Notes: Spinoza, Locke and Hume

11th Grade Philosophy Class 

Notes:

Spinoza:

• A philosopher must help people to see life in a new perspective. One of the pillars of Spinoza's philosophy was indeed to see things from the perspective of eternity. page 245
• The teachings of Jesus therefore represented a liberation from the orthodoxy of Judaism. page 245
• Jesus preached a 'religion of reason' which valued love higher than all humanity. page 245 
• I don't mean only the infinity of space. I mean the eternity of time as well. page 246
• He identified nature with God. He said God is all, and all is in God. page 246
• Spinoza wanted his ethics to show human life is subject to the universal laws of nature. page 246-247
• He believed that there is only one substance. Everything that exists can be reduced to. page 247
• "But when Spinoza uses the word 'nature', he doesn't only mean extended nature. By substance, God, or nature, he means everything that exists, including all things spiritual." page 247 
• Thus Spinoza does not have the dualistic view of reality that Descartes had. We say he was a monist. page 247

Locke:

• "And a rationalist believes in reason as the primary source of knowledge, and he may also believe that man has certain innate ideas that exist in the mind prior to all experience. page 257 
• Rationalist thinking of this kind was typical for philosophy of the seventeenth century. page 258
• "There is nothing in the mind except what was first in the senses." page 258
• "We have no innate ideas or conceptions about the world we are brought into before we have seen it. page 258 
• We see the world around us, we smell, taste, feel, and hear. And nobody does this more intensely than infants. page 259
• So he distinguished between 'sensation' and 'reflection'. page 259
• "Locke emphasized that the only things we can perceive are simple sensations. page 260 
• He believed that the idea of God was born of human reason. That was a rationalistic feature. page 262 

Hume: 

• David Hume lived from 1711-1776. He stands as the most important of the empiricists. 
• His main work. A Treatise if Human Nature, was published when Hume was twenty-eight years old.
• Hume proposed the return to our spontaneous experience of the world.
• In the time of Hume there was a widespread beliefs in angels. 
• According to Hume, an 'angel' is a complex idea. It consists of two different experiences which are not in fact related. 
• Man have two different perceptions, namely impressions and ideas. impressions: the immediate sensation of external reality. Ideas recollection of such impressions. page 265
• A person who has never seen gold will never be able to visualize streets of gold. 
• Hume's point is that we sometimes form complex ideas for which there is no corresponding object in the physical world. page 266
• Comparing Hume to Buddha page 269
• agnostic: is someone who holds that the existence of God or god can neither be proved nor disproved. page 270
• He only accepted what he had perceived through senses. 

8th Grade: William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare: 

While Shakespeare caused much controversy, he also earned lavish praise and has profoundly impacted the world over in areas of literature, culture, art, theatre, and film and is considered one of the best English language writers ever. From the Preface of the First Folio (1623) "To the memory of my beloved, The Author, Mr. William Shakespeare: and what he hath left us"--Ben Jonson;

"Thou art a Moniment, without a tombe
And art alive still, while thy Booke doth live,
And we have wits to read, and praise to give."

Click on the link to watch a short video about William Shakespeare.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW86UuKqrPQ

Influence: 

Shakespeare's work has made a lasting impression on later theatre and literature. In particular, he expanded the dramatic potential ofcharacterisation, plot, language, and genre.Until Romeo and Juliet, for example, romance had not been viewed as a worthy topic for tragedy. Soliloquies had been used mainly to convey information about characters or events; but Shakespeare used them to explore characters' minds. His work heavily influenced later poetry. The Romantic poets attempted to revive Shakespearean verse drama, though with little success. Critic George Steiner described all English verse dramas from Coleridge to Tennyson as "feeble variations on Shakespearean themes."^[146]

In Shakespeare's day, English grammar, spelling and pronunciation were less standardised than they are now,^[151] and his use of language helped shape modern English.^[152] Samuel Johnson quoted him more often than any other author in his A Dictionary of the English Language, the first serious work of its type.^[153] Expressions such as "with bated breath" (Merchant of Venice) and "a foregone conclusion" (Othello) have found their way into everyday English speech.^[154]

11th Grade: The Renaissance, The Baroque, Descartes

11A-11B: You must have these notes/questions printed out or in your notebook for CLASS next week. If you don't have this next week for class then you will lose points. 

