final exam (miniterm, fall 2020)

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final exam (fall 2020)

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phi 2604 exam #1 (miniterm)

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breakdown of total points (miniterm, 2020)

this is a tentative breakdown of points for our miniterm semester:

attendance: 20 p.

homeworks 6 (5 p. each) = 30 p.

2 tests (20 p. each) = 40

final paper: 10

__________________

My grades are qualitatively, not quantitatively-based. The grades in blackboard will reflect letters, not points (except attendance). Final grades are inputted on Friday, December 18.

exam #2 phi 2010 fall 2020

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phi 2604 exam #2, (open book), fall 2020

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homework #1 fall 20 (miniterm)

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moral norms, moral judgments (miniterm)

a brief introduction to axiology, 
an example discussion about chicken broth, 😄

final paper sample (fall 2021)

Annie B. Wolf

Phi 2064, #4940, Fall 2021

Final Paper

What is the right choice?

Once again, I have had a chaotic summer. It was very challenging to balance a social life, schoolwork, and work. However, as it is coming to an end, I feel that I have done something wrong. I had high expectations for this summer, sadly I let myself down. I did not take as many trips to the beach, I did not see my friends as much, I did not go to any museums, I did not travel, etc. I substituted these with doing homework, laundry, or going to work. As the fall semester is approaching, I wonder If I made the right choices.

However, there are good news. Taking this philosophy class was special. Why? It brought my attention to moral theory as it relates to my life. Yes, I'm living through a situation right now, where I could profit from some of the norms and advice of the many philosophers studied in class. It has to do with my own marriage. And I don't need to go into the details.  

I'm talking about when something is right and what a person needs to be good. Sometimes after the morning class I'd ask myself (like Kant did), "what is the right thing to do?" Last semester I chose to work over and above my obligations here at MDC. I've kept a full load and have a 3.8 average (one goal of mine is to bring that GPA up so I can get into the school of my choice). As a result, I felt exhausted all the time and got a "C as final grade in my Calculus class. I noticed the consequences after I already made the choice. 

Why did I not think about all that first? 

It seems weird, but I felt that there was no other choice. I needed the money. See? According to egoism, I maximized my interest alright, but was it my best interest? It benefitted my parents (they needed money) but I was negatively affected. What would Kant have said? My action happened out of a sense of duty. Therefore I did something right.

But what if because of my "C" I start having doubts about myself? What if these doubts prevent me from seeking higher goals? Professor Triff have made an interesting point in class about the nature of reality: "You are your worst enemy," he said.  

This kind of reasoning I didn't have before this class. I mean, yes, one can pretty much debate inside oneself, but before, I didn't have "the arsenal of critical tools" (as again, Triff has stated in class). So Philosophy helps me look at the bigger picture. In twenty years of life, I have seen this too much and I have even been told to do other things, but what was missing was the reasoning of the arguments. 

There is this common idiom in the English language: “always look out for number one”. This is similar to ethical egoism, where right actions are the ones that you make to better your life. I feel that this type of thinking is now more attractive to me. Not that I don't find Kantian ethics more attractive, but it is like the discussion between the altruist and the egoist. The altruist always finds fault with the egoist's actions, and yet, the psychological egoist is thinking: "you're just like me, only you don't want to see that you do what you do because it makes you happy." 

You may think I think too much, but I am still wondering if I made the right choice last summer.  Maybe I won't get a final answer. Talking about what is morally right has made me realize that we are responsible for our own choices, and more importantly, our happiness. We can think about all the good and bad consequences, and never be certain about what will happen. 

From now on I am not going to extensively wonder if I am doing something wrong. I would do what is in my best interest and go on living. It is not worth it to dwell on the past and it is important to live in the present. 

The present. Reality is perfect! Specially for us, young people with all the future ahead of us. 

This is a lesson that I would take with me thanks to this class. 

