Day 37: What I know to be true

 1.  13 x 4 = 28
2.  Complete lecture from yesterday.  Can anyone play the uke yet?
3.  Wag the Dog: Assignment
4.  Film

Day 36: Epistemology Vocabulary

1.  Intro presentation: What is Knowledge?
2.  Lecture: Kinds of Knowledge

• Direct
• Indirect
• By acquaintance
• By description
• Competence
• Propositional

Day 35: Knowledge: An introduction to Epistemology

1.  Two truths and a lie.

• write three sentences on a piece of paper.  Two must be truthful statements about yourself.  One must be a lie.  No names.

ex:      I broke my arm while learning to ski.
          I worked for two summers at a Muskoka resort.
          I translated some government documents during a high profile murder trial.

• I will collect them and then hand them out randomly.  Circle the statement you feel is a lie.  Write the name of the person you believe wrote these statements.  (x 2)

1b) What are the lies?  How do you KNOW?

2.  What the ...?????
2b) What is the emotion/event?  How do you KNOW?

3.  In groups: write down 3 things you know for certain.  Explain how you know them for certain.  Don't say you know nothing for certain ... you do!
3b)  Three minute philosophy: Descartes


4.  Review: Parking lot: please write down one question/theory/philosopher you didn't understand this week and post it to the parking lot.  I will use these questions to teach on Tuesday.

DAY 32 Confucius on Reciprocity and Supreme Being

AWESOME job today, folks.  I was very impressed with the level of understanding and thinking evident in your insights and comments during the seminar today.  Very impressed.

I look forward to reading your reflections on Friday.

DAY 31 Hume on Human Nature

AWESOME job today, everyone.  I was very impressed with the level of understanding and thinking evident in your insights and comments during the seminar today.  Very impressed.

I look forward to reading your reflections on Thursday.

DAY 30 Seminar - Adler on Personhood

AWESOME job today, ladies.  I was very impressed with the level of understanding and thinking evident in your insights and comments during the seminar today.  Very impressed.

I look forward to reading your reflections on Wednesday.

DAY 29 Seminar Prep

Last day for Seminar Prep.  Your questions are outstanding and it's pretty clear that you understanding of the concepts involved in the readings is growing by leaps and bounds.

Please have your pre-prepared Q & A in to me before class tomorrow (or right at the very beginning of class).

Seminar people for tomorrow need to be on time and ready to roll right at the beginning of class.

Those of you not involved in the seminar will spend the class silently working through the beginning of the next unit from the textbook or online so please come prepared to do that.

DAY 28 Seminar Prep

Note a couple of changes to the lists of who is going when next week.

Also, we discussed that you can have Monday to complete your pre-prepared Q & A (the 3 questions and answers) so that you submit them before Tuesday's class.  That way if any of you have questions on the weekend that I don't get to in time you can move forward on Monday after I answer your questions.

DAY 27 Seminars Prep and Groups

You spent the day asking questions, creating questions and answers, and prepping for the seminar.  We chose numbers out of a hat and then signed up for our groups as follows: (if you're not on the list below please email me and I'll put you in either Group 2 or 3 - first come first served, max 11 in a group :-)

Seminar 1 - Personhood - Adler - Tuesday
Siobhan, Nirubaa, Rachael, Nicole, Kaitlyn T.,Chelsea , Kandis, Jaslynn, Sara, Ashley K., Holly (11)

Seminar 2 - Self - Hume - Wednesday
Emily, Taylor, Kim, Liny, Avery, August, Kyle, Jake, Rhiannon, Carly, Dani (11)

Seminar 3 - Supreme Being - Confucius - Thursday
Lorenzo, Kaitlyn B., Ashley S., Nick, Jade, Cassie, Chris, Michelle, Dana, Ryan, Justin (11)

DAY 26 Metaphysics Seminars Prep

Here are the complete instructions and marking schemes for the pre-Seminar Q & A and for the seminar itself.

You all asked excellent questions and did a fine job prepping the documents today!

DAY 25 Readings in Metaphysics for Seminars

Here are the Readings in Metaphysics for Seminars.  At the end are also some areas to help focus some of your thinking.

Below is an example of a reasonably posed and answered question.  Note the use of quotes, societal links, use of a theory, and note that the question has a quote from the reading too.