Thank You! -Mrs. Whitson 

THE RENAISSANCE

• ANTIQUITY = CHILDHOOD.
• MIDDLE AGES = SCHOOL DAYS.
• RENAISSANCE = THE TEEN YEARS AFTER SCHOOL:--WHAT DOES THE ANALOGY MEAN?

 ALBERTO ‘SLIPS’ AND CALLS SOPHIE HILDE!!!(p. 210), BUT IS IT REALLY A SLIP SINCE HILDE'S DAD IS PUTTING WORDS IN THEIR MOUTHS, AND IS EXPLOITING THEIR WEAKNESSES.

SOPHIE FINDS A COIN ON THE STREET THAT SHE NEEDS TO GET HOME AND WONDERS IF ______LEFT IT THERE? RECALL THE CHAPTER ON FATE. MUST ALL OF THIS BE? (AND REMEMBER WE ARE CONSIDERING THE RENAISSANCE).

The Renaissance: It was a time characterized by a belief in humanity, with a focus on the individual.  All cultural life flourished, and Rome was rebuilt. People felt that God was present throughout nature, a belief called pantheism.

Pantheism: is the view that the Universe (or Nature) and God (or divinity) are identical.

The Baroque

***The Baroque:  is a period of artistic style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, architecture, literature, dance, and music. The style started around 1600 in Rome, Italy and spread to most of Europe.

On Tuesday, May 29th, a major in the Norwegian UN Battalion is killed in Lebanon and Sophie thinks it may have been Hilde's father. 

Philosophy was characterized by conflict between idealism, the belief that existence is spiritual, and materialism, the belief that only material phenomena really exist.

However, materialists have historically held that everything is made of matter, but physics has shown that gravity, for example, is not made of matter in the traditional sense of "'an inert, senseless substance, in which extension, figure, and motion do actually subsist'… 

RMY OFFICER DIES IN LEBANON, - QUESTIONS FROM DAUGHTER TO MOTHER. THE ACCUSATIONS ARE INTENSE. SHOULD THEY BE?

• MOTHER TO DAUGHTER--IS SOPHIE SEEING AN OLDER MAN? IN WHAT SENSE IS SOPHIE'S MOM RIGHT AND WRONG ABOUT 'LOVE'?
• DAUGHTER TO MOTHER--DIVORCE? WHERE IS DAD?
• NOTICE THAT SOPHIE IS QUITE POINTED IN REFUSING TO TELL HER MOTHER ABOUT___? (P. 214) WHY?
•  SOPHIE WILL CELEBRATE HER 15TH BIRTHDAY PARTY, WITH ALBERTO AS A GUEST AT A PHILOSOPHICAL GARDEN PARTY?

Epistemology: meaning "knowledge, science" is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and scope (limitations) of knowledge It addresses the questions:

• What is knowledge?
• How is knowledge acquired?
• To what extent is it possible for a given subject or entity to be known?

Descartes

Alberto continues talking to Sophie, and he describes the life of Descartes. Descartes decided, much like Socrates, that he did not know very much.

He doubted the many philosophical works that had been handed through the Middle Ages and he set out to build his own philosophical system. Descartes was the first philosopher in a long time to attempt to bring all knowledge into a coherent (theory of truth) philosophy.

The mind and body interact, but the goal is to get the mind to operate solely according to reason. 

****Alberto shows Sophie an artificial intelligence program and Sophie has a conversation with it. Major Albert Knag, Hilde's father, sneaks onto the hard drive and talks to them briefly through the computer.

7th Grade: Sketching Someone

This next week (April 23-27) We will be working on sketching someone (writing a character sketch)

You need to choose an individual you know well and you will be able to write about. So by Monday I need you to have someone in your mind that you want to use in this activity.

On Monday I will give you the worksheet and the steps we will take to make this activity successful.

***Don't think in sketching like drawing something...this is a writing activity. I will explain it all on Monday just make sure you have a person in mind that you can write about it.

