A Long Post, but Fun - Intro. to Phil. Syllabus

I had to do an sample syllabus for intro. to philosophy, and I hope to use it one day. I thought some people might enjoy having the reading sample and topic list on the internet for reference. So, at the price of being a long post, I've decided to post it:
The text is Baird's Philosophic Classics: From Plato to Derrida (5th Ed.)

Course Schedule

Week – Date – Readings	Topics
1- 01/13/09	Introduction: Syllabus & Course Requirements Texts Outline of Topics Covered
2- 1/15/09 Plato Apology 17a-35d Plato Republic, Book V: 448e-480a; Book VI-VII, 502c-521b Plato Phaedo 44a-56a	Origins of Philosophy in Ancient Greece Socrates Death and Trial Plato's Works Philosophy as Way of Life
3- 01/20/09 Aristotle's Metaphysics 1* Selections from pre-Socratics, Heraclitu,s and Parmenides [online] *Where title alone is given, or a chapter, read all selections in that work or chapter in the anthology	Introduction to Metaphysics in Ancient Greece Aristotle's Definition of Philosophy – introduction to “metaphysics” Thales and other pre-Socratics Heraclitus Parmenides The Sophists
3- 1/22/09 Plato Crito 6a-13a Plato Euthypro (selections)	Introduction to Metaphysics in Ancient Greece Socratic and Platonic innovations vs. the Pre-Socratics Platonic response - the Forms Platonic dialectic and the problem of the Good
4- 01/27/09 Plato The Sophist (selections online) Aristotle Physics II, 192b-193b22, 194b16-195b30, 197a36-199a33	Aristotle and Plato Metaphysics The Common Problem of the One and the Many The Forms/Substantial forms Four Causes Form/Matter composition Substances
4 - 1/29/09 Plato Meno 82-86b Aristotle Metaphysics, 996a18-997a15, 1003a-1005a18, 1025b3-1027a28 Aristotle On the Soul	Aristotle and Plato Method – Dialectic and Demonstration First principles, strong dialectic, etc. Epistemology Recollection and Passive Intellect
4 – 2/3/09 Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics, Books 1 and 2 Plato Republic (selections online)	Aristotle and Plato Ethics Virtue Ethics in Ancient Greece Happiness/Eudaimonia Will and Choice in Plato and Aristotle Moral/Intellectual virtues Atraxia
5 – 2/5/09 First paper assigned Epicurus Principal Doctrines Epictetus the Manual (i-v, xxx-xxxvi)	Later Greek Thought Epicurus' and Epictetus – Stoicism and Epicureanism as ethical theories Metaphysics of Epictetus and Epicurus Eleatic influence
5 2/10/09 Plotinus Enneads(all selections)	Later Greek Thought Plotinus and Neo-Platonism Metaphysics and Epistemology
6 - 2/12/09 Augustine Confessions Anselm Proslogion	Augustine, Boethius, and Anselm – Early Medieval Philosophy Augustine's adoption of Neo-Platonism – The Church Fathers and Greek philosophy Invention of the “will” - problems with free will and ethics (the problem of evil) Intro to Anselm's Ontological Argument
6 – 2/17/09 Anselm Debate over the Ontological Argument Boethius Consolation of Philosophy	Augustine, Boethius, and Anselm – Early Medieval Philosophy (cont.) Anselm's Ontological Argument Boethius' translations – transition to university as center of learning in High Mid. Ages
7 - 2/19/09 Maimonides Guide for the Perplexed Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, selections – PP, q. 2, 13, 49 Aquinas, De Ente et Essentia (selections online)	Thomas Aquinas, Occham, and Moses Maimonides - High Medieval Philosophy Distinctive Problems in Medieval Thought Faith/Reason Natural theology in Summa Theologiae, Summa Contra Gentiles Apophantic theology in Maimonides Analogy of names in Aquinas Islamic thought Fideism Metaphysics (essence/existence, subject of, transcendentals/categories, universal hylomorphism, nominalism)
7 – 2/24/09 First Paper Due – one of three prompts Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, PP, q. 75-83; PPS, q. 3, 9-10, 90-94; SS, q. 23 a 6-8. Occham, Summa Logicae (Part I, Chapters 14-16)	Thomas Aquinas, Occham, and Moses Maimonides - High Medieval Philosophy (cont.) Metaphysics Natural Law Ethics Epistemology/Logic (nominalism as well as first/second operation of the intellect)
