Finals week

Since we are not meeting for finals this week will be a time for you to email me all remaining work for the semester as planned anyway. I am anxious for some people who have not contacted me since the earthquake and I worry that if they lost power or internet they may not be even aware of how things stand. They would not have been able to access Blackboard or received my emails in that case. If anyone has stopped by the CERC Building in Eagle River I do not even know if anyone is there. I have been getting emails from staff but I do not know where they are working. I have driven by the building several times and only see dumpsters and men working in the building to clean it up. Suspense dates are no problem other than the main issue of the end of the semester and date that grades must be in which has not changed. Some students that have been in touch lost houses or apartments. But those are students that have figured out some other way to keep in touch. If anyone needs more time than the end of this week please get in touch. I think there should be no problem using an Incomplete for people affected who need it but that has to be initiated by student request.

Post earthquake

Since the earthquake and the damage to the CERC classes for my courses will be on line through Blackboard. There were only a few sessions left and I have videos that fulfill those posted on Blackboard and emailed to the classes. So all the rest of the requirements should be emailed to me as originally planned anyway. I hope everyone is okay. Please keep in touch.

In lieu of class this evening

Since UAA is closed because of the earthquake in lieu of class you can check the videos from the two sessions of my Introduction to Philosophy course that met this week. Here is the note from the Monday class Today we discussed William James and Pragmatism. The video is posted here. The quiz question was how does the pragmatist theory of truth - that truth evolves - fit with how you think of truth? and here is the note from Wednesday class: we discussed John Dewey and education. The video is posted here. The quiz question was who do you think influenced our democracy more, the Greeks or the Romans?

Early Modern Philosophy

Today we discussed Daniel Dennett and the Brights. The video is posted here. The quiz question was do you think having a higher education leads to taking a particular political side?

Introduction to Philosophy lecture 27

Today we discussed John Dewey and education. The video is posted here. The quiz question was who do you think influenced our democracy more, the Greeks or the Romans?

Early Modern Philosophy lecture 26

Today we discussed Contemporary Monotheism as a way to introduce many of those involved in current discourse on the topic. The video is posted here. The quiz question was what do you think of my isdentifying atheism as a religion?

Introduction to Philosophy lecture 25

Today we discussed William James and Pragmatism. The video is posted here. The quiz question was how does the pragmatist theory of truth - that truth evolves - fit with how you think of truth?

Early Modern Philosophy lecture 24

Today we discussed Richard Rorty. The video is posted here and here. The quiz question was how would you deal with the problem of the welfare state?

Introduction to Philosophy lecture 24

The quiz question then was how do youo deal with the lack of connnection we have in modern society to the earth? Today we talked about Arendt and Scruton. The video is posted here.

Friday evening Introduction to Philosophy

I made three videos this evening because of a change in batteries. They are posted here, here, and the last half here. The first half was focused on Kant and his revolution leading to today where we consider the language we speak as the filter for how we think. Lera is a great example in her Ted Talk. The first quiz then was how do you think this tool enables us to understand many of the issues we face today? The second half of class was focused on Arendt and the issue of our intuition of good and evil. Scruton is mentioned again - since I really like what he says - and his discussion of our connection to beauty in the world. We also talked about the Native Language conference in Juneau this last week as part of this. The second quiz question then was how do youo deal with the lack of connnection we have in modern society to the earth?

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday

Sorry I got behind in posting notes but GCI was mean to me at the end of our billing month. They wanted more money and I said no. In any case, Tuesday in Early Modern Philosophy we discussed Alasdair MacIntyre and John Rawls. These are two further examples of Historians of Thought but each with a specialty. MacIntyre - ethics, and Rawls Law. Thursday we discussed Quine and some of his accomplishments. Videos are posted here and here. Though the battery went early on the first one. The quiz question on the first was Should we be pissed that there are no women allowed in the drinking clubs at Harvard? and the second was why would the death of Carrol Hofstadter be so sad (not just for Douglas but for those reading Le Ton Beau de Marot?). For Introduction to Philosophy on Wednesday we discussed Immanuel Kant again this time focusing on Lera Bororditsky's Ted talk about how language affects our thought and the video is posted here. By the way, her TED talk is posted here. The quiz question was how does this awareness of how language influences differences - even in sublanguages for groups - help us understand differences in important isses today?

Introduction to Philosophy lecture 22

Today we discussed Existentialism. The video is posted here. The quiz question was what is the metanarrative you have chosen to believe?

Friday evening Introduction to Philosophy

Friday evening for the first half of class we discussed Identity using Appiah as our start. The quiz question was do you think when you use Google to do research it leads you to information you already liked before or does it show you contrary views? The video is posted here and a second here. The second half of class was not recorded because the camera was still uploading the first half. We discussed Kierkegaard and Existentialism. The quiz question was really interesting and came out of the discussion we were having but at the moment I can't remember what it was. Update - seems the quiz question was what do we have in common as Americans?

Wednesday and Thursday

On Wednesday in Introduction to Philosophy we discussed Identity. The video is posted here. The quiz question was when you use Google to do research does it lead you to things that already support your position or do you think it shows contrary points of view as well? For Thursday in Early Modern Philosophy we discussed Berlin and others that do History of Thought. The video is posted here. The quiz question was why did Taylor win the Templeton Prize?

Early Modern Philosophy lecture 21

Today we discussed Dewey, Russell, and Wittgenstein. The video is posted here with a second video after a bty change here. The quiz question was where in NOrway did Wittgenstein have his cabin?

