IGESSIGESS (Institute for Global Economics and Social Sciences)

　People often think that "philosophy" is quite an old subject － and very difficult, unfortunately. It is true that philosophical questions have been discussed in rather complicated and often confusing manners since many years ago, for example, by Socrates and Aristotle in the ancient Greek period. But many philosophers believe that these questions are tightly related to our everyday life. We are surrounded by many philosophical issues, though we may not always be aware of their philosophical significances; that is, philosophical issues are basically our everyday issues. But how are they related to our life?
　In this course, you will discuss various philosophical topics, their in-depth meanings, and their philosophical significances, trying to find their very relevance to your life. That may help you see your surroundings, your society and the world in quite exciting and interesting ways. Out of many philosophical topics found in our daily life, we will discuss 13 topics in class.

　This course provides a broad introduction to philosophical ways of thinking. The course is open to students from any disciplines, who hope to:
　(1) understand some of the most fundamental philosophical topics (for instance: freedom, truth, and moral rightness /wrongness),
　(2) be able to explain the issues in very simple everyday terms, and
　(3) apply philosophical ways of thinking (reasoning) on every-day issues.

英語 / English

On enrollment:
The student enrollment in this course is limited to 20, and you will be admitted on a first-come and first-served basis. So, if you wish to take this course, you need to take an immediate action and do the following:
　(1) You have to send me an e-mail (to the address below) expressing your intention to enroll:
　　　　　yasushi.ishida.85@hosei.ac.jp
　(2) When you are accepted to the class, you will receive a note (e-mail) of confirmation. If you are not accepted, you will be put on the waiting list in the order of application.
　(3) Those who have received my note of confirmation can go through a procedure of 本登録.

・You will be accepted on a first-come and first-served basis. Equally importantly, I urge you to attend the first and/or second meeting. In case you fail to attend both of them, that will affect your final grade (10%); if you have legitimate or good reason to miss the meetings, do not fail to contact me by e-mail.
・Those who are put on the waiting list can register, ONLY IF we have some vacancies in the enrollment AND the registration is still possible (that is, it is still in the registration period).

Organization of the class:
　▶ Each class will consist of (less than)100-minutes of lecture and discussion. The class will be conducted in English.
　▶ This year, due to the coronavirus situation, this course will be held online (by using Zoom), so please make sure you have the application ready in your computer along with necessary devices.

◉ On the Zoom meetings:
　・ I will post the “Zoom Link,” “授業参加用ミーティングID” and “パスコード” on 学習支援システム by Tuesdays (the day before the class). You will have to sign in with your own Hosei University mail address and password.
　・ Your attendance will be recorded automatically, but I may take attendance.
　・ In case someone comes in one of the online classes to do any disturbing acts (which is often called Zoom-Bombing), I will terminate the meeting immediately. And I will report to the University. I will then post in 学習支援システム what you will have to do.

・I appreciate interaction and exchange with you in class. So, please make best efforts to express your ideas, even if you find it very difficult to do so. I would NOT penalize you for making mistakes; you ARE entitled to make mistakes in class!

Basic course requirements:
　＊No previous philosophy courses required.
　＊Intellectual curiosity; Keen eyes on everyday-life facts and happenings.
　＊Respectful attitude of others’ opinions.

あり / Yes

なし / No

※各回の授業形態は予定です。教員の指示に従ってください。

1：Guidance

Explaining the course

2：Lying

Is lying always wrong?

3：Morality

What does it mean to be "morally right"?

4：Relativism

Is everything relative?

5：Freedom

Are we completely free?

6：Culture vs. Nature (1)

How different are they?

7：Culture vs. Nature (2)

The idea of enhancement

8：Love

What is it?: Just a perception?

9：Perception

What do we perceive?: Is it so accurate?

10：Knowledge vs. Beliefs

What do we know?: How do we know it is true?

11：Truth, Reality

What is really true?: Truth, Reality, Dream

12：Robots and Humans (Mind)

Is the Mind just the Brain?
(Your "essay plan" must be submitted by the 12th meeting)

13：Language

What does it do?: What's its role?

14：Wrap-up: The Meaning of Life

Concluding remarks
(Your "essay plan" will be returned)

・I recommend that you review what you have learned in each meeting.
・You are normally expected to spend about two hours for the preparation and review for each class.
・You will have to submit your paper topic (“essay plan”) by the 12th class meeting.

・There will be no specific textbooks assigned.
・Occasionally, reading materials may be assigned and handouts will be given in class.

No specific books assigned. But looking into any (large size) philosophy dictionaries will be of great help.

I will assess your grade based on the way you participate in the class discussions and on your final project.
Attitude/ Participation: 40% of course grade
Final Project (a paper): 60% of course grade

*Attitude/ Participation:
I appreciate your participation in class and would like to know your ideas and opinions. I will hence consider your participation as part of your grade.

*Final Project:
At the end of the semester, you are expected to submit a short paper (of 700 to 1000 words) on the topic that you choose, explaining your ideas or insights. Your topic should be related to the issues studied or discussed in class. I will give you a specific Guideline before the end of semester.

▶ Near the end of the semester, you will have to submit your "essay plan," which should include the title (topic) of your paper and your (tentative) conclusion described in a short paragraph (of about 200 words): Note that it is NOT a draft of your final paper. You will receive my comments on your paper plan, and then your plan should be re-organized or revised accordingly.

▶ In writing your paper, you can expand your ideas by citing or referring to books and other documents, including materials from websites. In that case, you MUST explicitly show the sources or reference either in the footnotes or endnotes. (Do NOT cite or refer to Wikipedia in your paper. If you do so, you will receive a “D” grade.)

▶ Plagiarism: If you copy sentences from any existing documents (again, including any writings from websites) without showing sources or reference, you will receive a "D" grade. It is important that you present your own view or insights, not the same ideas as described or explained in published or preexisting documents or on websites.
▶ You have to submit your paper (essay) on the web system (Class Support System, 授業支援システム). The due date will be announced near the end of the semester.

Based on the grading criteria set by the instructor, students that successfully achieve 60% or more of course goals will be able to earn a passing grade for the course.

In previous semesters, I received several comments from students: for instance, "having discussions in class was very hard at the beginning, but it helped me improve my English speaking skills and express myself logically. Eventually, I found it quite exciting and stimulating."

・I urge you to attend the first and/or second meeting. In case you fail to attend both of them, that will affect your final grade (10%); if you have legitimate or good reason to miss the meetings, do not fail to contact me by e-mail.
・As I appreciate interaction and exchange with you in class, I would like to know what you think and have your feedback. So, I strongly advise that you attend all the classes and participate in the discussions.

・Philosophy is different from a philosophy. “Philosophy” is the discipline that comprises logic, metaphysics, ethics, epistemology, etc.; on the other hand, “a philosophy” is a system of beliefs, concepts, or attitude of an individual or a group. Everyone has a philosophy of some sort, even if he/she has never read a philosophy book. An individual’s philosophy can be a subject for examination and discussion in philosophy class.