| School/Faculty/Institute |
Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences |
| Course Code |
PHIL 205 |
| Course Title in English |
Free Will |
| Course Title in Turkish |
Özgür İrade |
| Language of Instruction |
EN |
| Type of Course |
Lecture,Flipped Classroom |
| Level of Course |
Intermediate |
| Semester |
Fall |
| Contact Hours per Week |
| Lecture: 3 |
Recitation: 0 |
Lab: 0 |
Other: 0 |
|
| Estimated Student Workload |
137 hours per semester |
| Number of Credits |
5 ECTS |
| Grading Mode |
Standard Letter Grade
|
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| Expected Prior Knowledge |
None |
| Registration Restrictions |
Only Undergraduate Students |
| Overall Educational Objective |
To become familiar with various philosophical arguments about the notion free will; to get an insight about several crucial philosophical issues that are closely linked to the concept of free will such as individual responsibility, the problem of evil, autonomy and possibility of morals, philosophical foundations of law and justice. |
| Course Description |
This course aims to do an investigation on the concept of free will considered as human beings’ power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate. Throughout the semester, various philosophical theses on the issue will be discussed under four modules corresponding to four different historical periods. The course starts with an introductory session focusing on the conceptual framework. Then, following an historical order, it analyses the perspectives of ten different thinkers from Ancient Greek to twentieth century. |
Course Learning Outcomes and Competences
Upon successful completion of the course, the learner is expected to be able to:
1) Understand the significations of the concepts of will, free will and determinism
2) Evaluate and compare philosophical theses about the notion of free will
3) Determine the practical and theoretical implications of different philosophical theses about free will
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| Program Learning Outcomes/Course Learning Outcomes |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| 1) An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics |
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| 2) An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors |
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| 3) An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences |
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| 4) An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts |
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| 5) An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives |
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| 6) An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions |
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| 7) An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies |
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Relation to Program Outcomes and Competences
| N None |
S Supportive |
H Highly Related |
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Program Outcomes and Competences |
Level |
Assessed by |
| 1) |
An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics |
N |
|
| 2) |
An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors |
N |
|
| 3) |
An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences |
S |
Participation
|
| 4) |
An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts |
N |
|
| 5) |
An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives |
S |
Participation
|
| 6) |
An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions |
N |
|
| 7) |
An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies |
N |
|
| Prepared by and Date |
SENA CÜRE ACER , October 2024 |
| Course Coordinator |
SENA CÜRE ACER |
| Semester |
Fall |
| Name of Instructor |
|
Course Contents
| Week |
Subject |
| 1) |
Conceptual Framework: Will, Free Will and Determinism |
| 2) |
Plato: Moral Determinism |
| 3) |
Aristotle: Moral Knowledge and the Problem of Free Will |
| 4) |
St Augustine: Free Will, the Reality of Evil, and Dependence on God |
| 5) |
St Thomas Aquinas: Reason, Will and Freedom of Decision |
| 6) |
Catching up and Review for the Midterm Exam |
| 7) |
Midterm Exam |
| 8) |
Descartes: Infinite Freedom with Limited Power |
| 9) |
Spinoza: Human Freedom in a Deterministic World |
| 10) |
Kant: Free Will and Practical Reason |
| 11) |
Schopenhauer: Free Will and Determinism |
| 12) |
Nietzsche: Mythology of Free Will and Genealogical Analysis of Human Decisions |
| 13) |
Sartre: Condemned to be Free |
| 14) |
Catching up and Review for the Final Exam |
| 15) |
Final Examination Period |
| 16) |
Final Examination Period |
| Required/Recommended Readings | Required Texts:
Aristotle, The Nichomahean Ethics.
Descartes René, Meditations.
Kant Immanuel, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals.
Nietzsche Friedrich, Beyond Good and Evil.
Nietzsche Friedrich, Human, All Too Human.
Plato, Gorgias.
Plato, Phaedo.
Plato, Phaedrus.
Sartre Jean Paul, Being and Nothingness.
Schopenhauer Arthur, On the Freedom of the Will.
Spinoza Baruch, The Ethics.
St Augustine, On Free Choice of Will.
St Thomas Aquinas, De Veritate. |
| Teaching Methods | This course will be taught in the flipped/lecturing format. Students will be assigned a reading material every week that will be available in Perusall. During class time, I will first assess and reinforce the students’ grasp of basic concepts from the reading. Following this, with my help, students will be asked to do comparative analysis about the critical arguments of the corresponding philosophical theories.
Depending on the topics of the week, peer-learning activities will be held in the last hour of the class. Students will be asked to form groups of 2-3 and to discuss the main themes and concepts of the scheduled topics. After the peer-learning activity, students’ level will be assessed through short quizzes.
Students will be expected to prepare for class by spending sufficient time to cover the required reading material. They will also be expected to contribute appropriately to class discussions and to give proper answers to the questions in Perusall.
I as the instructor commit to preparing and selecting the necessary reading material for each class. |
| Homework and Projects | None |
| Laboratory Work | None |
| Computer Use | None |
| Other Activities | Students will be asked to read each week’s reading material prior to that week’s classroom session. Classroom discussions will be based on these readings. Students will be asked to give proper answers to the questions in Perusall. |
| Assessment Methods |
| Assessment Tools |
Count |
Weight |
| Attendance |
1 |
% 15 |
| Quiz(zes) |
1 |
% 15 |
| Midterm(s) |
1 |
% 30 |
| Final Examination |
1 |
% 40 |
| TOTAL |
% 100 |
|
| Course Administration |
acers@mef.edu.tr
Instructor’s email address: doganib@mef.edu.tr
Students are responsible for all missed work, regardless of the reason for their absence.
Students have to present a legitimate, acceptable and documented excuse for missing a scheduled exam. If they present the relevant documentation they will be allowed to take make-up exam. Make-up exams could be in a different format than midterm or final exam.
Students are expected to treat university personnel and one another respectfully at all times; this includes showing respect for class content and for others’ opinions.
The classroom will be free from all discrimination based on, including but not limited to, race, ethnicity, creed, religion, language, disability, gender, and sexual orientation. The students are expected to maintain this environment.
Dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated in this course. Dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, fraud, and any failure to cite all materials and sources in your work.
Academic dishonesty and plagiarism: YÖK Disciplinary Regulation. |
Information Package / Course Catalogue