Nihilism, Like Life, Is Absurd

Here is one (mildly depressing) approach to the meaning of life that our group referenced:

• "The Myth of Sisyphus" by Albert Camus
  
• "The Absurd" by Thomas Nagel

Hear No Evil

If you like to get philosophical on the treadmill, try downloading and listening to these podcasts on the problem of suffering:

• Well-known contemporary philosopher (and ordained priest) Marilyn McCord Adams offers some insights into the problem of evil in this audio interview. (Download)
  
• The NPR program Fresh Air has an audio interview with Bart Ehrman on the problem of suffering. (Download)
  
• Here's even more audio from a few philosophers on the problem of suffering. (Download)
  
  

Bad Things to Good People

Here are some links on the problem of evil.

• There is a collection of resources all about the problem of evil, including criticisms of several different responses to the problem. I mean, wow.
• I'd like to highlight one article in particular: a discussion of the "God works in mysterious ways" response: do we have enough evidence to believe that there is a reason for all the suffering in the world, but humans aren't smart enough to understand what that reason is?
• Thoughts on everyday evil and the Holocaust.
  
• Does everything happen for a reason? This cartoon dinosaur has an interesting take on that question. (T-Rex also occasionally wonders why bad things happen to nice people, and whether we're in the worst possible world.)

God Shtuff

If you've read a good article on god stuff, recommend it to us by emailing me or posting the link in the comments section of this post. In the meantime, I have some stuff for you.

How should we approach our discussions about god? Here's one of my favorite essays on this:

• "Reasonable Religious Disagreements" [pdf] by Richard Feldman
  

The National Public Radio show Fresh Air ran a pair of interviews with two scientists talking about whether God exists. (Since they're not trained philosophers, some of their arguments aren't the best. Try to spot their mistakes!) The conversations touch on a lot of things we'll be discussing in class.

• Richard Dawkins pushing atheism
  
• Francis Collins pushing theism
  

Hey, where's the interview with an agnostic? The media are so biased toward those with opinions.

I'm Certain I'm Doubting

Here are some links related to our discussion of René Descartes and skepticism from class.

• Optical illusion time! Here is a pair of collections of Julian Beever's sidewalk art that looks three-dimensional when viewed from a certain angle. That's a picture of one of his creations above.
  
• The search for truth is tough. Let's get the FBI on the case!
• Here's an audio interview about Descartes's famous argument that he's certain he exists.
  
• Can we be abolutely certain of math claims like 2 + 3 = 5? This cartoon dinosaur says we can't!

By the way, if you have any links you think I or others in class might find interesting, let me know. And feel free to comment on any of these posts.

Paper #1 Guidelines

(Want tips on writing a philosophy essay? Check out here and here!)

New Due Date: at the beginning of class on Wednesday, October 13th, 2010 Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

Worth: 50 points (5% of final grade)

Assignment: Write an argumentative essay on external world skepticism: the claim that we do not know anything about the physical world beyond our immediate sense experiences. In particular, choose one of the topics below. Papers must be typed, and must be between 300-600 words long. Write down the word count on the first page of the paper.

Possible Paper Topics
1. Criticize skepticism of the external world. Describe what you take to be the best argument for external-world skepticism. Then evaluate this argument. Exactly how is this argument bad? Be specific: what is/are its flaw(s)? How can we avoid giving in to the skeptic’s arguments that we don’t know anything about the world?
[NOTE: For this option, you don’t have to present a positive argument for the existence of the external world. Just explain why the skeptical argument you focus on is bad.]

2. Tell me why you’re not a skeptic: Present and defend an argument for the claim that we can know that there is an external world beyond our sense experiences. Be sure to consider and respond to objections to your argument that a skeptic would likely offer.

3. Defend external-world skepticism. Present an argument for external-world skepticism. Then consider and respond to objections to this argument. Pay special attention to your conception of knowledge: defend the conditions you believe are required for knowledge.

4. Explain and evaluate Nick Bostrom’s argument in “Do We Live in a Computer Simulation?” Do you think Bostrom makes a good case for external-world skepticism? Why or why not? Be sure to fully explain your evaluation of his argument, and defend your opinion.

5. Write something else on skepticism. (Sean must approve this topic by Wednesday, October 6th.)

The Full Moon Myth?