Introduction to Philosophy lecture 20

Today we talked about Nietzsche's thesis that God is Dead. The video is posted here. The quiz question was who did God promise the land to?

Introduction to Philosophy Friday evening

This evening we started with the Post Aristotelians and dicussed the Cynics, Epicurus, Stpoics, and Skeptics. Then advanced to Descartes and Cartesian doubt. The quiz question was what is wrong with the homunculous theory? There was no video since I forgot to bring the camera. The second half we discussed Nietzsche's death of God theory. The quiz question was how does Einstein explain Gravity?

Early Modern Philosophy Thursday

Thursday we discussed phenomenology and Husserel. The video is posted here. The quiz question was how does Einstein explain Gravity?

Introduction to {hilosophy lecture 20

The video was short since the batteries died but it is posted here. Today we talked about Epicurus (and some other post Aristotelians) and a bit on Descartes. The quiz question was what is the main problem with the concept of the homunculous?

Early Modern Philosophy

Today we began our discussion of Pragmatism with James and Peirce. In fact the quiz question was why did Peirce have to leave John Hopkins? The video is posted here.

Introduction to Philosophy lecture 18

Today we discussed Hume and Kant. The video is posted here. The quiz question is what is your favorite scientific theory?

Friday evening Intro to Philosophy

This evening the first part of our discussions was on Plato and Aquinas and the Summa. The video is posted here. The quiz question was how does evolution design things? The second half was on Hume and Kant. The video is posted here. The quiz question was If you are appointed to run a government agency but don’t know what the agency does, is it good for the agency?

Wednesday and Thursday

For Wednesday in Introduction to Philosophy we discussed the source of everything. Plato, Aquinas, and even Flourishing according to Volf and Brooks. The video is posted here. The quiz question was how do you think evolution designs things? Or something like that. For Thursday Early Modern Philosophy we discussed Heidegger and Sartre, and existence. The videos are here and here. The quiz question was do you think Sartre was authentic?

Early Modern Philosophy lecture 17

Today we discussed Kierkegaard and Nietzsche. Existentialism was the topic. The video is posted here. The quiz question was what do you think is the cause of loneliness?

Introduction to Philosophy lecture 16

Today we discussed Mill and Utilitarianism. The video is posted here. The quiz question was a fill in the blank. Better to be a dissatisfied Socrates than a ....satisfied.

Introduction to Philosophy lecture 15 and 16 evening Friday

Friday evening we discussed Conservatism in the first half though using Locke along with Roger Scruton as examples. (Locke was not a conservative in his day but those who use his philosophy today most likely would be.) The quiz question was how many slaves are there in the US today? The video is posted here. And a second part here. The second half we discussed Freedom. John Stewart Mill and Zizek were the two examples. The quiz question was a fill in the blank. Better to be a dissatisfied human than a pig satisfied. Better to be a dissatisfied Socrates than a satisfied .....? The video is posted here.

Wednesday and Thursday

Wednesday in Introduction to Philosophy we discussed conservatism. The video is posted here and here. The quiz question was how many illegal slaves are there in the US? On Thursday in Early Modern Philosophy we discussed Marx. I forgot to make a vido'but we started watching Stephanie Flanders BBC video on Marx which I recommend. Then you might watch Thomas Piketty's TED talk on Capital. The quiz question was what do you think of Marx' poems to his wife Jenny?

Early Modern Philosophy lecture 15

Today we discussed Mill. The video is posted here. The quiz question was a fill in the blank. Better to be a dissatisfied human than a happy pig, Better to be a dissatisfied Socrates than a happy blank.

Introduction to Philosophy lecture 14

Today we discussed equality. The video is posted here. The quiz question is how does reality push back against our socially constructed reality?

Introduction to Philosophy Friday evening lecture 13 and 14

This Friday evening we first discussed Hobbes and Marx with a little Fukuyama thrown in. The quiz question was are there any of the ten points at the end of the Communist Manifesto that you consider worthy ofbeing used in our society? The video is posted here. The second half we spoke about women's equality with Mary Wollstonecraft and Helena Cronin. The quiz question was how does reality push back against the socially constructed reality? The video is posted here.

Early Modern Philosophy lecture 14

Today we discussed Schopenhauer. The video is posted here. The quiz question was do you think it should be illegal to watch the film The Triumph of the Will? (It is in some countries.)

Introduction to Philosophy lecture 13

Today we discussed Hobbes and Marx. The video is posted here. The quiz question was if you had an extra large pizza and were in a tent camp of 100 migrants who were all hungry would you eat the pizza in your tent by yourself or would you share the pizza?

Early Modern Philosophy lecture 13

Today we did more on Hegel. The videos are posted here and here. The quiz question was how does reality contrain the socially constructed reality?

Introduction to Philosophy lecture 12

Today we discussed Free Will. The video is posted here. I know you won't watch it. The quiz question was have you ever eaten half a candy bar?

Introduction to Philosophy lecture 11 and 12 evening

This evening we discussed Ontology first and Free Will second. Videos are posted here and here. The first quiz question was regarding the Beethoven 9th symphony we watched on screen - is that the real symphony? The second quiz question is the famous one regarding a tree falling in the forest with no one there to hear it does it make a sound?

Early Modern Philosophy lecture 12

Today we discussed Hegel. The video is posted here. The quiz question was what do you think of Frances Fukuyama's thesis in his book Identity that issues like the anger that women feel in the Metoo movement stem from Identity issues as those that Hegel describes?

