Nicholaos Jones: Teaching Introduction to Philosophy
What does it mean to be human,
and what is our
place in the world? We'll think hard about these questions.
Course Text: Leslie Stevenson and David Haberman (eds.), Ten Theories of Human Nature, 5th edition (Oxford Univ. Press)
This course is an introduction to the methodology of correct formal and informal logic, examining the applicability of logic to mathematical, scientific, and everyday reasoning. The course develops a system of natural deduction and applies this system to the problem of hypothesis testing in science, Sudoku puzzles, and test-taking skills for graduate-level entrance examinations. The course also surveys the traditional canon of inductive logic, logical and rhetorical fallacies, and rational decision theory.
What human-independent facts about the world (as opposed to, say, facts about cultural norms) could make actions right or wrong in a moral sense? What is the moral importance of character, intention, and consequences?
We'll learn how to discuss contemporary ethical issues in an intelligent manner, how to understand and apply some classical and modern ethical theories to moral debates, how to critically assess and support their opinions on various ethical issues, how to assess and understand the opinions of others, and how to compromise when there is a rational stand-off of opinion.
Course Text: Jones, A Practical Introduction to Ethical Theory (National Social Sciences Press)
We'll survey the Greek philosophical tradition from Thales of Miletus through Pyrrho of Ellis, examining such issues as: the birth of philosophy as a discipline in Europe; ancient theories of cosmology; the nature, sources, and extent of human knowledge; the possibility of a rational and naturalistic understanding of the world.
Course Text: Reeve and Miller (eds.), Introductory Readings in Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy (Hackett)
We'll survey the European philosophical tradition from Descartes through Kant, examining issues such as the nature, sources, and extent of human knowledge, the composition of the physical world, the nature of the human mind and its relation to the physical world, the possibility of a rational understanding of God and the self, and the nature of human freedom.
This course has two components. The first is an introduction to the major issues in the philosophy of science, including: scientific explanation, hypothesis testing and confirmation, the relation between theory and observation, theoretical underdetermination, and the rationality of paradigm changes. The second component is an introduction to issues in the foundations of quantum mechanics, including determinism, the double-slit and EPR experiments, Bell's theorem, the measurement problem, and interpretations of standard quantum theory.
This course is a survey of the philosophy of four religious traditions: Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Christianity. The course focuses on the philosophical underpinnings of each tradition and the connection between each tradition's philosophy and its soteriology. Topics include the nature of the self and ultimate reality, the functions of language, social ethics, the relation between faith and reason, and religious pluralism.
We'll survey the major ancient philosophies from India and China. From India, the course covers five of the orthodox Upanishadic schools and two Buddhist schools. From China, the course covers three indigenous traditions and the subsequent assimilation of Buddhism. The focus throughout is examining each philosophy on its own terms, as a whole, while avoiding simplistic explanations or translations into more familiar (European) ways of understanding. The guiding theme of the course is that differences between European and Asian philosophies, as well as differences among Asian philosophies, result from treating certain experiences and concerns as more or less salient, and that small-scale difference in emphasis produces large-scale difference in results.
This course is a survey of propositional and first-order quantificational logic as well as modal logic. The course develops skills in evaluating the logical status of formulae and arguments, creating examples and counterexamples, constructing informal and formal proofs, and understanding how the language and techniques of formal systems relate to ordinary language and reasoning.
Aristotle's common sense approach to natural science reigned in Europe for over a thousand years. Then Newton came. His Principia revolutionized science; but it is probably the most famous unread book of modern European history. We're going to rectify that oversight by reconstructing, from Newton's text, the original argument for the law of universal gravitation--the law that, by unifying terrestrial and celestial phenomena, ended the Aristotelian paradigm. We will unfold what is implicit in Newton's words and fill his proof sketches as he would have, without relying upon contemporary mathematics or blind intuitions. Along the way, we'll discuss Aristotelian physics, critically compare Aristotle's and Newton's philosophies of science, and tune into the excitement of formulating a theory built upon ways of thinking unlike any that preceded it. By the end of the course, you will not only knowwhat Newton said but also understand the power and originality that makes the Principia the most exciting and important work in the history of science.
Mereology is the study of the relation between parts and their wholes. In this seminar, we'll survey the literature on two mereological issues: the Problem of the One over the Many and the Problem of Material Constitution. Along the way, we'll discuss the standard axioms of contemporary formal mereology. We'll discuss methods of research for philosophy, including tricks for constructing objections and tips for developing original ideas. We'll practice formalizing natural language arguments and "naturalizing" formal language arguments. The main product of this course will be a substantial research paper.
Course Text: Leslie Stevenson and David Haberman (eds.), Ten Theories of Human Nature, 5th edition (Oxford Univ. Press)
Introduction to Logic
This course is an introduction to the methodology of correct formal and informal logic, examining the applicability of logic to mathematical, scientific, and everyday reasoning. The course develops a system of natural deduction and applies this system to the problem of hypothesis testing in science, Sudoku puzzles, and test-taking skills for graduate-level entrance examinations. The course also surveys the traditional canon of inductive logic, logical and rhetorical fallacies, and rational decision theory.
