Tuesday classes

Quiz question for today in both classes was what do you think is the best use of our time in class? Should I suggest videos to watch prior to class and then we can discuss them in an open forum instead of a lecture?

Monday Logic

Today for logic we did test 3. Starting Wednesday we should begin covering the rest of the book before the end of the semester.

Friday evening Ancient and Medieval Philosophy

This evening for Ancient and Medieval Philosophy we glanced over several great Islamic philosophers and the Jewish Philosopher Moses ben Maimonides. But most of the discussion was on Islam itself using Tariq Ramadan and Reza Aslan as two references. Note also Hans Kung was the author behind most of my opinions. My quiz question is do you use the truth fairy story for your kids or do you feel stories like that are lying to them? Does the same issue apply to the way religions are taught?

Thursday classes

For Early Modern Philosophy today we discussed philosophers associated with the History of Thought as a contemporary example of Hegelian philosophy of our times. Starting with Isaiah Berlin and including Charles Taylor, Michael Ignatieff, and Frances Fukuyama, I also started the class reading today's article by George Will For the quiz question I asked if you think your education so far is preparing you for your future. Interesting discussion on this in class today! In Introduction to Philosophy this afternoon the topic was Existentialism and Kierkegaard, and Sartre. The quiz question today is what is on the other side of your leap of faith? For this evening's double session of Introduction to Philosophy we first discussed John Stewart Mill and the quiz question on Mill was a fill in the blank. Better to be a human dissatisfied than a pig satisfied, better to be a Socrates dissatisfied than a (blank) satisfied. Then for part two we discussed the topic of Existentialism and Kierkegaard, and Sartre. The quiz question for the second half is what is on the other side of your leap of faith?

Tuesday classes

For Early Modern Philosophy this morning the quiz question was on how you feel Dewey's philosophy of education influenced your own schools. For Introduction to Philosophy the quiz question on Mill was a fill in the blank. Better to be a human dissatisfied than a pig satisfied, better to be a Socrates dissatisfied than a (blank) satisfied.

Monday Logic

We did more exercises and then introduced the last of the replacement rules today. Next class we will begin exercises using all the rules in preparation for the test which will be April 10. Notice the syllabus has not been updated to reflect this change, so at this point we are behind in the syllabus. No quiz question was given today.

Friday evening Ancient and Medieval Philosophy

In class this evening we went over Boethius, Anselm, Abelard, Hildegard, and John of Salisbury pretty quickly. We didn't pose a quiz question as I recall. But you are welcome to comment on the general thesis I posed that life during the Middle Ages was at least interesting to some people and not really a Dark Age.