Philosophy Surprises

What surprised you about philosophy and/or about this course?  Good or bad:  don't hold back.  What, if anything, will you take with you into other classes, your life, the world?

knowers in Feminist Philosophy of Science

Discuss the shift in knower from the traditional, Cartesian picture to the contemporary feminist picture.  (discuss embodiment, relational knowledge, knowers-in-communities).

News...rape trial

The woman who is accusing two police officers of raping her remained calm and confident during her eight-hour testimony, even going on the attack. http://nyti.ms/gHQc2S

TED re: women

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/hanna_rosin_new_data_on_the_rise_of_women.html

Oleanna

Some prompts for your blogging:
* How would you know if you'd been sexually or otherwise harassed?
* How do you determine if someone else has been sexually or otherwise harassed?
* How do you go about finding the truth?  Is there such a thing as truth?  A single, universal truth?  Could there be more than a single truth about a situation?  Are there certain processes which help us seek truth?
* Comment on rationality, emotion, coercion, and/or power and how they affect the characters in this play.
* What really happened in this story?  Could anyone really know?

Knowledge & Standards

What is the relationship of knowledge to belief?  How does that impact actions regarding others?  For example, if I know that my brother cheats on his taxes, does that oblige me to anything?  Does it depend on who I am (say, if I were an IRS agent vs. just a sibling vs. a prosecutor)?

What standards are there for knowledge?  How might naturalized epistemology or social epistemology approaches provide answers here?  Is there one standard for knowledge, another for belief?  Or, is there one standard for knowledge in one context (low stakes) and another standards in a different, higher stakes context?  Danielle will love this question, no doubt!

sexual harassment & epistemology topics

v  Why is having knowledge good?  Is it bad to fail to have/attain knowledge?  Is it a moral failing to turn away from knowledge?  Consider a specific, real example, like sexual harassment (although you can use a different example).  Have I failed if I deliberately choose to avoid learning about a friend/colleague/neighbor behavior?

v  Regarding Sexual Harassment, what do we mean by “know”?  How do I know when I am being harassed?  When I am harassing?  What standard of knowledge do I need to employ in order to take punitive action (pressing charges, telling others that so-and-so is a harasser, etc.)?  Refer to Section 5 of the SEP “Epistemology”.

v  

Philosophical Videos

Please post your videos here!

from Patricia:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-buzVjYQvY&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwOCmJevigw&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1awvC1l7mM&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IG1IAzSC0U

Science & Thinking

I just saw this article; related to many points from last night's class.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/29/opinion/29brooks.html?_r=2

philosophy humor

http://xkcd.com/876/

Current Events Mar/Apr

*new* 11 Apr 11
14 year old girl dies from lashings as punishment for alleged illicit relationship
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/29/bangladesh.lashing.death/index.html

6Apr11
Neither Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi nor the underage woman he is accused of having sex with were present at the proceedings, which a judge adjourned until May 31. http://nyti.ms/f4ByWz 


Feminist Philosopher Sara Ruddick dies
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/23/us/23ruddick.html?_r=1


From The New York Times:  Rapes of Women Show Clash of Old and New India
A boom and social change are pitting young working women in the city against men from conservative villages.
http://nyti.ms/gc4sgO

30Mar11
3-Month Nightmare Emerges in Rape Inquiry
Court documents and an exclusive interview with the father of an 11-year-old girl who the police say was the victim of repeated gang rapes in East Texas paint a grim portrait of an episode that lasted
http://nyti.ms/htyhUO

Images of Women in the Media

Can you post links to or describe images of women in the media that you think are concerning or problematic in some way?  I've started with the links from your 1st night agenda.

Sexism?

What is it?  Have you seen or experienced any sexist behavior? 

Why is epistemology important? (1st week)

You might not think that it is, but perhaps you could reflect on last night's discussion and come up with some ideas.

Introductions (1st Week)

Dear Young Feminist Thinkers,

Please introduce yourselves.  Tell us about yourself.  Why are you taking this class?  What do you expect from the class?

Dr. Cate