PHI 1003 Introduction to Philosophy 2014 Pier Paolo Pasqualoni, PhD

Name: PHI 1003 Introduction to Philosophy 2014 Pier Paolo Pasqualoni, PhD
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Description: PHI 1003 Introduction to Philosophy 2014 Pier Paolo Pasqualoni, PhD

PHI 1003 Introduction to Philosophy 2014 Pier Paolo Pasqualoni, PhD

Who am I, and why am I there?
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Who am I, and why am I there? Italian, but from a bilingual region with a German speaking majority (i.e. South Tyrol/Alto Adige) studied philosophy, sociology and psychology at the Universities of Innsbruck (Austria) working for several years at a psychology department, then changed to a sociology department and finally as Senior Lecturer at the Department of Educational Science, University of Innsbruck currently holding the position of a Senior Scientist at the University of Klagenfurt lecturing on a regular basis at the Free University of Bolzano (Italy), in Taiwan and Bangkok (IIS, ICO-NIDA)

Lecture 1.1 PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy DATE TIME TOPIC
READINGS / MOVIES General introduction What is philosophy? Why should we care about it? Domains of philosophy Group work

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy
Lecture 1.1: Cartoon

Lecture 1.1: Topics What do you already know about philosophy?
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Topics What do you already know about philosophy? What is philosophy anyways? What is philosophy not? What is it then?

Lecture 1.1: Topics Distinguishing philosophical from non-philosophical questions! Examples of non-philosophical questions Examples of philosophical questions Can you think of some more philosophical questions? The value of philosophy for your career!

Lecture 1.1: What do you know?
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: What do you know? Let’s begin with some simple questions: Have you heard of the term “philosophy” before attending this lecture? Do you know of any (living or dead) philosophers? Is there any particular “Asian” philosophy? [If you wish, you can take notes or discuss these questions with your neighbour for 5 minutes.]

Lecture 1.1: What is it not? Philosophy is not a science in the common sense there are no ‘clear cut’ problems or answers there are no simple or complicated formulas to memorize there are no “exercises” to solve philosophy it is not (just) about important facts and people there is no standard textbook

Lecture 1.1: What is it not? So, why is philosophy not a science in the common sense? Scientific reasoning is (usually) grounded in mathematical precision and experimental isolation of variables Philosophical reasoning is mostly based in expansive, deep, one-on-one dialogue and argument

Lecture 1.1: What is it not? Western philosophy draws a sharp distinction between philosophy and religion: Religion presupposes faith; philosophy involves reason. Nevertheless, it is controversial whether or not (or how) philosophy and religion are related to each other.

Lecture 1.1: What is it not? Philosophy is also distinguished from art
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: What is it not? Philosophy is also distinguished from art Intuition and feeling, privacy and individuality, spontaneity and creativity are primary values in any artistic expression. While having an important emotional and intuitive side as well, philosophy is ultimately based on dialogical reasoning and not simply on personal experience.

Lecture 1.1: What is philosophy?
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: What is philosophy? So, philosophy is not a science, nor a religion, nor art… but instead philosophy is… a tradition of thinking of its own!

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: What is philosophy? Form a small group with one or two other students. You will be provided with an account or definition of philosophy by a contemporary philosopher. Read and discuss his/her argument, then take a paper and summarize the main point(s) in one short sentence (using BIG LETTERS)!

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: What is philosophy? Etymology (meaning of the word itself) The term philosophy is derived from two Greek words: philos/philein (friend, to love) and sophia (wisdom) Philo – sophia means "love/friend of wisdom”

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: What is philosophy? We call a person wise, if she/he has a correct (true) understanding about how things actually are… and lives her/his life accordingly!

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: What is philosophy? Philosophy has also been connected with the quest for truth. The aim of philosophy, however, is not this truth or that truth, my truth or your truth, but "The Truth". But… is there such a thing as an absolute truth? And if yes, how do we access it?

Lecture 1.1: Plato‘s Cave Allegory
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Plato‘s Cave Allegory Plato‘s Cave Allegory (or: Analogy): see Read the text at:

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: What is philosophy? Sometimes philosophers call this search for an absolute truth the search for a „transcendent truth“. (Transcendence – going beyond the simple appearance)

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: What is philosophy? How do we acquire such a kind of truth? Most (mainly Western) philosophers would argue by rational inquiry!

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: What is philosophy? A rational form of inquiry is one that is based on: good, clear (sound) arguments and not on opinions, feelings or beliefs.

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: What is philosophy? Philosophy therefore is a a critical examination of reality characterized by rational inquiry that aims at the Truth for the sake of attaining wisdom.

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: What is philosophy? Philosophy is -the systematic study of reality (including the tools of studying reality) -using good reasoning (the tools of logic and language) in order to clarify difficult questions, solve significant problems, and enrich human lives.