8th Grade: The Gift of the Magi

You need to click on the link. Then you need to print off the short story. You need to have the short story for MONDAY April 23, 2012. If you don't have it then you will lose the points. If you have an questions leave me a comment on my blog. Please make sure you don't forget this.

Click on the link.

http://www.classicshorts.com/stories/magi.html

9A: Dramas

Drama: Looks in the Way

Characters:

Sidney: Elisa

Tony: Angel

A Waitress: Maria F.

Phil: Jose Marcos

Link to your drama. Each person needs to print this out.

http://www.freedrama.net/looksget.html

________________________________________________________________

Drama: Rock, Scissors, Firecracker!

Characters:

Master: Sady

Kelly: Kimberly

Master: Jorge

All: Samuel

Link to your drama script. Each person needs to print this out.

http://www.freedrama.net/firecracker.html

_____________________________________________________________________

Drama: Debate it or Do It

Characters:

D#1: Ragde

D#2: Edson

D#3: Jose Carlos

D#4: Dafne

C#1: Kelyn

C#2: Katy

Link to your drama script. Each person needs to print this out.

http://www.dramashare.org/cart/scripts/debate%20it%20or%20do%20it.pdf

_________________________________________________________________

Drama: Nobody Famous

Characters:

Brenda: Gerlla

Heather: Amy Anderson

Mooch: Andrea

Joe: Christian

Gina: Keren

Barry: Edgar

Reporter: Axel / Amy C.

Link to your drama script. Each person needs to print this out.

http://freedrama.net/famous.html

7th Grade: Video

Click on the link below to watch the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH6TSrkCNlo&feature=related

9A: Transition Words

For continuing a common line of reasoning:

consequently

clearly, then

furthermore

additionally

and

in addition

moreover

because

besides that

in the same way

following this further

also

pursuing this further

in the light of the... it is easy to see that

To change the line of reasoning (contrast):

however

on the other hand

but

yet

nevertheless

on the contrary

For opening a paragraph initially or for general use:

admittedly

assuredly

certainly

granted

no doubt

nobody denies

obviously

of course

to be sure

true

undoubtedly

unquestionably

generally speaking

in general

at this level

in this situation

For the final points of a paragraph or essay:

finally

lastly

Transitional chains, to use in separating sections of a paragraph which is arranged chronologically:

first... second... third...

generally... furthermore... finally

in the first place... also... lastly

in the first place... pursuing this further... finally

to be sure... additionally... lastly

in the first place... just in the same way... finally

basically... similarly... as well

To signal conclusion:

therefore

this

hence

in final analysis

in conclusion

in final consideration

indeed

To restate a point within a paragraph in another way or in a more exacting way:

in other words

point in fact

specifically

Sequence or time

after

afterwards

as soon as

at first

at last

before

before long

finally

first... second... third

in the first place

in the meantime

later

meanwhile

next

soon

then

9A: Citation Style & Format Model Research Paper

Citation Style & Format Model Research Paper

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuLuegRgUkQ

Watch the video!

9A Research Paper

Research Paper

Write a research paper in which you present documented evidence that supports a thesis.

You r purpose is to research a topic thoroughly, draw conclusions, and then share your findings.

Your audience is your classmates, teacher, and others.

Page 1,160 in your literature books can help you.

What is my topic?

What do I hope to learn from my research?

What is my research question?

A GOOD RESEARCH PAPER:

• Has an introduction that includes a clear thesis statement
• Supplies readers with background information on the topic
• Has a body in which each main point is fully developed and supported with evidence.
• Presents main points and evidence in a logical order
• Has a conclusion that restates the thesis and leaves readers with a closing thought
• Identifies sources cited in the correct format

Research Paper Topics:

click on this link and find many different topics.

http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/writing/research-paper-topics/

9A: Your research paper is DUE: Wednesday May 2, 2012

You have time but that means everyday you need to work on your paper and study information and spend time researching (hint: the name is research paper). I will be able to see how many has taken the time compared to the student who does it the night before.

Study Guide Questions (Philosophy test)

Here are questions you need to study. You can find the answers in the chapters.