Question

In The Self (taken from Essay Concerning Human Understanding), John Locke writes, “We have some kind of evidence in our very bodies, all whose particles, which are vitally united to this same thinking conscious self are a part of ourselves. Cut off a hand, and thereby separate it from that consciousness he had of its heat, cold and other affections... it is then no longer a part of that which is himself anymore than the remotest part of matter.” From this, what can we gather about Locke’s view on personal identity?

Answer
Unlike in Descartes’ rationalism in which the body is considered irrelevant to personhood, Locke believes that the body does make up a fair part of your personal identity. It is your carrier; your body and its unique functions are one aspect of what differentiates humans from being any other sort of animal. However, Locke also recognizes that the mind is important as well, taking a middle-ground approach to the difference between mind and body. When conscious, he believes the mind and body work in harmony to carry out actions – initiated and thought out by the mind, carried out by the body. But does that mean that the mind and body are of equal importance?

Taken from his own words in other work, Locke wrote, “...the basic ingredients to personhood include rationality, thought, consciousness, self-consciousness and self identity.” It should also be noted that there was much controversy over this definition of personhood, as it does not claim all humans are persons and vice versa. Thus, the theory was improved by contemporary philosopher Daniel Dennett to include verbal communication and being subject of a special stance to other persons. However, as all of the aforementioned conditions to personhood are directly linked to the mind, one may assume that Locke favours mind over matter in terms of what defines personhood. In the quote from the question above, Locke suggests that you can cut off a body part, and because it is no longer linked to your body, it is no longer something that defines you or your personal identity.

He also goes on to explain how someone may be considered to be two different people depending on their mentality. He writes, “If the same Socrates waking and sleeping do not partake of the same consciousness, Socrates waking and sleeping is not the same person... to punish Socrates waking for what sleeping Socrates thought... would be no more right than to punish one twin for what his brother-twin did, because their outsides were so alike that they could not be distinguished.” Another instance that could be used in this scenario is someone that drank a large amount of alcohol and become intoxicated. The alcohol impairs the person’s judgement and perhaps behaves in a way that they would if they were not intoxicated. In Locke’s perspective, they should not be considered the same person, as their mentality is one uncharacteristic of their normal behaviour. As he later states, “Why else is he punished for the fact he commits when drunk, though he be never afterwards conscious of it?”

From this, we can gather that Locke believes that while your body is your belonging and in its purest position will contribute to your personal identity, mind is ultimately most important as you cannot separate yourself from it. A harmonious mind and body contributes to optimal peace. As was quoted by him, “A sound mind in a sound body, is a short, but full description of a happy state in this World: he that has these two, has little more to wish for; and he that wants either of them, will be little the better for anything else.”

DAY 24 (Mar 19) Review Meta - Seminars Coming Up!!

Metaphysics in a Nutshell ("nutshell" in this context means, "...what we can fit into an hour of typing/writing  heehee).

Reality Theories
Idealism - Berkeley, Plato.  Reality consists of ideas (of perfection?) and the minds that house these ideas.

Realism - Plato.  Reality consists of ideas of perfection that do not change with time, but are always more perfect that the reality of the world and what you can encounter in the material world.

Materialism - Ancient Greeks, Hobbes.  Everything is physical and reality is matter.  Even consciousness is a by-product of the physical brain.

Monoism - Spinoza.  Reality is one all-encompassing thing and all things are just expressions of the one reality.  The one thing can be an idea, a thing, or a god.

Dualism - Descartes.  Reality is two distinct things:  mind, matter.  Nothing in common but they do interact.

Determinism - Every event, including one's own actions, is determined by a chain of events going back in time.

Ontology - simply the study of the nature of being and of reality.

Substance - something that has an independent existence.


Personhood
John Locke - thinking, intelligent being, with reason and reflection, that can consider itself as itself.    This ALLOWS for non-human entities to be considered persons.

Dan Dennett - rationality, conscious mental states and intentionality, thought to be persons by other people, the person must consider that other persons are persons, complex verbal communication, self-consciousness.  This ALLOWS some non-human entitles to be considered persons.

Mary Ann Warren - chiefly from point of view of abortion, or beginning of life.  Consciousness of objects, ability to feel pain, reasoning and problem-solving abilities, self-motivated actions, complex ways of communications (not just verbal), concepts of "self" and "self-awareness".  She says that a person does NOT have to satisfy all of these criteria, only some of them.

