History of Thought Unit 1 Assignment Sheet

History of Thought

Tuesday August 26^th       (Day 1)                 Course Introduction:  Appearance and Reality

Homework Due:  None

In Class: 

1.       Warm up:  Bertrand Russell ‘s “Appearance and Reality” 

a.      Discussion Question:  #1

2.      Discuss Appearance and Reality

3.      Establish Discussion Rubric

4.      Introduce Course

5.      Interesting Questions:  Russell removed from job for his perspective….thoughts?

6.      Is it better to remember everything or forget everything?

7.      Introduce Blog

8.      Introduce Intro to Speaker Assignment

Thursday August 28^th     (Day 3)                 Plato, “The Apology”, “Crito”, PFC Manning, and Snowden

Homework Due:  

1.      Read Plato’s “The Apology” and “Crito” 

2.      Read generally about Edward Snowden and PFC Bradley Manning

In Class:

1.       Introduce the Thinker Series:  Plato and Socrates

2.      Warm up:  DQ 1, 2, or 3

3.      Class Discussion:  The Apology

4.      Class Discussion:  Crito

5.      Class Trial:  Socrates Hero or Traitor/ Snowden Hero or Traitor

6.      Conclusion:  Summary “What does this reading provide?”

Wednesday September 3^rd  (Day 5)          Am I Free or Determined?  Intro to Hard Determinism

Homework Due: 

1.       Read Robert Blatchford’s “The Delusion of Free Will”

In Class: 

1.       Intro to the Thinker

2.      Warm Up:  2 summary points, 1 questions, Discussion Question #3

3.      Discussion

4.      Summary/Connections

5.      Policy Question:  What policy changes do we need if we are determined?  What are the ramifications?

6.      Berkeley Study/Accepting Role/Abu Grahib---blame the conditions?

Friday September 5^th:  (Day 7)                   The Case for Free Will

Homework Due: 

1.       Read Charles Arthur Campbell’s:  “Free Will”

In Class:

1.       Intro to the Thinker

2.      Warm Up:  Discussion Question 1,2,3

3.      Discuss Free Will:  Inner Experience and Moral Agency

4.      Summarize:  Conclude/Connections

5.      Google Search:  Evidence and examples of the Inner Experience?

6.      Why is it so hard to prove free will?  What is the role of data? 

7.      How do we account for creativity?

Tuesday September 9^th:  (Day 1)               Soft Determinism

Homework Due:

1.       Read AJ Ayer’s “ Freedom and Necessity”  -or

2.      Read Susan Wolf’s “Sanity and the Metaphysics of Responsibility”

In Class:

1.       Intro to the Thinkers

2.      Warm up:  Summarize….map out the philosophy you had.

3.      Meet in your group:  Wolf or Ayer

4.      ½ class discussions

5.      Jigsaw with the representatives of other group

6.      Class Closure/Summary:  Issues with Ayer and Wolf?

Thursday September 11^th:  (Day 3)           Existentialism

Homework Due: 

1.       Read Jean-Paul Sartre’s “No Exit”

In Class: 

1.       Intro to Thinker

2.      Warm up:  DQ’s 1-5

3.      Discussion:  Sartre

4.      Clarify and Evaluate

5.      Joshua in a Box

6.      Intro to Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning” 

7.      Identify Boxes we put ourselves in.  Names?

8.      What is meaning?  Will?

9.      Why angst?

10.   Search and Find Connections

Monday September 15^th:  (Day 5)             Existentialism and the Other

Homework Due:  Read Simone de Beauvoir’s “The Second Sex”

In Class:

1.       Intro to the Thinker

2.      Warm up:  DQ 1-5?

3.      Discussion

4.      Clarification/Summary

5.      Search and Find….issues in Feminism?  The other?

6.      Application?

Wednesday September 17^th (Day 7)         Test

Homework Due:  2 page response paper.  In your opinion, which of the philosopher’s provides the most compelling description of the Human Condition?  Why?  Use text references to support your argument.

In Class:

1.       ID Test (30-40 minutes)

2.      Preview the Epistemology Unit=  take the Intelligence Test.