Lecture 1.1: Non-philo. Questions
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Non-philo. Questions Examples of non-philosophical questions: What was the score of last night's baseball game? (sport) What are the stages of cell mitosis? (biology) What is the value of pi to a hundred decimal places? (mathematics) How did the freezing of the Earth affect evolutionary forces? (geology)

Lecture 1.1: Philosophical Questions
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Philosophical Questions Examples of philosophical questions: Does a supreme being (spirit, god, energy) exist? What is the relationship between mind, body (and soul)? What is knowledge, and how do we have any? How should people behave?

Lecture 1.1: More questions?
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: More questions? Can you think of some more examples of philosophical questions?

Lecture 1.1: Value of Philosophy
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Value of Philosophy

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Value of Philosophy William Jefferson (Bill) Clinton, former president of the United States, studied philosophy

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Value of Philosophy Kristin M. Baker, the first female Brigade Commander in the US military Academy and the first woman to command the West Point Corps of Cadets, studied philosophy

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Value of Philosophy George Soros, money manager, Soros Foundation, studied philosophy

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Value of Philosophy Bruce Lee, martial arts, studied philosophy

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Value of Philosophy Susan Sarandon, actress, studied philosophy

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Value of Philosophy Harrison Ford, actor, studied philosophy

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Value of Philosophy David Duchovny, actor, studied philosophy

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Value of Philosophy Steve Martin, actor, studied philosophy

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Value of Philosophy Amy Medigan, actress, studied philosophy

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Value of Philosophy Critical thinking skills to differentiate fact from value or (irrational) belief to identify a general principle that links together related problems, points, data (e.g. equality, identity, being…) to clear problems and to help for decision-making

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Value of Philosophy Argumentation skills to reason from premises (1) to conclusions (2) to convince others by providing sound arguments to assess the implications of a position which has been taken

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Value of Philosophy Communication skills to explain theories, ideas and principles to others to define the parameters of a problem (relevant, less relevant) to summarize the content of a message clearly and ‘objectively’

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Value of Philosophy Research and investigation skills to systematically define a problem to formulate questions relevant to clarifying a particular problem, topic, or issue to seek out relevant data, information, knowledge to answer a particular question

Lecture 1.1: Domains of philosophy
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Domains of philosophy The four primary domains of philosophy are: Logic Epistemology Metaphysics Ethics

Lecture 1.1: Logic Logic (derived from the Greek word λóvoç, “logos”=“word”, “systematic study”) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the principles of rational inference (sound reasoning).

Lecture 1.1: Logic What makes an argument valid or invalid?
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Logic What makes an argument valid or invalid? What is a sound argument? What is the structure of rational argumentation?

Lecture 1.1: Logic Syntax of a language: How can the structure of particular claims be combined with logical operators (such as: and; or; if…, then…; not; if and only if) to allow us to infer new claims? Semantics of a language: To which extend do these inferences give us reasons for thinking these new claims are true, provided that our original claims are true?

Lecture 1.1: Logic Logic provides the basic tools and some rules about evidence, which allow us to reason about any claim we come across. It is often regarded as the foundation on which all philosophy is laid, because it provides a strict standard against which to evaluate our inferences in any field. (Textbook ch. 2)

Lecture 1.1: Logic

Lecture 1.1: Epistemology
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Epistemology Epistemology (derived from a combination of two Greek words: έπιστήμη “episteme”, a noun meaning “knowledge,” and logos) is “the study of knowledge.” It is concerned with the nature and extent of human knowledge.

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Epistemology “What is knowledge?” “Can humans know anything and, if so, what?” “Is knowledge acquired through our senses or by reason?” “How do we know that what we perceive through our senses is correct?” “What does it mean to be rationally justified in believing a claim?” “What counts as evidence for a claim, and when is evidence sufficient for believing a claim?” (Textbook: chs 3-5)

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Epistemology

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Epistemology “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” (Saint-Exupéry – The little Prince)

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Epistemology With an informed sense of the limits of human knowledge, we can go on to ask philosophical questions about reality beyond our perceptions, for instance, about the nature of objects and morality.

Lecture 1.1: Metaphysics Metaphysics (derived from “meta” = “above” or “beyond;” “phusis,” = “nature” or “natural essence”) is the study of reality. It is concerned with the nature of reality. Metaphysics sometimes is also called ontology (the study of “being”).

Lecture 1.1: Metaphysics Is there an ultimate reality? If yes, what is it? Is reality one or is it many different things? Can reality be grasped by our senses or is it beyond human senses? Nature of minds: What is the mind and what is its relation to the body?

Lecture 1.1: Metaphysics Persistence over time: Can an object lose any of its parts yet remain the same? Nature of properties (e.g. free will) and how objects have them: Are humans capable of making free choices? Nature and existence of an “ultimate being”: Does God exist?