Introduction to Ethics
What human-independent facts about the world (as opposed to, say, facts about cultural norms) could make actions right or wrong in a moral sense? What is the moral importance of character, intention, and consequences?
We'll learn how to discuss contemporary ethical issues in an intelligent manner, how to understand and apply some classical and modern ethical theories to moral debates, how to critically assess and support their opinions on various ethical issues, how to assess and understand the opinions of others, and how to compromise when there is a rational stand-off of opinion.
Course Text: Jones, A Practical Introduction to Ethical Theory (National Social Sciences Press)
Ancient Philosophy
We'll survey the Greek philosophical tradition from Thales of Miletus through Pyrrho of Ellis, examining such issues as: the birth of philosophy as a discipline in Europe; ancient theories of cosmology; the nature, sources, and extent of human knowledge; the possibility of a rational and naturalistic understanding of the world.
Course Text: Reeve and Miller (eds.), Introductory Readings in Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy (Hackett)
Modern Philosophy
We'll survey the European philosophical tradition from Descartes through Kant, examining issues such as the nature, sources, and extent of human knowledge, the composition of the physical world, the nature of the human mind and its relation to the physical world, the possibility of a rational understanding of God and the self, and the nature of human freedom.
Philosophy of Science
This course has two components. The first is an introduction to the major issues in the philosophy of science, including: scientific explanation, hypothesis testing and confirmation, the relation between theory and observation, theoretical underdetermination, and the rationality of paradigm changes. The second component is an introduction to issues in the foundations of quantum mechanics, including determinism, the double-slit and EPR experiments, Bell's theorem, the measurement problem, and interpretations of standard quantum theory.
Philosophy of Religion
This course is a survey of the philosophy of four religious traditions: Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Christianity. The course focuses on the philosophical underpinnings of each tradition and the connection between each tradition's philosophy and its soteriology. Topics include the nature of the self and ultimate reality, the functions of language, social ethics, the relation between faith and reason, and religious pluralism.
Asian Philosophy
We'll survey the major ancient philosophies from India and China. From India, the course covers five of the orthodox Upanishadic schools and two Buddhist schools. From China, the course covers three indigenous traditions and the subsequent assimilation of Buddhism. The focus throughout is examining each philosophy on its own terms, as a whole, while avoiding simplistic explanations or translations into more familiar (European) ways of understanding. The guiding theme of the course is that differences between European and Asian philosophies, as well as differences among Asian philosophies, result from treating certain experiences and concerns as more or less salient, and that small-scale difference in emphasis produces large-scale difference in results.
Symbolic Logic
This course is a survey of propositional and first-order quantificational logic as well as modal logic. The course develops skills in evaluating the logical status of formulae and arguments, creating examples and counterexamples, constructing informal and formal proofs, and understanding how the language and techniques of formal systems relate to ordinary language and reasoning.
Reading Aristotle and Newton
Aristotle's common sense approach to natural science reigned in Europe for over a thousand years. Then Newton came. His Principia revolutionized science; but it is probably the most famous unread book of modern European history. We're going to rectify that oversight by reconstructing, from Newton's text, the original argument for the law of universal gravitation--the law that, by unifying terrestrial and celestial phenomena, ended the Aristotelian paradigm. We will unfold what is implicit in Newton's words and fill his proof sketches as he would have, without relying upon contemporary mathematics or blind intuitions. Along the way, we'll discuss Aristotelian physics, critically compare Aristotle's and Newton's philosophies of science, and tune into the excitement of formulating a theory built upon ways of thinking unlike any that preceded it. By the end of the course, you will not only knowwhat Newton said but also understand the power and originality that makes the Principia the most exciting and important work in the history of science.
Mereology East and West
(Junior Research Seminar)Mereology is the study of the relation between parts and their wholes. In this seminar, we'll survey the literature on two mereological issues: the Problem of the One over the Many and the Problem of Material Constitution. Along the way, we'll discuss the standard axioms of contemporary formal mereology. We'll discuss methods of research for philosophy, including tricks for constructing objections and tips for developing original ideas. We'll practice formalizing natural language arguments and "naturalizing" formal language arguments. The main product of this course will be a substantial research paper.
Contact
332B Morton Hall
Department of Philosophy
The University of Alabama in Huntsville
301 Sparkman Drive
Huntsville, AL 35899
Office: 256.824.2338
Fax: 256.824.2387
Email: Nick[dot]Jones[at]uah[dot]edu
Department of Philosophy
The University of Alabama in Huntsville
301 Sparkman Drive
Huntsville, AL 35899
Office: 256.824.2338
Fax: 256.824.2387
Email: Nick[dot]Jones[at]uah[dot]edu