DAY 15 Life is Still Beautiful and the idea of a Supreme Being

Now in the concentration camp, Guido hides his son from Nazi guards, always makes humour and sneaks him food.  He does this to protect his son from their grim reality and to keep his spirits up.  Guido convinces Giosue that the camp is really just a game where everyone is trying to earn 1,000 points in order to win a real tank, something Giosue wanted for his birthday.












Have a light-hearted look at how the Bible came to have 10 Commandments.

The human nature of the question of a Supreme Being . . . 
In order to begin your study of questions of a Supreme Being, please read through Chapter 8 of the text and make  notes on these ideas. . . 


Different Approaches to Concepts of a Supreme Being
Theism
Deism
Polytheism
Monotheism
Pantheism
Panentheism     For these six note the similarities and differences between them.


What about the Existence of a Supreme Being (God)?
The Ontological Argument
Cosmological Argument
Argument from Design (Intelligent Design)
Pascal's Wager
Atheism


Hard Determinism
Theories of Freedom
Soft Determinism


And Where Do We Derive Meaning from in our Lives?
Nihilism
Theistic Approach
Non-Theistic Approach

DAY 14 Life is Beautiful

In preparation for your first major assignment we started to watch Life is Beautiful.  Roberto Benigni directed and co-wrote this film in part from his own personal history of his father being imprisoned in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp during WWII.  Benigni won the Oscar for Best Actor, Best Foreign Language Film and Best Dramatic Film Score and his acceptance speeches show him just as he played Guido in the film.

This film has many elements of questions of Personhood, Self and Supreme Being in it and that's why it is the perfect match for Metaphysics.  We finish the film tomorrow.

DAY 13 Personhood, Animals as Persons and Metaphysics CTQ

Today is an in-class work period to complete your first Metaphysics Critical Thinking Question (it's due Monday).  Here is the link for where to post the link to your work Philosophy Assignments Links - the only way to paste the link beside your name is the hit ctrl + v    after you've copied your Google Doc or MS Word Online url.  Please remember to SHARE your work to me, marktkovich@gmail.com     This is a trial run for this, I'm trying to get a sense of how well this works so thank you for helping me with the trial!

The issue of dolphins and other cetaceans being given the status of "persons" and thus being granted human rights that we (people) all enjoy is highlighted in the BBC article.  The issue is, of course, also raised in the textbook and we have discussed it in class often - also, have another look at the Bonobo Monkey video of a couple of days ago.

Here's a link to the original story on BBC.uk on Dolphins as "Persons".  There are some related links there to check if you are interested or need some other sources of current information.

On Monday we'll start looking at your next project dealing with Answering Life's Fundamental Questions.

As I said at the beginning of class, I'm completely impressed with all of your abilities in the Learning Skills that teachers track for you.  You are a mature class with excellent Self-Regulation skills, in Period 3 anyways  :-)   !!  So keep up the good work, I'm very proud of you all.  Here's a quick pic of you at work today - everyone on task, asking me good questions, trying your best!!  Yay for YOU!!!   (sorry, seven of you didn't fit into the picture and several others of you were away today).

DAY 12 Personhood Continued

1.  Finish defining a person.  What are your 5 criteria for "personhood"?
Some of your ideas here include: memory, personality, emotions, ability to breath, create ideas through opinions, having a soul, bi-pedal, biologically homo-sapiens-sapiens, having a will to live, mental capacity to think, interact with others, conscience (knowing right from wrong), potential to become human including a zygote and including the potential to get well again after brain death, to be concerned with the future, imagination, unique thoughts.
  
2.  Continuum of personhood:
mammal - ape - pre-conception - zygote - embryo - fetus - late-term - newborn - toddler - child - teen - young adult - adult - retired - senior citizen - infirm - death - after death                         

3.  Video from yesterday
4.  Text reading:
Read pp. 133 - 139. Takes notes on the THEORIES and CRITERIA that each of these philosophers sets out.

