The nature of human identity - how we think of ourselves, how we perceive others - is a mutable concept, changing with the rise and fall of religious beliefs, social mores, philosophical theories. Today, we live in a world in which science and technology are among the most powerful forces reshaping our culture - and thus our definitions and perceptions of identity. In this seminar, we will examine the impact of science and technology on identity.
The instructor’s course page may be viewed at http://smg.media.mit.edu/classes/IdentitySeminar/

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This course is an introduction to epistemology: the theory of knowledge. We will focus on skepticism—that is, the thesis that we know nothing at all—and we will survey a range of skeptical arguments and responses to skepticism.

Why Most Abortions Aren’t Wrong & Why All Abortions Should Be Legal

Short Description:
To many people, abortion is an issue for which discussions and debates are frustrating and fruitless: it seems like no progress will ever be made towards any understanding, much less resolution or even compromise. When emotions run high, we sometimes need to step back and use a passion for calm, cool, critical thinking. This helps us better understand the positions and arguments of people who see things differently from us, as well as our own positions and arguments. Here we use basic critical thinking skills to argue that abortion is typically not morally wrong.

Long Description:
To many people, abortion is an issue for which discussions and debates are frustrating and fruitless: it seems like no progress will ever be made towards any understanding, much less resolution or even compromise. Judgments like these, however, are premature because some basic techniques from critical thinking, such as carefully defining words and testing definitions, stating the full structure of arguments so each step of the reasoning can be examined, and comparing the strengths and weaknesses of different explanations can help us make progress towards these goals. When emotions run high, we sometimes need to step back and use a passion for calm, cool, critical thinking. This helps us better understand the positions and arguments of people who see things differently from us, as well as our own positions and arguments. And we can use critical thinking skills help to try to figure out which positions are best, in terms of being supported by good arguments: after all, we might have much to learn from other people, sometimes that our own views should change, for the better. Here we use basic critical thinking skills to argue that abortion is typically not morally wrong. We begin with less morally-controversial claims: adults, children and babies are wrong to kill and wrong to kill, fundamentally, because they, we, are conscious, aware and have feelings. We argue that since early fetuses entirely lack these characteristics, they are not inherently wrong to kill and so most abortions are not morally wrong, since most abortions are done early in pregnancy, before consciousness and feeling develop in the fetus. Furthermore, since the right to life is not the right to someone else’s body, fetuses might not have the right to the pregnant woman’s body—which she has the right to—and so she has the right to not allow the fetus use of her body. This further justifies abortion, at least until technology allows for the removal of fetuses to other wombs. Since morally permissible actions should be legal, abortions should be legal: it is an injustice to criminalize actions that are not wrong. In the course of arguing for these claims, we: discuss how to best define abortion; dismiss many common “question-begging” arguments that merely assume their conclusions, instead of giving genuine reasons for them; refute some often-heard “everyday arguments” about abortion, on all sides; explain why the most influential philosophical arguments against abortion are unsuccessful; provide some positive arguments that at least early abortions are not wrong; briefly discuss the ethics and legality of later abortions, and more. This essay is not a “how to win an argument” piece or a tract or any kind of apologetics. It is not designed to help anyone “win” debates: everybody “wins” on this issue when we calmly and respectfully engage arguments with care, charity, honesty and humility. This book is merely a reasoned, systematic introduction to the issues that we hope models these skills and virtues. Its discussion should not be taken as absolute “proof” of anything: much more needs to be understood and carefully discussed—always.

Word Count: 16411

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Negotiating School

Short Description:
Matters of social justice appear in various provincial curricula, but are often taught in isolation from a pedagogical discourse around issues of diversity.

Long Description:
Conversations about oppression, marginalization, at-risk children, and the specific manifestations of these issues are neither novel nor unfamiliar in educational circles. Well-intentioned educators have grappled with how to address these topics for years. As university educators who teach within a social justice framework, we acknowledge these lived realities and the everyday effects they have on individuals. We also believe that there is a parallel perspective to this which is equally important: a strenuous and deliberate examination of one’s own privileges. This book examines some key critical moments in schooling processes and practices and the impacts that these decisions and policies have on the lives of students and teachers.

Word Count: 11068

ISBN: 978-1-7781696-9-4

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Word Count: 114771

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This resource is a set of opening qeustions to encourage participants to reflect on the nature of community, especially during times where our normal lives, families, relationships have been disrupted. Phil

Courses in the Topics in Social Theory and Practice series feature in-depth considerations of such topics with reflections on their implications for social change.
The topic for Fall 2014 is race and racism. We will consider a variety of arguments for and against the biological and / or social “reality” of race—taking into account purported races other than those defined by the black / white binary and the intersection of race with other social categories. We will then consider a number of accounts of racism, contemporary manifestations of racism, and potential counter-measures.

Lectures on Global Hermeneutics

Short Description:
Why do human beings interpret their overall experience in terms of selfhood? How was the notion and sense of self shaped at different times and in different cultures? What sort of problems or paradoxes did these constructions face? These lectures address these and related questions by sketching a roadmap of possible theoretical avenues for conceiving of the self, bringing to the foreground its soteriological implications, while also testing this theoretical outlook against insights offered by various disciplines. Exploring the cross-cultural spectrum of possible ways of conceiving of the self invites the more existential question of whether any of these possibilities might offer resources for dealing with the tragedies of today’s world, or maybe even saving it from some of them.

