StayTalentReady

PHL-1010, mapped before it happens.

Intro Phil: Art of Questioning · Fall 2026. Every week, every reading, every one of the 1000 points — visible from day one. Study with Meerk, open the gate, walk into class ready.

Take this week's quiz — Week 7Baseline examSee the whole courseAdd the calendar

Coming up

Week-close dates come from the syllabus. Exact due times for each item are in Canvas.

Subscribe to the PHL-1010 calendar — every due date on your phone, no account needed.

This companion runs one week ahead of the course, so you walk into each week already prepared. Canvas due dates do not change.

My readiness score

Study tools

NotesConclusion — Final Major EssayFlashcardsTerms and ideas, every weekExercisesHands-on tasksMidcourse reviewPlato through Aquinas, mixedFinal reviewThe whole course before the Final EssayBaseline examDiagnostic across every week in the syllabusContest modeLightning rounds in class, by table

The whole course

Tap a week for the readings, what to know, and Meerk's quiz. Week of = the Monday it opens.

  1. Mon, Aug 17Week 1: Introduction to Philosophy — Plato's Cave
    Week 1 Discussion · Week 1 Quiz
    Notes →FlashcardsMeerk's quiz →    in Canvas
  2. Mon, Aug 24Week 2: Greek Philosophy 2 — Plato's Apology
    Philosophical Forum 1 · Week 2 Discussion · Week 2 Quiz
    Notes →FlashcardsMeerk's quiz →    in Canvas
  3. Mon, Aug 31Week 3: Plato's Symposium · Aristotle's Four Causes · Basic Logic and Fallacies
    Major Essay 1 · Week 3 Discussion · Week 3 Quiz
    Notes →FlashcardsMeerk's quiz →    in Canvas
  4. Mon, Sep 7Week 4: Philosophy and the Sacred — The Great Monotheisms, Augustine, Aquinas
    Philosophical Forum 2 · Week 4 Discussion · Week 4 Quiz
    Notes →FlashcardsMeerk's quiz →    in Canvas
  5. Mon, Sep 14Week 5: Modern Philosophy — Descartes and Locke
    Philosophical Forum 3 · Major Essay 2 · Week 5 Discussion · Week 5 Quiz
    Notes →FlashcardsMeerk's quiz →    in Canvas
  6. Mon, Sep 21Week 6: Kant · Women in Philosophy · Thinkers of Color
    Philosophical Forum 4 · Philosophical Forum 5 · Week 6 Discussion · Week 6 Quiz
    Notes →FlashcardsMeerk's quiz →    in Canvas
  7. Mon, Sep 28Week 7: Conclusion — Final Major Essay
    Week 7 Discussion · Week 7 Quiz · Final Major Essay
    Notes →FlashcardsMeerk's quiz →    in Canvas
  8. Fri, Sep 4NA-grade cutoff has passed — stay active every week
    A student who never participates in the first 20% of a short course can receive an NA. Keep posting and quizzing every week to the end.
    in Canvas
  9. Mon, Oct 5Course ends — Final Major Essay and Week 7 items close
    Canvas sets the exact time. Submit the file, not a link, and keep a copy.
    in Canvas

How the 1000 points break down

The syllabus sets these category totals. Point values for each quiz, discussion, forum, and essay are set in Canvas — check each assignment there before you plan your week.

Where do I stand? (nothing leaves this page)

Type the points you have earned so far. This runs on your device only — nothing is sent or saved.

Course facts

Prof. John Wilkinson · wilkinjj@pgcc.edu · dept 301-546-PGCC (Philosophy)
Online (ONLN) · asynchronous in Canvas · 7 weeks, Aug 17 – Oct 5, 2026 · 3 credits · 37.5 hours of out-of-class work
Text: An Introduction to Philosophy — W. Russ Payne (free open textbook) (free)
Grading: A 90–100 · B 80–89 · C 70–79 · D 60–69. Late work is not accepted except for a documented emergency (doctor's note, funeral announcement) arranged case by case.

College credit, not a certification: 3 credits toward the Talent Ready dual-enrollment total. Course outcomes: tell philosophical questions from other kinds, analyze competing claims, build a defensible argument, and apply philosophical reasoning to a live issue.

Open Canvas (my.pgcc.edu) · Register for Owl Alert

For families — the Dinner Table Question

Every week ends with one question to ask at home. No answer key, no grade — just a conversation.

Week 7: If you could invite any thinker from this course to dinner, who would it be — and what one question would you ask them?

En español: Si pudieras invitar a cualquier pensador de este curso a cenar, ¿a quién invitarías y qué única pregunta le harías?

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