PHI2003 Lecture 1 and next week

Today was an introduction that was perhaps less structured than I normally am, but it is good to get off with a discussion rather than a mere one way passing of information.  Next week, as you know, I’m off at a conference so the lecture will be rearranged for later in the term. However, have a look at the questions and the tutorial on cannibalism.  The crime is interesting because it involves killing for survival so is both necessary and abhorrent. It really does test our intuitions and leaves us somewhat conflicted.  Read the first few chapters of Hobbes’s Leviathan and then answer the questions from seminar 1.  When you’ve done that reply below with some of your own thoughts.

 

 

PHi1010 Lecture 1 and next week

Welcome to Philosophical Studies and the PHi1010 Module.  The subject matter is knowing, reality and truth. Not too much to get through in 11 weeks, then.

 

Today was just an introduction to what philosophy is and how it is performed.  If you take anything from the lecture, it is that if you hold a belief and want it to held by others, then you ought to have bloody good reason that are rational and coherent.  We are now going to look at the Theaetetus and see whether Plato himself has good reasons for holding his general claim that empiricism is not a good theory of knowledge. Start reading the dialogue which you can download for free http://www.amazon.co.uk/Theaetetus-ebook/dp/B0082SSDHO/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=39QXP5XJJJY4W&coliid=I3SOGWJISUF4GA. The introduction is very good in this edition, but begin by reading the dialogue itself.

 

Next week, unfortunately, there will be no lecture as I am away at a conference.  I may try to set up tutorials for next week — check your emails regularly.  I shall timetable an extra lecture for the future.