Final Exam Review Questions
The final exam is Tuesday, December 16 from 8-11 A.M. in the normal classroom. You will be given seven or eight of the following questions and asked to answer five of them in essays of around four substantive paragraphs. (There may be some restrictions on which combinations you can answer; e.g., there are eight questions including questions 3 and 4, you may not be allowed to answer them both.)
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Final Reading: Pryor, “What’s Wrong with Moore’s Argument”
The final reading for the class will be James Pryor, “What’s Wrong with Moore’s Argument?” (pdf link). We will begin Tuesday by discussing Klein and may begin discussin Pryor Tuesday or Thursday.
Final Paper Topic Suggestions
The final paper is due on the last day of class, Thursday, December 11. (But you can hand it in earlier if you want.) It should be eight to ten pages, double-spaced, and organized around an appropriate topic. Don’t just do a summary of one or more articles; make sure you focus on an argument and keep your discussion relevant to that argument.
The topic could involve taking a particular issue and seeing how it is reflected in various different things we’ve read, or it could involve focusing on one or two of the articles we’ve read and exploring their arguments in depth. The following suggested topics are to help you think of something; you don’t have to write your paper on one of them by any means. If you want to write on something else, feel free. If you’d like to discuss your topic (either if you’re having trouble settling on one or you have an idea that you’re not sure is appropriate), or if you’d like me to read some of your draft, feel free to get in touch with me; office hours are after class, and you can e-mail me at mcweiner at uvm dot edu. (Don’t forget the c; and if you want to spell my name out, you need to make it Matthew dot C dot Weiner at uvm dot edu.)
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Reading for Tues., Nov. 18: Cohen, “Basic Knowledge and the Problem of Easy Knowledge”
The reading for Tuesday, Nov. 18 is Stewart Cohen, “Basic Knowledge and the Problem of Easy Knowledge.” Link here; click on the “Full Text PDF” link. From off campus, log on to EZProxy and use this link (direct PDF download). If that link doesn’t work, go here and click the “Full text PDF” link under the article’s name.
Paper 3 due Thursday, November 20
Paper 3 is due Thursday November 20. Please write two pages on one of the following topics.
Reading for Thursday, Nov. 6: Vogel, “Reliabilism Leveled”
On Thursday we will (certainly) finish discussing Cohen’s “How to be a Fallibilist” and begin discussing Vogel’s “Reliabilism Leveled.” Link here for the Vogel; from off-campus, log on to EZProxy and then go here. In both cases, you can download the article from the “PDF” link in the upper right corner.
Human Meteorite Strike
According to the Alabama Museum of Natural History, which I take to be a trustworthy source:
On a cold November day in 1954 in Sylacauga, Alabama, a flaming meteorite fell out of the sky, crashed through the roof of the house, and struck Mrs. Ann Hodges as she napped on the couch. Mrs. Hodges suffered only a bruised leg and became an instant celebrity as the only documented instance of a human to have been struck by a meteorite.
Hodges is also sometimes referred to as “Elizabeth Hodges.” The fragment that struck Hodges was 5.56 kg or 8.5 pounds. Presumably it was traveling at terminal velocity when it reached the house, which I’m guessing would’ve been around 150 miles an hour (some completely ad hoc calculations with this suggest that terminal velocity would’ve been about 225 miles an hour for a sphere with the mass of the fragment and the density of chondrite, but a non-sphere would probably be substantially slower). Though if it was still burning it might not have slowed to terminal velocity yet. In any case, the roof of the house probably broke its momentum considerably, and it may not have been traveling straight down. That is my hypothesis for why Hodges only sustained nasty bruises.
Certainly Vogel’s example of the Golden Gate Bridge being destroyed by a meteorite was ill-chosen, as the statistical probability of a meteorite strike large enough to destroy the bridge is very small, and the probability of that meteorite striking the bridge is vanishingly close to zero. (Unlike his other cases; statistically, people do sometimes suffer sudden heart attacks, and restaurants do sometimes unexpectedly catch fire.) He would’ve been much better advised to discuss earthquakes.
Since we’re still discussing Vogel, the reading for Thursday will continue to be Vogel and Cohen; the new article by Vogel will be assigned for Tuesday.
Reading for Thurs., Oct. 23: Cohen, “How To Be a Fallibilist”
The reading for Thursday, Oct. 23 is “How To Be a Fallibilist” by Stewart Cohen. On-campus users can go here and download the paper from the “PDF” link. Off-campus users can log on to EZProxy by going here and clicking on the “EZPRoxy” link; then use this link; the paper can be downloaded from “PDF” link.
Paper 2 due Tues. Oct. 28
Paper 2 is due Tuesday, Oct. 28. Details and topic suggestions below the fold.
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