Annette Baier - basically a response to all of these definitions.  Persons tests are too narrow.  Too much emphasis on cognitive powers (e.g. rationality) than to learning interpersonal skills and social roles.

All of this begs some questions: e.g. are a week-old baby and an Alzheimer's patient not to be considered persons?  Do we exclude developmentally challenged people and those with severe brain damage?  When does a person begin and end?


Self
Bundle Theory - Hume.  Imagine a bag full of stuff (a bundle), and every item in it represents one of your experiences.  The Self is a collection of bits and pieces of experiences in the past.  This does not really account for someone's future which is in large part determined by someone's past.

Project Theory - Sartre.  Imagine the building of a bridge, the planning, building, maintenance, repairing, etc., this is a never-ending project, just like you!  Always evolving, connected with the future, conscious, with a conscience, with morals, with a soul.

Narrative Theory - Ricoeur.  Imagine that you are a book and you are constantly writing it.  Your pen is your set of experiences.  Both past and present make you you.  Your story is interwoven with others' stories too.  Your own narrative does not end - it continues in other people's narratives.

Substance Theory - Descartes.  Imagine that you are a boat (S.S. You), the wind = experiences, although the wind may change your direction, you the boat does not change.  This is opposite the Bundle Theory, there is a mental substance (not derived from the material), and experiences do not change self.


Supreme Being
Theism - (based on Greek word, theos = God).  Belief in an all-powerful, all-knowing supreme being worthy of worship.  Belief is that it was present at creation and can intervene.

Deism - (based on the Latin word, deo = God).  A belief in a supreme being as above, but that the supreme being does NOT intervene in life.

Polytheism - belief in the work of many gods, each with a particular role in the universe.   Hinduism.

Monotheism - belief in one supreme, perfect, all powerful maker.  The main monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) maintain that the God is an entity with human characteristics (not a human) who has a mind, a will and an ability to communicate.

Pantheism - belief that the supreme being is everywhere.  That everything contains the spirit of this entity.  Aboriginal Spirituality, many other religions, somewhat a Christian ideal.

Panentheism - belief that the supreme being is everything.  That it is the totality of all existence.  That there is nothing outside of God (but God is not a person).


Meaning of Life?
Nihilists - life has no meaning.  No work of art, scientific advancement, etc. is important because the universe will end in the future (e.g. the sun will burn us up in around 10b years.

Theists - because the supreme being has given us life it thus has meaning and purpose.  The meaning is there and it's up to us to discover that meaning, that it's part of His/Her plan.  Because the supreme being has given us life, life has meaning.

What gives meaning to your life?

DAYs 21, 22, 23 ALFQ in the Library

These days are work periods for ALFQs - all the handouts etc. are on yesterday's blog (
Day 19).  Supreme Being stuff is on the blog from DAY 15.

Due Friday please at end of class if possible!

You are all asking excellent questions and proposing connections between the theories of philosophers and the "real life" situations in the media you've watched and read.  I'm very impressed with the level and power of your thinking through this.  And the best comments in return that I get are about your enjoyment of the books that you are reading!  Awesome!

DAYs 19, 20 Answering Life's Fundamental Questions

Today I distributed your project to bring together all of the ideas in Metaphysics in Answering Life's Fundamental Questions Project.  It's due on Friday please.

Here are the handouts from today:
Quotes from Life is Beautiful
Questions that arose in Life is Beautiful
Chart of arguments FOR and AGAINST the existence of a God (Supreme Building) to help with your text note-taking
Sample ALFQ Project

Enjoy!  As you know I'm flexible with due dates but I really hope you can get this in by Friday so that you can relax over March Break.

DAY 16, 17, 18 Start Reading Your Novels

In my absence with Ofsaa Snowboarding on Thursday, you were to begin reading and note-taking for your novels.  Most of you have spent enough time with your novels on these three days - you have been note-taking, putting little slips of paper into appropriate pages to refer to later on, and you have worked through Supreme Being in the text as per notes from the blog on Day 15.

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.

Day 85: Seminar

Summative Seminar group 1.

