Name_________________________________
PL
100 Philosophy and the Human Condition
Reading
Philosophy
Reading
philosophy requires some different reading skills than reading a novel or
newspaper. Instead of merely
entertaining or informing you, philosophers also want to engage you in a
discussion of ideas. That is why you
should approach many of the readings in this course as if you are reading an
argument. This means that the author
will have a point of view he or she is arguing for (a conclusion)
and will give reasons (premises) in support of that point
of view. Often, the author will also
disagree with another philosopher's point of view. Sometimes, the author may be very
straightforward in presenting his or her premises and conclusion. For example, she may say:
"Capital punishment is moral
because an underlying principle of democracy is the Forfeiture Principle. This principle states that when one takes a
life unfairly, one loses her right to life in return. Therefore, the state is justified in executing that person because
she no longer has the right to life."
Unfortunately,
most important philosophers do not write that clearly. Your job will be do
figure out the main idea or conclusion and how the author supports the main
idea.
There
are three parts in reading philosophy: first, putting it in a
context by getting some background information about the author and the topic
and relating it to what you already know; second,
understanding the argument by breaking it down into its main ideas; and third,
evaluating the argument. Use this
sheet with this assignment. It will
help you perform these three steps. Write your ideas in the space provided on
this sheet.
Background
Information
1. Ask yourself: "What do I know about the author and the topic?" In this case, the author
is Bertrand Russell. For some
background on Russell, read page one in our textbook. For future reference, always read the opening remarks preceding
any essay you read in the text. Also,
always read any notes at the end of the essay.
These remarks, besides giving you some biographical information about
the author, will also often summarize some key ideas you will read in the
essay. Write some notes below from the introduction that you think will help
you understand the essay.
Understanding
the Argument
2. Read the selection ( pp.1 - 6) once. Look up any unfamiliar words in a good
college dictionary. Write the
definitions below.
3. Reread the selection one paragraph at a
time. Underline the important terms in each
paragraph. Write some notes in the
text in the margin next to the paragraph that summarize the main ideas in
that paragraph. You can group together
smaller paragraphs that are about the same idea.
4. Think about what you have just read. Does the title "The Value of Philosophy"
help you to understand the
main theme of the essay? Ask: "What reasons and/or examples does the author give to
support his ideas about the value of philosophy for people who aren=t professional students of
philosophy?" In this essay, Russell talks about the value of philosophy for
what he calls"the practical man."
A) Describe this practical man (see para
two on page two).
B) What are the three philosophical
questions he lists in para one on page three?
C) Those three questions do not have
simple answers upon which we can all agree. Why, then, should we ask these types of questions? Why does he say
that the value of philosophy is 'its very uncertainty?' (Para three, page three)
D) Who is 'the instinctive man?'
(para one, page four)
E) What do you think Russell means by the
'Self' and the 'not-Self' on pages four and five?
This is a very difficult part of the reading. Do your best!
F) How does Russell summarize the value
of philosophy in para one, page six?
Evaluation
5. Think about your own background of knowledge
and experience. Do you agree or disagree
with Russell's ideas? Why or why not?
6. As we read further in this course, you will
become acquainted with other philosophers.
Then, you can ask how they may respond to Russell's argument. For example, does the theme of the Allegory of the Cave agree with Russell's essay?
7. Do you think Russell has presented a good
argument? A good or sound
argument has two parts: Truth and Validity. An argument is true if the major premises
(reasons) are true. An argument is valid
if all the ideas connect each other and support the conclusion. So, ask if
Russell=s major reasons or premises
are true and if the ideas connect
and support the conclusion. If they do,
then Russell has presented a sound or good argument. If not, if one of the criteria is not fulfilled, you may still
find something of value in the essay.
Write your ideas below.
For
further information on this topic, check out http://apps.manor.edu/faculty/knop
Developed by Anne Knop, Senior Associate Professor of Philosophy, Manor College