Philosophy 8 | Critical Thinking

MT. SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE | SUMMER SEMESTER | 2022 |

Professor David Christopher Lane, Ph.D.

CRN 10301 | Course Hours: 54, 3 units

VIRTUAL OFFICE HOURS, BY APPOINTMENT VIA EMAIL

WELCOME TO PHILOSOPHY 8 CRITICAL THINKING

Key Guideline: Everything you need for this course is listed on this page. Read it carefully and systematically. Each week you are provided with reading materials and films and essay questions. Your professor is here to help and available 24/7 via email at dlane@mtsac.edu.

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Student Learning Outcomes by Discipline | Philosophy 8

CRITICAL THINKING | PHIL 8

SLO 1: Students will be able to distinguish inductive and deductive arguments.

SLO 2: Students will be able to identify the premises/reasons for supporting the conclusion within an argument.

SLO 3: Students will be able to evaluate arguments (strong/weak, valid/invalid).

SLO 4: Students will learn to analyze informal fallacies.

SLO 5: Students will be able to apply problem-solving skills to their personal belief systems and social issues.

INTRODUCTION

This course is designed to help us think and write more critically over a broad number of issues, including such subjects as religion, mathematics, physics, psychology, and biology. To achieve this goal the course will require that each student write 6 distinct essays over the course of the semester. Each essay must be at least 500 words in length and properly edited before final submission to your professor. The student will also take one midterm and one final (all essay based) and will attach the same on their own website and email the link to your professor at the designated time. See more info below.

General website: http://www.neuralsurfer.com

General library of free materials: Runnebohm Library

Neural Surfer's Youtube channel for original films: http://www.youtube.com/user/neuralsurfer

Email: dlane@mtsac.edu

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/neuralsurfer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/neuralsurf

Audio Books: https://sites.google.com/site/msacaudiobooks/

If you have any questions or confusion, please write to your professor at the appropriate email (online students only: dlane@mtsac.edu) and you should receive a response within 24 hours. If you do not receive a reply within two days, it generally means that your professor did not get your email. Be sure to write again until you get a reply.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Be sure to create your own personal website using google sites. Here is an older instructional video for classic sites; google now has an updated, newer version video to help you on how to make your site.

2. Keep a copy of everything that you do for the course on your website.

3. Do all of the assigned readings to the best of your ability. There will be some reading that you may skim read, provided you understand the basic materials being presented.

4. Watch all of the assigned films.

5. Please share on the canvas discussion forum your required essays per week; be sure to keep a copy on your website as well.

I am here 24/7 if you have any questions. Email me at dlane@mtsac.edu

REQUIRED TEXTS

Special Note from Professor: These past five years we have partnered with audible.com and a series of professional narrators to provide our students with audio versions of the required texts for this class. We feel this is a wonderful and useful option for students who are quite busy these days. You can listen to these audio texts almost anywhere (in your car, on your smartphone, at home on your computer). They are priced very low (anywhere from 5 dollars to 10 dollars) and provide a welcome alternative to reading a text that far too often students merely skim or skip altogether.

I have been a big fan of audiobooks now for some 35 years. I highly recommend it. The key is to simply join Amazon's owned company, http://www.audible.com. I have provided links next to each required text for the audio version. It is your option, of course, whether you wish to have the audio version or the print copy. Below are instructions about the printed books for this class.

For a fuller listing go here: https://sites.google.com/site/msacaudiobooks/

Required Books for this Course. There are several small books to purchase. They are available only at amazon.com.

Amazon offers PRIME free for 6 months for students. So when you order the book you will get it at your doorstep the next 1-2 days and delivery is free!! Here is how to sign up for free amazon prime: http://www.amazon.com/gp/student/signup/info (you have to use your student MtSac email to sign up). The purchase price for all 8 of the books together: around 50 plus dollars (reasonable considering traditional textbooks usually sell for over 100 dollars). I am recommending that you buy these books from amazon.com at once as a "bundle" (all at once). This will save you some money, they arrive at your door together in one package, and you will only have to order once for this class. The books are not available at Mt. Sac bookstore since there is about a 40% price hike if purchased there. Also, many students are taking this class outside of the Mt. Sac local area and are not able to commute to the campus for book purchases. The books are not for profit. I recommend using PRIME so that you receive the text within 24-48 hours of purchasing it. You can start reading it early as well. You will need the books as soon as possible. In addition to these small books, there will be online (free) readings assigned in the weekly lesson plans. This is NOT for-profit publishing.