Day 83: Summative Seminar

1.  Work on the summative seminar.  Questions will be given in class to those who would like them.

Day 80: Seminar and Summative

1.  Seminar group 1: ehtics.

For everyone else:
Summative document
Summative instructions

Day 79: Bee Cee Awards and Exam

Could you please, in partners or alone, do the following for EACH of the three units.  This is to help me to determine if the exam I have written does indeed cover what you have learned and can apply!

1.  Write the names and theories of 3 philosophers that you could easily discuss.
2.  Write 3 questions that you feel could be answered in the given unit.
3.  Write down 2 ideas that you are familiar with, but which you would like more clarification.

Thanks!

Day 78: Biomedical Ethics

Discussion from Thursday:

David Reimer, Part 1    Part 2 

Where do you stand on:

self-administered death, lead by a professional (physician-assisted suicide)
other-administered death, lead by a professional (physician-completed suicide)

John Elliott
Angelique Flowers

Against bill C-384

SUMMARY
This enactment amends the Criminal Code to allow a medical practitioner, subject to certain conditions, to aid a person who is experiencing severe physical or mental pain without any prospect of relief or is suffering from a terminal illness to die with dignity once the person has expressed his or her free and informed consent to die. SOMMAIRE


http://www.parl.gc.ca

Day 77: PROM!!!

'nuff said.

Day 76: Gender Neutrality ... is it possible?

Gender:
Where does society play a role?
How should others be a part of your gender?
Where should the line be drawn?

Toronto's Storm

Small Person Acquisition Project  Audio  The Current

Day 75 and 75: Work Period

Work on seminar stuff.

INFO POST

Ethics Seminars:

June 8th:                                      June 9:
Nicole Me.                                   Casey
Justine                                          Niki
Nicole Di.                                     Desiray
Shaelyn                                         Rebecca
Eric                                               Albert
Nicole Ma.                                   Kevin
Shauni                                           Alex
Chelsea                                         Dani

Summative Seminars:

June 15                                         June 16
Dani                                              Nicole Di.
Justine                                          Albert
Niki                                              Casey
Desiray                                         Eric
Kevin                                            Alex
Shauni                                          Rebecca
Nicole Me.                                   Chelsea
Shaelyn                                        Nicole Ma.

Schedule for the remainder of the year:
May 30-June 1: Work periods on seminars and Kid Rock.
June 2: Class, discussion with Liar Liar
June 3: Prom
June 6, 7: class
June 8, 9: Seminars
June 10: class
June 13-14, Work periods, summative prep
June 15, 16: summative seminars
June 17, 20, 21: exam prep

Day 74: Complete the last few days

1.  Complete the text note as a class    POSTED NOTE HERE
2.  Kid Rock assignment
3.  Ethics seminar and sign up

Day 73: Ethics discussion

1.  Complete Ethics Dilemmas from yesterday   NOTE POSTED HERE
2.  Ethics Question: Re Moral Rights of Parents/Children ... Discuss and post to ONLINE CLASS forum.
3.  Kid Rock Video     Assigment and Marking
4.  Seminar Ethics Document  Instructions: See Day 19

Day 72: Number 8

See day 68, number 8.

Day 71: See Day 68

Let's finish up last week's work.

Reminder: Closure for DEC of RIGHTS is tomorrow.
Sign up if you are completing your assignment in an interview format.

Day 70: Film fest

Watch this year's films in the caf!

Day 69: See yesterday

See header!!!

Day 68: The rightness and wrongness of actions

1.  How can the rightness or wrongess of an action be determined? discussion
2.  How do you solve a problem like Maria?
3.  No, really ... how can you solve a problem? list
4.  Wrongness and Boomfist to 6:34
5.  An introduction: reading
6.  OERB:  All right to lie?
7.  Santa Claus case study
8.  Case studies: in groups.

• read your part of the text
• identify the ethical question/dilemma
• identify and explain the philosopher/theory/vocabulary that outlines the argument

ex:
Ethical question/dilemma:
Is lying, stealing or cheating morally wrong always?  Or only in some instances?

Kant: categorical imperative: a moral rule that is absolute
- he would say it is AWLAYS wrong, or ALWAYS right (no grey area or fence-sitting for him!)

