• Divine: Is it reasonable to believe that miracles have occurred? (Hume, Mackie, Hudson)
• Diabolic: Does the existence of evil provide a good reason for thinking that god doesn’t exist? (Hume, Mackie, Hick, Rowe)

Students will vote for the four topics that they would like to study in the course. Through an examination of primary texts students will gain an understanding of some of the positions which have been taken on these issues and engage with the arguments for those positions.

Technical requirements for taking the course: This course will be delivered fully online. You will need a stable internet connection to access the lectures, participate in online discussions and upload your work. You will also need a computer with a microphone. A webcam is desirable but not required.

Here are some useful links for student computing information, resources and help:

Student Guide to Moodle

Zoom@YorkU Best Practices 

Zoom@YorkU User Reference Guide

Computing for Students Website

Student Guide to eLearning at York University

To determine Internet connection and speed, there are online tests, such as Speedtest, that can be run.]

Times and locations: This course depends on remote teaching and learning. The online lectures will be delivered live (synchronously) on Tuesdays and Thursdays 19:00-20:00, and a recording of the lectures will be posted on eclass. The online tutorials are also live. Attendance in tutorials is mandatory

Virtual office hours: Virtual office hours will be held immediately following the lectures on Tuesdays and Thursdays (20:00)

There is no textbook in this course. All readings will be posted on eclass as links or as files for download

Discussion Forums (2). . . . . . . 25% (12% each and a 1% bonus if you do both)

Online Commentaries (10) . . . .10% (Due before material covered in lecture)

Essay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35%

Tutorial participation. . . . . . . . . 10%

Final Exam. . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . 20%

This is an ONCA course. The course will be online but the final exam must be written in person. The final exam will be scheduled by the Registrar. The online lectures will be delivered live on Tuesdays and Thursdays 19:00-20:00 and recordings of the lectures will always be posted. The online tutorials will also be live.

Students are strongly encouraged to watch and participate in the online lectures synchronously (live) as it allows students to ask questions while the material is being covered. Attendance in the online tutorials is mandatory

By the end of this course you will have read selections from the works of a number of philosophers and you should have a basic familiarity with their views. In addition, you should have developed your ability to:

• Read and understand difficult and challenging texts
• Critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of arguments
• Appreciate unfamiliar ideas and points of view
• Write clearly, concisely and effectively in support of your claims

• The late penalty for the essay is 2%/day. We will not accept late submissions of online commentaries or discussion forum posts
• Don’t cheat, don’t plagiarize and don’t assist or enable others to cheat or plagiarize
• Posting material on Course Hero or other Notes Sharing Websites is considered a breach of York’s Academic Honesty Policy
• Students may not use ChatGPT or other forms of generative AI on any assignments. Students who do so, will be in breach of York’s academic honest policy
• The university recognizes that persons with disabilities may require reasonable accommodation to enable them to perform at their best. The university encourages students with disabilities to register with Student Accessibility Services to discuss their accommodation needs as early as possible.