Instructors:
Karl Giberson
phone: 781-801-2189
Texts:
by Donald Palmer
The Whys of a Philosophical Scrivener
by Martin Gardner
Grading:
Journal - 20%
Daily Quizes - 30%
Reflective Essay- 30%
Participation - 10%
Final Exam - 10%
Slides
Using traditional philosophy as a framework, this course will address a series of open-ended and interdisciplinary questions. The course will connect current cultural conversations to traditional philosophical reflections, and introduce students to the nature of interdisciplinary investigation. The questions to be considered include: Do we have free will? Are aesthetic judgments objective? Are there many universes? Is belief in God rational? The issues will be explored in a non-dogmatic way, emphasizing intellectual rigor rather than particular conclusions. Class discussions will identify, understand, and appreciate diversity of perspectives.
IS199 - 3 credits
Prerequisite - Instructor permission required. Freshman honors course.
Contemporary Questions
The unexamined life is not worth living.
-Socrates
What if everything is an illusion and nothing exists? In that case, I definitely overpaid for my carpet.
-Woody Allen
This is a caricature of the 2005 Contemporary Questions Class by Josh Burley, 4th male from left, in back row. This was the first time the class was offered at ENC.
