Implicit Bias (PP15)

Take one of the following Implicit Association Tests (Harvard University research) and post your score. Print your results and bring to class for our discussion. Test Options: Race, Arab - Muslim, Weight, Native, Gender - Career

US Civics (PP14)

Take the Civic Engagement Quiz developed by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and post your score. Print your results and bring in to class.

How Free Are We (PP13)?

Keeping in mind the class discussion on social norms and cultural roles and expectations, how much freedom do we really have in our choices/behavior. Please be sure to defend your position.

Roe v Wade (PP12)

Please read the 1973 US Supreme Court Decision in the case of Roe v Wade provided via the linked Cornell University Law School website. Discuss the following: What did the Supreme Court say about personhood, privacy, and state rights and obligations? Was the Supreme Court capricious in its decision or was the case carefully considered and the reasoning sound? Why or why not?

Pascal's Wager (PP11)

Using your textbook and the class handout, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Pascal's Wager.

What Is Freedom? (PP10)

What precisely is freedom? Defend your position.

'Self" and End of Life (PP9)

Listen to this Podcast with Raymond Tallis (from Philosophy Bites) and discuss the end of life in the context of self identity.

What is Religion? (PP8)

What exactly is religion? Attempt to define it (briefly).

The Problem of Evil (PP7)

Describe the problem of evil (including arguments and rebuttals) in your own words. What do you conclude from this?

God and Reason (PP6)

Is faith (or belief in God) incompatible with reason/science/critical thinking? Why or why not? How do you think people might try to reconcile these two very different ways of "knowing" the world?

Pew Online Religion Quiz (PP5)

Take the Pew religion quiz and post your score. Then bring a printout of your results to class next week. Do NOT study in advance, do NOT look up any answers. All students who take the quiz, post their score, and bring in the printout will get full credit regardless of how many questions were answered correctly.

More information about the complete survey and national results can be found here. Do NOT read this until after you have taken the quiz yourself.

Being an 'Ethical' Person (PP4)

Is religious belief NECESSARY for ethical decisions and/or behavior? Can Atheists be as ethical as religious folk (such as Christians/Jews/Muslims)? Why or why not?

What is "The Matrix"? (PP3)

What does the film "The Matrix" suggest about the nature of reality, our ability to distinguish between what is real and what is not, and the value of life in and out of the 'matrix'?

Animism (PP2)

What is animism? Is the idea alive and well today? If not, why not? If so, where is it found and how is it described/explained?

Argumentation and Fallacies (PP1)

In philosophical argumentation, it is important to recognize logic fallacies and avoid using them. Think of those fallacies in your textbook and/or discussed in class and find current examples (3 minimum) of their use on the web or in popular print publications. Be sure to identify each fallacy and explain why it is a fallacy.

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Welcome!

Welcome to the Spring 2011 PHI101 class at GWCC. This semester we will be focusing on human nature and the nature of the universe including knowledge, perception, freedom, determinism, and the existence of God. We'll use the class blog to share ideas and discuss topics of interest. Enjoy!