TEACHER-STUDENT INTERACTION:

I have spent the last twenty years creating over 150 original mini visual films on philosophy, science, and religion, to provide a more personal (and visual) glimpse into philosophy. In this way, they serve as a visual and auditory lecture from your Professor.

Furthermore, we have created over 500 original books and pamphlets dealing with philosophy that is available for free as PDFs and as interactive texts. This is an ongoing project and during the semester we will be adding to the large database that can be accessed anytime and anywhere via the Internet.

Finally, I am available 24/7 via email for any questions or issues you may have. Contact: dlane@mtsac.edu

IMPORTANT NOTE: Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Your work must be your own.

STUDENT TO STUDENT INTERACTION:

Often we learn more from sharing with other students than from formal lectures. Be sure to use the canvas forum to post your essay responses and to exchange ideas with

other students. Also be sure to keep a copy of your posts (and selected interactions) on your website for my review at midterm and finals time.

EASY TO READ, General Overview: BLISSFUL IGNORANCE: THE YOGA OF UNKNOWING | Audio version | FREE PDF

EXTRA CREDIT: AUDIOBOOKS

Over the past five years, we have produced over 265 audio books via Amazon's audible and Apple's iTunes. Here is a link to all of the titles. Feel free to pick anyone that you find of interest (they usually cover some aspect of philosophy) and write a 200-word reaction and place it on your website. This will garner extra credit. You can do as many as you like to gain extra points each time. Also share your

reaction analysis on the canvas student forum. They will be graded at midterm and finals time to add extra points.

I am a huge fan of audiobooks primarily because we are now so distracted by our smartphones and other computational devices. Listening to an audiobook while driving is a unique pleasure especially in traffic! After the drive one feels more enlightened instead of stupefied by the long drive!

A link to audiobooks produced by the MSAC Philosophy Group:

https://sites.google.com/site/msacaudiobooks/

1. YOU ARE PROBABILITY | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE | FREE PDF

2. FEYNMAN IMPERATIVE | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE | FREE PDF

3. SURFING IN THE CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE | FREE PDF

4. COSMIC CREATIONISM | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE | FREE PDF

5. THE CHURCHLAND CONTROVERSY | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE | FREE PDF

6. WHY LIVING TODAY IS BETTER THAN YESTERDAY | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE | FREE PDF

7. PSYCHIC DECEPTION | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE | FREE PDF

8. GUMBY LAND | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE | FREE PDF

9. A SCIENTIFIC NOTEBOOK | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE | FREE PDF

10. THE CHANDIAN EFFECT | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE | FREE PDF

11. MAYA: The Physics of Deception | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE | FREE PDF

12. THE VIRTUAL PHILOSOPHERS | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE | FREE PDF

13. DOUBTING MIND | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE | FREE PDF

All Thirteen books can also be available for free as PDF versions. However, I have found that students respond better if they choose the audio format coupled with the free PDF. You can also get the paperback version at near cost from Amazon on the first links given above to each book.

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IMPORTANT NOTE ON THE READING:

The reading may at first seem overwhelming but most of the books are short and I have estimated that each week it will take about 3 to 4 hours (give or take) to go through the assigned reading. Because this is a 16 week course condensed into 8 weeks, it should be expected to be more intense. If this was spread out over a regular semester, it would only be about an hour and a half of reading each week.

So don't stress. Get the book (in paperback or in audio format [what I recommend] or as a PDF) and read with a relaxed mind. These are not textbooks in the formal sense. I want you to read them as you would a regular book or magazine. The test questions will already be available to you weeks in advance so there are no "hidden" parts that you need to study for since it will be very clear and open what is being asked.

Remember this quote:

"What is more important than learning? THE DESIRE TO LEARN."

We have also spent several years creating original mini films to help you if the reading becomes too dense.