TWO CULTURES page 147

What was the common trait or theme of all Indo-European mythology?

How did Jesus distinguish himself from other messiahs?

“Jesus was God himself” is stated as one central belief of the Christian creed,

What kind of messiah were the Jews expecting around the time of Jesus?

What were the two language groups mentioned in the chapter “Two Cultures”?

In what year did the church close down Plato’s ‘Academy’ in an attempt to remove any trace of paganism?

How long did it take for the entire Hellenistic world to become predominantly (mainly) Christian?

What happened during the years 586 and 539 BC?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

THE MIDDLE AGES page 162

What were the three different cultures in the Roman Empire?

According to Alberto's analogy of the clock, at what time did the Middle Ages begin?

Whose writing did St. Thomas Aquinas Christianize?

Who is Albert the Great?

St. Augustine believed that all human history was a constant struggle between what?

“Evil is the absence of God.” Who said this?

What is The Creed (from page 160)?

Chapter 15: Middle Ages (Chart/Questions)

Sophie's Chart:

Middle Ages

Main Ideas:

The school system was He located the Platonic ideas in God

The Middle Ages was a unifying force of Christian culture

Many were preoccupied with the problem of evil.

Quotations to Remember:

He located the Platonic ideas in God and in that way preserved the

Platonic view of eternal ideas page 174

Connections

leave blank

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Questions:

1. St. Augustine believed that all human history was a constant struggle between what?

2. what was Western Europe characterized by/

3. According to Alberto's analogy of the clock, at what time did the Middle Ages begin?

4. When did North Africa and the Middle East become Islamic?

5. Thomas Aquinas believed that philosophy and theology often say the same things?

6. "Evil is the absence of God. Who said that?

7. Whose writing did St. Thomas Aquinas Christianize?

Chapter 15: Middle Ages page 162

Notes:

• Sophie gets a postcard that read "Hilde Moller Knag, c/o Sophie Amundsen
• Then Alberto Knox called Sophie on the phone. page 164
• Alberto Knox told her there will be no more letters.
• Sophie meets him at a church.
• From the year 380 Christianity was the official religion throughout the entire Roman Empire page 167
• In 395 the Roman Empire was divided in two- a western Empire with Rome as its center, and an Eastern Empire with the new city of Constantinople as its capital.
• 529 the year when church closed Plato's Academy in Athens.
• The Middle Ages actually means the period between two other epochs. (distinctive period of time)
• The school system, for instance was developed in the Middle Ages.
• The first centuries after year 400 really were a cultural decline.
• Christianity gradually became the predominant philosophy of the life.
• Therefore we usually speak of Middle ages as being a unifying force of Christian culture.
• The point is that at the end of the Middle ages, all three streams came together in Northern Italy.

It was an ancient Christian and Jewish belief that God was not only a man. He also had a female side, mother nature. Women too, are In Greek in God's likeness. In Greek, this female side of God is called Sophia "means wisdom"

Chapter 14: Two Cultures page 147

Notes:

The Indo-Europeans

By Indo- European we mean all the nations and cultures that use Indo- European languages.

Polytheism:

The Indo- Europeans sought "insight" into the history of the world.

The Semites page 150

the semites originated in the Arabian Peninsula, but they also migrated to different parts of the world.
All three Western Religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam share a semitic background.

Isreal page 153

It all began when God created the world.

Man's disobedience to God were anointed by the people. They thus received the title Messiah, which means "the anointed one. "

Jesus page 155

This "savior" was thus looked upon as a national deliverer who would put an end to the suffering of the Jews under Roman domination.

So along come Jesus of Nazareth

But here is a very important point: Jesus distinguished himself from the other "messiahs" by stating clearly that he was not a military or political rebel.

His mission was much greater. He preached salvation and God's forgiveness for everyone.

Paul page 157

Paul: "And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain.

The Creed page 160

God/ Jesus/ Holy Spirit

Postscript page 160

As Christianity makes it entry into the Greco-Roman world we are witnessing a dramatic meeting of two cultures.

Speech Topics! (8th Grade) Homework

SPEECH TOPICS:
1. My hobby and pet peeves.