Scientific American has a nice article examining the widely-held belief that the full moon causes strange behavior. Research suggests the full moon doesn't have this effect:

"By combining the results of multiple studies and treating them as though they were one huge study—a statistical procedure called meta-analysis—[scientists] have found that full moons are entirely unrelated to a host of events, including crimes, suicides, psychiatric problems and crisis center calls. In their 1985 review of 37 studies entitled 'Much Ado about the Full Moon,' which appeared in one of psychology’s premier journals, Psychological Bulletin, Rotton and Kelly humorously bid adieu to the full-moon effect and concluded that further research on it was unnecessary."

One reason the belief persists is a set of natural human cognitive biases in which we perceive correlations where no such correlations exist:

"Illusory correlations result in part from our mind’s propensity to attend to—and recall—most events better than nonevents. When there is a full moon and something decidedly odd happens, we usually notice it, tell others about it and remember it. We do so because such co-occurrences fit with our preconceptions. ... In contrast, when there is a full moon and nothing odd happens, this nonevent quickly fades from our memory. As a result of our selective recall, we erroneously perceive an association between full moons and myriad bizarre events."

We'll be discussing these biases more when we study arguments about causes. Here's a cool video by psychological Dan Gilbert on our mistaken expectations:

Understanding Arguments

Here are the answers to the handout on understanding shorter arguments that was assigned as optional extra credit.

1. (P1) Fairdale has the best team.
(C) Fairdale will win the championship

2. (P1) The housing market is depressed.
(P2) Interest rates are low.
(C) It's a good time to buy a home.

3. (P1) China is guilty of extreme human rights abuses.
(P2) China refuses to implement democratic reforms.
(C) The U.S. should refuse to deal with the present Chinese government.

4. (P1) The results of the Persian Gulf War were obviously successful for the U.S. military.
(C) The U. S. military is both capable and competent.

5. (P1) The past 3 women's U.S. tennis champions have changed to Wilson's new line of rackets.
(C) It's time to trade your racket in for a Wilson racket.

6. (P1) My doc said she'd be performing a blood test on me when I visit her today.
(C) I know I'll feel pain today.

7. (P1) Most of those who enjoy music play a musical instrument.
(C) If Maria enjoys music, she probably plays a musical instrument.

8. (P1) I'm very good at my job.
(C) I deserve a raise.

9. (P1) Jesse is one year old.
(P2) Most one-year-olds can walk.
(C) Jesse can walk.

10. (P1) The revocation of the 55 mph speed limit has resulted in an increased number of auto fatalities.
(C) we must alleviate this problem with stricter speed limit enforcement.

11. (P1) The last person we hired from Bayview Tech turned out to be a bad employee.
(C) I'm not willing to hire anybody else from that school again.

12. (P1) Maebe didn't show up for work today.
(P2) Maebe has never missed work unless she was sick.
(C) Maebe is probably sick today.

13.(P1) There are no pesticide controls in this county.
(C) There are no edible fish in the streams of this county.


14.(P1) This city's beautiful beaches are the most overcrowded beaches in the state.
(C) Beautiful beaches definitely attract people.

----------------
Hat tip: I took some of the examples (with some revisions) from Beth Rosdatter's website , and some (with some revisions) from Jon Young's website .

Email Subscription

So why does this course have a blog? Well, why is anything anything?

A blog (short for “web log”) is a website that works like a journal – users write posts that are sorted by date based on when they were written. You can find important course information (like assignments, due dates, reading schedules, etc.) on the blog. I’ll also be updating the blog throughout the semester, posting interesting items related to the stuff we’re currently discussing in class. You don't have to visit the blog if you don't want to. It's just a helpful resource. I've used a blog for this course a lot, and it's seemed helpful. Hopefully it can benefit our course, too.

Since I’ll be updating the blog a lot throughout the semester, you should check it frequently. There are, however, some convenient ways to do this without simply going to the blog each day. The best way to do this is by getting an email subscription, so any new blog post I write automatically gets emailed to you. (You can also subscribe to the rss feed, if you know what that means.) To get an email subscription:

1. Go t0 http://2010cccphilosophy.blogspot.com.

2. At the main page, enter your email address at the top of the right column (under “EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION: Enter your Email”) and click the "Subscribe me!" button.

