Introduction to Philosophy David G. Danielson contact |
Course Info
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Other Resources Movie Night |
Grading Info |
Course Description This class is an introduction to the discipline of philosophy. We will
examine theories of the Self, knowledge, ultimate reality and how these relate
to several fundamental philosophical questions. We wil also discuss the relation of the Good, the True and the Beautiful.
For a copy of the Syllabus click here. MWF 8:10 - 9, MWF 9:10 - 10, MWF 11:10-12 Homework Update
ESL Workshops Grammar Help
We will be reading out of the
If you bought the Soccio book "How to Get the Most out of Philosophy" read it completely as soon as possible. There are many helpful sections as a grounding for this class. It also has good advice when facing the exams. The second recommended book Looking at Philosophy, by Donald Palmer, can be useful. If provides context for many of the philosophers we will read and discuss. His book summarizes their ideas clearly and easily. You also need to choose and read one of the 7 recommended I highly encourage choosing and reading that book as soon as possible.
The following is the order in which we will read the text. Freire, Plato, Descartes, Hume, Marx, Ophuls, Laing, Greer, Polanyi, Kierkegaard, Suzuki. Look them over to decide which you would like to lead. A podcast of Edward Craig speaking on "What is Philosophy?" Monty Python's Argument Clinic Philosophy, Physics, and Mathematics: Dangerous Ideas Paolo Freire An online version of the reading is HERE. Freire Freire Handoutr Read the following essay by John Taylor Gatto titled Against School Sugatra Mitra applying Freire's ideas in this TED talk It's amazing! Sir Ken Robinson: TED Talk - Schools Kill Creativity Here is a review of the Rock Band: Guitar Hero III The movies "Freedom Writers" and "Stand and Deliver" demonstrate how Freire's ideas can be put into practice. You may also want to watch Randy Pausch's Final Lecture. It's inspiring. Here is a commencement charge he gave to graduates shortly before his death. Here is Steve Jobs' Stanford Commencement in 2005. Taylor Mali, Slam Poet, Teacher What Teachers Make John Legend's commencement address at University of Pennsylvannia May 2009 Frontline program on For Profit Colleges The Loneliness of the Long Distance Test Pre - Socratic Philosophers Tom Lehrer’s Periodic Table Song {How Algorithms Shape OurWorld} Video: Achilles and the Tortoise Sandy LaFave on Open and Closed Concepts Plato Plato Handouts There are on line versions of the Republic. The specific parts we read are at the end of Book 6, VI, and the beginning of Book 7 VII. We read the Divided Line and the Myth of the Cave. Here (The location above has the entire 6th book of the Republic. We read the end of the 6th and the beginning of the 7th book. The text below is where we start reading. Read to the end of the 6th book and then start the 7th – the allegory of the cave. In the 7th book read until you finish the following.
An animated video of Plato's cave. The School of Athens Raphael’s Painting Here is a podcast describing Plato's Cave Aristotle Here are some links to help explain Aristotle's ideas Aristotle's Metaphysics and Psychology Martha Nussbaum on Aristotle Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 Aristotle Handout on Virtue Ethics Physicist Speaking at your Funeral by Aaron Freeman, first read on "All Things Considered" NPR in June 2005. Jon Stewart interrogating Chris Matthews on the Daily Show Lawrence Hinman, Univerity of San Diego speaking on Aristotle's Ethics A podcast on Aristotle's concept of Happiness David Brook's Where the Wild Things Are Archived interview with William Irvine on Stoic Happiness An Article on the Goodness of Human Nature Rene Descartes Descartes Descartes Handout A podcast on Descartes' Cogito argument. A podcast on Descartes' Meditations An on line version of The Meditations (Read the first and second meditation.) A podcast on the modern Mind/Body problem by Tim Crane. Sandy LaFave's comments on Descartes' Meditations, Substance Dualism, the fallacies of Composition and Division David Hume Here is a cool photo of a chalk drawing. Another
On line section is HERE. Scroll down and read SECT. VI. Of Personal Identity There are a two Television programs which looked at perception and memory which are worth watching. They have multiple parts. Karl Marx Here is an online version of the reading An excellent analysis of Marx is Here. (It contains a link to the text we read.) Here is a podcast of Jonathan Wolff speaking on Marx's concept of Alientation. Here is a link to the Sadler Report of 1832 which examined the working conditions for children in factories.
Mindwalk Mindwalk video (If you miss the film in class, watch it here.) Mindwalk Video Mindwalk Handout HERE is a link to Fritjof Capra’s web page. Leonard Shlain's Book Art and Physics (Find it here.) Shlain lecturing on Art and Science Tiffany Shlain's film Connected
Ophuls Handout No online links to this text This is an amazing film entitled "Home" TED Naomi Klein: Addicted to Risk Neil Postman interview on his book Technopoly R.D. Laing There are no online links to this text. There is a site devoted to his ideas HERE Adam Curtis has two documentaries worth watching as background. The first is Pandora's Box episode 2 "To the Brink of Eternity" and "The Trap" part 1 explicitly discussing Laing's ideas. Germaine Greer Greer GreerHandout There are no online links to this text which comes from “The Female Eunuch” Germaine Greer and Estelle Morris Interview Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's ideas in his book Flow 40th Anniversary of The Female Eunich Marian Diamond UCB Professor of Anatomy Rachel Maddow on Sexual Harassment Soren Kierkegaard Here is a site to help explain Truth is Subjectivity. And this is an article explaning Truth is Subjectivity. A good course on Existentialism in Literature Eknath Easwaran's Penguin Story (click back a couple of pages to the beginning.) It captures the leap of faith concept. Indiana Jones' Leap of Faith "The Last Crusade." Randy Pausch Commencement Address D.T. Suzuki Suzuki Handout Mandala Photos Yogi Laser The Buddha a new documentary. Train Your Mind; Change Your Brain Matthieu Ricard giving a Google Tech Talk A TED talk on Games (The task is to figure out how it relates to Buddhism.) "This is Water" David Foster Wallace's commencement address to Kenyon College. You will need to choose and read one of the following. It is best to start reading soon in the semester in order to gain the maximum experience from the reading. You will be held accountable for the material in the book before the final exam. 1. Recommended:
A Language Older Than Words, Derrick Jensen(ABE Books) 2. Recommended: The Kin of Ata are Waiting for You, Dorothy Bryant (ABE Books) 3. Recommended:
The Story of B, Daniel Quinn (ABE Books) 4. Recommended: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Pirsig (ABE Books). 5. Recommended: An Unknown Woman, Alice Koller ( ABE Books) 6. Recommended: Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder (ABE Books) 7. Recommended: Black Elk Speaks, Black Elk and John Neidhardt (ABE Books) There is also a website devoted to The Work of Byron Katie. It's well worth looking at for a way to avoid suffering. We are lonesome animals. We spend all of our life trying to be less lonesome. One of our ancient methods is to tell a story begging the listener to say-and to feel- ‘Yes, that is the way it is, or at least that is the way I feel it.’ You’re not as alone as you thought. —John Steinbeck Movie Night Flyer Movie Night Questions February 8th - The Power of Myth (Part 1.) March 15th - Thirteen April 12th - Stand By Me May 3rd - Moonrise Kingdom
This is a link to a Philosophy Encyclopedia. http://plato.stanford.edu/ A paper on Synesthesia on the Psyche online journal of consciousness HERE Here is a link to my Humanities 125 video page Eric Schlosser on Tomato Pickers Christmas Gift Exemption Voucher Grades:
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