How’s This for Irony? American Blimps and Amish Buggies
October 28, 2015 Leave a comment
Are you good at believing the things you believe? Does it show in the way you live?
October 28, 2015 1 Comment
Here are three questions for Democrats to ask themselves as they watch the third Republican debate tonight:
I hope to see your responses here.
Related links:
October 28, 2015 1 Comment
The top ten contenders for the Republican nomination gather tonight for their third presidential debate. It will be aired on CNBC at 8:00 pm ET.
These debates offer the electorate one of the best vantage points for peering into the character and policy plans of the candidates. Many expect the field of serious contenders to be winnowed after tonight.
I hope you’ll be watching.
But what should we be watching for? What questions will inform our observations as the event unfolds? Here are some things that will have my attention:
You don’t have to be a Republican to play this game. You don’t have to be a Republican to have a stake in the outcome. If you’re a registered Democrat, you may want to consider the merits of a Republican candidate for the presidency.
What will you be watching for? Share your responses here.
Related links:
October 27, 2015 1 Comment
Here are three views of the same object.
View #1
View #2
View #3
Share your brilliance and answer these three questions:
Bonus question:
October 27, 2015 1 Comment
Trump has lately been shouting that he is a Presbyterian, as if the only one who has trouble believing it is himself. This is not to say that most people believe it. But Trump needs to convince himself if he hopes to convince everyone else.
But what kind of Presbyterian is Donald Trump?
His claim might mean something if he would simply answer a few straightforward questions. For example: “Which ‘version’ of Presbyterian are you, Mr Trump? Are you PC USA (Presbyterian Church USA)? Are you PCA (Presbyterian Church in America)? Do you know the difference?” The PC USA is much larger, but only marginally theologically orthodox (to put it gently). The PCA is broadly evangelical and much closer to the tradition of Presbyterianism influenced from the outset by John Calvin, who was active during the European Reformation of the 16th century.
There are many other smaller branches of Presbyterianism spread out across the U.S. and Canada. Most of these are broadly evangelical. Is Trump the evangelical kind of Presbyterian?
Now if Trump thinks he will recruit scores of evangelicals to his cause simply by calling himself a Presbyterian, then maybe he doesn’t know what a Presbyterian is. Or maybe he doesn’t get evangelicals. Or maybe he doesn’t credit the intelligence and discernment of evangelicals, including those who are Presbyterians.
Here’s another question for Trump: “What is the name of the Confession of Faith historically affirmed by Presbyterians?” I would be surprised if he could answer this question without prompting from his handlers. (Yes, Donald Trump has “handlers.”)
Suppose Trump can name that Confession. Then he should be asked if he can complete this sentence from the Confession: “The chief end of man is to ____________________ and ____________________.”
If Trump can’t answer that question, he may know less about Presbyterianism than he does about Seventh-day Adventism. If he can answer that question, then he should ask himself how his campaign rhetoric holds up in light of its standard.
***
Bonus Question: Whose statue is pictured here and what does this guy have to do with Presbyterianism?
October 25, 2015 1 Comment
At the Triumph Motorcycle Rat Forum there’s a thread discussing the possibility of purchasing a service manual for the Triumph Thunderbird 1600. While those who have purchased the manual say they’re glad they did, even at a cost of $45-$138. But there’s a better option: a downloadable PDF file of the manual that (a) costs nothing, (b) is searchable, (c) can be saved to any computer or iOS device, and (4) can be printed, in whole or in part, as needed. Does it really get any better than that?
I went looking for the manual in order to troubleshoot a leak from under the fuel tank. The PDF file includes everything needed for this, including a detailed step-wise description and a series of parts diagrams. (It even notes the placement of the fuel tank support tool—part no. T3880806. Alas, this tool is longer available from Triumph. Probably because it really isn’t needed.)
October 12, 2015 Leave a comment
The popular TV series The Twilight Zone was first broadcast in 1959. “Where Is Everybody?” is the first episode of the series. It was broadcast October 2, 1959. I’ve used it in philosophy classes to foster discussion about knowledge and justified belief.
I use a two-part handout with questions for guided discussion. In an earlier post, I listed the questions in Part 1. Those questions are designed to draw viewers into the story and help them recall and think about the events that transpire. In this post I list the questions used in Part 2 to facilitate reflection and discussion of themes in philosophy.
I screen the episode in class, then lead discussion around a selection of these questions. There are more questions here than can be used during a class period. So I encourage students to take some time with the rest of the questions on their own. I mix it up a little by having students get into small groups to share ideas that are prompted by two or three of the questions. Then we discuss a few of the more philosophically technical aspects of the story as a whole group. This allows me to include some lecturing. At the end I may allow time for students to write their thoughts about a wrap-up question. Students then turn in their notes, taken while viewing the story and during discussion.
You’re welcome to experiment with this exercise in your own teaching. Or you may want to view this episode of The Twilight Zone with some friends, then have a discussion around the issues raised in these questions. If you have suggestions of your own, feel free to write them in the comments box for this post. And if you do try these out in class, let us know how it goes.
Part II – Some Philosophical Questions
Brain in a Vat Argument for Skepticism
“The Brain in a Vat thought-experiment is most commonly used to illustrate global or Cartesian skepticism. You are told to imagine the possibility that at this very moment you are actually a brain hooked up to a sophisticated computer program that can perfectly simulate experiences of the outside world. Here is the skeptical argument. If you cannot now be sure that you are not a brain in a vat, then you cannot rule out the possibility that all of your beliefs about the external world are false. Or, to put it in terms of knowledge claims, we can construct the following skeptical argument. Let “P” stand for any belief or claim about the external world, say, that snow is white.
– Lance P. Hickey, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (http://www.iep.utm.edu/brainvat/; viewed 23 September 2015)
Click here for discussion questions in Part 1.
October 5, 2015 Leave a comment
The popular TV series The Twilight Zone was first broadcast in 1959. “Where Is Everybody?” is the first episode of the series. It was broadcast October 2, 1959. This story takes a fascinating look at themes of interest even today. I’ve used it in philosophy classes to foster discussion about knowledge and justified belief.
I use a two-part handout with questions for guided discussion. The questions in Part 1, reproduced in this post, draw viewers into the story and help them recall and think about the events that transpire. In a separate post I’ll list the questions used in Part 2 to facilitate reflection and discussion of themes in philosophy.
I screen the episode in class, then lead discussion around a selection of these questions. There are more questions here than can be used during a class period. So I encourage students to take some time with the rest of the questions on their own. I mix it up a little by having students get into small groups to share ideas that are prompted by two or three of the questions. Then we discuss a few of the more philosophically technical aspects of the story as a whole group. This allows me to include some lecturing. At the end I may allow time for students to write their thoughts about a wrap-up question. Students then turn in their notes, taken while viewing the story and during discussion.
You’re welcome to experiment with this exercise in your own teaching. Or you may want to view this episode of The Twilight Zone with some friends, then have a discussion around the issues raised in these questions. If you have suggestions of your own, feel free to write them in the comments box for this post. And if you do try these out in class, let us know how it goes.
Part I – Questions about Your Experience and Evaluation of this Episode
Is there any symbolism here? What do these events reveal about the character, once we know the real nature of the experiment? What would you add to this list?
Recent Comments