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Philosophy is disciplined disagreement
Students are expected to engage opposing views carefully, reconstruct them fairly, and then test them with reasons instead of rhetorical force.
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01:730:103 · Philosophy · School 01 — New Brunswick School of Arts and Sciences
Introduction to Philosophy surveys major philosophical questions about knowledge, morality, value, freedom, mind, and the existence of God while training students to read arguments carefully, raise objections, and evaluate competing answers rather than memorizing a single doctrine.
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Rutgers Schedule of Classes
How hard?
Students rate teaching
SIRS · 1,541 responses · 2014–2025
Spring 2027
6 open in snapshot · 6 instructors
When it meets
College Avenue
Checked-in sections · current seat counts are unavailable.
MW 3:50 PM · College Avenue · 1 section · 1 open
MTh 10:20 AM · College Avenue · 1 section · 1 open
MW 5:40 PM · College Avenue · 1 section · 1 open
MW 7:30 PM · College Avenue · 1 section · 1 open
AI-generated overview
Higher means more demanding · AI summary
5 units · topic sequence may vary by instructor
The course usually begins by teaching students what counts as an argument, why premises and conclusions matter, and how philosophy differs from just having a strong opinion. Rutgers materials repeatedly emphasize learning to summarize arguments fairly, test their logic, and respond with reasons instead of instinct.
A common early cluster asks whether we know what we think we know and what could justify belief. Different Rutgers sections frame this through skepticism, truth, rational justification, and the limits of certainty, making epistemology one of the main ways students learn philosophical method.
The course often turns to what a person is and how mind relates to body. Sample materials point to consciousness, the mind-body problem, personal identity, and questions about what makes someone the same person over time.
Another core unit asks whether human beings are genuinely free, whether determinism threatens moral responsibility, and how moral judgments can be defended. Department descriptions also show that many sections connect these debates to the practical question of how we should live.
Many Rutgers sections include arguments about God, the problem of evil, and broader metaphysical questions about reality. This part of the course tends to show students how philosophy handles big existential questions by comparing structured arguments rather than treating them as purely private beliefs.
Rutgers Reddit discussion usually portrays 01:730:103 as an interesting and manageable introduction for non-majors, but it also repeatedly warns that the reading experience and grading feel can vary a lot by instructor, modality, and how comfortable you are with abstract argument.
Students are expected to engage opposing views carefully, reconstruct them fairly, and then test them with reasons instead of rhetorical force.
Intro philosophy often matters less for delivering certainty than for showing why classic questions about freedom, knowledge, and morality stay alive.
A philosophical position is usually evaluated through its structure, assumptions, and consequences, not through whether it initially feels intuitive.
Debates about personal identity, responsibility, or truth shape how people think about punishment, choice, religion, art, and everyday belief.
Common pitfall
Instead
First reconstruct the strongest version of the argument, then evaluate the premises and inference.
Common pitfall
Instead
Slow down enough to identify the question, the key claim, and the reasons the author gives for it.
Common pitfall
Instead
In philosophy, the objection-and-reply structure is often where the real work happens.
6 open · College Avenue
| Section | Status | Instructor | Meeting | Campus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0116044 | Open | Jerry Piven | Monday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at HH A5; Wednesday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at HH A5HH A5 | College Avenue |
| 0216045 | Open | Baldino | Tuesday 10:20 AM-11:40 AM at SC 203; Friday 10:20 AM-11:40 AM at SC 203SC 203 | College Avenue |
| 0316046 | Open | Rotolo | Monday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at SC 221; Wednesday 3:50 PM-5:10 PM at SC 221SC 221 | College Avenue |
| 0416047 | Open | David Kaspar | Monday 10:20 AM-11:40 AM at FH A1; Thursday 10:20 AM-11:40 AM at FH A1FH A1 | College Avenue |
| 0516048 | Open | Minsoo Cho | Monday 5:40 PM-7:00 PM at HH A4; Wednesday 5:40 PM-7:00 PM at HH A4HH A4 | College Avenue |
| 0616049 | Open | Jordan Bridges | Monday 7:30 PM-8:50 PM at FH B6; Wednesday 7:30 PM-8:50 PM at FH B6FH B6 | College Avenue |
Historical student surveys
Teaching
4.23
Course quality
4.16
Response rate
44.1%
Coverage
81 offerings · 2014–2025
| Instructor | Offerings | Teaching | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Baldino | 10 | 4.77 | 4.65 |
| Richard Fry | 7 | 4.60 | 4.53 |
| Giuseppe Rotolo | 7 | 4.01 | 4.01 |
| Benjamin Burgis | 5 | 4.52 | 4.38 |
| Benjamin Hutchens | 5 | 4.16 | 4.12 |
| Sidney Felder | 5 | 3.74 | 3.70 |
Catalog and planning context
Credits
3
Current campuses
College Avenue
Current availability
6 open of 6
Catalog terms
Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter
Core codes
AHo, SOEHS
Loaded terms
8
No prerequisite note appears in the checked-in Rutgers catalog snapshots.
No direct degree-list membership appears in the checked-in requirement index.