Introduction to Philosophy lecture 11

Today we discussed Ontology. The video is posted here.And here. The quiz question is the famous one - if a tree falls in the forest and there is nobody there to hear it does it make a sound?

Early Modern Philosophy lecture 11

Today we discussed Kant. The video is posted here. The quiz question was do you think there is anything about human nature that is universal? (That is that all humans share?)

Introduction to Philosophy lecture 10

Today we discussed Anselm's argument - the Ontological - and other Medievalists. The video is posted here. The quiz question was is there an Oreo Cookie than which no great Oreo Cookie can be conceived?

Introduction to Philosophy lecture Friday evening

Friday evening we discussed God is Dead - Nietzsche the first half and Anselm's ontological argument for the existence of God and other Medieval exemplars the second half. Videos are posted here here and here. The quiz question for the first half was why do the Cardinals of the Spanish Inquisition think the comfy chair is torture? The quiz question for the second half was are Oreo cookies that than which no great cookie can be conceived?

Early Modern Philosophy lecture 10

Today we discussed Rousseau. The video is posted here. The quiz question was which of his works do you find most interesting today?

Introduction to Philosophy lecture 10

Today we discussed Nietzsche. The video is posted here. The quiz question was how do you feel about being an Ubermensch?

Early Modern Philosophy lecture 9

Today we talked about David Hume and Adam Smith. The video is posted here. A second short video is here. Oddly, the question for the quiz turned out to be why do bras cost so much?

Introduction to Philosophy lecture 8

Today we talked about abortion and the question of who is a person. The video is posted here. The quiz question was why do the Cardinals in the Spanish INquisition think sitting in the comfy chair is torture?

Intreoduction to Philosophy lectures 7 and 8 evening

This Friday evening we discussed Schopenhauer and Roger Scruton during the first half and the topic of a person for the second. The videos are posted here, here and here. The quiz question for the frist half was how does life fight entropy? The second quiz question was what do you do to escape the mundane?

Early Modern Philosophy lecture 8

Today we discussed Berkeley. The video is posted here. The quiz question was who is the most religious scientist you know? I have a few candidates. I mentioned Richard Dawkins, but Alister McGrath would be one, Francis Collins would be another.

Introduction to Philosophy lecture 8

Today we discussed Schopenhauer and Roger Scruton. THe video is posted here. The quiz question was how does life fight entropy?

Early Modern Philosophy lecture 7

Today we discussed Leibniz. The video is posted here. And a sedond is here. The quiz question was if a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there to hear it does it make a sound?

Introduction to Philosophy lecture 7

Today we discussed Richard Rorty's essay Love and Money and Thomas Piketty's ted talk. The video is posted here. The quiz question was do you think Piketty is right.

Introduction to Philosophy lecture 5 and 6 Friday eve

This evening we started with theory of knowledge and went from before Plato to Descartes. The videos are here, here, and here. With the third video being a discussion of Richard Rorty Love and Money. We also discussed Thomas Piketty and the quiz question in the second half was do you think Piketty is right as presented in his TED talk here. The first quiz question was do you think Descartes is really a mind body dualist or not?

Early Modern Philosophy lecture 6

Today we discussed John Locke and the social contract. The video is posted here. The quiz question was do you think rights should be universal?

Introduction to Philosophy lecture 5

Today we talked about how we know anything. The video is here. The quiz question is have you been bitten by the travel bug? Do you want to be a tourist? Where? and Why? Really why do Modern people do that?

Early Modern Philosophy lecture 5

Today we discussed Spinoza. The quiz question was is he convincing regarding the nature of God? The video of the class is here.

Introduction to Philosophy lecture 5

This morning we discussed Thomas Nagel's question what is it like to be a bat? Did have some fun with this of course. The video is posted here. The quiz question was the same. What is it like to be a bat? Chosen by demand by the class.

Intro to Philosophy Friday evening

This evening we first discussed The Meaning of Lives and then What is it like to be a bat? There were three videos this evening since the batteries died. They are posted here, here, and here. There were three quiz questions! One was What was the narrative of the song by Francois Hardy Le Large? Second was a scenario where you were stuck in traffic and next to you a woman was being attacked by three guys. What is your moral imperative - to help the woman or not? And what do you think you would actually do? Last, I couldn't help ask if you would tell your child about the toothfairy or do you think that would be lying to your child?

Intro to Philosophy Wednesday and Early Modern Philosophy Thursday

On Wednesday for Introduction to Philosophy we discussed Susan Wolf The Meaning of Lives. The video is posted here. The quiz question was do you have a soul? For Early Modern Philosophy on THursday we discussed Hobbes and Descartes. The video is posted here. The quiz question was where was Descartes burried?

Early Modern Philosophy lecture 3

Today we began to discuss Descartes. I am sorry but I totally spaced turning on the camera. The quiz question was what is the significance of Descartes development of analytic geometry? Things I mentioned, Descartes' attendance at the anatomy lesson of Doctor Tulip painted by Rembrandt (he is not in the picture but was there for the lesson and lunch), why he did not publish his book on the traits of the world (Galileo's punishment), A. C. Grayling's thesis in Descartes - that he was a spy for the Jesuits, his invention of Cartesian coordinates and his daughter Francine.

