What do we mean when we talk about racial capitalism? We pursue this reflection by examining the views of James, Husserl, Sartre and Merleau-Ponty, particularly as they concern the methods for the study of the mind and the relation between consciousness, reflexivity and the body. Leibniz wrote his New Essays in 1704 as a critical response to Locke's Essay of 1690. Mental Health and Illness: Philosophical Considerations. [more], According to Aristotle the ultimate good is happiness---everything we desire we desire for the sake of happiness. Along the way, we will need to come to grips with the following surprising fact. The course will present the essential ideas of relativity theory and quantum theory and explore their implications for philosophy. Police were called to the house just after 2:00 am, and found Walsh with multiple stab wounds. In addition to key concepts of death, dying, and terminal illness, we will develop and refine notions of medical futility, paternalism and autonomy, particularly within the context of advance directives and surrogate decision making. According to Hegel, subjects are both historically and socially constituted; they are formed through their relations with other subjects. Do particular case histories offer good explanations of psychopathology? [more], Animals are and always have been part of human life. In this tutorial we'll closely examine a series of contemporary and historical cases of human experimentation (roughly, one case per week) with an eye toward elucidating the moral norms that ought to govern human subjects research. And what present practices and ways of thinking and knowing might be questioned using Foucault's tools, genealogy in particular, for resisting unnecessary constraints on freedom and the perpetuation of unnecessary suffering? We ordinarily claim that sentences are true or false, but are there other entities whose truth and falsity explains the truth and falsity of sentences? For example, we commonly attribute to Plato a theory of the Forms on the basis of his claims in the so-called "middle dialogues" (mainly Republic, Phaedo, and Symposium). Others maintain that these questions will only yield to methods that incorporate our broader insight into the nature of the world including, perhaps, feminist thought or science. [more], Early philosophy of language focused on meaning of assertions, denials and descriptions. More than this, Existentialists emphasize the subjective relation we bear to our belief systems, moral codes, and personal identities. But how often do we ask: What is freedom? The course will use a case-based approach to examine these issues, and so in most weeks we will (1) read philosophical articles focused on a key concept or set of arguments central to the issue, and (2) consider in detail one morally complex case in which the concept or arguments have special application or relevance. this course we'll explore justice as a fundamental moral principle and as a desideratum of the US health care system. Those positions remain extreme, but the challenge that consciousness poses is dramatic. To do this we will explore topics that might traditionally be considered "women's issues" in healthcare, such as medicine and body image (e.g., cosmetic surgery, eating disorders), reproductive and genetic technologies, and research on women and their health care needs. this fact? United States portal. [more], Freedom is widely held as one of our fundamental values. Some critics find predictive failures of economists unsurprising, given the frequent reliance of the latter on assumptions known to be false (e.g., that economic agents are always selfish, have perfect information, and never make mistakes) and on models that unavoidably ignore potentially relevant factors. But, is logic the study of how people do reason, or is it the study of how people should reason? [more]. experiences, have thoughts and feelings, motivation and agency; a person is thought of as continuous over time, and as related to, recognized and respected by other persons. Yet what is it to be happy? Williams, Bernard. Is philosophy of film really autonomous, independent from traditional philosophical disciplines which help generate its central questions, such as aesthetics, philosophy of art, epistemology, ontology, semiotics, ethics, social and political philosophy? In this tutorial we will read the contemporary literature on consciousness. According to the other, every class was well-populated, potentially by different groups. The aim of this course is to explore and evaluate a number of rival conceptions of persons and personal identity over time. By the early 20th century, in the works of Freud, we encounter the idea of the intra-psychic features of subjects and the importance of understanding and regulating psychic forces both within and between subjects in order to adapt to the demands of living at any given time, born as we are both dependent upon and vulnerable to others. In some weeks, students will be asked to choose from a small set which case they would like to address; in others the case will be assigned. What form of government best serves the people? Much of the moral philosophy produced in Greece and Rome remains as relevant today as when it was written. Our goal will be to characterize phenomena like those above with logical and mathematical precision. What makes an individual's life go well? Conceptions of person are equally important in science (especially in psychology), law, and the arts. His thought influenced the thought of subsequent generations of philosophers. For clarification and discussion of the points made in Treatise, we will read parts of Hume's later works, especially the two Enquiries. There will also be a midterm paper (roughly 10 pages) and a final paper (roughly 15 pages) which you will develop and revise in consultation with the instructor. We will move on to examine ethical issues of truth-telling with terminally ill patients and their families, decisions to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatments, the