One more contest for philosophy papers… December 8, 2010

click for info… (more…)

By Thursday November 30, 2010

Please take this online review, which allows you to list the things that are still confusing about any of our authors. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/finalexamreviewPhil101

Philosophy paper contest for philosophy students in SC November 23, 2010

Abstracts are due Dec. 1. An abstract is a short summary of your paper. See details here: http://www.cas.sc.edu/phil/scsp/upstate11-cfp.html

Reading for after break: Peter Singer, ethicist. November 23, 2010

Dear class, the last type of philosophy we will be looking into is contemporary ethics. (We already saw what ancient ethics looks like! We’ve seen the disavowal of traditional ethics by Camus and Schopenhauer…) One of the most influential ethicists of our day is Peter Singer. Please read this article by him below. It is a little long, but what could be more interesting than whether animals deserve the same “rights” (that term becomes a problem) as humans? If he is right, we would stop eating meat and experimenting on animals. As you read, try to detect the very practical influence Singer has had. How do you think attitudes towards animals have changed since your grandparents’s days?
Also, you may want to take a look at this statement from a UCLA scientist who is being targeted by animal activists. Look to the comments section for the views of these activists: http://speakingofresearch.com/2009/05/25/david-jenstsch-speaks-about-his-research/
For the Singer article… (more…)

This is so cool! Are video games art? I wish I had thought of this question! November 16, 2010

Not required reading, of course. But take a look at the different views: Link to article (New Scientist, 9/2010)

Reading for Thursday: John Rawls on Justice November 16, 2010

John Rawls presented his basic views on justice first in several early papers and then more comprehensively in A Theory of Justice (1971). The following very short excerpt is taken from that book. (more…)

If you did not bring in art to trade, use one of these… November 16, 2010

You can use Mozart’s last symphony: LINK TO LISTEN

You can use Little Lion Man by Mumford & Sons (lots of discussion on the web about this song’s meaning, but the discussion focuses on the lyrics. Should you do this when analyzing music? Or is that feeble?) LINK FOR VIDEO

You can use the poem that follows, or you can use Lisa Sanditz’s art.

Sanditz’s art, LINK TO SEE

And for the poem from a fellow faculty member… (more…)

Homework for next time/ Scarry reading for next time. November 11, 2010

Only for students who were in class today (the 11th):
1. bring in your best definition of beauty. What is beautiful to you (you can, of course, veer off from discussing art and can talk about the beauty of people or nature.)
2. bring in some “representation” or any actual copy of your favorite art (music, film, anything you think should count, really.) You’ll just want to be able to show or lead (if it is a song) fellow students to it. You can use one of mine if you don’t bring in your own to trade (boring though).

In class I’ll ask what you would guess what Camus’s and Schopenhauer’s and Plato’s definitions of beauty are.

Can you read to about page 44 of this? The font is huge, so it isn’t that much.
In the post below are some notes I took on this reading. They might be helpful! http://www.tannerlectures.utah.edu/lectures/documents/scarry00.pdf
Not required, but…for a very, very critical take on Scarry: http://www.denisdutton.com/scarry_review.htm

Here are notes on the Scarry reading, just FYI. November 11, 2010

The below notes are just my notes, but I thought they might help as you read. Click for my notes: (more…)

Reading for Thursday, post-test. November 9, 2010

“Art, Philosophy, and the Philosophy of Art “

by Arthur C. Danto

Humanities, Vol. 4, No. 1 (February 1983), pp. 1-2

(more…)