First Friday evening Intro to Philosophy class

THis evening we had our first meeting for Introduction to Philosophy in Eagle River for the Fall 18 sememster. We followed the syllabus pretty well I think. The video of the first portion is here but when the camera ran out I did not start it again. But there is another video of the second portion from my daily class that covers the same material. There were two quiz questions. The first was what are the ten commandments. The second was if Jesus came to your door and asked you to follow him would you go with him or not?

Early Modern Philosophy second lecture

Today we discussed Copernicus, Galileo, Bruno. The quiz question was did Bruno get what he deserved? I totally forgot to turn on the camera! We got started early talking about interesting things - Galileo's model of Dante;s Inferno I think, that I forgot to set the camera up. Sorry. I think it was a good class too.

Second lecture for Introduction to Philosophy Wednesday

Today we discussed the pre Socratics and Socrates Apology. The video is posted here. The quiz question was if Jesus came to your home and asked you to follow Him, would you go with him?

Early Modern Philosophy lecture 1

Today we started Phil A212 Early Modern Philosophy at Eagle River. The video is here. The quiz question was do you think the Gutenberg press was a significant part of the change into the modern period?

First class of Fall 18

Today was the first class for Intro to Philosophy section 793 in Eagle River. The video is posted here though the battery ran out early. The quiz question was what are the ten commandments. There are other examples of first classes that cover the same matterial. How I grade, what the tests and term paper are like, and an assortment of jokes and explanations of who I am, why I approach philosophy the way I do, and some of the benefits of studying philosophy. Check out my Youtube channel for these.

Last Logic class for the summer session

This evening we reviewed those chapters of the book that are part of the final test. Note that the Final is posted on the syllabus at the bottom of the page. Click on the link on the word Final. The videos of the class are posted here and here. There was no last quiz question but the final should be emailed to me no later than August 4. Have a great summer and thanks for taking the course with me.

Monday Logic

Monday evening in Logic we did exercises from chapter 8 in preparation for test 3. When some students asked to be given the test I posted the test numbers on the board. They are problems from exercise 8F IV including on page 437 18, 20, and on page 438 22, 24, 28, 32, 34, and on page 439 38. The video of the early portion of the class is here. There were no other quiz questions for the evening. Next class we will go over the material for the last test which is to be emailed by August 4. Notice the test is already posted on the syllabus as Final.

Logic lecture

The evening of Monday July 16th we continued doing symbolic logic finshing the inference rules and then doing the replacement rules. Most of the class was doing exercises in preparation for the third test which will be next week. The videos from the class are posted here and here. The first quiz question was from page 391 number 8. The second quiz question was from page 412 number 3.

Logic lecture - symbolic logic

This evening we started chapter 7. The videos are posted here and here. The first quiz question was number 10 on page 321. The second quiz was number 5 on page 375.

Week of July 4th

Last evening I spent normal class time in class doing email and reading waiting to see if anyone came to watch either of the movies I brought but no one did. (I did leave some time after 7 PM since it was obvious no one was comming by then. I shall double check next year if I have Logic during the same session to see if there will be nine meetings or ten - and how long each class will be. We are meeting for nine but have extended time each class. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday, and hope to see you Monday.

Logic lecture

This evening we went over syllogisms again until everyone seemed to have figured them out so we took a break and then did test 2. I assigned fifteen random syllogisms. The video from the early part of class is here. No quiz questions this evening since we did the test. Those who missed test 2 can take it next time or contact me if they have to do it some other way. Another change in the syllabus was the addition of movie night next Monday evening. Even though the syllabus has the day listed as no class the Eagle River campus will be open and for those interested we will watch one or two movies and discuss them. We will vote one which movies among those that come but two possible movies I mentioned are Ex Machina and The Circle.

Logic lectures

This evening we went over syllogisms. What they are, how they are formed, which ones are valid, and the rules for valid syllogisms. The videos are posted here and here. The quiz question was give me an example of AAA-2. Second question: what is wrong with that argument? (What rule does it break?)

Logic lrcture 5 and 6

This evening in Logic we discussed fallacies (chapter 4) for the first portion of class and then started categorical logic - chapter 5. The quiz questions were first give a true A statement, and second give the contrary of that statement. The videos I made of the class are posted here, here, and here. For a comic we watched Jim Gaffigan

Logic lecture 3 and 4

This evening in Logic we went through chapters 1 -3 talking about arguments, definitions and things associated with those including language and music. The first quiz question was what do you think of the argument from the definition of God known as the Ontological Argument? What are its weaknesses? What kind of definition do you think it is? The second quiz question was what is your favorite music? Please include a link.... and along with that who do you think is funniest? A favorite comic? Perhaps someone you know? The videos from class are posted here, here, and here. Along with these topics we watched a part of a discussion between George Lakoff and Richard Reich. We watched a video about American Nations here. One piece of music we listened to was Barber's Adagio. The Steven Wright link is here.

Monday evening Logic

We met for our first class for Introduction to Logic this evening for a marathon from 5:30 to 9:55. I introduced the class, the syllabus, the tests, quizzes, the first quiz of which was does the earth go around the sun or does the sun go around the earth? One of my favorites! This was to introduce the concept of Model Dependent Realism which was explained by Stephen Hawking and Mlodinow in their book The Grand Design. The second quiz question was what are the ten commandments, another favorite. Here the question concerned how we remember or forget things. My argument was that we remember narration but have a hard time with techinical information. There were other videos we watched: a part of a discussion between Francis Fukuyama and Charles Murray, a short by George Carlin on the ten commandments, and there is my version of the tc, and even a short by Eddie Izzard with regard to the Dutch. We ended the evening with a TED talk by James Flynn. I made two class videos and they are posted here and here. Next week we do not have class for the holiday. We meet again in two weeks.

