Design in the Mind's Eye

Here's an interesting approach to explaining the seeming complexity, order, and functionality of the universe: maybe it's all in our mind.

Psychologist Paul Bloom argues that we see intentional design and patterns too much... including in things that are actually random. So things that seem so fine-tuned and unlikely from our perspective might not actually be. Here's a video dialogue on this topic:


Bloom has two great books (Descartes' Baby and How Children Learn the Meaning of Words) on how our minds develop from early childhood on.

Like a Watch, Only More So...

Here are some links on the design argument for God's existence.

• Here is a nice explanation of the design argument, along with an explanation of another wacky arg for god's existence.
  
• Here is an audio interview on Hume's criticisms of the design arg.
  
• One philosophers' take on the debate between evolution and intelligent design.
• Is our universe fine-tuned for life? Maybe not.
• Wait, can science even judge religious claims, or are they talking about different things? Maybe an inference to the best explanation can help us...
  
• What about all the "design flaws" in nature? Are they evidence against a supreme designer?
  
• Well, recent research might show the appendix serves a purpose, and so wouldn't count as a design flaw.
  

Reading Response #3

Reading Response #3 is due at the beginning of class on Thursday, December 3rd. Here is the assignment:

In a 250- to 500-word essay, explain and evaluate the Design Argument for God's existence.

• First, briefly explain a version of the Design Argument--whichever version you prefer--in your own words.
  
• Then, evaluate this argument. Is an intelligent designer the best explanation of this evidence? Or is there another, better explanation? Be sure to consider objections to the argument. Tell me your opinion. Do you think this version of the design argument is a good argument or a bad argument? Why? Be sure to defend your opinion with reasons.

The response is based on the design argument section of the textbook (section 4.2). Like the other reading responses, you won't be graded on your opinion. You'll be graded on how well you DEFEND your opinion.

The Universe Began, Again

Still wondering whether the universe has a beginning or regresses infinitely? Here's an entire episode of Closer to Truth devoted to the question "Did the Universe Have a Beginning?" If you can get past the weird host, there are some nice explanations of the science of the origins of the universe by current cosmologists.

Wacka Wacka

When a philosopher announced that the title of his talk was “Why is there Something rather than Nothing?” Sydney Morgenbesser said to the man sitting next to him, “If there was Nothing he would still complain.”

-from Gerald Dworkin's list of philosophy quips

Midterm

Just a reminder that the midterm will be held at the beginning of class on Thursday, November 12th. It's worth 25% of your overall grade. You'll have 90 minutes to complete it.

There are a variety of questions on the midterm: some multiple choice, some short answers, a variety of argument evaluation, a mini-essay, and extra credit. It covers everything we've gone over in class so far:

• Philosophy
  -Definitions
  -Doing philosophy
  
• Arguments
  -Evaluation: Check the structure and the premises
  -Types: Deductive, Inductive, and Abductive
• Knowledge
  -Definition: True belief + ?????
  -Skepticism
  -Descartes: uncertain of childhood beliefs, senses, and reasoning; certain he's thinking and he exists
  -Rationalism: reason is the main source of our knowledge
  -Plato's rationalist arg for innate ideas
  -Empiricism: sense experience is the main source of our knowledge
  -Locke's empiricist arg against innate ideas
  -Hume's empiricism
  
• God Stuff
  -Evidentialism vs. nonevidentialism
  -qualities typically included in definitions of 'god'
  -Cosmological Argument: Aquinas's version, abductive version, Taylor's version
  

Also, I expect you to stick around after the midterm, because we WILL be learning stuff in class after it's done.