Notes we work on together

The following links are for notes we work on together, either in class or outside of class.

 

First day of class, in-class questions Links to an external site.; includes your very first thoughts on what philosophy is. A few common themes in these answers about philosophy:

  • questioning everything; questioning why we think as we do and whether we should think differently
  • study of thinking; deeper thinking about the world; thinking in an abstract way
  • thinking about how we understand ourselves and the world; trying to find universal truths
  • thinking about questions that can't easily be answered
  • discussions, collaborating with others to try to answer questions about the world
  • study of morality, of what is right and wrong

Plato/Socrates, Epicurus

Mentimeter questions on Plato/Socrates during class.  Links to an external site.This includes:

  • your questions about Euthyphro and Crito
  • your thoughts on a main philosophical point in Crito
  • your thoughts on how one might criticize Socrates' argument for why he shouldn't escape from jail

Epicurus: Links to an external site. outlining his argument for why we shouldn't fear death.

Moral theory: relativism, utilitarianism (Mill), Kantianism

Mentimeter questions on moral relativism Links to an external site., including what you think are strong arguments for or against it (scroll past the first two polls to see these, by clicking on the arrow on the right of the screen).

Discussion of some moral cases in class while talking about Mill's Utilitarianism Links to an external site.: we talked about some cases that ask what kinds of consequences should one consider, whether consequences are all that matter, and whether motive for an action makes a difference in the morality of that action.

Links to an external site.