Grades shoukd be on UAA online

All course grades for Spring 18 should be posted online now. If you have any questions about your grade calculations please email me.

Final session for Friday

For our final session we watched and discussed the movie Luther which depicts the beginnings of the Protestant Reformation. I asked everyone what they would recommend I do to make the class harder for the next group but the vote was not to change a thing! Please remember to have all work sent in by Tuesday of next week at the absolute oatest or it will not go towards your grade. Have a great summer!

Final session for Introduction to Philosophy

Today we had our final session for Introduction to Philosophy and a pretty large group came to watch and discuss The Circle. Remember to send in all work by this evening! Have a great summer and thanks for taking the class with me.

Finals Week Tuesday

Today was the final session for Early Modern Philosophy and we met and watched the movie The Circle which we discussed while we watched. A very philosophical and thought provoking movie! Remember that all materials are due this evening for this course. Thursday will be a repeat at 1 PM for the last session of Introduction to Philosophy.

Last class before finals

On Thursday for the last class before finals for Early Modern Philosophy we discussed trends in European Philosophy from Heidegger thru Alain Badiou and others. The goal was to familiarize everyone with who is who - like Zizek for instance. Some like Bernard Henri-Levy have much political influence. I did not get to Peter Sloterdijk but I should have. The video is posted here. The quiz question was ? For Introduction to Philosophy the quiz question was which French singer do you like? The topic was the Social Constructor and what did you think of the course... The video is posted here. Remember next week for both of these courses there is only one meeting - not two, but that meeting begins at 1 for both. Since I am going to show the movie The Circle and discuss it in both sessions you are welcome to come to either Tuesday or Thursday if one meets your schedule better than the other. For the last class for Ancient and Medieval Philosophy the first half we discussed Dun Scotus and William of Occam (notice there are at least three different spellings of his name Ockham. Also famous for his "razor". The video is posted here. For the second half of the session we began watching the movie Luther which we will watch the rest of the way next week on Fricay evening when we meet for the last time. Quiz question was do you think Trump has read Machiavelli's THe Prince?

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 27

Today in early Modern Philosophy we discussed Daniel Dennett. The video is posted here and the quiz question was what kind of conception of God do you use to either affirm or deny? In Introduction to Philosophy today we discussed which culture had more impact on US more, Greece or Rome? We watched a portion of the Intelligence Squared debate posted on the syllabus up to about half way through Mary Beard's presentation. Following that the video is posted here. The quiz question was which side do you vote for? Greece or Rome?

Ancient and Medieval Philosophy

This evening we discussed Aquinas. First half on angels and the arguments for the existence of God and the second half on the Natural Law and Just Wars. The videos are here and here. The first quiz question was do you think the attack on Syria was a just war? Authority, cause, and intention. Second quiz all men are created equal is that natural law for Aquinas?

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 26

Today in Early Modern Philosophy we discussed Monotheism following my posted presentation from the syllabus. The video is posted here. The quiz question was what question would you ask Richard Dawkins if you ever met him? For Introduction to Philosophy today we discussed William James and Pragmatism. The video is posted here. The quiz question was do you think Pragmatism represents the philosophy of your own life?

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 25

Tuesday in Early Modern Philosophy we discussed Richard Rorty. The videos are posted here and here. The quiz question was. For Introduction to Philosophy we skipped ahead a week by mistake and did a piece on Schopenhauer - Art in the mist. The video is posted here. The quiz question was why did Muffasa die? Not to forget (for me) is to do the class on James next.

Ancient and Medieval Philosophy

Friday evening we discussed a few European philosophers from the end of the syllabus from last week since we had stopped there with Moses. There are two videos from last night posted here and here. Last night I watched the first video and made comments on the youtube site when I realized I either made and error or should have added something. The first quiz question was who do you think was the ugliest philosopher we discussed? (See the video for a hint.) The second half of the class was on Aquinas who we will continue discussing next week as well. See the test questions to see how this emphasis on Aquinas is essentially the climax of this course. The second quiz question was how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 24

Today in Early Modern Philosophy we discussed Willard V O Quine. The video is posted here and here. The quiz question was do you think Facebook should be required to do more to protect everyone's privacy? For Introduction to Philosophy today I used the same quiz question as above since it is an issue in the senate hearings today. The video is posted here. The topic today was the difference between eternity and immortality.

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 23

Tuesday for Early Modern Philosophy we discussed a chain of thinkers that focus on the history of thought. Berlin, Taylor, Ignatieff, and Fukuyama. We looked at a few videos of each of them including an interview of Berlin done by Ignatieff. I did not film while watching the videos but two videos of the class are posted here and here. The quiz question was what do you think is the US obligation regarding the situation in Syria. Does the US have an obligation to militarily punish Syria's government for bombing their own people with poison gas? For Introduction to Philosophy we discussed Kant again but this time in the context of Virtual Reality as an additional complex issue. How should we conceive of Virtual Reality? As real? Watching David Chalmers argue that Virtual Reality is real - it is digital adds a current dimension to this. The quiz question was do you think VR is fake or veridical? The video is here.