8 - 2/26/09 Catch-up day/Review In Class Midterm Exam – Ancient and Medieval thought
8 - 3/3/09 Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy I, II, III	Introduction to Modern Philosophy – Humanism, the Reformation, and Epistemological “Metaphysics” Doubt as Method Epistemology
8 – 3/05/09 Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy IV-VI Gilson Unity of Philosophical Experience (selections online)	Introduction to Modern Philosophy – Humanism, the Reformation, and Epistemological “Metaphysics” Transformation of Metaphysics or Elimination?
9 - 3/10-12	Spring Break
10 - 3/17/09 Pascal Pensees Spinoza Ethics 1	Interlude Philosophy of Religion Reformation fideism Rationalism Pietism Metaphysics in Spinoza and Leibniz
10 – 3/19/09 Spinoza Ethics 2 Leibniz Monadology Leibniz Discourse on Metaphysics	Interlude (cont.) Metaphysics in Spinoza and Leibniz
11- 3/24/09 Locke Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (selections to be announced) Locke Second Treatise (excerpts online)	Modern Epistemology, Ethics, and Philosophy of Religion Epistemology of John Locke Empiricism Ethics Natural rights Philosophy of Religion Rationalism and Deism
11 – 3/26/09 Second paper assigned Berkeley Three Dialogues Hume Dialogue on Natural Theology (selections online)	Modern Epistemology, Ethics, and Philosophy of Religion Idealism Berkeley's idealism Hume's response to idealism foreshadowed Natural Theology Hume's rejection
12 – 3/31/09 Hume Enquiry (excerpts) Kant Critique of Pure Reason (Introduction, online)	Hume and Kant – Empiricism to Critique Hume's Critique of Empirical Sensations Philosophy of Mind Kant's Response Critique and Transcendental Method Antimonies of Pure Reason
12 – 4/02/09 Kant Prolegomena Kant Foundation for the Metaphysics of Morals “Kant” in Copleston	Kantian Thought Kant's Metaphysics Kant's Ethics Deontological ethical theory
13 – 4/07/09 Hegel Phenomenology of Spirit “Hegel” in Copleston	Hegel and German Idealism Metaphysics and Epistemology Become One the Absolute Dialectic and Hegelian “Phenomenology”
13 – 4/09/09 Kierkegaard Concluding Unscientific Postscript Nietzsche Twilight of the Idols (selections TBA)	Later German Thought Rise of Existential Thought and Ethics Kierkegaard's Inward Turn Nietzsche's Destruction of the Tradition Ethics Rejection of metaphysics
14 – 4/14/09 Second paper due – one of three prompts Sokolowski Introduction to Phenomenology (selections online) “Husserl” in Copleston (online) Heidegger Introduction to Metaphysics (part 1)	The Phenomenological Tradition Phenomenological Method The aim of Husserl's project Transcendental ego “epoche” Heidegger and Metaphysics in phenomenology
14 – 4/16/09 Heidegger Introduction to Metaphysics (part 2) Sartre Being and Nothingness Sartre Existentialism is a Humanism Simone De Beauvoir The Second Sex (Introduction)	Existentialism Metaphysics Heidegger and Sein zum Tode Being and Time Dasein Ethics Bad faith and Freedom Sexuality and gender
15 – 4/21/09 “Gottleib Frege” in Copleston (online) Wittgenstein Tractatus Wittgenstein Philosophical Investigations (selections) “Logical Positivism” in Copleston (online)	Contemporary Analytic Philosophy Frege and Logical Method Wittgenstein Metaphysics Substance Language Reflection of the world Transformations in later Wittgenstein to language games Ethics Transcendent and mystical
15 – 4/23/09 Quine Two Dogmas of Empiricism (selections) Derrida Signature, Event, Context (selections) MacIntyre After Virtue (selections) MacIntyre First Principles, etc. (selections)	Contemporary Philosophical Problems and Positions Analytic Metaphysics Quine's Ontological Problematic Nominalism Continental Metaphysics Temporality and Truth Derrida Other Issues Virtue ethics? Ontological first principles?
16 – 4/28/09 Catch-up day/Review
Final Exam: May 5, 4-6 pm