Midterm report presentations

UPDATED 10.19 Let me know in comments below if you're still not on it.

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Suggested topics. We’ll schedule three or four presentations per class, 10 minutes each plus discussion time. Your goal is to tell us something interesting and important about your topic that we’d not have learned by reading our assigned texts. Indicate your top two preferences in the comments space below, remember to include your section #. When midterm presentations conclude we'll commence final report presentations, in the same order. (Your final presentation can be a continuation of the midterm topic, or you can select a new topic related to our concluding texts.)

If it's a nice day when you report, you can take us outside (so avoid being tied to a PowerPoint or other indoor-dependent tech).

 

SEP 27

1. Immanuel Kant vs. Jeremy Bentham: Is ethics about creating the greatest happiness for the greatest number?: #7 Griffin Kennedy, #11 Desiree Douthier

 

2. Arthur Schopenhauer's philosophy of pessimism: #7 Jon Blalock [This topic is available, if anyone wants to impress me at the last minute. -jpo]

#11 Hannah Crumley, Leah Knight #12

 

3. The rise of virtue ethics: Lydia Ashby #7, #11 Sabirin Elmi, Daisy Gonzalez #12

 

4. [FL 19-20 or HWT 20-22] Kaleb Toon #12

 

SEP 29

1. Charles Darwin's natural selection: its importance for philosophy: #7 Sam Hutto, #11 Alexa Nolan, Betti Houser #12

 

2. Karl Marx's revolutionary philosophy: Amy Menendez #7,  Seth Cook #11, Edgar Reyes #12

 

3. Moksa: Heidi Engle #7, Rumi Wein #11, Emily Seeto #12

 

4. [ FL 21-22 or HWT 23-24]

 

OCT 4

1. William James's pragmatic philosophy: #7 Matthew Zipp, #11 David King, #12 Chris Barnes

 

2. Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy: What's an "ubermensch"? What is "eternal recurrence"?: #7 Cason Neill #11, John Wright #12

 

3. Freud’s Civilization and Its Discontents OR The Future of an Illusion: #7 Will Abell, #11 D'Andre Phillips, #12 Mia Hubbard

 

4. Nietzsche and Dostoevsky on Nihilism, David King #11

[FL 23-24 or HWT 25-26]

 

OCT 6 - Exam 1 (So probably time for just one or two presentations today) 

1. Bertrand Russell's "Why I Am Not a Christian" or "The Conquest of Happiness" : Chloe Rush #7, Cesar Zapata #11

 

2. The French Existentialists (Sartre, de Beauvoir, Camus): Jon Blalock #7, Kenny York #11, Kharis Djao #12

 

3. The distinctiveness of American pragmatism: Will Abell #7, Laney #11, Josh Holmes #12

 

4. [HWT 27-28]

 

OCT 13

1.Ludwig Wittgenstein’s philosophy: Cole McBee #7, Wilder Strong #11, Josh Keifer #12

 

2. Hannah Arendt on “the banality of evil”: Savannah Spann #7, Isaak Cadet #11, tyler walker #12

 

3. Karl Popper & Thomas Kuhn on philosophy of science: #7 Alex H, Sydney Boyce #11, samantha pleitez #12

 

4. Phillipa Foot’s & Judith Thomson’s thought experiments: Benjamin Anderson #7, Yesenia Garcia #11; Grecia Landeros #12

 

 

OCT 18

1.  John Rawls’ theory of justice: mona ikbariah #7, Ardiola Medi #11, Devon McNeal #12

 

2. Alan Turing & John Searle on Artificial Intelligence: Aaron Petty #7, Reid Robertson #12

 

3.Peter Singer’s utilitarian philosophy Sophia Williams #7, Karissia Gonzalez #11, Gabriel Rocha #12

 

4. Free Will in relation to John Rawls' theory of justice, Jacob Cuva #7

5. Aviree Moore #11 Dante Alighieri's philosophy of morality and judgement (Divine Comedy)

OCT 20

1. Meghan Hodges #7 Hypatia (her history and death); Ariana Arenas #11 Hypatia's history, her endurance in a patriarchal society, and death; 

2. Ashley G #7 Diogenes of Sinope: one man's peculiar approach to philosophy; Rudolph Serrat #11 Diogenes and his Cynic philosophy

3. Delanney Hight #11 Laura Bassi's feminism; Reid #12 Why philosophers ask questions 

4. [WGU -p.122. FL 31-32] Rejgar Tovi- #7, Nathan Buckley #11, William McDonald #12

   --Some topic suggestions related to WGU: Kant on Enlightenment; Orwell and Huxley on dystopia; Jean-Jacques Rousseau's philosophy of childhood education in Emile; Rousseau's relationship with David Hume; Voltaire's view of  Rousseau; Rousseau and Kant on the meaning of freedom; Rousseau's character flaws in relation to his philosophy; Hannah Arendt on natality; Nietzsche's "metaphysical wound" (see p.93); Philosophy's role in helping us grow up; ...

 

OCT 25 

1. [WGU -p.165] Kayla Pulling #7, William James #7, #12 Nathan Sysenkham

   --Some topic suggestions related to WGU: How education, travel, and/or work may contribute to growing up; the importance of raising free and happy children (and how to do it); the impact of the Internet on brain development, attention, etc. (see p.145); Rousseau on walking (see Reveries of the Solitary Walker); ...

2. [FL 33-34] Noah Ferguson #7

 

OCT 27 

1. [WGU -p.165-192. Simone Dobelbower #7

    --Some topic suggestions related to WGU: Kant, Arendt, Hegel, and/or Marx on the meaning of work; Paul Goodman's Growing Up Absurd;  "Planned obsolescence" (see p.178); Herbert Marcuse's One Dimensional Man and the culture of advertizing; ...

2. [FL 35-36] Abanoub #7