Lecture 1.1: Metaphysics

Lecture 1.1: Ethics Ethics (or Moral Philosophy) is the study of what is right and wrong in human action. It is concerned with the nature of moral reality, i.e. those features of reality that constitute a demand on our actions.

Lecture 1.1: Ethics How should things be?
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Ethics How should things be? What is right? And what is wrong? Are there any objective standards of right and wrong? How should we behave in determinate circumstances? Are moral values relative to culture?

Lecture 1.1: Ethics An important distinction is that between
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Ethics An important distinction is that between descriptive claims about the way things are & normative claims (about the way things ought to be) What “ougth to be” does not follow from reality: Naturalistic (is-ought) fallacy: The deduction of an "ought" from an "is“ Reverse naturalistic (or moralistic) fallacy: Deducing an "is" from an "ought

Lecture 1.1: Ethics

Lecture 1.2: Other branches
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.2: Other branches Political philosophy Social philosophy Philosophy of science Philosophy of law Language philosophy Philosophy of religion Aestetics....

Lecture 1.1: Other braches
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.1: Other braches Aesthetics is the study of beauty. What makes a thing beautiful? Are there any objective standards of beauty? Is beauty relative? If yes, to what? What is art?

Lecture 1.1: Aesthetics

Syllabus/course outline
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.2 DATE TIME TOPIC READINGS / MOVIES Wednesday: Syllabus/course outline Internet resources Reading and quoting Reading

Lecture 1.2: Topics Course outline Textbook Requirements Reading texts
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.2: Topics Course outline Textbook Requirements Reading texts Electronic sources

Lecture 1.2: Teaching strategy
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.2: Teaching strategy Class time includes lecture, work assignments, and reading activities.

Lecture 1.2: Teaching strategy
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.2: Teaching strategy Each lecture starts with a general introduction to the terminology and basic philosophical assumptions, issues and arguments. It aims at fostering your understanding of the topics covered in the textbook. After discussion, students are invited to deepen some topics in small groups and to share their achievements with each other.

Lecture 1.2: Requirements
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.2: Requirements Students are expected to take part in both class discussions and presentations. They are required to attend virtually all classes (i.e. a minimum of 7 scheduled days = about 80% of the class-time) and to engage in assigned group activities.

Lecture 1.2: Assessment Student assessment will refer to (i) attendance and participation, (ii) a mid-term exam (on September 11, 11 a.m.), (iii) the final exam (on September 18 or 20, 11 a.m. for both groups, depending on availability of rooms). Exam questions refer to the textbook and can therefore be answered by studying it.

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.2: Requirements I strongly encourage you to think (critically) to develop your own ideas to reflect your role in society to reflect your position in a changing (globalizing) world to ask questions if you don’t understand a topic

PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.2: Requirements PLEASE SWITCH OFF YOUR MOBILE PHONES! PLEASE DON’T READ ANY NON-PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE (SPORT, FASHION, MANGA ETC. ETC.) IN CLASS! PLEASE BE IN CLASS ON TIME!

Lecture 1.2: Assessment Course participation and attendance (counts for 20 % of the final grade, at least 7 full days (80%) attendance required in order to get a grade!) One mid-term exam (on September 11, counts for 40 % of the final grade) Final exam (on September 20, counts for 40 % of the final grade)

Lecture 1.2: Assessment Course component Weight
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.2: Assessment Course component Weight I. Class participation/attendance 20 points II. Mid-term exam 40 points III. Final exam

Lecture 1.2: Grading scale
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.2: Grading scale A – excellent B+ 80-84 – very good B 75-79 – good C+ 70-74 – above average C 65-69 – average D+ 60-64 – below average D 55-59 – poor F 1-54 – fail

Lecture 1.2: Preparing for the exams
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.2: Preparing for the exams Take the time to read (at least) one chapter of the textbook every single day and make sure you understand it! If there is something which is not clear, use the suggested ressources or ask me! Answer the questions at the end of each chapter and on p. 265 ff. and check whether you got it right (p ). If you are not sure about the answer or got it wrong read the section in the chapter again.

Lecture 1.2: Electronic resources
PY 103 Introduction to Philosophy Lecture 1.2: Electronic resources If you come across difficult expressions like „syllogism“, you may consider these links: The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy Philosophy Dictionary The Ism Book: A Hypertext Dictionary of Philosophy Encyclopedia

Lecture 1.2: Office hours If there are any problems you want to discuss with me, I will be available all scheduled course days and by appointment. I will be happy to provide feedback on your achievements after each exam.

References Textbook Philosophy DeMYSTiFieD, by Robert Arp and Jamie Carlin Watson, New York: Mc Graw Hill, 2011 Supplementary paragraphs for reading activities taken from Philosophy Bites, edited by David Edmonds and Nigel Warburton, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010

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