Philosophy Proseminar

General Links

• Philosophy Proseminar Basic Course Information
• Professor's Weekly Blog for the course.
• Open Class Notes. Occassional lecture/presentation notes. Students welcome to contribute.
• Student Work. Samples of student work.
• Philosophy Writing Experiments
• Collaborative Research Exercise

Major Areas of Instruction in the Course

1. Overview of the Discipline, some of its major fields, major epochs, etc.

• See this wiki list of major fields in Philosophy.

• Some basic questions for canvasing interests

• Student Interests

2. Review and advancement of argumentation and explanation skills & knowledge of Philosophical Methods.

• Instructional Notes on Method

• Definition as a Method in Philosophy

• General List of Philosophical Methods

• Philosophical Methods for Philosophy Majors

3. Research Skills

• Instructional Notes on Research Skills

4. Finding and Developing your philosophical voice.

• Instructional Notes on Developing your Philosophical Voice

Documents, Readings, and Miscellaneous things

• David Papineau on Physicalism, Philosophy Bytes
• Penelope Maddy, "Second Philosophy" (Also visit her website at: [1])
• Jonathan Haidt, The Real Difference between Liberals and Conservatives, TED talk
• Excerpt from Jones on Sartre on Human Condition in Nausea
• Husserl, Edmund. Chapter 1 "The Natural Attitude and the "Natural Concept of the World"
• Husserl, Edmund. Chapter 2 "The Natural Attitude and the "Natural Concept of the World"
• Gauthier, David. "Morality and Advantage"
• Nick Bostrom, The Transhumanist FAQ and [2]
• Judith Jarvis Thompson, A Defense of Abortion
• Jonathan Glover, What Sort of People Should There Be?
• Faith & Reason Seminar, October 6, 2009.
• Northwest Conference Link]
• Dennett, Chapters 2 and 3 from Darwin's Dangerous Idea
• Thomas Nagel, What is it like to be a Bat?
• General List of Philosophical Methods
• Philosophical Methods for Philosophy Majors
• Spokane Philosopher's Guild