Thursday classes

For Introduction to Philosophy today the quiz question was the Detroit scenario This is a two part question. Part one, if you were observing this take place would your moral obligation be to interfere or not to interfere? Part two, what do you think you may have actually done? For History of Philosophy I, today the question is what has to come first, faith or understanding?

Wednesday Logic

The quiz question today is from page 373 problem 8. Also, since we are behind in the syllabus the next test will be postponed for one week. Instead of November 2nd it will be on November 9th.

Monday and Tuesday classes

Sorry I did not get to post anything for Logic yesterday but the quiz for Logic on Monday was complete the two exercise questions 3 and 4 on page 366 in section IV. For Tuesday Introduction to Logic the quiz question was how would you program a computer to insure it treated humans safely? To wit: here is a real problem for programmers today: smart cars programed to kill? Here is another article on this. And another. For History of Philosophy I, the quiz question today should be who defines what true Christianity is?

Thursday classes

THe quiz question for Introduction to Philosophy this morning regarded the apparently greater success in English speaking countries of woman's equality and the possibility that what has helped enable this is the relative neutrality of the English language - literally in English most nouns are neuter. This is unlike many other languages - French for example. Notice this book by Pierre Bourdieu (it is translated here in English but he is referring to French and Kabyle society where nouns are all sexed.) So the question for you is, do you think this is a reasonable thesis? That the gender neutrality of English has helped the equality of the sexes in English speaking society? For History of Philosophy I, the quiz question today is concerned with Book XI Chapter 26 of Augustine's The City of God. Do you find his description of the Trinity convincing?

Wednesday Logic

The quiz question for today was to do examples 2 - 4 on page 331. Simply indicate whether each is valid or invalid as the case may be. There is no need to send the whole truth table for each.

Tuesday classes

Today's quiz question for Introduction to Philosophy was if there was a teleporter that could take you where ever you wanted to go, would you use it to teleport yourself? For History of Philosophy I, the quiz question today concerns free will. If God created you to be free is it fair for God to punish you when you choose to do evil things? What if God knew all along what you were going to choose to do?

Monday Logic

The quiz question today was do examples 10 - 15 on page 297 - 298 exercise 7B.1. As an aside, what do you think the two examples of funny videos have in common in the way they are funny? Herding Cats and Jack Jack Attack

Thursday classes

The quiz question today for Introduction to Philosophy is the very famous question you must have in your philosophy class or you will feel cheated: If a tree falls in the forest and there is no body there to hear it does it make a sound? (If you want an interesting answer read the section introducing Berkeley in the text.) By the way, if you found the video of Amy Schumer - weird - notice she won the Emmy for her show just recently and she is today more famous than ever: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/16/arts/television/in-amy-schumer-live-at-the-apollo-tart-words-on-men-women-sex-and-herself.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=mini-moth®ion=top-stories-below&WT.nav=top-stories-below&_r=0 For History of Philosophy I, the quiz question today was who is your favorite Saint? On Tuesday please ask me about my favorite Saint when I was a kid. Hint, he was in the movie Agora!

Wednesday Logic

Today I returned test 2 to those who took it Monday. For those yet to take it please arrange with me a time to take the make up test. For those that took it but want to add points to their score please do make up work of the sort where you lost points and come show me the work along with your test paper so I can add the appropriate amount of points as you show me you have figured out what you did wrong. Easy! Meanwhile we moved on into the next chapter and have started the symbolic system. So please read on into chapter 7. No quiz question today! But if you like you can send me comments on what you think of this article.

Tuesday classes

Today's quiz in Introduction to Philosophy was do you think Einstein's Theory of Relativity is part of today's Bible? This is in agreement with Spinoza's argument that God is all of Nature and science is the way to find out God's true nature. In History of Philosophy I, today the quiz question is what do you think of Epictetus' Chapter 44 (page 528). Would his statements be more politically correct today? Or are both problematic?

Monday Logic

Today we did the practice test and then the test for Aristotelian Syllogisms. So there was no separate quiz question. For those that missed the test a makeup should be scheduled when you can take it.

Thursday classes

For Introduction to Philosophy the quiz question today was what rights do you think people naturally have? For History of Philosophy I, the quiz question today was do you think the variety of choices among the post-Aristotelians is similar to the choices we have today as Americans?

Wednesday Logic

Did I forget to give a quiz question today? But you might find this web page interesting: on Venn diagrams

Tuesday classes

For Introduction to Philosophy the quiz question today was how is the earth like a clock? For History of Philosophy I, the quiz question is what kind of government do you think we have in the US today?

Monday Logic

Today's quiz question was give an example of an invalid syllogism that breaks rule 4 on page 252. Notice that breaking the rules of valid syllogisms are examples of what you should not do. Someone pointed out how odd it was that so much of the chapter concerns bad arguments that it seems we don't spend enough time constructing valid arguments.

Thursday classes

The quiz question today for Introduction to Philosophy concerns my suggestion that what contemporary science calls the forces in the universe are essentially what Aquinas was trying to describe with a much different vocabulary as angels. For History of Philosophy I, the quiz question today concerns the nature of Aristotle's Eudaimonia. For example, which would be a better example of this kind of happiness, enjoying this youtube clip, or finding out that there is water on Mars?