Review
Feb 24, 2016
Review
Grades & what they meanUOW Score (%) UK/USA/Asia
High Distinction 85-100 A?Distinction 75-84 A-?
Credit 65-74 B?Pass 50-64Fail 0-49
Plan❄‘Multiple Personality
Disorder’ (or, ‘Dissociative Identity Disorder’)
❄Module review❄Essay review❄Exam preview
What makes you you?
TIME
“Dissociative Identity disorder”
Psychiatry meets Philosophy
B I
B Ia
Sally
B IV
B IVa
B IISober, responsible, well-balanced• Claims to be both BI & BIV• Has virtues of both, but not their
vices
19041893-
‘Multiple Persons’❄ No continuity of consciousness❄ Radically different personality,
each complex & consistent internally
❄ Each is an intentional system❄ 1st person perspective shows
self-understanding as person❄ Alternate & Simultaneous
existence
‘1 Person’2 senses of person/personality
Appearance meaning• Persona, mask• How you present
yourself to others
• Person in the numerical sense
• The true self
Reality meaning
Natural kinds❄There is a distinction
between the natural & artificial
❄We are familiar with natural persons and can refer to them to discern the unnatural
❄Natural persons are not like BI, BIV, Sally
Christine Beauchamp is 1 person
“Miss Beauchamp's personalities suffer from severe mental and physical defects: aboulia, impulsions, neurasthenia, amnesia of actions and thoughts, violent mood and character changes, abnormal suggestibility, and severe limitations in their ability to adapt to their environment. Normal, real persons do not suffer from these defects, or at least not all of them.”
Real or natural?❄Conflation of ‘real’,
‘normal’, ‘natural’❊Are they the same?
❄Must all real persons be ‘normal/natural’ persons?
❄Why must the real self be what’s best adapted to the environment?
Lizza’s argument
Appearance meaning• Persona, mask• How you present yourself
to others
• Person in the numerical sense
• The true self
Reality meaning
What’s normal or natural
Complex & distinct personalities, intentional systems, 1st person understanding
Aren’t the normal & natural also appearances?
???
Why privilege some appearances over others?
How should we treat Christine
Beauchamp?
❄A matter of psychiatry/psychology
❄But how you treat her depends on a philosophical judgment❊1 body, multiple persons?❊1 person, multiple
personas?
Introduction to Philosophy
Through Process
Through Issues
Tuesdays with Morrie
“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things.
The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”
- Morrie Schwartz
To think or not to think?
Not to think! To think!
What’s the point of it all?Studies & careerFriends & foesPleasure & suffering
Malice & kindnessLife & death
Big Questions• What am I?• How should I live?• Am I free?
Values, Self & Knowledge
What am I? Making sense of it all
How should I live? Am I free?
Worldviews
Comprehensive explanation of everything
All that isAll that has beenAll that will be
Worldviews
Religion Science
Science❄Observable evidence❄Rigorous method❄Great discoveries❄Demystifying effectScience can’t explain everything yet, but there is good reason to think it will.
Problems with the Science wordview
❄What can Science do?❊Explain observable
phenomena via laws of physics/chemistry/biology
❄Too BIG for Science?
X Y Z
AB C
??
Others
The puzzle
Physical entities & biological organisms
Laws of nature
Fundamental features of the universe
???
What happened?Possible explanations❄Robbery❄Hurricane❄Don’t know❄It simply happened
and there’s no explanation for it
Too BIG for Science?That there are things❄Fundamental features
of the universe❊Laws, constants
How things are❄Life-giving universe
❊Highly improbable ‘fine-tuning’ of the universe allows for intelligent life to exist
Too ODD for Science?Libertarian Freedom❄Power to choose❄Independence from natural lawsThe mind❄The nature of the mental
Objective moral truths❄Moral truths cannot be reduced
to scientific truths
Blast from the past
???
God of the gaps❄Argument based on
what we don’t understand❊Just because we don’t
understand it doesn’t make it more likely that God is the best explanation
❄We need arguments based on what we understand
The puzzle
Physical entities & biological organisms
Laws of nature
Fundamental features of the universe
???
The God hypothesis
Physical entities & biological organisms
Laws of nature
Fundamental features of the universe
God
??
What created God?
Objective moral truths
Physical Reality
Moral Reality
God
Science
Can God create morality?
“Torturing innocent people for fun is morally wrong.”
Is that morally wrong because God says it is?