Bok:
- lying, cheating, stealing usually wrong BUT must look at situation
- if safety is a concern, if you are avoiding hurting or embarrassing someone, or if you are trying to gain advantage for yourself,  these actions can be done with little or no moral consequence
- some reasons to consider these actions morally wrong include when you reduce someone's trust, violate justice (ex: on the witness stand)

Slippery Slope: an expression that means once someone starts to do something (ex: lying) more and more people will do the same (sliding down the slope towards disaster)
ex: conspiracy theories

Day 67: Work in lab 212

See today's title!

Day 66: Room 212

Work period in room 212 on Dec of Rights.

Philosophy isms
Philosophy Ethics online (see Utilitarianism in particular)
Ethics Quiz

Day 63: Halton Water Symposium

In class with guest speaker regarding the ethics of bottled water.

Day 62: Finish film, assignment

1.  Finish film Gattaca
2.  Assignment
3.  Exemplars

Day 61: Movie

Gattaca in Room 104

Day 60: Dec of Rights

1.  Read over Declaration of Human Rights.
2.  Discussion: Importance
3.  Gattaca

Day 59: Chapter 13

1.  Please read chapter 13 of your text and take notes on philosophers and theories.
2.  We will review info in chapters 12 and 13 tomorrow, when I will answer all questions found on the parking lot.

You must have notes on:

• the keys words on the first page of each chapter
• the key people found on the first page of each chapter

Day 58: The ethics of saving people

1.  How do you determine the rightness or wrongness of an action?
2.  Video 
3.  Video
4.  Reaction 1       Reaction 2
5.  Vocab
6.  Ashley    reaction 1           reaction 2
7.  Article

Day 57: Presentation 4

Presentation

Document 

Document 2

Day 56: Ethics Textbook Intro

1.  Read and take notes on pg. 242-247 of your text.
2.  Brainstorm a personal thought about the question "Why do the right thing?"
3.  Discuss your ideas with a partner or small group.
4.  Read and take notes on pg. 248-259 of the text.
5.  Use the "Parking Lot" at the back of the class to write down any questions you may have of what you read.

Day 55: Learning Skills through Ethical Debates, Day 3

Group #3:

Presentation

Document

Day 54: Spring Grad Assembly

No class today because of the Spring Grad Assembly.
Group #3 will present their ethical question tomorrow.

Spring Grad Assembly
Rooms 201 & 202

Topics to be covered

• financing your education (OSAP presentation)
• scholarships
• college & university deadlines
• alternatives to college & university

 Also Updates on:

• Grad Breakfast, Friday June 17th
• Commencement 2011
• Community service hours & your diploma
• Completing your grad information sheets

Day 53: Learning Skills through Ethical Debates, Day 2

Great work from group #1, thanks for starting us off on the right track. Some of you need to make more of an effort to make a contribution to the class discussion today. Please remember that both the presenters and the participants will be assessed.

Group #2:
Presentation

Document 

*The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Day 52: Learning Skills through Ethical Debates

I'm sorry I am not in class today ... but your presentations will go on!  Mr. Hallas and I have fully versed you in what we are looking for in terms of learning skills.  Please remember that both the presenters and the participants will be assessed today.  Look at the charts at the back of the room to remind yourself what we are looking for in the next 4 days.

Presentation

Document

Enjoy!

Day 51: “The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.”

1. Working in Lab, room 211

2. Presentations begin Tuesday

3. Order of groups to present will be determined today

Day 50: Your Burning Ethical Question

1.  What did you see in our presentations?
- burning eithical question
- pictures
- videos
- background info on topic
- documents
- group discussion
- direct/lead/moderate/facilitate discussion
- small group dicussion prior to big group discussion
- two sides introduecd and lead by different people
- enthusiasm

2.  What we would like to see in yours.
-  knowledgeable about topic
- research indicates both sides
- examples for both sides
- all of the above
- use of learning skills as discussed in class

3.  Learning skills:  What they are.  What they will look like. (Chart paper brainstorming.)

4.  Your burning ethical question.

5.  Lab time Room 211.

Day 49: “Relativity applies to physics, not ethics.”

1. Continue Introduction to Ethics.

2. Make Groups for Presentations.

3. Full Presentation to be posted after class.

Day 48: "Art, like morality, consists of drawing the line somewhere."

1. Matrix was due Friday, Closure date Today.

2. Intro to Ethics.

3. Presentation to be posted after class.

Day 47: " We have become makers of our fate..."