John Locke
Daniel Dennett
Mary Anne Warren
Annette Baier
(Personal Identity)
Derek Parfit

DAY 11 Personhood

1.  Complete First class travel from Thursday/Friday.
2.  What is a person?  Define and present.
3.  Video: Orangutan  Redefine a person?
4.  Video:  Susan Savage-Rumbaugh  Redefine a person?
5.  What is more important to personhood; mind (consciousness) or matter (brain and body)?
6.  List your 5 criteria for personhood.

DAY 10 Theories of "The Self". "Personhood in Virginia.

First of all THANK YOU very much for being the seniors in the school - your help in setting up the class after moving 35 desks back from the caf after the trial Literacy Test today was invaluable, thank you!

Before looking at First Class Travel, let's establish the four big theories of "Self":

Bundle Theory
Who: David Hume

• the "Bundle" refers to the collection of experiences that you carry around with you forever.
• the Bundle represents your experiences.
• It's a loose collection of PERCEPTIONS about your past experiences.

Project Theory
Who: Jean-Paul Sartre

• the "Project" refers to an ongoing, never-ending project, like the building of a bridge that never ceases.
• always evolving, your "self" is always changing, it's connected to the past (experiences) and the future.
• The exact nature of the project that Sartre refers to is connected to the soul, morals, conscious thinking.

Narrative Theory
Who: Ricoeur:

• The image of a "Book" comes to mind, somewhere to write your own story.
• The main character is created by one's experiences and present events.
• The story is related to other people too, and everyone's book intermixes.
• Your story never ends, even after death as your story continues to be written in other people's narratives (books).

Substance Theory:
Who: Descartes

• the "Substance" is a mental substance of the mind, NOT derived from material things.
• This is the opposite of the Bundle Theory.
• Experiences do NOT change the self, they only send the self in difference directions.
• This is analogous to a sail boat, e.g., "the HMS Self" - the wind are experiences that may change the boat's direction in the water but do not change the boat in any way.

Here's a link to just one of many news stories on the following topic: "Women Rally in Virginia"

The "Personhood" Bill of Virginia:

HOUSE BILL NO. 1Offered January 11, 2012Prefiled November 21, 2011A BILL to construe the word "person" under Virginia law, including but not limited to § 8.01-50 of the Code of Virginia, to include unborn children.----------Patrons-- Marshall, R.G. and Cline; Senators: Colgan and Garrett----------Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  § 1. The life of each human being begins at conception.

§ 2. Unborn children have protectable interests in life, health, and well-being.

§ 3. The natural parents of unborn children have protectable interests in the life, health, and well-being of their unborn child.

§ 4. The laws of this Commonwealth shall be interpreted and construed to acknowledge on behalf of the unborn child at every stage of development all the rights, privileges, and immunities available to other persons, citizens, and residents of this Commonwealth, subject only to the Constitution of the United States and decisional interpretations thereof by the United States Supreme Court and specific provisions to the contrary in the statutes and constitution of this Commonwealth.

§ 5. As used in this section, the term "unborn children" or "unborn child" shall include any unborn child or children or the offspring of human beings from the moment of conception until birth at every stage of biological development.

§ 6. Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as creating a cause of action against a woman for indirectly harming her unborn child by failing to properly care for herself or by failing to follow any particular program of prenatal care.

§ 7. Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as affecting lawful assisted conception.

Discussion of the above was great today!

DAY 9 First Class Travel? (Feb 16)

I am away today with the Ski/Board Racing Team but you are still responsible for this work to be done on your own time.  If there's a sign-in then please sign in at the main office and get to work on this - it's a carry over from yesterday's notes.  You'll have to have completed yesterday's notes to do First Class Travel properly.