Course Outline

INTRODUCTION (these are prefatory online readings that provide a general overview)

Required Introductory Readings (online and free):

FULL LIBRARY OF 500 PLUS FREE BOOKS FOR PDF DOWNLOAD

WEEK 1: MATHEMATICS (understanding probability)

REQUIRED BOOKS FOR THIS WEEK

YOU ARE PROBABILITY | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE

Estimated reading time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

DOUBTING MIND | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE |

Estimated reading time: 2 hours

Required Online Readings: The Hidden Side of Wolfgang Pauli | Patternicity |

Essay Prompt: Write a 500 word (or more) essay focusing on the issue of apophenia/patternicity. Find one or more examples of it from history (or from your own personal experience) and explain why humans are prone to see significance and meaning in erstwhile random or chaotic events. Post your essay on your own personal website (created via google sites) and on the canvas discussion forum. You will receive a reply at midterm and at finals time.

Each essay must be the student's own work. Plagiarism will not be tolerated in any form and will result in an F for the assignment. Be sure to properly cite your sources when necessary.

Respond in detail (50 words or more) to another student's essay answers and post them on the canvas forum as well as on your website.

REQUIRED PODCAST Listen to number 6 on the list.

EXTRA CREDIT PODCAST: "The Coffee-House of Surat" by Leo Tolstoy

NOTICE: Please introduce yourself to the other students in the class (major, interests, hobbies, job, etc.) on the canvas discussion forum.

Best to finish each week by Sunday night but it is up to you since your work will be graded at midterm and finals time. Sunday is merely a guideline.

WEEK 2: PHYSICS (understanding how things work)

REQUIRED BOOK FOR THIS WEEK

THE FEYNMAN IMPERATIVE | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE

Estimated reading time: 1 hour and 50 minutes

Required Online Readings: Are you Living in a Computer Simulation? | Turing on the Mind and Machine Intelligence |

Essay Prompt: Write a 500 word (or more) science fiction story about the role of computational/artificial intelligence in future human societies. Feel free to be creative, radical, and inventive. However, be sure to draw from the required readings and films. Post your essay on your own personal website (created via google sites) and on the canvas discussion forum.

Each essay must be the student's own work. Plagiarism will not be tolerated in any form and will result in an F for the assignment. Be sure to properly cite your sources when necessary. You will receive a reply at midterm and at finals time.

Respond in detail (50 words or more) to another student's essay answers and post them on the canvas forum as well as on your website.

DOUBLE EXTRA CREDIT BOOK: Heretical Thinking | AUDIO VERSION

Best to finish each week by Sunday night but it is up to you since your work will be graded at midterm and finals time. Sunday is merely a guideline.

WEEK 3: BIOLOGY (understanding evolution)

REQUIRED BOOKS FOR THIS WEEK

WHY LIVING TODAY IS BETTER THAN YESTERDAY | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE

COSMIC CREATIONISM | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE

Estimated reading time: 2 hours and 30 minutes

Required Online Readings: Natural Selection | Darwin's Life |

Essay Prompt: Write a 500 word (or more) critical essay on the evolution vs. intelligent design debate by answering this query: Why do the vast majority of biologists find evolution by natural selection to be more persuasive than intelligent design/creationism. Conversely, why is intelligent design/creationism still popular in America? Post your essay on your own personal website (created via google sites) and on the canvas discussion forum. You will receive a reply at midterm and at finals time.

Each essay must be the student's own work. Plagiarism will not be tolerated in any form and will result in an F for the assignment. Be sure to properly cite your sources when necessary.

Respond in detail (50 words or more) to another student's essay answers and post them on the canvas forum as well as on your website.

DOUBLE EXTRA CREDIT BOOK (optional): EVOLUTIONARY LIMITS

Best to finish each week by Sunday night but it is up to you since your work will be graded at midterm and finals time. Sunday is merely a guideline.

MIDTERM IS DUE

MIDTERM: Due July 9^th by 11 p.m.

INSTRUCTIONS: Be sure to answer all of the questions fully. It is best to be as comprehensive as possible and to also use quotes from the readings/films to back up your answer. Remember you may have to do some original research via the Net to properly answer the various questions. Two paragraphs minimum per question is a good rule of thumb, but you can go much longer. When finished, email it directly to dlane@mtsac.edu. I prefer word documents and if you send it as a google document please make sure that it is publicly accessible.

