Friday evening History of Philosophy I

There was only one quiz question this evening and it was rather vague I know, but after discussing the Republic and basically seeing the argument for an Aristocracy I wondered how you felt about this elitist political theory and the contrast with the representative democratic republic we have. Does Plato make a good case?

Thursday classes

The quiz question for History of Philosophy II today was a bit of a repeat question for some - what is your favorite song - but with this constraint - it should be from the life time of John Locke. (So perhaps Purcell or maybe even Locke (Matthew) which I wonder - was he a brother? Two years apart. For Introduction to Philosophy the question is regarding how to choose the greatest good. Intrinsic goods versus extrinsic goods.

Wednesday Logic

Today in talking about meaning and definitions - language matters - the quiz question was do you think it is right that value statements (non-cognitive statements!) should be considered neither true nor false? (And for fun, would you consider this question recursive in nature?)

Tuesday classes

For History of Philosophy II today the quiz question was what rights do you think we should have under our social contract? If you have answered this question for me before you might want to focus on how those rights could be made law considering how wealth determines so much in politics today. For Introduction to Philosophy today the quiz question concerns happiness. What kind of life would make you most happy? How does that fit with Aristotle's concept of Eudaimonia?

Monday Logic

For Logic today the quiz question is What is recursion and how does it play an important part of human language?

Friday night History of Philosophy II

The first half of the class quiz question is: Why are there so few women in the ancient philosophy tradition? The second quiz question of the evening is what is a soul? Do you have one?

Thursday night Logic

First half of class quiz question is: give a valid deductive argument with true premises, that is, a sound argument. Second half quiz question: How does recursion play an important part of human language?

Thursday classes

For History of Philosophy II today the quiz question concerned the relationship between Galileo and Newton. Which was responsible for the concept of gravity? For Introduction to Philosophy the quiz question is does Justice require that the top ten percent have 95% of the world's wealth? I will mention Thomas Piketty in this regard.

Wednesday Logic

For Logic the quiz question today was email me a valid argument with true premises.

Tuesday classes

For History of Philosophy II the quiz question today concerned the dilemma associated with people with a non-modern point of view entering into Europe and coming into conflict with people who have a modern point of view (i.e. Post-Descartes). How do you think Chancellor Merkel should handle the situation of having non-modern people (1 million) suddenly added to Germany in one year? For Introduction to Philosophy today we began discussing the nature of the Soul and I referred to Stuart Hameroff who thinks consciousness is found in the microtubules in our neurons and means we have a quantum computer instead of a Turing machine as the seat of our soul. But my question to you is what do you think the soul is? Do you have one? Or like Steven Pinker do you think it is a side effect of brain activity?

Friday History of Philosophy I

There were two quiz questions for this evening. The first was what are the ten commandments? The second was on the video Conan the Barbarian the Musical. Did this video bother you? (What I mean to question is not simply how --- odd - this short video is, or how annoyingly the melody gets stuck in our heads, but the moral point of view espoused in this is that the Good is crushing your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of the women. Ethics comes a long way just by Plato.

Thursday classes

For History of Philosophy II the quiz question today was a comparison between Augustine's reply to the skeptics (page 290 in the text or here on the web - go to chapter 26) with Descartes' Meditations in the text starting at page 377 or here on the web. This comparison had to be obvious to his contemporaries that all would have been familiar with Augustine... so he became famous among his peers because of his work in mathematics, not the Cogito ergo Sum. For Introduction to Philosophy the quiz question today concerns Socrates argument in the Euthyphro - but sort of updated: if Jesus came to your door and asked you to sell everything you have, give the money to the poor, and then go with Him, would you go? Or would you argue with Him about why you should do this? For Logic in the evening class the quiz question is: what are the ten commandments? for the first half of the lecture. Second half - what is your favorite song? Send me the link!

Wednesday Logic

The quiz question today for logic was what is your favorite song? (Please email me the link if possible.)

Tuesday classes

Met for the first time both History of Philosophy II and Introduction to Philosophy. Quiz question for History was should we drink wine? (Besides wine and beer - and milk! Europeans didn't have anything else to drink in the Middle Ages did they - besides water? I am not sure. Tang was invented for the Space Age. Coca Cola was invented so people could buy a cocaine drink at the soda fountain! Tea and coffee came in late and may partially explain the industrial age! Quiz question for Introduction to Philosophy (should be) what are the ten commandments? We shall see...

Logic

First lecture went well I suppose. Welcome to the new semester. I did give a quiz for the first class: what are the ten commandments? We will discuss them and the reason for the question next class - Wednesday. I did video a bit of this lecture for any that missed it but the batteries died after a few minutes.