Course Name | Fundamentals of Philosophy |
Code | Semester | Theory (hour/week) | Application/Lab (hour/week) | Local Credits | ECTS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
GEHU 204 | Fall/Spring | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
Prerequisites | None | |||||
Course Language | English | |||||
Course Type | Service Course | |||||
Course Level | First Cycle | |||||
Mode of Delivery | - | |||||
Teaching Methods and Techniques of the Course | ||||||
Course Coordinator | - | |||||
Course Lecturer(s) | ||||||
Assistant(s) | - |
Course Objectives | To provide an introduction to the fundamental concepts and argumentative strategies of philosophy through an investigation of the question “What is a rational animal?” in relation to logic, epistemology, ethics, and political philosophy. |
Learning Outcomes | The students who succeeded in this course;
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Course Description | |
Related Sustainable Development Goals |
| Core Courses | |
Major Area Courses | ||
Supportive Courses | ||
Media and Managment Skills Courses | ||
Transferable Skill Courses |
Week | Subjects | Required Materials |
1 | Presentation and overview of the course; discussion of how to begin philosophy by acknowledging that we have already begun. | Overview and discussion of a number of dilemmas and paradoxes. |
2 | Plato | Apology |
3 | What is an argument? The concepts of validity, truth and soundness. Types of justification; types of refutation: by parallel reasoning, counter-examples, reductio ad absurdum. | R. Fogelin, Understanding Arguments, pp 45-53 and pp. 405-433. |
4 | Fallacies of vacuity: circular reasoning, question-begging; fallacies of relevance: ad hominem, straw man, false cause, appeals to authority | Fogelin, pp. 477-405 |
5 | The Chinese Room Argument: Can Computers think? Discussion of artificial intelligence. | Turing, A., 1948, ‘Intelligent Machinery: A Report’, London: National Physical Laboratory; Searle, J., 1980, ‘Minds, Brains and Programs’, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 3: 417–57 |
6 | MIDTERM | |
7 | Introduction to epistemology | Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, Meditation 1 and 2 |
8 | Skepticism, sources of knowledge, methodic doubt, certainty as epistemic criterion, the cogito as first principle and model of | Descartes, Meditations 2 (contn’d) and 3 |
9 | Philosophy and science: the thinking subject as embodied being subject to the laws of nature. FIRST PAPER DUE | Janet Richards, Human Nature After Darwin, pp. 4-25 FIRST PAPER DUE |
10 | Evolutionary biology as philosophical challenge and answer to the question “What is a rational animal?” | Richards, pp. 25-51 |
11 | Determinism, freedom of the will, morality as a scientific problem and science as a moral problem | Richards, pp. 126-154 |
12 | Consequentialism (Utilitarianism) and Deontology: arguments and criticisms | Kant, pp. 274-281; Bennett, pp. 294-306; Bentham, pp. 306-312; Williams pp. 339-345; M. L. K. Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail. |
13 | Moral Psychology and Perspectivism. | Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morals, essays I and II. |
14 | The responsibilities and the problems of rational thought; the rational animal and the polis. | Aristotle, Politics, Bk. 1 1986-2000; Locke, 249-253; Bentham and Mill, 270-274 Levi, If This is a Man. |
15 | Week 14 cont’d. SECOND PAPER DUE. | Levi, Contn’d. |
16 | Final |
Course Notes/Textbooks | |
Suggested Readings/Materials |
Semester Activities | Number | Weigthing |
Participation | ||
Laboratory / Application | ||
Field Work | ||
Quizzes / Studio Critiques | 1 | 35 |
Portfolio | ||
Homework / Assignments | 1 | 30 |
Presentation / Jury | ||
Project | ||
Seminar / Workshop | ||
Oral Exam | ||
Midterm | 1 | 35 |
Final Exam | ||
Total |
Weighting of Semester Activities on the Final Grade | 3 | 100 |
Weighting of End-of-Semester Activities on the Final Grade | ||
Total |
Semester Activities | Number | Duration (Hours) | Workload |
---|---|---|---|
Course Hours (Including exam week: 16 x total hours) | 16 | 3 | 48 |
Laboratory / Application Hours (Including exam week: 16 x total hours) | 16 | ||
Study Hours Out of Class | 16 | 3 | 48 |
Field Work | |||
Quizzes / Studio Critiques | 1 | ||
Portfolio | |||
Homework / Assignments | 1 | ||
Presentation / Jury | |||
Project | |||
Seminar / Workshop | |||
Oral Exam | |||
Midterms | 1 | 20 | |
Final Exams | 22 | ||
Total | 116 |
# | Program Competencies/Outcomes | * Contribution Level | ||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
1 | To have adequate knowledge in Mathematics, Science and Civil Engineering; to be able to use theoretical and applied information in these areas on complex engineering problems. | |||||
2 | To be able to identify, define, formulate, and solve complex Civil Engineering problems; to be able to select and apply proper analysis and modeling methods for this purpose. | |||||
3 | To be able to design a complex system, process, device or product under realistic constraints and conditions, in such a way as to meet the requirements; to be able to apply modern design methods for this purpose. | |||||
4 | To be able to devise, select, and use modern techniques and tools needed for analysis and solution of complex problems in engineering applications. | |||||
5 | To be able to design and conduct experiments, gather data, analyze and interpret results for investigating complex engineering problems or Civil Engineering research topics. | |||||
6 | To be able to work efficiently in Civil Engineering disciplinary and multi-disciplinary teams; to be able to work individually. | |||||
7 | To be able to communicate effectively in Turkish, both orally and in writing; to be able to author and comprehend written reports, to be able to prepare design and implementation reports, to present effectively, to be able to give and receive clear and comprehensible instructions. | |||||
8 | To have knowledge about global and social impact of engineering practices on health, environment, and safety; to have knowledge about contemporary issues as they pertain to engineering; to be aware of the legal ramifications of engineering solutions. | |||||
9 | To be aware of ethical behavior, professional and ethical responsibility; to have knowledge about standards utilized in engineering applications. | |||||
10 | To have knowledge about industrial practices such as project management, risk management, and change management; to have awareness of entrepreneurship and innovation; to have knowledge about sustainable development. | |||||
11 | To be able to collect data in the area of Civil Engineering, and to be able to communicate with colleagues in a foreign language; | |||||
12 | To be able to speak a second foreign language at a medium level of fluency efficiently. | |||||
13 | To recognize the need for lifelong learning; to be able to access information, to be able to stay current with developments in science and technology; to be able to relate the knowledge accumulated throughout the human history to Civil Engineering. |
*1 Lowest, 2 Low, 3 Average, 4 High, 5 Highest