Philosophy

bleed.the.mannequin

So I need a Phil course as part of my major. any suggestions which one to take? I'm thinking maybe Phil 242 or 280?
Anyone have a good experience in a Phil class who would like to share?:secret:

Shi2

If it has to be a 200 level course, then phil 241 would be a good choice.

bleed.the.mannequin

well so far i've heard a lot of bad things about the first yr phil courses and i've had one friend who's taking both 242 and 280, so im considering those two choices. But i just want more suggestions and opinions from people who have taken a first or 2nd yr phil course.

Student0667

Jesus, what sorry of sick major need their guys and girls to endure this sort of bullshi*? The Humanities Department realized that Philosophy is bullshi* and scrapped the requirement in September.

bleed.the.mannequin

O.o Whaaaa

Ether

Student0667;39469 said:

Jesus, what sorry of sick major need their guys and girls to endure this sort of bullshi*? The Humanities Department realized that Philosophy is bullshi* and scrapped the requirement in September.

Philosophy is not bullshit.

It's true that there are a large number of people too stupid or too apathetic to "get" philosophy and these people like to go around slagging the department. Pay no attention to them.

primexx

Ether;39471 said:

Philosophy is not bullshit.

It's true that there are a large number of people too stupid or too apathetic to "get" philosophy and these people like to go around slagging the department. Pay no attention to them.

couldn't have said it better myself.

JayDub

Ether is bullshit.

Ether

Your face is bullshit.

JayDub

Your mother is bullshit.

siuying

i would recommend phil 120, moral philosophy.. i took it with evan tiffany a few semesters back and it was an easy but quite interesting course..=)

Ether

Yeah, the 100 level phil courses aren't so bad.

I took 100w, which deals with stuff like "what is knowledge", "what is the mind", etc.
It's not too much work. 2-3 papers, a midterm and a final.

Just try to avoid the formal logic courses.

primexx

Ether;39491 said:

Yeah, the 100 level phil courses aren't so bad.

I took 100w, which deals with stuff like "what is knowledge", "what is the mind", etc.
It's not too much work. 2-3 papers, a midterm and a final.

Just try to avoid the formal logic courses.

even formal logic courses are fun with the right prof.

try phil176 with Shelly Kagan if you want a teaser.

Shi2

For 100 level courses, I think xx1 and 110 are good choices. They're intro logic courses which teach the basic methods of logic which most people would understand.

Student0667

Shi2;39531 said:

For 100 level courses, I think xx1 and 110 are good choices. They're intro logic courses which teach the basic methods of logic which most people would understand.

Those courses are GPA killers.

primexx

Student0667;39535 said:

Those courses are GPA killers.

only if you're an idiot

Student0667

primexx;39537 said:

only if you're an idiot

From what I am told.

siuying

primexx;39537 said:

only if you're an idiot

and you're implying you're not? philosophy isn't for everyone.. doesn't mean you're an idiot if you can't understand their way of thought.. you don't call them philosophers for nothing..

Broken Lizard

he is an idiot. Idiots can identify other idiots

I can tell since I'm an idiot as well

vonnie

Hey, I liked XX1. I would recommend it :)

bleed.the.mannequin

thanks guys for the helpful...comments

primexx

siuying;39544 said:

and you're implying you're not? philosophy isn't for everyone.. doesn't mean you're an idiot if you can't understand their way of thought.. you don't call them philosophers for nothing..

xx1 and 110 might as well be offered through the math department or something for all that matters, there's not a single shred of "philosophy" in them. It's all very basic logic that applies to just about everything which entails actual thought.

And wtf is "their" way of thinking??? Philosophers don't have a unique system of thought, they apply the same rules everyone else does, albeit on a more formal and explicit level (take xx1 if you don't want the formality).

Sure, philosophy isn't for everyone, but if basic reasoning is somehow "too hard" for you [the generalized 'you'], then perhaps you should reevaluate the whole university thing.

Myname

primexx;39537 said:

only if you're in arts

Fixed.

It's simple really, xx1 and 110 is all LOGIC. You know what all scientists have in common? LOGIC. But CS and engineering in particular.

Arts students are the type that call CMPT 165 (largely considered the most pathetically easiest course at SFU by scientists all around) hard. No surprises there.

Art students are good at writing essays; logic, math and science is not their forte. I'd assume finances too since business and economics include a lot of math.

JayDub

Myname;39573 said:

Fixed.

It's simple really, xx1 and 110 is all LOGIC. You know what all scientists have in common? LOGIC. But CS and engineering in particular.