1. Your name?

2. How much of the reading did you do? Explain

3. How many films did you watch from the required lists? Explain.

4. PLEASE PROVIDE ALL OF YOUR FINALIZED ESSAYS FOR REVIEW.

5. Why does Littlewood’s Law of Miracles and Desultory Decussation best explain why certain magical chants (such as Voodoo Voodoo) work versus a purely supernatural one.

6. What is apophenia/patternicity? Why is this a viable explanation behind license plate synchronicities? Be sure to back up your argument from the required readings, etc. Provide two examples of apophenia/patternicity that you have witnessed or read about.

7. Why is living today better than ever before? Detail your answer.

8. What does the author mean by “you are probability”? Be sure to back up your answer from pertinent details from the book of the same title.

9. What does surfing the matrix mean?

10. Why is intelligent design not generally regarded as genuine science?

11. What is Feynman’s Flower? Why does Feynman believe that science helps us appreciate beauty versus detracting from it?

12. What is the Shiva Nature of science? Give key examples of it.

13. Which “agnostic” thinker did you find most impressive from the required book, Doubting Minds? Why? Which one did you find least impressive? Why?

14. Given the required online readings in the first week, what is the key to critical thinking?

15. List three common fallacies. Provide examples of each and then explain why they are faulty.

16. Why does Huxley argue that we are “all scientists”?

17. Who is Alan Turing and why is he important in the history of computer science and logical thinking?

18. How does the Star Trek Metaphor help us understand why we may be confused at times?

19. Explain reductionism in science. Provide an illustrative example of how it works.

20. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE READING SO FAR?

21. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FILMS SO FAR?

WEEK 4: THE BRAIN (understanding the neuroscience)

REQUIRED BOOKS FOR THIS WEEK

THE CHURCHLAND CONTROVERSY | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE

Estimated reading time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

MAYA: THE PHYSICS OF DECEPTION | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE

Estimated reading time: 20 MINUTES

THE CHANDIAN EFFECT | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE

Estimated reading time: 45 minutes

Required Online Readings: Cargo Cult Science | How to do a cold reading?

Essay Prompt: Write a 500 word (or more) critical analysis of an alleged paranormal event or idea and provide a rational/logical explanation for it. Although you can pick any parnormal topic be sure to research your topic beforehand. Post your essay on your own personal website (created via google sites) and on the canvas discussion forum. You will receive a reply at midterm and at finals time.

Each essay must be the student's own work. Plagiarism will not be tolerated in any form and will result in an F for the assignment. Be sure to properly cite your sources when necessary.

Respond in detail (50 words or more) to another student's essay answers and post them on the canvas forum as well as on your website.

REQUIRED PODCAST: "Fire in the Brain"

Best to finish each week by Sunday night but it is up to you since your work will be graded at midterm and finals time. Sunday is merely a guideline.

WEEK 5 AND 6: THE TECHNOLOGICAL (understanding how we live and our future)

REQUIRED BOOKS FOR THIS WEEK

SURFING IN THE CEREBRAL HEMISPHERE | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE

THE VIRTUAL PHILOSOPHERS | AUDIO VERSION GO HERE

EXTRA CREDIT (highly recommended)

THE ILLUMINATED BRAIN

Estimated reading time: 2 hours and 30 minutes

Required Online Readings: The Singularity is Near? | Brave New World Revisited | Technopanics |

Required Readings: Global Positioning Intelligence | The Codex Funeral | The Future of Informational Memory |

Essay Prompt: Write a 500 word (or more) critical essay on how technology will change or alter how human beings live and interact in the future. You can select one (or more) gadgets or breakthroughs to ground your article. Be sure to do your own research as well. Post your essay on your own personal website (created via google sites) and on the canvas discussion forum. You will receive a reply at midterm and at finals time.

Each essay must be the student's own work. Plagiarism will not be tolerated in any form and will result in an F for the assignment. Be sure to properly cite your sources when necessary.

Respond in detail (50 words or more) to another student's essay answers and post them on the canvas forum as well as on your website.

FINAL IS DUE tba

Phil 9H Final

Be sure to answer each question as fully as possible. Two paragraphs minimum per all content questions. Send your website and final to dlane@mtsac.edu.

DUE JULY 30^th before 11 pm.

