Assignments

Academic Integrity Contract

Due 1/31/19

For your first assignment, please go to http://en.writecheck.com/plagiarism-quiz to take a quiz, and email me. This test and a signing the academic integrity agreement is required for the course.

Plato’s Meno

Due: 2/5/19

Meno – http://classics.mit.edu/Browse/index.html

Fill in the blanks with one – four (or more) sentences (unless otherwise stated), argue the point if it is a statement, or answer the question if it is a question.
1. Socrates asks Meno to define what virtue is. Meno attempts to define it three times. (A) In his first attempt, he states that virtue is _______________________. Socrates sarcastically thanks him for giving him a “swarm of bees” instead of giving him what the nature of bees are. (B) Swarm of bees : virtues as beeness : _____________. By this analogy, Socrates is trying to get Meno to see that _______________.
2. (A) From my personal experience, Meno’s second definition of virtue makes/does not make (choose) sense. (B) Square : Shape as Courage : ________________. If you were asked, ‘what is the definition of shape?’, why is saying, ‘a square’ not good enough?
3. (A) In terms of Meno’s third attempt at defining virtue, I agree/disagree (choose) that getting what I desire is a kind of virtue. (B) Do people always desire good things or do some people also desire evil things? What does Socrates say?

Plato’s Apology

Due 9/10/19

Study Questions for The Apology – http://classics.mit.edu/Browse/index.html

2nd edition – pp. 33-47, 3rd edition – pp. 36-50

1. What are the explicit charges raised against Socrates? What is his response to them?

2.How does Socrates understand the prejudice against him? What does the Oracle proclaim and how does Socrates respond to the proclamation?

3.How does Socrates address the criticism that he should be ashamed for engaging in activities that has put his life on the line? If he could, would he change his actions that led to the trial?

4. (A) Socrates’ goal in the trial was _____________________. (B) He succeeded/ did not succeed (choose) in accomplishing his goal by ________________________.

 

Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics 1

Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics, Book 1 – http://classics.mit.edu/Browse/index.html

due: 2/14/19

Fill in the blanks with one – four (or more) sentences (unless otherwise stated), argue the point if it is a statement, or answer the question if it is a question.

1. According to Aristotle, all activities and pursuits have an aim or goal. (A) From personal experience, I agree/disagree (choose) that everything we do has a goal because _________________. (B) Even doing nothing can be seen as having a goal because __________________.
2. (A) [Fill in each blank with one word] Some of the things that people consider the highest good (and makes them happy) are _______________, _____________________, and ____________________. But according to Aristotle, these are not the highest goods. (B) What is wrong with each of the three things?
3. By describing happiness as “final and self-sufficient”, Aristotle means that ____________________.
4. (A) [Fill in each blank with one word] According to Aristotle, the soul has ____ parts. They are the ____________ and _________________ parts of the soul. Of the first part, the soul can further be divided into _______________ and _________________.Of the second part, it can also be further divided into _______________ and ________________. (B) [Fill in the blank with sentences] An example of the first part of the soul is when a person ___________________; and example of the second part of the soul is when a person ______________________.

Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics 2

Study Questions for Nichomachean Ethics, Book 2 –http://classics.mit.edu/Browse/index.html

due 2/19/19

Fill in the blanks with one – four (or more) sentences (unless otherwise stated), argue the point if it is a statement, or answer the question if it is a question.

1. (A) A stone cannot be ethical because _____________________. (B) Whereas humans can be ethical because _______________.
2. (A) Interpret the following passage from Nichomachean Ethicsusing a specific example: “…of all the things that come to us by nature we first acquire the potentiality and later exhibit the activity…” (B) Is this true of virtue?
3. (A) [Fill in each blank with one word.] By “Golden Mean”, Aristotle means choosing the ___________ between ________ and ________.  (B) In today’s time, an example of a virtue is __________________, which is between ________________ and ___________________.

Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics 3

Nichomachean Ethics, Book 3 – http://classics.mit.edu/Browse/index.html

Due 2/21/19

1. What is the difference between an involuntary and voluntary act? What role does ignorance play?
2. Choice is voluntary, but not all voluntary acts are based on choice. Explain by discussing the role of “deliberation”.
3. What role does wish play in our decisions? Is it a good or bad thing?
4. Discuss two particular virtues that Aristotle talks about in detail. Mention some ways people appear to have those virtues when in fact they do not.

 

Team Contract and Roles

The Team Contract and Roles form is due online in “Content” or in class on 2/26/19.

Descartes’ Meditations 1

Due on 3/7/19:

Meditations 1 and 2 – https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Philosophy_(Bookshelf)

1. We don’t think we’re pumpkins or made of glass as an insane person might, but everyone has such notions on daily basis. What does Descartes point to? What part of our experience must we then throw out as uncertain?
2. What other sorts of knowledge does Descartes question?
3. Explain the “pretend” thought-experiment Descartes undertakes. Do you think such an all-encompassing doubt is possible and justifiable in reality?
4. What is Descartes trying to show with the example of wax? What does it show about the reliability of the sensible realm for knowledge?

Descartes’ Meditations 2

 

Meditation 3 – https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Philosophy_(Bookshelf)

due: 3/12/19

1.What knowledge does he gain by shutting his eyes? What can he be certain about?

1. So he has ideas of things. How does he know that the external thingsthemselves resemble his ideas? Do things necessarily resemble the ideas ofthem?3. The idea must have a cause with sufficient reality to have caused theidea in the first place. What does this show about the status of externalthings?4. Ultimately, God does not deceive us. Why not?