First Class Travel, p. 140


1.  Evaluate the arguments in favour of interpreting stepping into the transporter as a way of travelling. In BLUE, suggestions from our awesome class, Feb 22.
- the person (self) will not change physically, psychologically and experimentally.  This is convenient, no waiting times.  Efficient in the extreme.  No major collisions, very safe.  Economical.  Potential for danger because anyone from anywhere can just show up on our doorstep - no checks/balances on who goes where.  ICE, quick response time

2. Evaluate the arguments in favour of interpreting stepping into the transporter as a way of dying.  Because it's just a copy of you, it's not the real you thus you die (in a sense), physically.  The machine destroys your body, including your brain, therefore you disappear (die).  We cannot separate mind/body.

3. How would Hobbes and company (Materialists, see. p 113 and your notes) explain or react to each of your evaluations above (in #1 & #2)?  See above.  Materialists would not want to use such a machine because they are "attached" to their physical beings.  On the other hand, materialists might actually want to use the machine because all that's being transported is matter - so at the other end, you are reconstructed and thus able to create the same mental state of being and thus do not change.

4. Explain how well or poorly this time machine would be an acceptable way of travel to a philosopher who adheres to the:
- substance theory (Descartes)  Would like the machine because the mind never changes, we can ignore the temporary decomposition of the brain.  Also, that experience of "time travel" does not change the self.

- bundle theory (Hume) Hume would enjoy the machine as it's just another experience to add to your bundle of experiences, and yes, you'd change because of that experience but that's ok.

- project theory (Sartre)  would enjoy the machine because the self is just an event in time, not a thing, so the machine wouldn't change anything.  Also, experiences are necessary and this is just another experience.  But, the Project theory indicates an unbroken set of experiences and this machine would temporarily break that continuum.



A note about critical thinking (First Class Travel is all about thinking critically on an issue).

DAY 8 Theories of the "Self"

1.  Text reading: chap. 6 pg. 112-119, and pg. 122 & 125.  Take notes on the following:

• idealism
• realism
• materialism
• monoism
• dualism
• determinism
• ontology
• subtance theory
• bundle theory
• narrative structure
• project theory

2.  Discussion of Self theories;  Present to class.
3.  Read "First Class Travel" p. 140

DAY 7 You the Philosopher and Metaphysics

1.  You the philosopher (How Philosophical Am I?) and discussion.

What we (you) said as a class:
Ethical, open-minded, curious, respectful, insightful, like debate, thinking, reflective, adventurous, hypothesizer, realist, patient, logical, optimistic, passionate, altruistic, determined, observant, studious, emotional, opinionated, non-biased, communicative, imaginative, questioner, supportive, willing, skeptical



2.  Main question: Are humans by nature good or evil? Think-Pair-Share ... discussion
Here's what YOU said:
There's a moving scale of inherent goodness or badness.  It's just about impossible to NOT do some harm just by living - we use more than we need.  Our attempts at using less, recycling and reusing are just not enough.
People are inherently good because we tend to INTEND to do good, but our experiences can change that outlook.  Also, we learn that things are good/no good through experiences.
People are taught to be good as they grow up.
People's intentions are more important than the results.


Bad? People are naturally bad because given the opportunity to do something "bad" most people would take that opportunity.  People's nature is such that we seek pleasure and avoid pain.
People are born selfish because we don't know any better - i.e.

3.  A psychologist's perspective
4.  Does it matter?
5.   Free the hikers   CNN     Part 1      Part 2 

DAY 6 Allegory of the Cave

After creating our own "cave" in class, we had an in-depth look at Plato's famous Allegory of the Cave.  The ultimate message here is that we live our lives seeing only "shadows" of the truth, and it is not until we accept things as they are, i.e. the truth, that we exit the cave and live in the light.  There are many videos of The Cave, here's one.

We moved on to a quick look at several theories in Metaphysics, but more on that later.

DAY 5 Let's Finish Yesterday's Stuff

Today we'll spend most of the period in the Library Lab - you need to finish your work assigned up till now and we can clarify some of your questions, I was away yesterday with the Ski/Board Race Team.

Also today we will figure out together how best to get your work submitted electronically for me to comment on and mark.  I feel that you are all much more technologically adept than I'll ever be so you should teach me some things about how to use all of our IT gear most effectively!

