Review

Grades & what they meanUOW Score (%) UK/USA/Asia

High Distinction 85-100 A?Distinction 75-84 A-?

Credit 65-74 B?Pass 50-64Fail 0-49

Plan❄‘Multiple Personality

Disorder’ (or, ‘Dissociative Identity Disorder’)

❄Module review❄Essay review❄Exam preview

What makes you you?

TIME

“Dissociative Identity disorder”

Psychiatry meets Philosophy

B I

B Ia

Sally

B IV

B IVa

B IISober, responsible, well-balanced• Claims to be both BI & BIV• Has virtues of both, but not their

vices

19041893-

‘Multiple Persons’❄ No continuity of consciousness❄ Radically different personality,

each complex & consistent internally

❄ Each is an intentional system❄ 1st person perspective shows

self-understanding as person❄ Alternate & Simultaneous

existence

‘1 Person’2 senses of person/personality

Appearance meaning• Persona, mask• How you present

yourself to others

• Person in the numerical sense

• The true self

Reality meaning

Natural kinds❄There is a distinction

between the natural & artificial

❄We are familiar with natural persons and can refer to them to discern the unnatural

❄Natural persons are not like BI, BIV, Sally

Christine Beauchamp is 1 person

“Miss Beauchamp's personalities suffer from severe mental and physical defects: aboulia, impulsions, neurasthenia, amnesia of actions and thoughts, violent mood and character changes, abnormal suggestibility, and severe limitations in their ability to adapt to their environment. Normal, real persons do not suffer from these defects, or at least not all of them.”

Real or natural?❄Conflation of ‘real’,

‘normal’, ‘natural’❊Are they the same?

❄Must all real persons be ‘normal/natural’ persons?

❄Why must the real self be what’s best adapted to the environment?

Lizza’s argument

Appearance meaning• Persona, mask• How you present yourself

to others

• Person in the numerical sense

• The true self

Reality meaning

What’s normal or natural

Complex & distinct personalities, intentional systems, 1st person understanding

Aren’t the normal & natural also appearances?

???

Why privilege some appearances over others?

How should we treat Christine

Beauchamp?

❄A matter of psychiatry/psychology

❄But how you treat her depends on a philosophical judgment❊1 body, multiple persons?❊1 person, multiple

personas?

Introduction to Philosophy

Through Process

Through Issues

Tuesdays with Morrie

“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things.

The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”

- Morrie Schwartz

To think or not to think?

Not to think! To think!

What’s the point of it all?Studies & careerFriends & foesPleasure & suffering

Malice & kindnessLife & death

Big Questions• What am I?• How should I live?• Am I free?

Values, Self & Knowledge

What am I? Making sense of it all

How should I live? Am I free?

Worldviews

Comprehensive explanation of everything

All that isAll that has beenAll that will be

Worldviews

Religion Science

Science❄Observable evidence❄Rigorous method❄Great discoveries❄Demystifying effectScience can’t explain everything yet, but there is good reason to think it will.

Problems with the Science wordview

❄What can Science do?❊Explain observable

phenomena via laws of physics/chemistry/biology

❄Too BIG for Science?

X Y Z

AB C

??

Others

The puzzle

Physical entities & biological organisms

Laws of nature

Fundamental features of the universe

???

What happened?Possible explanations❄Robbery❄Hurricane❄Don’t know❄It simply happened

and there’s no explanation for it

Too BIG for Science?That there are things❄Fundamental features

of the universe❊Laws, constants

How things are❄Life-giving universe

❊Highly improbable ‘fine-tuning’ of the universe allows for intelligent life to exist

Too ODD for Science?Libertarian Freedom❄Power to choose❄Independence from natural lawsThe mind❄The nature of the mental

Objective moral truths❄Moral truths cannot be reduced

to scientific truths

Blast from the past

???

God of the gaps❄Argument based on

what we don’t understand❊Just because we don’t

understand it doesn’t make it more likely that God is the best explanation

❄We need arguments based on what we understand

The puzzle

Physical entities & biological organisms

Laws of nature

Fundamental features of the universe

???

The God hypothesis

Physical entities & biological organisms

Laws of nature

Fundamental features of the universe

God

??

What created God?

Objective moral truths

Physical Reality

Moral Reality

God

Science

Can God create morality?

“Torturing innocent people for fun is morally wrong.”

Is that morally wrong because God says it is?

