INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY         DR. GRANT STERLING
OFFICE: 3280 COLEMAN  Tele.:581-8468  Hours: 12-1 MWF; 11-12 TTh 
Home Tele.:348-8385   E-Mail: cfgcs@eiu.edu    (Or by Appt.)

     In this course we will be discussing, from a philosophical
viewpoint, questions concerning the nature of things such as
knowledge, the reality of the physical world, the existence of
God, and the nature of morality.  We will be reading material
from many leading thinkers, past and present, who attempted to
shed light on these matters.

Grading   There will be two one-hour exams and a final exam, each
of which will be primarily essay in nature and worth one-third of
the course grade.
     Since philosophy classes in general, and this class in
particular, benefit from class interaction, students who partici-
pate constructively in class may be given a bonus on their final
grade.
     In keeping with EIU policy, any student who requires special
assistance due to a disability should see me as soon as possible.

Reading Assignments Since this class will put an emphasis on
analysis and discussion, reading assignments will not be given at
the beginning of the semester, to allow greater flexibility.  All
assignments will be given either one or two periods in advance,
and will come from Classics of Western Philosophy, by Stephen
Cahn.
                    
APPROXIMATE SCHEDULE HIGHLY TENTATIVE

Background and Introduction:  One Week
               Knowledge and Reality:
     Plato                    Three Weeks   [Apology, Crito, 
          Phaedo, and selections from Republic]
     Descartes                Two Weeks    [Meditations]
     Berkeley                 One Week     [Three Dialogues...]

          Faith, Reason, and God:
     [Various thinkers]       Three Weeks    [Selections from 
                    Anselm's Proslogion, and Aquinas' Summa Theologica,
          plus material on the problem of evil]

          Human Nature, Government, and Morality:
     Hobbes                   Three Weeks    [Leviathan]
     Bentham                  One Week       [handouts]
     Epictetus                One Week       [Encheiridion]
     Sartre                   One Week       [Existentialism...]