Philosophical Problems
By Jack Reynolds and Andrew Brennan
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Description
In this subject we examine some of the central problems that have captivated philosophers throughout millennia, as well as those that scientific advances and cultural changes have only recently brought to our attention. These might include: where did the universe come from? Might a machine think? Is time travel possible? Is it morally acceptable to eat meat, or to design children genetically? Does the world suggest the existence of a designer, a God? Students will focus on examining the merits of the various arguments on these issues, dealing with each philosophical problem for a week. Students will be introduced to most of the major philosophical areas, including epistemology (what can we know?), metaphysics (what is the nature of reality?), ethics, personal identity, and philosophy of mind.
| Name | Description | Released | Price | ||
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1 |
Free Will II | While the question concerning the truth of determinism may be an empirical question, philosophers are particularly interested in whether or not the hypothetical truth of determinism would rule out free will. | 5/22/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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2 |
Free Will II (handout) | While the question concerning the truth of determinism may be an empirical question, philosophers are particularly interested in whether or not the hypothetical truth of determinism would rule out free will. | 5/22/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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3 |
Free Will I | If the world is causally determined, does this mean people no longer have free will? Or is being free compatible with determinism. | 5/19/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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4 |
Free Will I (handout) | If the world is causally determined, does this mean people no longer have free will? Or is being free compatible with determinism. | 5/19/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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5 |
Artificial Intelligence II | Two of the most vocal critics of the idea that information processing machines may be said to think, or show intelligence, are Hubert Dreyfus and John Searle. | 5/13/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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6 |
Artificial Intelligence II (handout) | Two of the most vocal critics of the idea that information processing machines may be said to think, or show intelligence, are Hubert Dreyfus and John Searle. | 5/13/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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7 |
Artificial Intelligence I | This lecture introduces students to the work of Alan Turing and the project of creating Artificial Intelligence that he played a significant role in inaugurating. | 5/8/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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8 |
Artificial Intelligence I (handout) | This lecture introduces students to the work of Alan Turing and the project of creating Artificial Intelligence that he played a significant role in inaugurating. | 5/8/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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9 |
The Consciousness Conundrum II | In this lecture we discuss two competing solutions to the mind-body problem. First, we look at the identity theory of mind, or reductive materialism, which says that the mind is identical to the brain. | 5/7/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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10 |
The Consciousness Conundrum II (handout) | In this lecture we discuss two competing solutions to the mind-body problem. First, we look at the identity theory of mind, or reductive materialism, which says that the mind is identical to the brain. | 5/7/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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11 |
The Consciousness Conundrum I | The mind appears to be of a radically different nature to the everyday material items we normally encounter. | 5/5/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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12 |
The Consciousness Conundrum I (handout) | The mind appears to be of a radically different nature to the everyday material items we normally encounter. | 5/5/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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13 |
Other Minds | Do we know that others have minds? This lecture considers two main types of response to the “problem of other minds". | 4/29/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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14 |
Other Minds (handout) | Do we know that others have minds? This lecture considers two main types of response to the “problem of other minds". | 4/29/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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15 |
The Problem of Induction | This lecture is a discussion of the problem of induction and looks at the structure of logical reasoning with a view to delineating the ‘problem’ with inductive reasoning. | 4/22/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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16 |
The Problem of Induction (handout) | This lecture is a discussion of the problem of induction and looks at the structure of logical reasoning with a view to delineating the ‘problem’ with inductive reasoning. | 4/22/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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17 |
Brain-snatched II | This lecture continues the discussion of scepticism introduced in the preceding lecture. There is discussion of different views about what the consequences would be for someone who accepted scepticism. | 4/17/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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18 |
Brain-snatched II (handout) | This lecture continues the discussion of scepticism introduced in the preceding lecture. There is discussion of different views about what the consequences would be for someone who accepted scepticism. | 4/17/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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19 |
Brain-snatched I | This lecture deals with philosophical scepticism about the physical world. This is the idea that we do not really have any evidence (at all!) for any of our ordinary beliefs about the world around us. | 4/15/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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20 |
Brain-snatched I (handout) | This lecture deals with philosophical scepticism about the physical world. This is the idea that we do not really have any evidence (at all!) for any of our ordinary beliefs about the world around us. | 4/15/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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21 |
Creationism and Science II | This lecture builds a more sophisticated response to the demarcation problem (over and above Popper’s response) that includes ideas from Kuhn, Lakatos and Thagard. | 4/10/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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22 |
Creationism and Science II (handout) | This lecture builds a more sophisticated response to the demarcation problem (over and above Popper’s response) that includes ideas from Kuhn, Lakatos and Thagard. | 4/10/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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23 |
Creationism and Science | This lecture looks at what creationism is all about and some of the arguments that proponents of creationism use to argue that it is science. | 4/8/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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24 |
Creationism and Science (handout) | This lecture looks at what creationism is all about and some of the arguments that proponents of creationism use to argue that it is science. | 4/8/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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25 |
Philosophy Essay Writing | This lecture provides some advice about writing essays in philosophy. | 3/27/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 26 | VideoSelf Identity, Part II | Does it make sense to think we can duplicate persons, so that people can divide just like cells? | 3/20/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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27 |
Self Identity, Part II (handout) | Does it make sense to think we can duplicate persons, so that people can divide just like cells? | 3/20/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 28 | VideoSelf Identity, Part I | What makes me the person I am? Two popular answers are that my identity depends on the continuing existence of my body, or that my identity depends on some psychological continuity, such as the functioning and extent of memory. | 3/20/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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29 |
Self Identity, Part I (handout) | What makes me the person I am? Two popular answers are that my identity depends on the continuing existence of my body, or that my identity depends on some psychological continuity, such as the functioning and extent of memory. | 3/20/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 30 | VideoTime Travel, Part II | Can the past be changed? It looks as if time travellers could wreak havoc by interfering with things that have already happened. | 3/12/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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31 |
Time Travel, Part II (handout) | Can the past be changed? It looks as if time travellers could wreak havoc by interfering with things that have already happened. | 3/12/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 32 | VideoTime Travel, Part I | Is time travel possible? An introduction to the philosophy – not the science – of time travel, asking whether time travel can be described without contradictions. | 3/12/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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33 |
Time Travel, Part I (handout) | Is time travel possible? An introduction to the philosophy – not the science – of time travel, asking whether time travel can be described without contradictions. | 3/12/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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34 |
What is Philosophy? | This lecture considers the vexed question of what is philosophy and some of the most common answers to this question. | 3/4/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
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35 |
What is Philosophy? (handout) | This lecture considers the vexed question of what is philosophy and some of the most common answers to this question. | 3/4/2013 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 35 Items |