3. This will take you to a new page. Follow the directions under #2, where it says “To help stop spam, please type the text here that you see in the image below. Visually impaired or blind users should contact support by email.” Once you type the text, click the "Subscribe me!" button again.

4. You'll then get an email regarding the blog subscription. (Check your spam folder if you haven’t received an email after a day.) You have to confirm your registration. Do so by clicking on the "Click here to activate your account" link in the email you receive.

5. This will bring you to a page that says "Your subscription is confirmed!" Now you're subscribed.

If you are unsure whether you've subscribed, ask me (609-980-8367; slandis@camdencc.edu). I can check who's subscribed and who hasn't.

Course Details

Introduction to Philosophy
Camden County College, Blackwood Campus
Philosophy 101, Section 01
Fall 2010
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 11:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.
Madison Hall, Room 311

Instructor: Sean Landis
Email: slandis@camdencc.edu
Phone: 609-980-8367
Course Website: http://2010cccphilosophy.blogspot.com
Office Hourse: by appointment

Required Texts
A Rulebook for Arguments, 3rd Edition, Anthony Weston (RA)
Classics of Western Philosophy, 7th Edition, Steven M. Cahn (CWP)

About the Course
This course is designed to introduce students to philosophy. Throughout the semester, we will explore a handful of classic philosophical questions: What is knowledge, and what can we know? What evidence is there regarding the existence of a God? Do humans have free will? What does it mean to say that one thing is morally right and another is morally wrong?

In examining these issues, it is my hope that we can also develop the skills of doing philosophy—understanding philosophical arguments, evaluating the quality of such arguments, and developing good arguments of our own on philosophical topics. Our main goal is for each of us to come to appreciate the value of sitting and thinking. Long, careful, systematic, detailed thought is a great tool for increasing understanding on complex topics.

Grades
900-1000 points = A
800-899 points = B
700-799 points = C
600-699 points = D
below 600 points = F.

Quiz 100 points
Midterm 200 points
Final 250 points
Fun Fridays 50 points total
2 Short Papers 50 points each (100 points total)
Journal 100 points
Group Presentation 150 points
Attendance/Participation 50 points

Quiz: There will only be one quiz, held at the end of arguments section of the course. The quiz will last about 25 minutes, and be held at the beginning of class on the scheduled day.

Exams: There will be a midterm and a final exam. The midterm tests everything covered during the first half of the course, and will last the full period (50 minutes) on the scheduled day. The final exam is cumulative—that is, it tests everything covered throughout the whole course. The final will last 50 minutes, and will take place during finals week.

Fun Fridays: There will be 4 in-class graded assignments scheduled on some Fridays during the semester.

Papers: There will be 2 papers (about 2 pages long each), the first on our section on knowledge, and the second on our section on ethics.

Journal: Each student will keep a journal during our section on the existence of God and free will.

Group Presentation: There will be a group project presented in front of the class toward the end of the semester. Each group of 3 to 6 students will research a topic in philosophy not discussed in class, and present a 10- to 15-minute lesson on it to the rest of class.

Attendance/Participation: Most of this will be based on your attendance. If you’re there every class, you’ll get full credit for your attendance grade. In addition, there will be a lot of informal group work throughout the semester in which students get together to analyze the readings or philosophical issues being discussed in class. Group work can impact your grade.

Extra Credit: I like giving extra credit! I’ll be giving some official extra credit assignments throughout the semester. I’ll also be offering some extra credit points more informally during class time. Remind me about this if I slack off on dishing out extra credit points.

Classroom Policies
Academic Integrity: Cheating and plagiarism (using someone else’s words or ideas in a paper or assignment without giving credit to the source) will not be tolerated in the class. Students found guilty of either will definitely fail the exam or assignment—and possibly the entire class. FYI: I’m pretty good at catching plagiarists. I recommend not trying it!

Excused Absences: Make-up exams, quizzes, in-class projects, and oral reports will only be rescheduled for any excused absences (excused absences include religious observance, official college business, and illness or injury – with a doctor’s note). An unexcused absence on the day of any assignment or test will result in a zero on that assignment or test.

Disability Accommodations: If you have special requirements let me know as soon as possible so we can make all necessary arrangements.

