"Being unable to cure death, wretchedness, and ignorance, men [and women] have decided, in order to be happy, not to think about such things." ~ Blaise Pascal, Pensees (133).
"Our lives are empty. We cannot face the vacuum. So we fill our lives up with junk, with trash, with refuse.... we divert ourselves from our real needs.... We invent little problems and hold them close, fixating on them to block us from seeing the bigger problems." ~ Thomas V. Moore, Making Sense of it All: Pascal and the Meaning of Life, pp. 32-33.
"The only good thing for men therefore is to be diverted from thinking of what they are, either by some occupation which takes their minds off it, or by some novel and agreeable passion which keeps them busy, like gambling, hunting, some absorbing show, in short by what is called diversion" ~ Blaise Pascal, Pensees (136).
|
| SFASU & HBUPhilosophy | |
Introduction to Philosophy
A picture of Napa Valley (November 2011)~ Dr. Paul R. Shockley
"The path of least resistance and least trouble is a mental rut already made." ~ John Dewey.
“Because philosophy arises from awe, a philosopher is bound in his way to be a lover of myths and poetic fables. Poets and philosophers are alike in being big with wonder.” ~ Thomas Aquinas
|
Lecture 2: Presocratic Philosophy
Here is a summary chart on Presocratic Philosophy. You will need to know the major figures and ideas for the exam.
This chart perhaps requires 11 x 18 paper if printed.
Lecture 3d: Epicureanism
This chart is in PDF. In sharp contrast to Aristotelian metaphysics (purposeful action) is the materialistic view of Epicurus who argued that the universe contains nothing but variously shaped atoms moving through an empty space.
Lecture 5: Intuition, Rationalism, Empiricism, and Rene Descartes
Refer to class notes regarding the nature of intuition, rationalism, and empiricism in preparation of exam. Here is a helpful chart summarizing my Rene Descartes' famous work. Be sure to know my summary points from Meditations 1 and 2 as seen in this chart in preparation of exam.
This chart perhaps requires 11 x 18 paper if printed.
Supplement: The Analytic Fallacy
Here is a supplement to some of my major criticisms of ideas which focus on one area to the neglect of all other areas (reductionism). Dewey contends that that the analytic fallacy is the most pervasive fallacy in philosophy. I would recommend knowing this handout for bonus on first exam. Moreover, I may ask you on exam what is the analytic fallacy. The best overview of Dewey's concept of the analytic fallacy is from Gregory Pappas' comprehensive treatment on John Dewey's ethics.
Lecture 8: 4 Major Theories of Perception
You will need to know these four major theories of perception as it relates to epistemology and metaphysics for the final exam. It is in PDF powerpoint. It is in color. So be careful if you intend to print them up.
Lecture 24: Plato's Aesthetics
Here is a supplement to help you as you prepare for your final exam. This information will prove helpful for final exam but will not necessarily be tested from it. It is in powerpoint.
Lecture 27: Can Beauty Point us to God?
Here is a more complete presentation from my lecture showing the relationship between philosophy of religion and aesthetics. The evidences for objective beauty will be most helpful to know for final exam.
Required Reading on Political Philosophy
Please read the article, "Political Philosophy" found at the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy website (IEP). The article is by Alexander Moseley. This is also required for all philosophy students.
Review Handout for Exam # 1 (Midterm):
SFASU CLASSES: Here is a guide to help you prepare for for mid-term exam for Introduction to Philosophy exam. It is in MS Word so you can download and type in answers if you so desire.
HBU Journal Entry # 1
Journal entry # 1 is based upon your reading of Plato's dialogues. It is in MS Word so you can download it. Make sure you answer the following four questions with qualitative excellence. No limit on pagination. Journal entry is to be in your own words. Cite all sources if any are used.
HBU: Entry Journal # 3
HBU: This is Journal Entry 3 from your reading of Confessions. Once again, answer in your own words. Once again, pagination is not my central concern. What is important is the quality of your work and your engagement of the material at hand.
Supplement # 18: Arguments for God's Existence
This presentation contains the arguments we examined in our HBU class when discussing Aquinas (e.g., cosmological, ontological, moral law, religious need, argument from joy, innate idea argument, and teleological argument).
SFA: How to write a philosophy paper and possible philosophy topics
Remember, if you want to write an 8-12 page research paper for extra credit you must use one inch margins, double-spacing, 12 size font with New Times or Romans, page numbers, footnotes, cover sheet, and bibliography. Thjis paper will be due the last class before final exams. Also, we must agree on the topic before you write your paper. Please consult me.
HBU: Journal Entry # 4
This journal entry is based upon your reading of Rene Descartes' Meditations. It is in MS Word.
What possesses Aesthetic Value
SFA: This chart is to be memorized for those in Monday afternoon and Monday evening class on philosophy for extra credit on final exam. Be sure to bring blue book to redraw chart in comprehensive detail.
|
| |
| Introduction to Ethics:
Welcome to the study of ethics! In this course we will not only study the historical development of ethics, various systems of thought, and examine whether they are internally consistent, existentially relevant, and possess explanatory power, but we will also explore contemporary hard case scenarios that you might experience as you live life.
|
|
|