2. Free time activities that you can recommend.

3. What brands or products are popular in this school and why?

4. Unusual experiences in the last year.

5. Outdoor activities, and indoor activities on a rainy day.

6. Why we are no longer kids.

7. Suggestions for a fun weekend.

8. Animation characters and their voices.

9. Antarctica research of penguins.

10. Aviation pioneers.

11. Celebrities, actors and actresses.

12. Computer games.

13. Flying discs trics.

14. Foreign flags and their story.

15. Reasons to abandon grounding.

16. Rodeo riding: how to survive more than 30 seconds.

17. Strange world records.

18. Skateboarding tips and trics.

19. Greyhound racing.

20. The world would be a better place if ...

21. Environmental problems.

22. Fashion in the last century.

23. Pen pals or email pals?

24. My favourite sports game.

25. My checklist for if you move to another town.

26. Kid cooking is cool.

Steve Job's Speech

8th Grade: Click on the link below and watch Steve Job's speech then write a summary over his summary in your notebooks. Remember this is 4th Quarter!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc

Chapter 13: The Postcards pg. 138

Chapter 13: The Postcards

On Wednesday, the day before May 17th, a national holiday in Norway, Joanna convinces Sophie they should go camping. Sophie convinces her friend to go to the major's cabin, and inside it they find postcards. All of them are postmarked from Lebanon and addressed to Hilde, care of Alberto. They are all from her father, and the last one tells Hilde to be prepared to meet Sophie, who will probably begin to figure things out. It also mentions Joanna. It is postmarked May 16th. The two girls are very scared, and Sophie takes the mirror back with her. The next morning she finds a new package.

Questions:

1. Why wasn't Sophie in school?

2. What did Sophie tell her mother she was going to do?

3. What did Sophie really want to do?

4. When Sophie and Joanna arrived at the Major's Cabin what did they find?

5. Why was Joanna and Sophie scared?

6. What were some of the things they told from the cabin?

7. Who do you think Hilde is and why are they apart of each other lives without knowing each other.

Chapter 12: Hellenism

Chapter 12: Hellenism page 126

• Aristotle near the end of fourth century B.C. right up to the middle Ages around A.D. 400.

• Notice that we can now write both B.C. and A.D. because Christianity was in fact one of the most important , and most mysterious, factor of the period.

• This marked the beginning of a new epoch in the history of mankind. A civilization sprang up in which the Greek culture and language played a leading.

• This period, which lasted for about 300 years, is known as Hellenism page 126

• The term Hellenism refers to both the period of time and the Greek- dominated culture that prevailed in the three Hellenistic kingdoms of Macedonia, Syria, and Egypt.

• Religion, Philosophy and Science page 127

• Syncretism: the attempted reconciliation or union of different or opposing principles, practices, or parties, as in philosophy or religion.

• But as the borders became erased many people began to experience doubt and uncertainty about their philosophy of life.

• The main emphasis was on finding out what true happiness was and how it could be achieved. We are going to look at four of these philosophical trends.

• The Cynics page 129

One day Socrates stood gazing at a stall that sold all kinds of wares. Finally he said, “What a lot of things I don’t need!”
This statement could be the motto for the cynic school of philosophy, founded by Antisthenes in Athens around 400 B.C.
The cynic emphasized that true happiness is not found in external advantages such as material luxury, political power, or good health.

***True happiness lies in not being dependent on such random and fleeting things. Page 129
The story of Diogenes: lived in a barrel and owned nothing but a cloak, a stick, and a bread bag. Page 129

The Stoics page 129
• Stoic School founder was Zeno
• The name “Stoic” comes from the Greek word for portico (stoa).
• Stoicism: repression of emotion and indifference to pleasure or pain. Page 130
• Monism: the notion of a single element as primary determinant of behavior, social action, or institutional relations.
• “Stoic Calm” about someone who does not let his feeling take over page 131

The Epicureans page 131
• Aristippus “The highest good is pleasure, “ he said. The greatest evil is pain.
• Founded a school of philosophy and his followers were called Epicureans.
• Example of chocolate and “side effects page 131
• Unlike animals we are able to plan our lives.
• Chocolate is good, but a new bike or a trip to England is better.
• Live for the moment!