1. Your name:

2. List all of your essays

3. List all of your extra credit.

List your midterm grade here:

4. How would a skeptic (such as Patricia Churchland) explain Near-Death Experiences? How would a believer develop a counter-argument? Which one do you find more persuasive and why? Be sure to do some research to back up your answer.

5. Name 3 “virtual” philosophers and their respective contributions. Be sure to detail your answer. Feel free to do more research before answering.

6. What is the Chandian Effect? How can it help explain religious visions?

8. What is “maya” and why is the concept important in understanding how humans are so easily deceived. Give examples.

9. Why is your professor so critical of Jeffrey Kripal’s belief in the paranormal? Give examples from the readings.

10. What is Meaning Equivalence and how does it help explain why religious beliefs may have been favored by natural selection?

11. Do you believe the singularity is near? Explain your reasoning. Be sure to do research to back up your answer.

12. Why is Bertrand Russell skeptical of religious claims? Be sure to outline his reasoning.

13. What was your favorite reading?

14. What was your favorite film?

15. What did you learn that surprised you the most?

16. Provide a pro and con argument (be sure to research this online as well) for the veganism (or, the non-meat ideal).

17. What was your favorite film?

18. What surprised you the most this semester?

19. What is the codex funeral? Do you think books are dead? Why? Why not?

20. Give a rational explanation for the Bhrigu Samhita. (Hint: it is the movie about Ancient Astrology listed on the syllabus).

GRADING

A= Securing a B+ or higher on the midterm and final and doing all the required readings and watching all of the required films. Also completing each of the assigned essays and receiving a B+ grade or higher.

B= Securing a B- or higher on the midterm and final and doing all the required readings and watching all of the required films. Also completing each of the assigned essays and receiving a passing grade.

C= Securing a C- or higher on the midterm and final and doing most of the required readings and watching most of the required films. Also completing each of the assigned essays and receiving a passing grade.

D= Securing a D- or higher on the midterm and final and doing some of the required readings and watching some of the required films. Also completing most of the assigned essays and receiving a D grade or higher.

F= Not doing the required work for this course.

Cheating and Plagiarism

The term “Cheating” includes but is not limited to:

• Plagiarism

• Receiving or knowingly supplying unauthorized information

• Using unauthorized material or sources

• Changing an answer after work has been graded and presenting it as improperly

graded

• Illegally accessing confidential information through a computer

• Taking an examination for another student or having another person take an

examination for you

• Presenting another person’s work as your own

• Forging or altering registration or grade documents

• Submitting collectively developed work as your own, unless specifically allowed by

the professor

A professor who determines that a student has cheated may give the student a failing grade

for the assignment and should report the alleged academic dishonesty to the Student Life

Office, which will maintain a record of the report and appropriate action under the

provisions of the Administrative Procedures on Student Discipline (AP 5520).

Students are advised that allegations of dishonesty are serious, and can lead to disciplinary

sanctions including suspension and expulsion. (AP 4290).

For webpage: http://www.mtsac.edu/distancelearning/_resources/2013-

14_Catalog_StudentHonestyPolicy_1.pdf

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Disability Accommodations

Students with disabilities, whether physical, learning, or psychological, who believe that they

may need accommodations in this class, are encouraged to contact Disabled Students

Programs & Services (DSPS) as soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations are

implemented in a timely manner. Their phone number is (909) 274-4290 and they are located

in the Student Services Building, Room 9B. Webpage: http://www.mtsac.edu/dsps/

Student Learning Outcomes by Discipline | Philosophy 8

Classifying Arguments. Pre and Post-Surveys to identify student knowledge of Classifying Arguments (Inductive and Deductive)

Evaluating Arguments. Students will take Pre and Post-Surveys to identify knowledge of Evaluation Arguments (Strong/weak, Cogent/Uncogent; Valid/Invalid, Sound/Unsound). General Education Outcome. Students completing an assignment in Critical Thinking will be able to develop a thesis statement that advances a clear argument. Inquiry/Critical Thinking and Analysis. Students will demonstrate inquiry (a systematic process of exploring issues, objects or works) and analysis (assessment of evidence resulting in conclusions or judgments) as part of their Honors coursework.

The Neuralsurfer website founded in 1994 is designed to present a variety of information

for free via books, magazines, circulars, forums, and films.