Locke’s Essay

 

John Locke’s Essay Concerning Human Understanding Book 1 and Book 2 (chapters 1-8) – https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/locke-the-works-vol-1-an-essay-concerning-human-understanding-part-1

due 3/14/19

1. How is the understanding like the eye? What is the benefit of exploring it on its own grounds? (Make sure to incorporate sections 4 and 5)
2. Does universal assent prove that there are no innate principles? Why or why not? Why does he bring up the examples of children and mentally incapacitated people?
3. Where do ideas, then originate? There are two sources.
4. What is a simple idea? Give examples.

Berkeley’s Three Dialogues

Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous, First Dialogue – https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Philosophy_(Bookshelf)

Due: 3/19/19

1. How do Hylas and Philonous define “skeptic”? How do they define “ sensible things”? Make sure to address the distinction between what is immediate and mediate.
2. What is Philonous’ point about material substance, heat, and pain? What does it say about the objectivity of the material substance?
3. 33. Philonous wants to deny the reality of matter through the following three phenomena. For each phenomenon, distinguish the “external” and “internal” elements of the experience, and say how Philonous denies the reality of the “external” part:  a.Sound, b. Color, c. Figure and Extension.

Debate 1

Debate Preparation

Rather than study questions, the homework for Tuesday, 3/26/19, is to prepare for the debate by citing 3 arguments from both Locke and Berkeley for their views. In the section on Locke, write three arguments he gives for defending the reality of objective things-in themselves in the world that are independent of the mind. In the section on Berkeley, write three arguments he gives for denying the existence of matter in an external reality independent of the mind. Please write 2 pages worth.

These are the positions that you’ll be defending:

Locke: Matter exists in external reality. It is what anchors and unifies things-themselves.

Berkeley: Matter does not exist in external reality. It is a theory about that external reality.

Kant’s Prolegomena

Kant’s Prolegomena, “Conclusion” – https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Philosophy_(Bookshelf)

due: 3/28/19

1. Make sense of Kant’s statement that “…it would be absurd for us to hope that we can know more of any object, than belongs to the possible experience of it…”
2. On the other hand, does our experience of the object cause the existence of the object itself? What does Kant mean by things in themselves?
3. Read the last paragraph of the first column on p. 867 very carefully. It continues into the second column. It starts, ” Reason with all its concepts…” Why is the “…sensuous world nothing but a chain of appearances…”? What is the source of laws that govern these appearances?
4. What is reason’s boundary and what does it teach us?

Epicurus’ Letter to Meneoceus

Epicurus

due 4/9/19

Letter to Menoeceus – http://classics.mit.edu/Browse/index.html

1. Why should death be nothing to us?
2. What is the first and natural good to us? Why should it, nonetheless, not always be chosen?
3. How is his notion of prudence compatible with his notion of pleasure?
4. Find at least one aphorism in Principle Doctrines that relate to each of the above questions.

Epictetus’ Encheiridion

Epictetus

Encheiridion – http://classics.mit.edu/Browse/index.html

(2nd edition – pp. 363-373; 3rd edition – pp. 349-359)

due: 4/11/19

1. What are some of the reasons why we get upset? Address impressions, ideas, desire, and aversion.
2. Interpret Epictetus’ quote: “Don’t seek for things to happen as you wish, but wish for things to happen as they do, and you will get on well.”
3. Epictetus advocates acceptance of those things one cannot control. Give at least three examples of things we cannot control. How should we counsel someone whose child has died?
4. Is someone who curses and insults me to be blamed if I feel insulted? Address Epictetus’ notion of impressions.

Hobbes Leviathan

Leviathan, chapters 13-16 – https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Philosophy_(Bookshelf)

due: 4/16/19

1. How does Hobbes describe the state of nature prior to a “common power”? Is justice possible in the state of nature?
2. What is the difference between a right of nature and a law of nature?
3. A Social Contract theory, like the one proposed by Hobbes, is a theory about how and why people first agreed to enter into a contract with each other to belong to the same society. Using the notions in study question number 2, explain how we evolved from people in the state of nature to people belonging to a society.

Rousseau’s Social Contract

Study Questions for Rousseau’s Social Contract, Book 1, chapters 1-8 – https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Philosophy_(Bookshelf)

And Thesis statement is due – please see below the study questions for more on the thesis statement.

Due 4/18/19

1. What is, for Rousseau, the “first society”? How is it an embodiment of afree society?
2. What is wrong with the idea that might is right (the right of the strongest)?
3. How have thinkers in history justified the existence of slavery? What is Rousseau’s counter-argument?
4. Are people obligated to the Sovereign or is the Sovereign obligated to the people? What comes first?

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Thesis Statement for the group project.

Remember the following guidelines:

1. It needs to be done by every single student. Please bring the written thesis statement with you to class.
2. It should be philosophical, and can be about a class topic or a topic not covered in class.
3. It needs to take a position – it can be argued for and supported. It therefore needs to be complex enough to be debated.
4. You will defend your thesis to the group, and either one or a blend of two or more thesis will be used as the basis for the group project. The collective group thesis will then become the guideline for the individual work in researching for the annotated bibliography.

 

Annotated Bibliography

Due 4/30/19

Annotated Bibliography for the group project.

1. Each group will submit one annotated bibliography. You must include as many peer-reviewed articles or books as there are group members.
2. In addition to providing a citation, provide annotations – in other words, provide notes on the work. Please include a brief summary and also your own responses to the work – e.g. evaluate, elaborate using your own experiences, ask questions, criticize, reflect, etc. It is helpful to write how the article or book helps your project, whether it supports or refutes your thesis.

Debate 2

For our debate, 5/7/19, please write three reasons defending each side. Also, present three strong counter-argument from the other side.

Hobbes’ side: Human nature is predisposed towards evil; we need strong social controls.

Rousseau’s side: Evil is caused by unjust social causes; human nature is predisposed to the good.

 

 

 

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