1. Working in Lab, room 211

2. Use this time to work on Matrix

3. Matrix is due Today, Closure on Monday

Day 46: “He who runs behind the truck is exhausted, he who runs in front of the truck is tired.”

1. Working in Lab, room 211

2. Use this time to work on Matrix

3. Matrix is due Friday (tomorrow), Closure on Monday

Day 45: Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.

1. Seminar - Group 2 Today

Day 44: "The unexamined life is not worth living."

1. Seminar - Group 1 Today

2. Seminar - Group 2 Tomorrow

Day 43: "I'm working on it"

1. Finish Watching - Wag the Dog (1997)

                 Room 104

2. Seminar Prep - Groups 1 Tomorrow

Day 42: A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.

1. Watch- Wag the Dog (1997)
              Room 104

Day 41: "Whoa. Déjà vu."

1. Working in Lab, room 211

2. The Matrix - Wikipedia   Quotes from the movie

3. Thursday - Wag the Dog (1997)

4. Seminar 2 - Documents

5. Assignment: See Day 19

6. April 12th Seminar: Nicole D., Desiray, Dani, Kevin, Alex M., Albert, Niki, Justine

7. April 13th Seminar: Mazen, Casey, Chelsea, Shaelyn, Amber, Alex L., Nicole Me., Jonathan, Shauni, Eric, Rebecca, Nicole Ma.

8. Matrix Due: April 15th, Closure Date: April 18th

Day 40: Never send a human to do a machine's job.

1. Working in Lab, room 211

2. Classic Quotes From The Matrix

Day 39: Blue pill, Red pill

1. Finish watching Matrix

2. Mind Map

3. Review Questions from March 30th

4. The Matrix Brainstorming

Day 35: Brain in Vat and Matrix

1.  Discussion from yesterday: Definitions of DOUBT and REALITY.
2.  Assignment
3.  Exemplar:  1    2    3
4.  Movie

Day 34: Mr. Leblanc and Brain in Vat

1.  Mr. Leblanc's presentation
2.  Read pg. 201 of Text: Brain in a Vat
3.  Think, Pair, Share

Day 29-33: Week after March Break

Enjoy the week!

Reminder: by FRIDAY of this week (March 25) you must sign-in your Snowdon assignment AND your ALFQ Project.  IF you are submitting a link to a Youtube clip, or an interview, please ensure that you complete the assignment sign-in.

Each day I'd like you to start with a clip, then a discussion of that video.  Could someone please take brief notes on what you discussed.

Monday's Video Question to discuss: Is WikiLeaks a reliable and real source of knowledge?  Provide some examples as to how it is and is not "true" information.

Tuesday Read page 233 of your text. Question to discuss: How do East and West differ on their conception of knowledge?  (use text)

Wednesday  Could you also watch the 3 minute philosophy on Descartes?  I can't put it on the blog.  Language warning.  Question to discuss: How are Descartes and his theories seen in society today?

Thursday Question to discuss:  What is "truth" about Al Gore's statements?
Friday Question to discuss:  What do you KNOW?

Here is the work for the week:
1.  Complete the handout "Philosophers and Knowing".  You will need to read chapters 9 and 10.
2.  Write any questions you have on the "Parking Lot" at the back of the room.
3.  Please read the thought experiment, "The Brain in the Vat" on p. 201 of the text.  Then respond to this question: How do you know you are not a brain in a vat and how can you know this for certain?" Write some dot jots.  We will use these ideas as a basis for discussion when I return.

Day 28: Bingo and Week after March Break Summation

1.  B-I-N-G-O!
2.  Go over week after March Break.  All info will be on the blog.

Have a great and SAFE March Break!

Day 27: Seminars

Seminars group 2.

Day 26: Seminars

Seminars Group 1.

Day 25: Epistemology

1.  Unit outline presentation.
2.  WikiLeaks
3.  Reading: Student answer pages
4.  Outline for seminars.

Day 24: Work and Text

1.  Your chioce: Text work as assigned or projects.

Day 23: Intro to Epistemology

Sorry for the change!  I'll explain in class.

1.  Two truths and a lie.
2.  What do we know?
3.  How do we know it?
4.  Bill Nye
5.  Explain Monday.
6.  Work

Day 22: 211

In room 211.

Day 21: 211

Work in room 211.

Day 20: Work Period

Work on ALFQ, Snowdon or the seminar questions.