Assignment #11

Final Exam

1. Write a 3-4-page, highly polished and thoughtful, essay describing and defending your current understanding of philosophy -- its nature, aims, and purpose.  Necessary components include:

i. substantive uses and (formal) references to at least 2 author's I have assigned this semester.
ii. a substantive reference to one philosophical issue -- and your take on it -- from Rebecca Skloot's book.
iii. proper and substantive uses of the following terms: metaphysics, ethics, and epistemology.

2. Due: on the day of our final.  Each student will briefly explain his or her view on the discipline and take questions from his or her peers.

Assignment #10: Time & Quiz II

1. Read: The SEP entry on "Time"

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/time/

2. Write 2 substantive, unambiguously true or false statements on each of our units over the past semester.  I will write quiz #2 from the best of those I receive.  Due: Wednesday after Thanksgiving recess.  Reminder: We have scheduled the quiz for Friday after Thanksgiving recess.

Q&A #9 Realism or Antirealism?

"Radical Constructivism"

1. Read E. von Glasersfeld's essay, "An Introduction to Radical Constructivism."

2. In this essay, von G. writes: "we cannot possibly conceive of an unexperienced world" (p. 1). Later he applies this line of thought to apples (p. 5). Here's my question: Can we conceive of an unexperienced apple?

3. Write two questions of your own.

Extra reading: here's one of my many responses to von Glasersfeld: http://www.kjf.ca/75-TAJOH.htm

 

Q&A #8: Socialism and Human Nature

1. Read:
http://www.isreview.org/issues/47/wdss-humnature.shtml

2. Question: What does Marx mean when he writes: " people make their own history but not in circumstances of their own choosing"?

3. Write two questions of your own.

Q&A #7: Envy and Egalitarianism

Social theorists frequently argue that envy rests at the heart of egalitarian notions of justice (including the "socialistic" impulse to tax the rich).

Here's an example (the Internet is literally littered with these):

http://www.newsmax.com/HerbertLondon/obama-socialism-Nazis/2009/09/30/id/335284

1. But let's take a closer look at the nature of human envy.  Read:

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/envy/

2. Question: is egalitarianism based on envy?

3. Write 2 questions of your own.

Q&A #6 Free Will & Determinism

1. Read Paul Newall's article entitled "Free Will and Determinism":

http://www.galilean-library.org/site/index.php/page/index.html/_/essays/introducingphilosophy/13-free-will-and-determinism-r29

2. Research further as necessary the two concepts.

3. Question: are you a "compatibilist" or "incompatibilist"?  Explain.

4. Write 2 questions of your own.

Q&A #5 Patriotism

1. Read: Robert Jenson, “Goodbye to Patriotism":

http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/MiddleEast/TerrorInUSA/Patriotism.asp

Supplemental reading:

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/patriotism/

2. Q: Do you agree or disagree with Jenson’s position?

3. Write two questions of your own.