Did God say it is morally wrong

because it really is?OR

Morality is arbitrary Morality is not created by God

Worldviews

Comprehensive explanation of everything

All that isAll that has beenAll that will be

Philosophy is meaningful

Philosophy is useful

Introduction to Philosophy

Through Process

Through Issues

Philosophy through puzzlesTheory A, Strengths & WeaknessesTheory B, Strengths & Weaknesses…Puzzle – Proposed Solution – Objection – Revised Solution – Objection…

System of arriving at solutions

Easily transferable skills❄Conceptual powers

• Ability to spot abstract patterns

Link the superficially different

Separate the superficially similar

Testing a philosophical viewPhilosophical

View

Hypothesis/Prediction

Observation/Reflection

Compare

Overview of process

AbstractionDistinction

Thought experiments

Starting point

Observations

The Detective Story❄Agent Black is always one

step behind his colleague Mrs Holmes

❄They often work together, but she keeps solving the cases

❄But each time, he looks back on the case and believes he could have solved it too

But why didn’t he solve it instead of

her?

Problem-solving❄Better to be

structured rather than random

❄Better to have a cumulative method rather than always starting anew

Progress❄Incremental & Systemic❄Not merely about diligence

and interest❄Higher-order skills

❊Not just solving more problems❊Analysing and improving your

problem-solving approach❄Criteria, Review, Deliberate

observation

The Good Life❄Thoughtful people

seek meaning in life❊The nature of reality and

their place within it❄Difficult but is there

a better alternative?❊Pursuit of truth and

meaning as part of the good life

Looking back together❄Workload❄Meetings❄Assessment❄Topics

Looking back together❄Essay plan (start of week 6)❄Essay (start of week 11)❄Final exam (end of term)

Track progress Mid-term exam (start week 8)

Start detailed analysis Start Essay plan (start of week 10)

Demonstrate learning via topic of interest Essay (start of week 14)

Topics: Values, Self & Knowledge

Values Self Knowledge• Why should I

be moral?• What is

morality?• Applies ethics:

• Lying, Eating meat, climate change

• Am I free?• Is the mind

just the brain?

• What makes me me• ‘Multiple

personalities’

• Is everything learnt through the 5 senses?

• Is knowledge merely a social construct?

• How do I know I am not in he Matrix?

In progressVarious essays on applied ethics

❊Philosophy essays on Singapore-related matters

❊377A, treatment of strays, capitalism, State welfare, ‘foreign talent’ in sports

Continue discussing via email/FB

Philosophy & Public Affairs

Foreign Talent, Local Glory: Can National Excellence Be

Outsourced?

Goodbye & Hello

Essay Review❄Focus on reasoning

❊Understanding of issue❊Quality of argument

❄But supporting considerations also matter❊Essay organisation❊Language

Areas to note❄Balancing the macro & micro

❊The main ideas should be clear❊Where you are going & how you got there❊Details matter only when they add to the

main ideas❄Transitions

❊‘Narrator’❄Commendation

❊Ian, Zhan Yong

Areas to note❄Quality of argument

❊Attention to subtle distinctions & principles

❊Ability to clearly explain them❊Suggested test

❄Commendation❊Samuel, Ian, Yi Huan

Clarity of expression❄Can an average person

understand you in her 1st careful reading?

❄Note details❊Spelling❊Technical terms❊Choice of words❊Paragraphing

❄Commendation❊Laxman, Jillian, Azalea

Exam analysisOverview❄Part A

❊Brief explanation of concepts/issues

❊4/5 sentences❄Part B

❊Detailed response❊Explanation/critique❊3/4 paragraphs

Part A❄General idea

❊Quick recall❄Some key details

❊Relevance/context❊Contrast it to opposing idea❊Key concepts

❄Use example to illustrate if necessary❄Note to self:

❊Beware of confusing it with…❊Time constraint❊Don’t evaluate/argue

Part B❄Review class discussions, readings

❊Stick to requirements❊Make clear your stand if needed

❄2-part questions❊15/10 marks split

❄Explain arguments❊Note conclusion❊Quickly provide necessary definitions❊Explain key steps❊Objection

PracticePart A❄Privileged access (to your

own thoughts)

Part B❄Is indeterminism

compatible with freedom? Why or why not? Please defend your view.

Part APrivileged access (to your own thoughts)

❄ Refers to the way you know about your own thoughts❊ Direct knowledge❊ Cannot be mistaken

❄ This differs from how others know about your thoughts❊ Indirect & fallible

❄ Indicates an apparent distinction between the mental and the physical❊ Public access to the physical (no one is necessarily

privileged)

Part BIs indeterminism compatible with freedom? Why or why not? Please defend your view.

❄ Define indeterminism❊ Indeterministic events have no cause. Contrast with

determinism.❄ It is not compatible with freedom

❊ Seems random. In exactly the came conditions, the outcome can differ, and there’s no explanation

❊ Freedom involves control. Randomness seems wholly accidental.

❊ Example❄ Freedom needs link causal link between

agent and action❊ Indeterminism cannot provide that link (e.g. desire)