Long Description:
Why do human beings interpret their overall experience in terms of selfhood? How was the notion and sense of self shaped at different times and in different cultures? What sort of problems or paradoxes did these constructions face? These lectures address these and related questions by sketching a roadmap of possible theoretical avenues for conceiving of the self, bringing to the foreground its soteriological implications, while also testing this theoretical outlook against insights offered by various disciplines (including philosophy, cognitive science, anthropology, archaeology, psychology, religious studies, intellectual history, and contemplative practices) and in specific historical cultures (ancient India and Greece, the modern West). The resulting journey is a way of practicing hermeneutics, the art of understanding and interpreting experience in its multifarious manifestations (which include different genres of written texts, oral traditions, social structures and practices, various sorts and domains of experience, ideas and ideals). This form of hermeneutics is best understood as ‘global hermeneutic’ both because of its temporal and geographical scope, and because of its interest on a phenomenon so broad and deeply rooted as selfhood. The purpose of the journey is not only descriptive, though. Exploring the cross-cultural spectrum of possible ways of conceiving of the self invites the more existential question of whether any of these possibilities might offer resources for dealing with the tragedies of today’s world, or maybe even saving it from some of them. An open access pdf and printed version is published via the University of Groningen Press.

Word Count: 204910

Included H5P activities: 2

ISBN: 9789403430089

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This book contains 14 lectures on the topic of Global Hermeneutics. It can be used in philosophy classes to discuss the concept of the self, as it showcases different theoretical avenues of how the self is conceived. The synopsis reads as follows:

Why do human beings interpret their overall experience in terms of selfhood? How was the notion and sense of self shaped at different times and in different cultures? What sort of problems or paradoxes did these constructions face? These lectures address these and related questions by sketching a roadmap of possible theoretical avenues for conceiving of the self, bringing to the foreground its soteriological implications, while also testing this theoretical outlook against insights offered by various disciplines. Exploring the crosscultural spectrum of possible ways of conceiving of the self invites the more existential question of whether any of these possibilities might offer resources for dealing with the tragedies of today’s world, or maybe even saving it from some of them.

Religions of the World in Philosophical Perspective

Short Description:
The book explores the world's major religions using a philosophical context that best represents the nature of the religion

Long Description:
TAKEN AS ORGANIZED ENTITIES, the world’s religions are an amazing lot, to say the least. Yet, books about religion often emphasize the factual and visual details, and narrative expression of a religion without necessarily providing a narrative philosophical framework for exploring the tradition. Transcendent Realities: Religions of the World in Philosophical Perspective attempts to provide just such a context for assessing a given religious tradition: a philosophical concept reflecting the religion as a cognitive or intellectual whole. As such, this book welcomes readers to explore religion from a more philosophically informed and enlightened perspective.

Although the book features twelve of the world’s foremost religions as its primary emphasis, it also provides a brief philosophical foundation for each religion as the primary basis for contextualizing the tradition. Consequently, the religions are explored with attention to a primary philosophical structure or context that attempts to capture the essence of, or, at least, the philosophical superstructure that perhaps guides the tradition. Relevant to the religions chosen for exploration, the book is organized according to a primarily geographical order, although its emphasis on an east to west approach as its geographic development may also suggest an historical or chronological progression. The book focuses first on representative Indigenous African and North American religions, then Far Eastern religions, Eastern Indian religions, and finally the Western religions. The book does not go into an exploration of new religions as these are typically in the pre-developmental stage relevant to their philosophical conceptualizations.

Among the key features of the book is use of visuals placed within the reading content in a way designed to enhance the more philosophically reflective inquiries the study of religion naturally inspires. Combining the visual with the literary is of itself a philosophical enterprise, and doing so when engaged with religious phenomena can make for a more uniquely interesting and engaging reading experience. The author’s primary intent with the visuals is to stimulate philosophical reflection during the reading experience, and yet without the visuals taking away from the reading content.

Finally, the book does not include assessment supplements such as a test bank, video, or companion website study materials. Instead, the requested approach to assessment stemming from the book for those using the book in an academic setting is to stimulate construction of uniquely applied testing or other materials that reflect the phenomenon of engagement with the book and its ideas and approaches to the content. Each instructor may choose to emphasize their own key points of interest, and for this reason the making of a one-type-fits-all approach to assessment materials seemed restrictive at best. Sixteenth-century French theologian John Calvin once stated that one’s “immediate intuition” with a text is the finest and most exemplary essence of its assessment; perhaps instructors should craft their own assessment materials based on student’s recent engagement with the materials.

This book has been a long time in the making, and reflects not only a variety of classroom experiences, but a lifetime of religious interest and involvement. In many respects, if it may be true that people are the sum total of their thoughts and experiences, as the Buddhist might say, this book reflects the sum total perspective on what I’ve discovered in attempting to understand my own religious views, traditions, and the views of others over the years.