Important Dates
August 31: Last day to drop a course & receive a 100% refund.
September 15: Last day to drop a course & receive a 50% refund.
September 22: Last day to sign up to audit a course.
December 3: Last day to withdrawal from Fall Classes.

Course Schedule

*This schedule is tentative and will probably change a lot*

Sept. 1—3: Intro to Class/Arguments
Wednesday: Introduction to Class (no reading)
Friday: Doing Philosophy (no reading)

September 6—10: Arguments
Monday: LABOR DAY (no class)
Wednesday: Understanding Arguments (RA Chapters 1 & 2)
Friday: Types of Arguments (RA Chapters 3 & 4); group work

September 13—17: Arguments
Monday: Evaluating Arguments (RA Chapter 4 & 5); group work
Wednesday: Deductive Arguments (RA Chapter 6)
Friday: Deductive Arguments (RA Chapters 6); group work

September 20—24: Arguments
Monday: Fallacies (RA Chapter 10)
Wednesday: Fallacies & Biases (handout: Metacognition); group work
Friday: FUN FRIDAY #1: Biases (no reading)

September 27—October 1: Knowledge
Monday: QUIZ #1; Intro to Knowledge (no reading)
Wednesday: Defining Knowledge | Plato’s Account (handout: Plato)
Friday: Skepticism (CWP 482-483, 490-496)

October 4—8: Knowledge & Existence of God
Monday: Skepticism | Descartes’ Meditations One and Two (CWP 482-483, 490-492); group work
Wednesday: Descartes’ Meditations Two (CWP 429-496)
Friday: God | Intro to Philosophy of Religion (handout: Lawhead)

October 11—15: Existence of God
Monday: Cosmological Argument | Aquinas: Summa Theologiae Question 2 (CWP 440-441, 450-453)
Wednesday: PAPER #1 due; Cosmological Argument (no new reading); group work
Friday: Cosmological Argument | Which Is Weirder? (no new reading)

October 18—22: Existence of God
Monday: Design Argument | Hume II & V in Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion (CWP 862-867, 873-875)
Wednesday: Design Argument | (no new reading); group work
Friday: FUN FRIDAY #2: Proof

October 25—29: Existence of God
Monday: Design Argument | Chance vs. Design (no new reading)
Wednesday: Review for Midterm (no reading)
Friday: MIDTERM

November 1—5: Existence of God
Monday: Problem of Evil | Intro (handout: Sober)
Wednesday: Problem of Evil | Augustine: Books 1, 2, & part of 3 in On Free Choice of the Will (CWP 357-369)
Friday: Problem of Evil | Hicks (handout: Soul-Building)

November 8—12: Existence of God & Free Will
Monday: Problem of Evil | wrap-up (no new reading)
Wednesday: Free Will | Freedom vs. Determinism (handout: Nagel)
Friday: Free Will | Maimonides The Guide of the Perplexed
(CWP 434-439)

November 15—19: Free Will & Ethics
Monday: Free Will | Aristotle: Book III in On the Soul
(CWP 223-227)
Wednesday: Free Will | Determinism (handout: Hospers)
Friday: FUN FRIDAY #3 | Practical Ethics; Aristotle Book II of Nicomachean Ethics (CWP 269-275)

November 22—26: Ethics
Monday: Ethics | Virtue Ethics: Aristotle Book III, Chapter 1 in Nicomachean Ethics (CWP 275-277)
Wednesday: Journal due; Ethics | Utilitarianism: Mill part of Chapter 2 in Utilitarianism (CWP 1060-1063)
Friday: THANKSGIVING BREAK (no class!) (woo?)


November 29—December 3: Ethics
Monday: Ethics | Evaluating Utilitarianism (handout: Rachels)
Wednesday: Ethics | Kant 1st section in Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals (CWP 984-991)
Friday: Ethics | Evaluating Kantian Ethics (handout: Rachels)

December 6—10: Ethics/Group Presentations
Monday: preparation for presentations (no reading)
Wednesday: group presentations
Friday: FUN FRIDAY #4 | Importance

December 13—19: Group Presentations & Review
Monday: group presentations
Wednesday: group presentations
Friday: PAPER #2 due; review for Final Exam

December 22: Final Exam
Monday: FINAL EXAM (11:00-11:50 p.m.)