Ancient and Medieval Philosophy lecture 21 and 22

This Friday evening we discussed the definition of Religion which led to our focus on historical religions so we could move on to compare Islamic and Jewish philosophers during the Middle Ages and their eventual impact through the Crucades on the Church dogma and philosophy in Europe. There were two videos even though I had battery problems (I found the missing battery stuck to my glove!) I have the videos posted here and here. The first quiz question was Is tragedy in the arts good for us in preparing us for tragedies that we will face? The second quiz question was Do you think Islam is at war with modernity, and is modernity at war with Islam?

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 22

Today in Early Modern Philosophy we discussed Bertrand Russell and Ludwig Wittgenstein. The quiz question was do you find Wittgenstein interesting? The video of the class is posted here. For Introduction to Philosophy today we discussed Kierkegaard and assorted squirrels that came up including Eddie Izzard on fighting tanks with ice cream, Steve Martin on philosophy, proper elopement techiques, how to pronunce Clytmnestra, and climbing Mount Sinai. The quiz question was are there too many squirrels? The video is posted here.

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 21

Tuesday we discussed John Dewey after a brief discussion of Husserl and Phenomenology. The focus on Dewey was on his theory of education. We watched a great old video about the Laboratory Schools and the changes he instituted that impact education to this day - applying the Hegelian dialectic as the Theory of Inquiry as the best way to learn and to solve problems. The video is here from the class. This is the old video we watched in class. The quiz question was can depressing works of art help people avoid things that depress them? (Thinking about the movie The Hours). For Introduction to Philosophy we discussed Anthony Appiah and identity. I used the way modern media, especially Disney, has of influencing identity world wide with a focus on the movie Frozen and the song in translation - 25 different languages. The video from the class is here. Here is one in French. The quiz question was do you feel your identity is oppressed?

Ancient and Medieval Philosophy lecture 19 and 20

This evening we discussed Boethius, Anselmn - focus on the Ontological Argument, and other Medieval Philosophers up to John of Salisbury. Some of the time we watched videos that included https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7AhBEq4Gqs on Boethius and this video to introduce Ross who I quoted from his new book To Change the Church where he argues that Pope Frances is a follower of Arius - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMc4Jip2Smo Ross and Peter Berger there were two videos from the first half that I made and posted here and here. And one video I made from the second half posted here. We also watched / listened to a video of Hlidegaard von Bingen songs and the quiz question was do you like her songs? We watched the trailer to the movie Stealing Heaven which is about Abelard and Heloise. There is also a video about Boethius by A C Grayling that I found but did not watch yet... but I will.

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 20

Today in Early Modern Philosophy we continued looking at Pragmatism - American philosophy. The lecture was broken up into two segments posted here and here. The quiz question was how is pragmatism an American trait? For Introduction to Philosophy the video is here and a second one here. The quiz question was how has Lady Gaga gotten so much media attention just by wearing strange outfits - like meat?

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 19

Today in Early Modern Philosophy we began looking at Pragmatism - American philosophy. Last class was recorded as a pod cast by Emma and is posted here by the way. Thank you Emma! I forgot to record today again. Sorry about that. Must be Spring or something. But we mostly discussed the nature of pragmatism as Hegelianism. Neither Existentialism nor Marxism but Hegel's philosophy with both conflicting sides. The quiz question was who is your favorite American Composer? I played some Aaron Copland, some Samuel Barber, some John Philip Sousa. For Introduction to Philosophy the video is here. The quiz question was the same as above - who is your favorite American Composer? We discussed Epicurus putting him in context with other post Aristotelians such as the Cynics, Stoics, and Skeptics.

Ancient and Medieval Philosophy Friday

Friday's class was focused on Augustine. I made two videos during the class and they are posted here and here. We also watched some of the movie Saint Augustine. The first quiz question was what is Jesus' middle initial! This is a silly question but it amazes me the answer everyone gives. Even Mark Twain wrote about it. Curious why. The second quiz question was what is the alure of the monastic life?

Thursday continued

Regarding Heidegger and Sartre note that both philosophers have been recorded and you can find videos of them on the Internet so you can get a sense of what they were like. Notice both only spoke in those videos in their native language so Sartre in French and Heidegger in German but many of the videos have subtitles in English. Heidegger's main work was Being and Time, Sartre's main work was in response to that book and was titled Being and Nothingness. I ahve some notes on this whole chain of European thought I posted here. The quiz question for Early Modern Philosophy was do you think the continental European more poetic language is nonsense? In Introduction to Philosophy we discussed Hume and his version of philosophical skepticism. As the last logical sequence in British Empiricism he concluded the only thing anyone can know for sure is the phenomena they are experiencing at the moment. He called that phenomena impressions - ideas are also a type of impression, the difference is only a matter of degree. Ideas are less lively than impressions I am having of my surroundings at each moment. We talked a little here about contemporary brain science in this regard that seems to go along with Hume on this (even though he died in 1776 - which date we can all remember pretty easily!) I showed a bit of a TED talk with Antonio Damazio who is famous today for his work using brain scans. I also mentioned Hume's thesis that you cannot experience your own self as an object of experience since it is always the subject of experience. Damazio also talked about that in the same TED. Notice also Thomas Metzinger in his book Being No One refers to our selves as not something like an object but instead a set of ongoing processes. YOu might think of that as a computer program installed in our brain computer etc. The quiz question was do you have a self?

