Introduction/Basics of Logic Terms/Concepts:

A. Introduction/Basics of Logic
• Terms/Concepts: philosophy, epistemology, metaphysics, axiology, logic, argument, premise, conclusion, deductive argument, inductive argument, soundness, validity, enthymeme
• Skills: be prepared to determine whether an argument is valid or invalid, as well as whether it is sound or unsound; be familiar with the process of extracting arguments
?. People & Characters We’ve Studied
• Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Euthyphro, Crito, Martin Luther King Jr., Glaucon, Hobbes, John Rawls, Robert Audi,Virginia Held, Marilyn Frye, Ta-Nehisi Coates
C. Arguments/Theories/Etc. we’ve Studied
• Aristotle’s account of the nature of moral and intellectual virtue
o doctrine of the mean, flourishing
• The Euthyphro Dilemma, Divine Voluntarism, The Euthyphro Argument
• Socrates’ discussion of the relationship between religious piety and justice.
• Socrates’ argument against his fleeing his court-ordered death sentence
• The Laws’ arguments against Socrates’ fleeing his court-ordered death sentence (and the relationship b/w Socrates’ argument and the Laws’ arguments).
• Understand the distinction between Ideal Theory and Non-Ideal Theory in discussions of justice.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. on the distinction b/w just and unjust laws, and his defense of non-violent civil disobedience
• What is the point of the question concerning the value of justice raised in Plato’s Republic?
o intrinsic value, extrinsic/instrumental value, Gyges’ Ring
• What is a ‘State of Nature’ thought experiment? What competing conceptions of the state of nature do we find in the views of Socrates, Glaucon, Hobbes, and Rousseau? How do these competing conceptions shape and inform their views about the nature of society?
o healthy community, feverish/inflamed community, scarcity, psychological egoism, general will, particular will,
• The Prisoner’s Dilemma and its relationship to Hobbes views on the social contract
o rights, laws, contracts
• Rawl’s Theory of “Justice as Fairness.” What does he mean by the ‘veil of ignorance’ and what purpose or function does it serve in his theory? What principles of justice does he think his theory would establish and what do those principles mean/how do they apply to specific social issues?
• Robert Audi’s Principle of Natural Reason and his argument in support of that principle
• The Ethics of Care; Kohlberg’s research and Carol Gilligan’s response; Virginia Held’s feminist critique of the social contract tradition of moral/political philosophy
• Frye’s account of the nature of sexism: her initial definition and her reasons for rejecting it as inadequate, the revised/improved definition she defends in its place.
o be familiar with the distinction between the concepts of sex and gender
• Coates’ case for reparations (or for at least discussing reparations)
• What is implicit bias? What are some examples of ways in which it can manifest itself in prejudicial behavior even among people who sincerely reject explicit forms of racist/sexist/etc. attitudes?