More philosophy & dusty old literature

Hello learners & Zach! (Zach is really a great learner, but I take him to be more of an arguer than a learner????? Everyone agree with me if you want a grade!)

Lily and Katy will be resting tomorrow and Zach, who has weasled out on two other occasions, will be presenting the newest segment of Larson's philosophy class via Inver Hills. My suggestion is that you all bring rotten fruit, slimy vegetables, and medium-large chunks of coal to throw at him if he is not prepared.

Below I am including some of the last sections of the philosophy notes that may or may not be part of Zach's "seance".

Six-point assertion deductive
1. Substance is the cause of itself & it exists eternally (because you can’t get something from nothing)
2. Everything that exists is self-caused or caused by something external to it
3. If more than one thing is self-caused it could have no relation to any other thing that is self-caused (rejects dualism- how can something nonphysical effect something physical?)
4. This substance has always existed and always will exist, everything is part of this one cosmic substance which is God
5. Since one substance can not be produced by another substance, there can be only one substance AKA there is only one reality, no dualism
6. Everything that occurs is the result of its cause, hence nothing is free AKA God is cause of everything – God is the only free agent

Pragmatism (American Philosophy)
• Pragmu = action: philosophy of action
• Three founders:
1. Charles Pierce (1839-1914)
a. At sixteen goes to Harvard- 4 year chemistry/math degree
b. Works as assistant in astronomy and taught a course “Philosophy of Science”- stressed your place in it
c. What is real is based on our values
2. William James (1842-1910)
a. Went to Harvard, met Charles Pierce, discovered he is really depressed
b. Majored in chemistry, then went to medical school, but was sent home due to bout of depression
c. Charles tells him to choose life – get medical degree
d. Reality, for James, is always in the making free choice
3. John Dewey
a. Revolutionized justice and educational system
b. Teach how to learn/ education should have functional value
• What defines pragmatism?
1. Pragmatism is humanistic- people at center of reality, not God. We are here to make life better, make the world better
2. Problem solving philosophy- can do, will do attitude, a certain amount of arrogance
3. Reality is not a singular, it is pluralistic and is in the making- think of different roles we play in our lives: mom, teacher, wife, friend, etc.; continually changing by us
4. There is no distinction between mind & matter (talk to dead and it affects your life). Only those beliefs and actions that yield a cash value are valued
5. Pragmatism is consequentialistic- consequences of actions matter
• Criticisms of Pragmatism
1. Something can not both be an not be at the same time
2. Pragmatism denies all order to the cosmos
3. Truth can change

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But I have something much more exciting! If you think this is exciting, you will love staring at a 85" x 368" white wall for the next three and a half years. It actually is a great story created many thousands of years ago by the Babylonians- you know, the Fertile Crescent guys who starting planting crops, herding animals, and conquering the world. It is a very unusual story about arks, floods, snakes, and the fountain of youth. How cool is all that? And, if you are bored with it, just remember, I cut the story waaaay back so that you only read the good parts. This will be due Tuesday, December 4th. All you have to do is read it (Tablets IX through XI), and we will discuss it- snakes and all. A copy will be handed out in class tomorrow.

You can find the complete text here (click on the next Tablet at the end of each section)



I was VERY impressed with all of you who were in class today. You did well in taking down the terminology and definitions. You asked intelligent questions and responded with brilliant answers. We will discuss the story Half a Day in detail right before Zach's theatrical presentation. We will also sail into the Chopin piece during the morning.


i GOING TO THE MOVIES! i
On Thursday we will be going to the movies at around noon. We will be seeing Gone Baby Gone, which is a celluloid philosophical quagmire. We should be able to use some of that philosophy you have all learned in order to examine how life deals us some strange moral dilemmas. More details will be unveiled tomorrow, so BE THERE!


The December calendar should be available, next Tuesday, the 4th. You can get it right here first if you really want it.

We will start reviewing the notes that you may be missing for the semester's finale. Remember, college is about paying money until you have none, and writing until your arm falls off. That's all for tonight.

Terry


p.s. I have no idea where JP is, but I can guess.