Oh yes, and the Philosophical Gem of the Day is this one from none other than Norman Osborn, aka The Green Goblin:

"We are who we choose to be."

DAY 4 Philosopher or Scientist?

Continuing on from yesterday . . . complete Tuesday's work (Steps 1 and 2)  and then move along to the steps below:

Step 3 of 6
Find a YouTube video and explain it's connection to one of the three Philosophy disciplines above.  Paste the url and write your explanation in the Sresources: drive, classes -  Kovich - Philosophy folder (or email to me).

Step 4 of 6
Read the textbook pp. 2-9 (in Chapter 1) (it's in Classes - Kovich - Philosophy) and take notes on the following
• Descartes
• Aristotle
• Plato
• Jaspers
• Materliasts
• Autonomy

A note about notes: it is in your very best interest to take thorough and organized notes for all aspects of this course.  It's a 12U course and it's challenging - you will need to continually refer to your notes to get ideas, theories and quotes from different philosophers for all of your marked work and for the exam.  Start good notes now and you will thank yourself later, honest!

Step 5 of 6
Write a complete answer to Question #2 on p. 10 of the text, "Are you better suited to the study of Philosophy or Science?  Explain why."   Send me an email - subject, Philosopher or Scientist? for your answer.

DAY 3 What is a Person?

We are faced with this simple question, but an integral part of Metaphysics is what is "personhood"?  In other words, what are the criteria that must exist in order for an entity to be considered a person?  To make a long discussion short we came up with several ideas to consider:
- physical body
- emotional presence
- thinking intellect
- ability to interact with others
- ability to consider others and to realize that others consider us

A short list yes, but this is the essence of the discussion.  You will discover as we move through Metaphysics that many philosophers who have gone before you have weighed in on the matter and in each case they have done what we did today, namely:
1. Identify the issue (in this case "personhood")
2. Identify criteria that must be considered in the discussion (see brief list above)
3. Consider each criteria and how much merit it deserves in the discussion.  For example a person might be kept alive in a hospital bed with intensive medical intervention but they are clinically brain dead.  So how much a part of the person does the brain and its function constitute?  and the list of questions continues.


We also discussed "Self" in our introduction to Metaphysics today.  Again we came up with a list of criteria that must be considered and weighed.  One of the most interesting is the idea of "identity."  You are all in an intensive process of discovering and creating your own personal identity in adolescence which is independent (at least much more independent) from the caregivers who have gotten you this far.  I discussed the Johari Window as a good starting point including four distinct criteria to consider - here's one link to the Johari Window for you to consider.  I wrote this out on the board but said I would post a link so you can study it yourself.

DAY 2 More Introduction

In my absence with the ski team you are to follow Day 1 instructions for the day.  It is a sign-in so sign in with Angie and then get to work on the instructions from yesterday.

DAY 1 WELCOME!

Story time!!  Zen Shorts - not shorts as in "short pants", but shorts as in "short stories".

Philosophy in Three Minutes or Less

Why Study Philosophy?  Matt Groening Explains - he created The Simpsons.

How Would You Solve These Little Life's Problems?

Your First Encounter with Metaphysics - Daniel Dennett on TED Talks.

For tonight and tomorrow at school . . . first of all you will NEED a Gmail account for this course - go and make one for yourself if you don't already have one.  Please make it as close to your first and last name as possible - mine is marktkovich@gmail.com - when I first made my account markkovich@gmail.com was already taken so I had to stick my middle initial in there.


Step 1 of 6
Watch these three videos (you can see the text of these talks (subtitles) by clicking the button directly below the video indicating "27 Languages"):
Metaphysics
Epistemology
Ethics


Step 2 of 6
Write your impressions of each of these Philosophy disciplines.  You best bet is to do this in your newly discovered Google Docs, which is part of your GMail address . . . starting clicking buttons, you'll see! Remember, this is a 12U course and Iexpect a 12U-level of thinking, writing and effort for all of your work.