Arts students are the type that call CMPT 165 hard. No surprises there.

qft.

siuying

actually... there's a lot of "philosophy" in them... people don't go around questioning their existence.. or think about fatalism, determinism in their everyday life.. yes i agree that it's logic.. but not so much as basic... what i'm getting at is what are you trying to say about those who don't understand it or think they're GPA killers? (that they have no logic/are idiots?).. that's a pretty dogmatic statement you know..

and rules don't apply to everyone else.. i don't know if you've found out about this part of life yet but you will soon if you haven't..=) and yes they do have a unique way of systematic thinking.. they think objectively and in a rational sense.. a majority of us.. if not everyone else.. do not think rationally.. we may think we do.. but factor in stuff like values..emotions.. things/ppl you care about.. i wouldn't be so adamant about it..

and that is a pretty good idea to incorporate philosophy in the math department you should go recommend it to them... but i can probably envision that creating some unnecessary conflicts when they discuss the number argument..=P

primexx

siuying;39577 said:

actually... there's a lot of "philosophy" in them... people don't go around questioning their existence.. or think about fatalism, determinism in their everyday life..

ah but those two courses don't go into these things, the only time they might even be mentioned is when they are used as examples or practise problems, the actual topics are not discussed at all.

siuying;39577 said:

yes i agree that it's logic.. but not so much as basic... what i'm getting at is what are you trying to say about those who don't understand it or think they're GPA killers? (that they have no logic/are idiots?).. that's a pretty dogmatic statement you know..

I'm saying they won't be "GPA killers" because the vast majority of people have the capacity of doing the course just as well as their other courses (if you get a C in the course, but also in all your other courses, it could hardly be considered a GPA killer for you). the only way someone could possibly see a huge difference between the grade for the course and other courses is really only if they really did suck at basic reasoning and didn't take any other courses that substantially needed it.

siuying;39577 said:

and rules don't apply to everyone else.. i don't know if you've found out about this part of life yet but you will soon if you haven't..=) and yes they do have a unique way of systematic thinking.. they think objectively and in a rational sense.. a majority of us.. if not everyone else.. do not think rationally.. we may think we do.. but factor in stuff like values..emotions.. things/ppl you care about.. i wouldn't be so adamant about it..

any disciplined study of any subject would be more formal than every day life. that doesn't mean that you don't do the same basic things period. Of course most people are not as strict when it comes to logical reasoning as philosophers do (who, arguably, are in turn far less strict than logicians), but try living a day merely by your instincts/emotions/whatever. these are only intro courses, not some fancy abstraction that doesn't directly apply to this reality.

Shi2

Actually, one of the reasons why I recommend xx1 and 110 is because those courses don't have the usual metaphysics/epistemology stuff in it where many people get confused.

Myname;39573 said:

Art students are good at writing essays; logic, math and science is not their forte. I'd assume finances too since business and economics include a lot of math.

Economics is in arts too I think. At least I am in arts and can declare econ as a minor.

siuying

primexx;39581 said:

ah but those two courses don't go into these things, the only time they might even be mentioned is when they are used as examples or practise problems, the actual topics are not discussed at all.

on contraire..my phil 110 course really went into these things.. in detail as well.. which is why i remember them vividly even till now..@_@

primexx;39581 said:

I'm saying they won't be "GPA killers" because the vast majority of people have the capacity of doing the course just as well as their other courses (if you get a C in the course, but also in all your other courses, it could hardly be considered a GPA killer for you). the only way someone could possibly see a huge difference between the grade for the course and other courses is really only if they really did suck at basic reasoning and didn't take any other courses that substantially needed it.

you said and i quote "only if you're an idiot".. that doesn't say/mean anything close to what you've said above.. now if i'm wrong at interpreting this as it was said.. then i'll apologize.. but can you or anyone tell me what should be interpreted out of such a quote.. contextually?

Ether

I think "sucking at basic reasoning" usually implies idiocy, but you never know. There could be exceptions.

Myname

siuying;39590 said:

you said and i quote "only if you're an idiot".. that doesn't say/mean anything close to what you've said above.. now if i'm wrong at interpreting this as it was said.. then i'll apologize.. but can you or anyone tell me what should be interpreted out of such a quote.. contextually?

I believe primexx's "only if you're an idiot" implied that one is in Arts. Because as I've stated before, science is all logic and arts is not. xx1 and 110 is all LOGIC.

So "suck at basic reasoning" would imply that one is in the Arts and thus taking a vastly easier program. We all know less intelligence is required in the Arts. You just need a good imagination and a little bit of creativity to survive in the Arts (considering 90% of the Arts consist of essays).

Ether

Myname;39607 said:

So "suck at basic reasoning" would imply that one is in the Arts and thus taking a vastly easier program. We all know less intelligence is required in the Arts. You just need a good imagination and a little bit of creativity to survive in the Arts (considering 90% of the Arts consist of essays).

Get lost, troll.

Clearly, there are people in Sciences (ie: you) that also suck at basic reasoning.