MLK's theology of spiritual & social change

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chapter 3, philosophy of religion

introductory lecture on the anthropology of religion,
shamanism & religion,
fideism & religion,
divine command theory, 
religion, seen from the interdisciplinary point of view,  
click here for homework #5, 

topics for our upcoming midterm exam (fall 2021)

ethics portion of the exam

lecture on evolutionary development of moral values & consensus,

defensible moral judgments, cultural relativism,

critical thinking portion of the exam

necessary and sufficient conditions, 

fallacies, 

deductive and inductive arguments, 

cause & effect,

(the midterm exam will be posted on october 1)

fallacies, induction, homework#2

 fallacies, click here for more information,

induction, click here for more information,

necessary/sufficient conditions, click here for more information, 

homework 1, fall 2020

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what is critical thinking?

Critical thinking (CT hereon) is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully, analyzing, evaluating and applying information gathered from observation, experience, reflection and communication, as a guide to belief and action. 

CT is based on universal intellectual values, such as clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness. 

It entails the examination of those elements of thought implicit in reasoning: purpose, question-at-issue; assumptions; concepts; empirical grounding; reasoning leading to conclusions; implications and consequences and very importantly: alternative view points. 

CT is incorporated in a family of modes of thinking, among them: scientific thinking, mathematical thinking, historical thinking, anthropological thinking, economic thinking, moral thinking, and philosophical thinking.  

CT can be seen as having two components: 1) belief generating and processing skills, and 2) using those skills to guide behavior. 

We need to contrast CT with: 

1) the mere acquisition and retention of information alone, because it involves a particular way in which information is sought and treated; 

2) the mere possession of a set of skills, because it involves the continual use of them; and 

3) the mere use of those skills ("as an exercise") without acceptance of their results. 

4) No one is a critical thinker through-and-through, but only to such-and-such a degree, with such-and-such insights and blind spots, subject to such-and-such tendencies towards self-delusion. For this reason, the development of critical thinking skills and dispositions is a life-long endeavor.

phi 2604 final exam, open book, summer a, 2020

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homework 1 summer 2020

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final exam (open book, fall 2021)

this exam is based on the following lectures:

lecture on hedonism,

lecture on ethical egoism,

lecture on Kantian ethics,

lecture on Aristotle's virtue morality, 

whatever in underlined in yellow requires 40 words minimum.

_____________________________________

1. Explain why ataraxia is such an important tool for the hedonist. 

2. Explain the place of reciprocity in the philosophy of the ethical egoist.  

3. Why is breaking a promise wrong according to Kant? Explain (inform your answer of Kant's categorical imperative's reversibility and universalizability angles).

4. How can one disrespect oneself. Applying Kant's definition of respect give a personal example where you may do (or have done) precisely that.

5. What is the relationship between virtue and eudaimonia in Aristotle's virtue morality? Explain.

6.  John is a "C" average student, but he has decided he wants to become an "A" student and apply for Honors College. Supposed you are a seasoned college advisor. How would you counsel John to go about becoming an A student based on Aristotle's idea of right habits?

7. Why is character so important for Aristotle?  Explain.  

Martin Luther King's theology of social change

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theodicies (good vs. evil)

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we are having an open book final exam!

triff's (dominican) okra & meat stew with plantains dumplings

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topics for Exam #3

click here for chapter 6: Kant's formalism,
click here for chapter 9: Aristotle's virtue morality,

midterm exam, (fall 2021)

ETHICS PART

1. Is there moral knowledge? Explain your answer from the evolutionary/historic point of view.

2. What does it mean to say that moral facts are "intersubjective"?

3. Is "giving a seat to an old woman in a bus" a moral norm? Whether yes or no, explain your answer.

4. Tom comes from culture A professes cultural relativism and believes slavery is wrong, Theresa comes from culture B, professes cultural relativism and believes slavery is right. Is there a way for Tom to convince Theresa she is wrong? Explain.

5. The following question is based on this lecture. Is the egoist capable of being benevolent to people? Whatever your answer EXPLAIN WHY 

CRITICAL THINKING PART

Necessary and sufficient conditions: Answer YES or NO.

1. If A is necessary condition for B, is B a sufficient condition for A? 

2. Suppose Alice loves John and John loves Alice. Is their mutual love a sufficient condition for the success of their relationship? 

3. A job requirement says "Qualified candidate must speak Spanish". If so, speaking Spanish is a _____ condition for getting the job. 

4. Identify the following fallacies: 

a) God does not exist because every argument for the existence of God has been shown to be unsound. 

b) Smoking causes cancer because my father was a smoker and he died of lung cancer. 

c) We have no evidence showing that he is innocent. So he must be guilty. 