care of seriously ill newborns, physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia, and posthumous interests. Political parties. The seminar will fall into two unequal parts. Wilfrid Sellars regarded as uncontroversial the view that it is "an attempt to see how things, in the broadest possible sense of the term, hang together in the broadest possible sense of the term." It is, in fact, quite difficult to get through any course of study in the liberal arts without some familiarity with Plato. By the early 20th century, in the works of Freud, we encounter the idea of the intra-psychic features of subjects and the importance of understanding and regulating psychic forces both within and between subjects in order to adapt to the demands of living at any given time, born as we are both dependent upon and vulnerable to others. Or is it a supreme illusion, a dream-like escape, the domain in which the viewer's unconscious wishes are magically fulfilled? [more], American Pragmatism left a deep legacy in contemporary epistemology and the philosophy of science, but it is--more often than not--a legacy difficult to disentangle from other intellectual influences. who happens to be a philosopher; nor is it just that philosophical positions are reviewed in the narrative, as in Gaarder's. We will then turn to several of Plato's dialogues, examining Plato's portrayal of Socrates and his development of a new and profoundly powerful philosophical conception. and Augustine, and, from a political and theoretical point of view, selections from the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. How does our experience justify our beliefs? Does the fact that our lives will end threaten their meaning? [more], Epistemology is one of the core areas of philosophical reflection. UPDATE: Footy world pays tribute to Crows coach as AFL cancels Crows clash, Walsh, a man consumed by football Phil Walsh tragedy: rolling coverageCrows-Cats clash called offStatement from Gillon McLachlan on round 14. Possible additional topics would include: modal logic, the theory of counterfactuals, alternative representations of conditionals, the use of logic in the foundations of arithmetic and Godel's Incompleteness theorems. And right now there are autonomous vehicles deciding how to behave in traffic, and autonomous weapons capable of delivering lethal force. (iv) It is possible that you are reading. The Philosophy of Higher Education: College Controversies. But we also question the value of these tools based on first person approaches by relating them to the third person studies of the mind. Rather than seeing philosophy as an esoteric discipline, the pragmatic philosophers (with the possible exception of Peirce) see philosophy as integral to our culture and see themselves as public intellectuals. [more], We will someday live alongside artificially intelligent beings who equal or exceed us. The debate never transpired - indeed, Leibniz suppressed his New Essays - because of Locke's death in 1705. and Rationalism concerns whether all our knowledge derives from experience, or any is innate. Our main goal in this course is to work our way through Aristotle's text which can be extremely daunting, and to reconstruct his central positions and his arguments for these positions. Stoicism and skepticism, however, are wildly divergent schools of thought. What sorts of things can be true or false? What kind of work is that, and how is it accomplished? [more], This course is an introduction to philosophy through three major themes: The nature of the universe, the existence of gods, and the mind/body problem. We coordinate our lives through sounds from mouths, signs from hands, and squiggles on paper because somehow sounds, signs, and squiggles have meanings. He had also worked at the Eagles for 5 years and was close A lesson from the tragic death of Phil Walsh Read More We doubt, we point out that no one can be certain in what she believes, and we are suspicious of declarations of transcendent reason or truth (unless they are our own). Whether this is hyperbole or wise prognostication, it cannot be denied that the rise of AI will be a tectonic shift for culture, technology, and our fundamental sense of ourselves. Morality and Partiality: Loyalty, Friendship, Patriotism. What role does the history of philosophy play in the discipline? This course is an intensive, line-by-line study of the Investigations--one of the greatest (and thus, one of the most controversial) books in the history of philosophy. Topics will include: What can we know through our senses? We will examine basic questions in the philosophy of law: What is the relationship between law and morality? "Our industry is grieving today, and we send our love and support to the Walsh family, the Crows staff and players, Phil's wider circle of friends, the other clubs he worked with, and his many colleagues across the AFL," he said. What do the social and psychological sciences have to teach us about happiness? Each identified the limits, whether historical or innate, of our human capacity to know ourselves and our world, and to live harmoniously with others. [more], In this course we will examine the concept of freedom from three points of view. What role do emotional, irrational or unconscious forces play? To properly address a number of interrelated questions concerning philosophy in literature and film, and philosophical problems of meaning, interpretation and evaluation of narrative fiction, we will discuss both narrative works of art and theoretical approaches to their analysis. What are other models for understanding moral objectivity? We will examine these (and other questions) in the context of the great philosophical revolution at the beginning of the last century: the linguistic turn and the birth of analytic philosophy. The question of this course is whether these values are in conflict. We will spend the balance of the semester coming to grips with Plato's arguments in the later dialogues. the cosmos. Ms. Sydney Walsh-Wilcox 83 P23 (Sibling), Mr. John