Thursday's classes

When I arrived at class I realized I did not bring the camera! So I will try to reconstruct some notes on what we discussed. In Early Modern Philosophy we were looking at Heidegger and Sartre - Existentialism. We also touched on Hannah Arendt - who was a graduate student and lover of Heidegger (and also Frau Blucher!) ANd Sartre's life partner was Simone de Beauvoir. To start I pointed out both had relationships with their teacher Husserl who taught what he called Phenomenology. Since Hegel introduced Phenomenology as the appropriate study of all that we experience (following Kant's limitation on the noumena, the self, things in themselves, instead considering all experience as phenomena Husserl sought to be an unbiased observer of what people experience. I mentioned as an example the book assigned to my philosophy of religion class in college - https://www.amazon.com/Religion-Essence-Manifestation-Princeton-Library/dp/0691610444 which catalogs reported experiences of people in all cultures as a sort of encyclopedia of phenomena associated with the sacred. Sartre studied in Germany with Husserl as did Heidegger. A noteworthy event was that when Heidegger was the Regent of the university under the Nazis he fired all Jewish academics including his mentor Husserl. Also note that his lover Arendt was Jewish. So there are difficult conflicts to resolve regarding Heidegger's personal relationships. I mentioned the recent publication of this book -- my internet just dropped out! It was the Love Letters between Hannah and Heidegger....

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 17

Today in Early Modern Philosophy we discussed Existentialism - Kierkegaard and Nietzsche. The video of the class is posted here. The quiz question was do you feel more on the side of Apollo or Dionysus? In Introduction to Philosophy today we talked about Plato's Timaeus, and Aquinas' Cosmological arguments. The video is posted here. The quiz question was do you think this is the best time to live on the earth?

Ancient and Medieval Philosophy evening

This evening for Ancient and Medieval Philosophy we first discussed Christianity's beginnings and then Saint Augustine. Several videos are posted here and here. The quiz question was does covering this material make you anxious? The second quiz question was do you think the song You have to look on the bright side of life is essentially the Christian world view?

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 16

Today in Early Modern Philosophy we continued our discussion on Mill and Utilitarianism, followed by Marx. The video was split in two here and here because we also watched some of the BBC special on Marx. The quiz question was how many children did Marx have with his wife Jenny? For Introduction to Philosophy today we discussed Mill and the video is posted here. The quiz question was would you rather be a disatisfied human or a happy pig? A disatisfied Socrates or a happy fool?

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 15

Today in Early Modern Philosophy we discussed Mill and Utilitarianism and watched Sam Harris' TED talk where he argues that science should determine universal values. The video of our class is here and a second portion here. His video is on youtube. The quiz question was what would be the activity that would give you the greatest happiness? For Introduction to Philosophy today our discussion was on Locke and the nature of our government. The video is posted here and here. We also watched a portion of the video posted for the day on the syllabus. The quiz question was how does a person approach a person today to let them know they are attracted to them without breaking social rules? or here - sorry, I may have them mixed up....

Ancient and Medieval Philosophy Friday evening

This evening we discussed the post Aristotelians including Cynics, Epicurus, Stoics, Skeptics, and Neo Platonists. Several videos - five! - each rather short with on screen videos in between. They are available here in reverse order. The first quiz question was what do you think of vegans, or vegetarians? We were discussing the diet recommendations of Epicurus. The second quiz question was who do you think is a perfect 10? Male or female? We were talking about beauty with regard to Plotinus.

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 14

In Early Modern Philosophy today we discussed Schopenhauer and Wagner. The video is posted here. The quiz question was can you be a fan of Wagner without being an anti-Semite? For Introduction to Philosophy today we discussed feminism. The video is posted here. The quiz question was who is a perfect 10 either male or female or both?

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 13

Today in Early Modern Philosophy we discussed Hegel. A partial video is posted here. The quiz question was can you think of any field that does not use the paradigm of evolution? For Introduction to Philosophy today we discussed Hobbes and the Social Contract Theory. The video is posted here. The quiz question was do you think the mayor of Oakland was abetting a crime by warning illegal aliens of a pending ICE raid in Oakland?

Ancient and Medieval Philosophy lecture 11 and 12

This evening we continued discussing Aristotle both sessions. The video for the first is here and the second is here. The first quiz question was what does the word good mean? The second was what is your favorite tragedy? Comedy?

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 12

Today's Early Modern Philosophy lecture included Mary Wollstonecraft and an Introduction to Hegel. The video is posted here. The quiz question was who do you think would be an exanmple of Faust today? For Introduction to Philosophy the camera didn't start so there is no video. The topic was Sartre and Free Will. The quiz question today was are the educated elite better than others? (If so how so?)

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 11

Today in Early Modern Philosophy we discussed Kant. The video is here. The quiz question was do you think Elon Musk's car in space is art? The quiz question was the same in Introduction to Philosophy. A forty five minute portion video of the class is posted here.

Ancient and Medieval Philosophy lectures 9 and 10

This evening we discussed Aristotle's Categories and Logic. The video is posted here. The quiz question is, we can create new words but can we create new grammar? The second half of class was on the Logic and the video is posted here. The quiz question was give an argument of the form AAA-1.

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 10

Today for Early Modern Philosophy we discussed Rousseau and sgtarted Kant. The video is posted here. THe quiz question was . For Introduction to Philosophy today we discussed Anselm's ontological argument. The video is posted here. The quiz question was what kind of car would Jesus drive?

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 9

For Early Modern Philosophy today we discussed David Hume. The video is posted here. The quiz question was why do you think there is so much criticism of Russian attempts to influence the election? For Introduction to Philosophy today the topic was Nietzsche and the uber mensch. The video is half the class and is here. There was a choice of quiz question today. Either what does Niezsche mean when he asks Do you think you understand me? Or Do you think Nietzsche despised Darwin?