Neoplatonism page 133
• Plotinus believed that the world is a span between two poles. At one end is the divine light which he calls the one (God) At the other end is absolute darkness.

Mysticism page 135
A mysticism experience of merging with god or the “cosmic spirit”

WESTERN MYSTICISM: Judaism, Christianity and Islam

Homework March 5-9,2012

7th Grade:

Finish reading "User Friendly" pages 419-429 After you finish reading you need to write a one page summary about the story. The summary needs to be on a separate piece of paper. Make sure you finish reading the story. This story will appear on your final exam.

8th Grade:

You need to finish reading "Harriet Tubman Conductor on the Underground Railroad"

pages 499- 508 after you finish reading write a summary on the story. The summary needs to be on a separate piece of paper. Make sure you finish reading the story. This story will appear on your final exam.

Invitacions padres de familia del 8vo Grado

IDIOMS

an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements, as kick the bucket or hang one's head, or from the general grammatical rules of a language, as the table round for the round table, and that is not a constituent of a larger expression of like characteristics.

Click on the link below and you can watch a funny video of idioms.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj5Q-Q_OvEs

ENJOY!

Chapter 11: Aristotle pages104-119

Aristotle
...a particular organizer who wanted to clarify our concepts…

Philospher and Scientist
Aristotle 384-322 b.c.
He was most interested in nature study.
He was Europe’s first great biologist.
While Plato used his reason, Aristotle used his senses as well.
Aristotle created the terminology that scientists use today.

No Innate Ideas
Innate: that is, something people are born with rather than something people have learned through experience.
Aristotle disagreed with Plato that the “idea” chicken came before the chicken.
Aristotle pointed out that nothing exists in consciousness that has not first been experienced by the senses.
Aristotle held that all our thoughts and ideas have come into our consciousness through what we have heard and seen.
We have an innate faculty of organizing all sensory impressions into categories and classes.

The Form of a Thing is its Specific Characteristics:
Aristotle decided that reality consisted of various separate things that make up a unity of form and substance.

The “substance” is what things are made of, while the “form” is each thing’s specific characteristics.

The Final Cause:
žAristotle held that there were different types of cause
in nature.
žIt rains so that plants can grow; oranges and grapes grow so that people can eat them.

Logic:
Hermes is a live creative, more a mammal, more specifically a dog, more specifically a Labrador, more specifically a male Labrador.

He founded the science of logic.

Nature's Scale:
There is a decisive difference between a living and a nonliving thing, for example a rose and a stone, just as there is a decisive difference between a plant and an animal.

Ethics:
How should we live?
What does it require to live a good life?
His answer- Man can only achieve happiness by using all his abilities and capabilities.
3 Forms of happiness:
1. life of pleasure and enjoyment
2. life as a free and responsible citizen
3. life as a thinker and philosopher

“GOLDEN MEAN” is the desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and the other of deficiency (lack).

For example:
Courage a virtue, if taken to excess would manifest as recklessness and if deficient as cowardice.

žIt is dangerous to eat too little, but also dangerous to
eat too much.
žOnly by exercising balance and temperance will I achieve
a happy or “harmonious” life

Politics:
Monarchy or kingship- which means there is only one head of state.

Oligarchy [ol-i-gahr-kee]- when the government is run by a few people.

Aristocracy [ar-uh-stok-ruh-see]-which there is a larger or smaller group of rulers.

Polity(democracy)

Views on Woman:
Aristotle was more inclined to believe that woman were incomplete in some way.
A woman was an “unfinished man”
He believed that all the child inherits only male characteristics lay complete in the male sperm.

Questions:
4. What discipline did Aristotle found as a science?
5. What was the "idea" or "form" of, for example, horse, to Aristotle?
6. What did Aristotle point out about all things that exist in consciousness?
7. What are "innate ideas?" What did Aristotle hold regarding them?
8. What is Aristotle's answer to the question, "What does it require to live a good life?"

9.What is the "Golden Mean?"
10 What did Aristotle claim about women?
11. Why was Aristotle's view of the sexes "doubly harmful?"

TALENT SHOW 2012