C. Walsh (decd) 54 P99 85 83 (Parent). This course argues that by reference to the historically specific modes of subjectivity and sociality that resulted from the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the Haitian Revolution, for instance, we can better understand and address long-standing questions in European Social Philosophy. While engaging these texts, we will continually reflect on their relevance for thinking about the problems facing liberal democracies today, particularly in the U.S. [more], In this tutorial we will examine a number of prominent and controversial social issues, using our study of them both as an opportunity to better understand the moral dimensions of those issues in and of themselves, and to consider the ways in which selected classical and contemporary moral theories characterize and address those moral dimensions. This first-year seminar will examine the philosophy of education through educational autobiographies: works that tell the story of a moral and intellectual education. (i) You are psyched. [more], This is a course in the philosophy of logic. . This course will offer a selective overview of the debates that characterized philosophy of film since the early 20th century. These questions are typically asked within a framework where the overarching goal is attaining truth and avoiding falsity. Do our beliefs have their meanings one-by-one? See if you can figure out why this is sometimes called a paradox, and then ask yourself what this has to do with our opening questions. Always asking what practical difference would it make, our authors investigate the central questions and disputes of philosophy, from epistemology and metaphysics to ethics and religion. So, some relationships with other people--such as friendships, familial ties, love, patriotism--seem to be ethically desirable, central to the quality of our lives, and yet prima facie in tension with the widely held belief that morality requires impartiality and equal treatment of all human beings. Science is only "true" for some people, agnosticism is the only alternative to foolish superstition, and moral relativism and, consequently, nihilism are obvious. We also examine the Yogacara school, which offers a process view of reality focusing on the analysis of experience. Phil Walsh's death a family tragedy. this course, we will consider the relationship between freedom and social order. [more], Logic is the study of reasoning and argument. Our aim will be to identify and evaluate the strongest version of each argument. Your email address will not be published. Gulliver's Travels, Part III, chapter 10. We will read some representative works from each of these schools of thought to see how each approaches Socrates. How can we ensure that AI's will act morally? You are very likely to be offended by some of the art we discuss. Although we will attempt to engage the readings on their own terms, we will also ask how the vast differences between the ancient world and our own undercut or enhance the texts' ability to illuminate the dilemmas of political life for us. What are the responsibilities of museum curators and theater producers when presenting art that might offend? At home? These latter writings of Kant's had a tremendous influence on the development of subsequent moral philosophy and indeed set the stage for contemporary discussions of the nature of practical reason, motivation, freedom, and morality. A number of things follow from this happy assumption. Rorty challenged the very concept of morality and questioned all moral theory. However, few (haters gonna hate) would say that the expression has a referent. Science is only "true" for some people, agnosticism is the only alternative to foolish superstition, and moral relativism and, consequently, nihilism are obvious. Aside from its overwhelming influence on 20th and 21st century philosophy and intellectual culture, any book which contains the remark, " if a lion could talk, we could not understand him," deserves serious attention. We will examine a variety of philosophical and scientific theories of emotion, as well as some issues concerning normative aspects of emotions: the role of emotions in a good life, and the concept of emotional maturity. Furthermore, they share the conviction that the most important components of a successful life are within the control of the individual human being. The philosophical study of what we do in language, and how we understand one another, is called pragmatics; within the analytic tradition, the main philosophical contributions to the study of pragmatics in language came from Peirce, Wittgenstein, Austen, Grice and Searle. We'll examine these criticisms in depth. What role do emotional, irrational or unconscious forces play? [more], If we think of Michel Foucault as engaged in writing histories, or genealogies, of his own present designed to undercut the sense of the obviousness of certain practices and ways of thinking, categorizing, and knowing, we can easily imagine that he might now be questioning different aspects of our contemporary "present" than the ones standardly associated with his name, namely, panopticons and surveillance, discipline, criminalization, the biopolitics of health, the normal and the abnormal, etc. action, ethics and moral psychology. We will examine a variety of philosophical and scientific theories of emotion, as well as some issues concerning normative aspects of emotions: the role of emotions in a good life, and the concept of emotional maturity. While social justice and distributive justice are deeply intertwined in the health care context and we will discuss both, we will focus primarily on the concept of distributive justice. We will begin examining these questions by studying the history of controversies in American higher education, concentrating especially on debates about the curriculum. First of all, Greek thinkers, especially Plato and Aristotle, radically shaped the trajectory of western thought in every area of philosophy. He hoped it would occasion