The author wishes to thank the 4,000+ students who have taken my course in World Religions over the past 12 years, and especially to the University of West Florida for the grant necessary for the writing of this book. I’m also further indebted to Dr. Amy Cook and Dr. Erin Stone for their excellent current leadership of the Department of History & Philosophy at UWF, and to Dr. Sally Ferguson and Dr. Brian Hood for their past leadership when the department of Philosophy was a stand-alone entity.

In a world of radically increasing cultural complexity, and with this the difficulties involved when religion is introduced and engaged, it is my hope that this book can help contribute to a more truthful, peaceful, enlightened, and perhaps more accepting or empathetic world. If religion exists as the great ennobling force for an increasing civilized and refined humanity that many of its proponents espouse, then a keen exploration of the religions of the world is no doubt a necessary venture. This book will hopefully help to provide this adventure to those who seek it.

Word Count: 157836

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Short Description:
A workbook for bringing new voices into public debate based on the performance creation approach developed by Transforming Stories, Driving Change.

Long Description:
Can theatre bring new voices into public debate? Facilitating theatre workshops with community members who experience social marginalization is an art that, when done well, feels more like magic. But even the best facilitators are not magicians. With this workbook we pull back the curtain on the magic by taking readers behind the scenes of the Hamilton-based research and performance initiative Transforming Stories, Driving Change (TSDC.) Since 2015, TSDC teams have worked alongside community partners and performer-advocates to make plays designed to draw attention to the voices and visions of people whose opinions are not often represented in discussions of the future of the City. Through our performances, we have tried to contribute to building the movements that can make public leaders more accountable to people who are affected by their decisions. Five years and four plays later, we offer this workbook as a practical guide to TSDC’s creative approach.

Word Count: 51178

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A Journey Through Trust, its Applications, Calculations and Limitations

Short Description:
This is a short book, written partly as a personal reflection and partly as a scientific text. It is aimed at undergraduate to graduate classes in Trust Systems, with applicability to other information security domains, as well as general audiences interested in knowing more about how trust and security work in computational systems without getting overly technical. It covers trust from basics through to introducing formalizations of trust, including journeys through blockchains and zero trust systems.

Word Count: 80673

ISBN: 978-1-7779195-0-4

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Word Count: 139297

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This educational resource is all about how to make good choices to improve your health. It talks about how important it is to make responsible decisions and gives tips for making good choices that are both ethical and successful. It also explains how to look at situations carefully before making a decision that matches your own goals and values. The assignment emphasizes that it's really important to focus on your own health and to be true to yourself when making choices.

Over the last 40 years, new managerial technologies in Western democratic societies have emerged to dominate our perceived and lived reality. Demands for autonomy and a creative life, which have been the touchstones for artistic endeavors, have been readily absorbed into management philosophies, becoming normative values for self-management and entrepreneurial innovation. Is this art’s triumph or demise? Can we imagine other worlds beyond our managed reality and propose forms of living not yet captured by the rationality of network capitalism? We will explore the “creative” figure and how it can shape renewed critical expressions in fields such as technology, design, science, philosophy, etc.

The course examines the causes and effects of rapid urbanization in developing countries. Using case studies from the world’s four major developing regions, including (among others) Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Managua, Singapore, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Kabul, Beirut, Cairo, Kinshasa, Cape Town and Johannesburg, it explores the economic and political dynamics that grease the wheels of contemporary patterns of growth. In addition to examining both local and transnational forces that drive contemporary urbanization, the course focuses on key issues that emerge in rapidly growing cities of the developing world, ranging from growing income inequality and socio-economic exclusion, environmental challenges, and rising violence. Class sessions are discussion-based and focus on a critical analysis of the arguments presented in the readings.

the Work of Critical Digital Pedagogy

Short Description:
This collection of essays explores the authors’ work in, inquiry into, and critique of online learning, educational technology, and the trends, techniques, hopes, fears, and possibilities of digital pedagogy.

Long Description:
Too many approaches to teaching with technology are instrumental at best, devoid of heart and soul at worst. The role of the teacher is made impersonal and mechanistic by a desire for learning to be efficient and standardized. Solutionist approaches like the learning management system, the rubric, quality assurance, all but remove the will of the teacher to be compassionate, curious, and to be a learner alongside their students.

As the authors write in their introduction: “It is urgent that we have teachers. In a political climate increasingly defined by obstinacy, lack of criticality, and deflection of fact and care; in a society still divided across lines of race, nationality, religion, gender, sexuality, income, ability, and privilege; in a digital culture shaped by algorithms that neither know nor accurately portray truth, teaching has an important (urgent) role to play.” This collection of essays explores the authors’ work in, inquiry into, and critique of online learning, educational technology, and the trends, techniques, hopes, fears, and possibilities of digital pedagogy. The ideas of this volume span almost two decades of pedagogical thinking, practice, outreach, community development, and activism.

Word Count: 80489

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You don’t need to be a top-selling author to realise that it is important to vary your sentence construction. An essay where every line begins “I think that...” or “There are...” or even just “The” will come across as dull and unimaginative, and it will be difficult to keep your reader’s interest.