Did God say it is morally wrong
because it really is?OR
Morality is arbitrary Morality is not created by God
Worldviews
Comprehensive explanation of everything
All that isAll that has beenAll that will be
Philosophy is meaningful
Philosophy is useful
Introduction to Philosophy
Through Process
Through Issues
Philosophy through puzzlesTheory A, Strengths & WeaknessesTheory B, Strengths & Weaknesses…Puzzle – Proposed Solution – Objection – Revised Solution – Objection…
System of arriving at solutions
Easily transferable skills❄Conceptual powers
• Ability to spot abstract patterns
Link the superficially different
Separate the superficially similar
Testing a philosophical viewPhilosophical
View
Hypothesis/Prediction
Observation/Reflection
Compare
Overview of process
AbstractionDistinction
Thought experiments
Starting point
Observations
The Detective Story❄Agent Black is always one
step behind his colleague Mrs Holmes
❄They often work together, but she keeps solving the cases
❄But each time, he looks back on the case and believes he could have solved it too
But why didn’t he solve it instead of
her?
Problem-solving❄Better to be
structured rather than random
❄Better to have a cumulative method rather than always starting anew
Progress❄Incremental & Systemic❄Not merely about diligence
and interest❄Higher-order skills
❊Not just solving more problems❊Analysing and improving your
problem-solving approach❄Criteria, Review, Deliberate
observation
The Good Life❄Thoughtful people
seek meaning in life❊The nature of reality and
their place within it❄Difficult but is there
a better alternative?❊Pursuit of truth and
meaning as part of the good life
Looking back together❄Workload❄Meetings❄Assessment❄Topics
Looking back together❄Essay plan (start of week 6)❄Essay (start of week 11)❄Final exam (end of term)
Track progress Mid-term exam (start week 8)
Start detailed analysis Start Essay plan (start of week 10)
Demonstrate learning via topic of interest Essay (start of week 14)
Topics: Values, Self & Knowledge
Values Self Knowledge• Why should I
be moral?• What is
morality?• Applies ethics:
• Lying, Eating meat, climate change
• Am I free?• Is the mind
just the brain?
• What makes me me• ‘Multiple
personalities’
• Is everything learnt through the 5 senses?
• Is knowledge merely a social construct?
• How do I know I am not in he Matrix?
In progressVarious essays on applied ethics
❊Philosophy essays on Singapore-related matters
❊377A, treatment of strays, capitalism, State welfare, ‘foreign talent’ in sports
Continue discussing via email/FB
Philosophy & Public Affairs
Foreign Talent, Local Glory: Can National Excellence Be
Outsourced?
Goodbye & Hello
Essay Review❄Focus on reasoning
❊Understanding of issue❊Quality of argument
❄But supporting considerations also matter❊Essay organisation❊Language
Areas to note❄Balancing the macro & micro
❊The main ideas should be clear❊Where you are going & how you got there❊Details matter only when they add to the
main ideas❄Transitions
❊‘Narrator’❄Commendation
❊Ian, Zhan Yong
Areas to note❄Quality of argument
❊Attention to subtle distinctions & principles
❊Ability to clearly explain them❊Suggested test
❄Commendation❊Samuel, Ian, Yi Huan
Clarity of expression❄Can an average person
understand you in her 1st careful reading?
❄Note details❊Spelling❊Technical terms❊Choice of words❊Paragraphing
❄Commendation❊Laxman, Jillian, Azalea
Exam analysisOverview❄Part A
❊Brief explanation of concepts/issues
❊4/5 sentences❄Part B
❊Detailed response❊Explanation/critique❊3/4 paragraphs
Part A❄General idea
❊Quick recall❄Some key details
❊Relevance/context❊Contrast it to opposing idea❊Key concepts
❄Use example to illustrate if necessary❄Note to self:
❊Beware of confusing it with…❊Time constraint❊Don’t evaluate/argue
Part B❄Review class discussions, readings
❊Stick to requirements❊Make clear your stand if needed
❄2-part questions❊15/10 marks split
❄Explain arguments❊Note conclusion❊Quickly provide necessary definitions❊Explain key steps❊Objection
PracticePart A❄Privileged access (to your
own thoughts)
Part B❄Is indeterminism
compatible with freedom? Why or why not? Please defend your view.
Part APrivileged access (to your own thoughts)
❄ Refers to the way you know about your own thoughts❊ Direct knowledge❊ Cannot be mistaken
❄ This differs from how others know about your thoughts❊ Indirect & fallible
❄ Indicates an apparent distinction between the mental and the physical❊ Public access to the physical (no one is necessarily
privileged)
Part BIs indeterminism compatible with freedom? Why or why not? Please defend your view.
❄ Define indeterminism❊ Indeterministic events have no cause. Contrast with
determinism.❄ It is not compatible with freedom
❊ Seems random. In exactly the came conditions, the outcome can differ, and there’s no explanation
❊ Freedom involves control. Randomness seems wholly accidental.
❊ Example❄ Freedom needs link causal link between
agent and action❊ Indeterminism cannot provide that link (e.g. desire)