5. If Bogota is north of Mexico and Mexico is north of Los Angeles, then Bogota is north is Los Angeles. Is this deductive argument valid? sound?  

6. Of this inductive argument. Tell if they are strong or weak. 

The last fifty lottery tickets that Francis purchased have been losers. Therefore, the next one he buys is virtually certain to be a winner. 

7. Cause and effect. Mr. Ferguson is invited to Mr. Smith's party where is served seafood for dinner. When Mr. Ferguson goes back home he feels stomach pain and later has an attack of diarrhea. 

What conditions must be satisfied in order for us to say: "Smith's seafood caused Mr. Ferguson's stomach sickness".

Moral traditionalism

An action is right if it is supported by one's traditions. 

what's a tradition? our shared history. principles that are proved over time. 

(clearly if we are able to survive, traditions show to be essential tools for human survival). 

why?

1. traditions provide meaning, 

2. they guarantee adaptation to the environment, 

3. they ensure cultural flourishing.

where does tradition come from? 

traditions stem from customs, rituals & conventions.  

how?

each generation inherits the experience and culture of its ancestors and through convention and precedent man can pass it down to his descendants. philosopher Edmund Burke counsels: "The individual is foolish, but the species is wise". 

*the state of traditionalism is the achievement of the communal enterprise expressing the spiritual and organic qualities of the culture. 

*change cannot be imposed arbitrarily (think of the suppression of religion in the URSS for 80 years, only to come back with renewed force after the fall of communism). change flows naturally out of the traditions of the community. leadership, authority and hierarchy are natural products. 

*traditionalism respects the notion of hierarchies. a hierarchy is a communal ordering of group organization not imposed from above, but evolved in time.

hierarchies cannot happen overnight. they take time to happen (the lapse of time ensures that the hierarchy goes through a process of trial and error).  

human society is hierarchical (i.e. it always involves various interdependent inequalities, degrees classes, and political structures that recognize this fact prove the most just, thriving, and generally beneficial). hierarchy allows for the preservation of the whole community simultaneously, instead of protecting one part at the expense of the other. 

important traditional principles: 

 

1. back to nature! 

2. preserving the family, 

3. the conservation of natural resources and stewardship of the land, farm to table (artisanal food over processed food, etc). 

4. trade school or farming as alternatives to unemployment.

the economics of traditionalism favors economic mechanisms such as cooperatives and member-owned mutual organizations as well as small businesses.

breakdown of points for phi 2604, #9535, miniterm spring 2021,

2 exams, midterm and final, each 25 points, for a total of 50 points

6 homeworks (each week), 5 points each, for a total of 30 points.

attendance, 10 points.

final paper, 10 points.

homework #4, chapter 4 (spring 2021)

here's my lecture on ethical egoism,

1- Define psychological egoism? Bring a defense, p. 103.
2- What's the difference between genuine (BEST) and apparent interests? (Triff lecture) Bring a hypothetical example from your own life.
3- What's hedonism and the pleasure argument? (Triff lecture)
4- What is "proper measure" according to Epicurus? (Triff lecture)
5- What is Ethical egoism?
6- Point to the difference between interest and best interest. Bring an example from real life to make the point.
7- Answer question #9, chapter 4, page 126, from our textbook.  

(Whatever answer is stressed in yellow requires at least 40 words).

 

homework, chapters 1 & 2

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topics for exam #1 phi 2604 (all classes)

click here for fallacies,   ...  (click here to see exercises) 
click here for identifying deductive and inductive arguments, 
click here for cause and effect, 
click here for values,
click here for necessary and sufficient conditions, 
bring your own scantrons: #888-P or #882-E

I ask all my access students to please, send me an email with your name and class you belong to if you decided to take the test over at ACCESS and I'll make the necessary accommodations.  

homework 1

click here for deduction and induction questions,
click here for questionse on values,
click here for questions on cause and effect,
click here for questions on fallacies,

cause and effect can betray even the smartest amongst us

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triff's office hours, room 3604-28

m,w,f: 7:30-9:40am
t,r: 7:30-8:15am, 9:50-11:05am
t: 4-5:30pm

necessary and sufficient conditions

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