a public debate between Locke and himself, and prompt the intellectual community to decide, once and for all, between Empiricism and Rationalism, Realism and Idealism, and on related issues concerning the mind, language, truth, God, natural kinds, causation, and freedom. [more], This course involves Independent Study under the supervision of a member of the department. Is happiness an emotional or mental state or is it a social construct? as resources to be harvested, as testing grounds for science, and as religious sacrifice. Understanding later Wittgenstein is thus vital for engaging in contemporary philosophy, but neither the interpretation nor the evaluation of his thought is straightforward or easy. There are metaphysical problems, problems of human existence, that philosophy has never known how to grasp in all their concreteness and that only the novel can seize." Background readings include sources rooted in traditional modes of bioethical analysis as well as those incorporating feminist approaches. The second portion of the course will use feminist philosophy to inform our understanding of the ways in which gender structures the individual's interactions with the health care system. What is the nature of consciousness and how can it be unhappy, false or double? We examine key concepts such as: capitalism, alienation, false consciousness, the death of God, nihilism, the unconscious, ego, id, superego, and the death drive. In this way, we come to appreciate the importance of considering the biology on which mental processes are based and the light that this approach throws on the nature of consciousness. How do logic and language relate? Philosophy of Education: DuBois versus Washington, deepest questions in philosophy: consequentialism versus deontology, the goals of happiness versus dignity, long term versus short term goals, and more. Meredith Walsh called triple zero after the early-morning attack at the family's Adelaide home on July 3 last year and as she pleaded for help, she also called out to her husband, court documents show. Does morality require that we always subordinate our personal relationships to universal principles? Safety measures are in place, and campus community members and guests are additionally advised to take personal precautions. Loyalty is frequently expected by family, friends and lovers, and demanded by institutions, religious, political and ethnic communities, as well as by the state. In this course we'll examine several influential attempts to provide a rational foundation for morality, along with Nietzsche's wholesale rejection of these efforts. [more], We often associate modern faith in the prospects of universal human dignity, rational autonomy, the rights of man, individual liberty, democracy, open scientific inquiry and social and political progress with the Enlightenment . In this tutorial we will read philosophical texts from a range of approaches in professional philosophy since the early 20th Century (Analytic, Pragmatist, Continental or European, and Public). Are there ethical considerations that should govern both film production and spectatorship? use tab and shift-tab to navigate once expanded, Covid-19 is an ongoing concern in our region, including on campus. Our texts will include Gottlob Frege, The Foundations of Arithmetic, Bertrand Russell, Principles of Mathematics, and Ludwig Wittgenstein, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. Some of the questions we will ask are: What is the nature of filmic representation? Frederick Rudolph, Williams College 1793-1993: Three Eras, Three Cultures, Michael S . Just today (15 February 2022). We will pay special attention to the first amendment and questions concerning free speech and hate speech. In this tutorial, will read works in critical theory from the 18th century to the present, some from the Frankfurt tradition, and some not. We will then turn to a variety of more recent attempts to give a clear characterization of causation. Who is equal? . If so, is that knowledge importantly different in kind or in rigor from the knowledge we gain through physics, chemistry or geology? We will look at civil disobedience and theories of legal interpretation. "Near-Death Experiences." In How to Think About Weird Things. While answers to such questions are implicit in historically important accounts of morality, these issues became the topic of explicit, sustained debate in the twentieth and twenty-first century. To name just a few ways: We treat animals as companions, as food, as objects of wonder in the wild, as resources to be harvested, as testing grounds for science, and as religious sacrifice. [more], Bertrand Russell claimed that Ludwig Wittgenstein was "perhaps the most perfect example I have ever known of genius as traditionally conceived--passionate, profound, intense, and dominating." How do I know that I am one? Emboldened by our confidence in skeptical arguments, we claim that knowledge is inevitably limited, that it depends on one's perspective, and that everything one believes is relative to context or culture. No one can have an adequate understanding of western intellectual history without some familiarity with the Greeks, and we might think that an understanding of our intellectual history can deepen our understanding of our own situation. We'll examine these and related questions through historical and contemporary readings. [more], The touchstone of our course will be Plato's Republic: the first and perhaps greatest utopia as well as perhaps the greatest work in political philosophy. philosophers of ancient Greece and Rome were among the first thinkers to develop rigorous arguments in response to such musings. [more], Put simply, metaphilosophy is reflection on the nature of philosophy: Can it be defined? According to one, there is a single group of students that had their hands extremely full this semester. Could the world be made up of sensory properties only? What is the nature of language? Are there incompatible but equally true ways of describing the world?