Ancient and Medieval Philosophy lecture 7 and 8

This evening we discussed the Republic and the video is posted here. The quiz question was why do we have twelve months? The second portion of the evening was on several dialogs listed in the syllabus but I forgot to get the camera and turn it back on. So no second half video. But we discussed the Paramenides, Theatetus, and Timaeus. The quiz question was what do you think of the allegory of the cave?

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 8

Today in Early Modern Philosophy we discussed Berkeley and Edwards. The video is posted here. The quiz question was the famous one - if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? For Introduction to Philosophy today the lecture was on the nature of what it means to be a person. The video is here (though the camera stopped party way through) and the quiz question is do you think we have a moral obligation to have children?

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 7

Today for Early Modern Philosophy we discussed Leibniz. A partial video is posted here. The quiz question was how many things did Leibniz invent or discover? For Introduction to Philosophy today we discussed the meaninglessness of life. The video is posted here and the quiz question is what are your thoughts about boredom?

Ancient and Medieval Philosophy lecture 3

We discussed Plato this evening including the Meno and the Symposium I made two videos and they are posted here and here. The quiz questions were Has the pill been one of the factors in the decrease of Americans marriage? and thinking about the plot of the movie The Circle Do you think it would be good if everything that happens was recorded?

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 6

Early Modern Philosophy today was focused on Spinoza and Locke. The quiz question was what did you think of President Trump's State of the Union Speech Tuesday evening? The video of the class is posted here. For Introduction to Philosophy today the focus was on Love and Money using Richard Rorty as the philosopher of note. The quiz question was do you think the Liberal love of humanity has led to Global Warming? The video is posted here.

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 5

For Early Modern Philosophy today the main topics included Hobbes political philosophy, thru to Spinoza. The video is here. The quiz question is do you feel Spinoza's argument that God must be everything - that is Pantheism - is persuasive? For Introduction to Philosophy the focus was theory of knowledge starting with Plato and going as far as introducing Augustine. The video is here. The quiz question is what is the farthest decimal discovered yet for Pi?

Ancient and Medieval Philosophy evening lecture 2

This evening we discussed Socrates and Plato starting with the Euthyphro. There are two videos here and here. The first quiz question was what was the vote against Socrates at his trial that found him guilty? The second quiz question was if you had the chance to be teleported someplace would you do it?

Early Modern Philosophy and Introduction to Philosophy lecture 4

So for my first class today - Early Modern Philosophy - the classroom computer was on the fritz so we used the primitive device called a white board, and we talked about Descartes, Hobbes, Bacon, and Galileo. The video is posted here. The quiz question was why was Hobbes buried at Ault Hulknell? For my second class, Introduction to Philosophy, the reading was What is it like to be a bat? And we discussed using models to conceive of reality. The video is here though the camera stopped before class was over. The quiz question was in the movie the phrase "This chick is toast" was used by Bill Murray. Was that the first time that phrase was ever used?

Early Modern and Intro to Philosophy lecture 3

Today in Early Modern Philosophy we discussed Descartes. The video is posted here. The quiz question was how many things did Descartes invent? This sort of question was a real success with Galileo. FOr Introduction to Philosophy we discussed Susan Wolf THe Meaning of Lives which led to a discussion of metanarratives and Model Dependent Realism The quiz question was does the earth go around the sun or does the sun go around the earth? I did make a video though it seems to have ended before class thanks to tired batteries, but it is posted here.

Ancient and Medieval Philosophy first class

Friday evening was our first class for Ancient and Medieval Philosophy and we followed the syllabus pretty well for the first two sessions - though as usual never get as far as planned. The quiz question for the first half was what are the ten commandments which we then discussed. The quiz question for the second half we have not discussed yet but was if Jesus came to your door and you knew it was him and knew he was God, and he asked you to sell everything you have, give the money to the poor, and then follow him, would you go or would you do something else? Discuss! We shall discuss this in light of the Euthyphro next week. I did make a vide of the first portion of class and it is posted here but I forgot to turn the camera on for the second half. Sorry about that. Next week we should begin with the Platonic dialogs...

class 2 for Early Modern and Intro to Philosophy

Today in Early Modern we discussed the shift from the Middle Ages into the Modern asking what defined the Modern. Lots of interesting aspects to cover and never enough time. The quiz question was how many inventions did Galileo have? In reading about these you may find it all rather controversial. He is know for inventing the telescope but he seems to have heard about something similar and then makinng his own. Regarding the periodic movement of pendulums - he certainly didn't invent the pendulum but his discovery led to the beginnings of clocks. And most frustrating of all - did he use the tower of Pisa for an experiment? Not to mention the whole issue regarding the movement of the earth and how much trouble that caused. For my Introduction to Philosophy class today we discussed Socrates - after discussing the nature of memory. Always fun. The quiz question was if Jesus came to your door and asked you to sell everything you have, give the money to the poor, and then follow him, would you go? Or what? I tied this in with the Euthyphro where Socrates poses his famous question regarding the nature of pious. I did recorded some of the second lecture and it is posted here.

First class of the Spring 2018 semester

The first class of the new semester met today - both for my Early Modern and Introduction to Philosophy courses. I did record the second class but since it covers how I run the course and that is the same I only made the one video and it is posted here. The first quiz question for both was what are the ten commandments?