Introduction to Philosophy

(28500)
Summer 2012
Dr. Dan DeWitt, Professor
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting.
It has been found difficult and left untried.
G.K. Chesterton
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This syllabus contains important information relative to this class, including
requirements, grading scale, and policies. Be sure to keep it and refer to it
when you have any questions. You are held accountable for the information
in this syllabus.
Course Description
o An introduction to major thinkers and systems of thought within
the discipline of philosophy.
Course Outcomes and Objectives
o Students will articulate a general knowledge of the history of
philosophy.
This will be achieved through course readings, lectures, and
discussions.
This will be measured through book reviews and a final
paper.
o Students will explain the fundamentals of a Christian worldview
and the relation of that worldview to daily life.
To accomplish the above outcomes, students will discuss the
biblical significance of the human mind, articulate the
distinctive components of various non-Christian worldviews,
detect these worldviews in popular culture, and critique
these views from a Christian perspective.
This will be achieved through course readings, lectures, and
discussions.
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 This will be measured through book reviews and the final

paper.
Professors Objectives
o The professor will attempt to develop in the students an
appreciation for this material through well-organized and
interesting lectures and group discussions. The reading
assignments have been chosen for their incisiveness, not merely for
the covering of perfunctory material.
o The professor will make every attempt to demonstrate the abiding
validity and importance of this material through practical
applications and critical dialogue.
o The professor will evaluate the students participation through
their fulfillment of class assignments and testing.
o The professor will attempt to meet the objectives of the students in
the class.
Required Textbooks
o Schaeffer, Francis. The God Who Is There. IVP.
o Sire, James. The Universe Next Door. IVP.
o Sproul, R.C. The Consequences of Ideas. Crossway Books.
Assignments
o The student will be expected to keep up with all assignments in the
course schedule.
o The student will be responsible for the material given in class
lectures and in the Sire book.
o Students will be responsible for reading and writing a book review
(eight to ten pages) for each of the required text books. The
reviews should include summary, analysis and application. These
papers will be due three weeks from the day of return from the
England trip.
o Students will write a final paper that summarizes a Christian
approach to the discipline of philosophy. The aim of the paper is
to convey in a concise and compelling way the Christian view of
reality as one would seek to communicate it to a skeptic friend.
More details regarding the paper will be given on the trip. The

paper will need to be 10 to 12 pages long and will be due within

three weeks of the day of return from the England trip.
Grading
o Schaeffer book review 25%
o Sproul book review 25%
o Sire book review 25%
o Final paper 25%
o The grading scale for this course is as follows:
A = 98-100; A- = 95-97; B+ = 92-94; B = 89-91; B- = 86-88;
C+ = 83-85; C = 80-82; C- = 77-79; D+ = 74-76; D = 71-73;
D- = 68-70; F = 67 or below.
Attendance
o Students are expected to attend class every day. Attendance will
be checked at each class session. A student who misses more than
twenty-five percent of class meetings will forfeit credit for the class
and receive a failing grade. Students are also expected to be in
class on time. If a student is late to class three times it will count
the same as an absence. If a student has a legitimate reason for
missing a class for an extended period of time (illness or accident),
it is the students responsibility to notify the professor so that
missed assignments may be made up.
Classroom policies
o Students are expected to pay attention to the professor and not to
chat in class with other students. They are also expected to be
awake. Students who talk excessively or who fall asleep will be
counted absent and may be asked to leave the classroom.
o No laptops or iPads (or other devices that use electricity) may be
used in class. Students are expected to take notes the old fashioned
way and fully participate in class discussions.
o Students should attend class wearing proper and appropriate
clothing. Remember, the classroom is not your bedroom.
o Students must turn all cell phones and pagers off or to silent
notification at the beginning of the class session.
o In order to assure full class participation, any student with a
disabling condition requiring special accommodations (e.g., tape
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recorders, special adaptive equipment, special note-taking or testtaking needs) is strongly encouraged to contact the professor at the
beginning of the course.
o For instructional purposes the professor may employ the use of
film, readings, and outside guests, however, this use does not
constitute an endorsement by Boyce College or The Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary of these sources.
Personal Note
o The purpose of this syllabus is to give the student the best possible
chance for a good grade by specifying requirements and due dates.
There will be no surprises. Schedule your reading, study, and
writing so as to meet the deadlines.
o I, and my Garrett Fellow, want you to succeed in your Christian
walk, your home, your academic career, your ministry, and in this
course. I will be fair and will help you whenever I can. Please do
not hesitate to contact me whenever you need help or clarification.
o Contact Information:
Office: Carver 209
Office Phone: 897-4555
Garrett Fellow
Aaron Handbury
o ahandbury@sbts.edu
Course Schedule
Locations for C.S. Lewis and Intro to Philosophy lectures:
London: The BBC
o Lewis lecture: Lewis in wartime (Mere
Christianity)
o Worldview lecture: The Problem of Evil
London: Hampstead Heath (where Lewis found inspiration
for Narnia)
o http://www.heathandhampstead.org.uk/heath
o Lewis lecture: The Creative world of C.S. Lewis
o Worldview lecture: Sires Seven Questions
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 London: Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Pub

o http://www.pubs.com/main_site/pub_details.p
hp?pub_id=154
o This is a pub Chesterton frequented on the
famous Fleet Street
o Lewis lecture: G.K. Chestertons influence on
Lewis conversion and thought
o Worldview lecture: The Ball and the Cross
(theism and atheism in Chestertons writing)
Oxford: The Kilns
o Lewis lecture by Walter Hooper
Oxford: The Bodleian Library
o Lewis lecture: Lewis as a literary critic
o Worldview lecture: What is truth?
o More important than the lecture will be giving
students ample time to peruse Lewis
manuscripts which are kept here.
Oxford: Holy Trinity Church
o Lewis lecture: Lewis lasting legacy
o Worldview lecture: The Christian view of death
in contrast to other worldviews
Oxford: The Eagle and the
o Lewis lecture: The Inklings
Oxford: Lamb & Flag Pub
o Lewis lecture: Lewis and Tolkien
Oxford: Addisons Walk
o Lewis lecture: Lewis conversion and apologetic
of religious longing
o Worldview lecture: A Christian view of external
reality
Oxford: The Thomas Moore Colleges Oxford Centre for
Faith and Culture
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o http://www.thomasmorecollege.edu/studentlife/oxford-center-for-faith-culture/
o Lewis lecture: Lewis the evangelist
o Worldview lecture: Ultimate Reality