Up@dawn 2.0

Monday, May 28, 2018

Evolution in America

Our summer MALA course "Evolution in America" begins next week... Wednesdays, COE 144, 5-9 pm.

On July 21 we'll do a field-trip to Dayton TN, for the annual dramatic re-enactment of the 1925 Scopes Trial, in the very courthouse - the very "pews" - where it happened!

Image result for dayton tennessee scopes trial reenactment


And after the show we'll gather here to discuss it. Can't wait!

Meanwhile, we'll be reading and discussing Summer For The Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion by Edward J. Larson... (CSPAN)


and

Trials of the Monkey by Darwin's own great-great grandson Matthew Chapman. He put in an appearance at the Southern Festival of Books in 2001 (curious sidenote: I was also on the program at the Festival that year, but somehow missed this)... (CSPAN)


Jon Meacham, The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels, on Scopes...
A Defense Expert's Impressions of the Scopes Trial by Winterton C. Curtis (1956)
Inherit the Wind... cross-examination scene... "this community is an insult to the world" (YouT)...
Evolution (pbs): 2'45" Dennett, 3'28" Gould...

Geoffrey Miller, evolutionary psychologist & author of The Mating Mind(2001), Mating Intelligence (2008), Spent (2009), and Mate (2015), on Sam Harris's podcast...

Five best books on evolution, acc'ing to Jerry Coyne... Children's books on the Big Bang and evolution...

Carl Sagan Explains Evolution (YouT)...
“The secrets of evolution are death and time—the deaths of enormous numbers of lifeforms that were imperfectly adapted to the environment; and time for a long succession of small mutations.” Cosmos
Image result for carl sagan cosmos Two billion years ago our ancestors were microbes; a halfbillion years ago, fish; a hundred million years ago, something like mice; ten million years ago, arboreal apes; and a million years ago, proto-humans puzzling out the taming of fire. Our evolutionary lineage is marked by mastery of change. In our time, the pace is quickening. Pale Blue Dot
“If the Earth were as old as a person, a typical organism would be born, live and die in a sliver of a second. We are fleeting, transitional creatures, snowflakes fallen on the hearth fire.” Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors... g'reads

Image result for winterton c. curtisAt our first meeting I'll probably mention for the first but not the last time my personal connection to evolution in America, the gentleman I call my first landlord, Dr. Winterton C. Curtis of the University of Missouri. He was in Dayton in the summer of '25 (though not allowed to testify, like all the other scientific witnesses on hand), I was in his home in the late '50's, he was in my home pulling dollar bills "from my ear" in the mid-'60s... My late father Dr. James C. Oliver (MU, DVM '60), in other respects the opposite of a mystic, was convinced that Dr. C. somehow implanted in me my lifelong fascination with evolution. I don't know about that, but I do know that Dr. C.'s neglected classic Science and Human Affairs From the Viewpoint of Biology (1922) is a real gem. (See his thoughts on "the humanistic philosophy of life" below*)

Image result for winterton c. curtisImage result for winterton c. curtis

We'll observe some ground-rules, mostly having to do with the way we engage whatever differences on this topic we may encounter. I'm deeply committed to the evolutionary hypothesis myself, and find the evidence for it compelling and uplifting. Others, especially in our region of the country (just up the road from Dayton) have other ideas. I don't know if any of us in the course will clash, but the rule we must all observe is: be kind, be civil, don't be a jerk. 

And let's all bear in mind: we're not here to resolve the evolutionary debate, to go deep into the weeds of biological science, to get bogged down in technical points of dispute, or take up the arcana of creationist polemics. We are here to study the ways in which the idea of evolution has shaped and been shaped by its reception in America... to notice its implications for education, philosophy, and our shared future.

And Rule #1: Let's have some fun discussing and learning about this fascinating topic!
==
*


Texts: Summer For the Gods (SG), Trials of the Monkey (TM)

1. June 6 - Introductions, overview, author sign-ups, peripatetic philosophy, scorecard

2. June 13 - SG 1-2, TM 1-6 

3. June 20 - SG 3-4, TM 7-11

4. June 27 - SG 5-6, TM 12-16

5. July 4 - Independence Day Holiday, no class

6. July 11 - SG 7-8, TM 17-23

7. July 18 - SG 9-10, TM 24-30

July 21 (Saturday) - Field Trip to Dayton, TN - Historic re-enactment of the 1925 Scopes Trial, Rhea County Courthouse, 1 pm

8. July 25 - Final report presentations 

9. August 1 - Final report presentations

10. August 8 - Final report presentations, Exam

==
We'll have objective-format quizzes over the readings in each class, and a final exam drawn from the quizzes. We'll all submit quiz questions, discussion questions, and relevant comments posted to this site in advance of each class. Write down your answers to the quiz questions, we'll go over them in class. I'll encourage us all to be peripatetic whenever possible (so plan to dress accordingly, with particular attention to footwear).

Again, everyone should post quiz questions, discussion questions, and relevant comments to this site in advance of each class. In the scorecard game I'll explain, you get a base for each of those... and an entire run if you post a relevant weekly essay of at least 250 words. (4 bases = 1 run).

The two students with the most runs at the end of the summer do not have to take the final exam.

Final report presentations. Select a third text to use as a primary source for your final report, which you can think of as a book report/review consisting of an in-class presentation and a blog post. I'll suggest some possibilities, beginning with those mentioned on this page...

...but you're free to discover your own. You should post 500+ words, a quiz, and at least two discussion questions prior to your presentation date.

Class format. Our course is scheduled as a weekly classroom marathon, Wednesdays 5-9 pm, but one of us has already improvised another plan. We're all free to do likewise. We can be flexible. But I propose that we follow this scheme, when we meet:

Prior to final reports in our last three sessions, we'll spend the first hour of each class on Summer For the Gods and related discussion, followed by a brief intermission (long enough for a bathroom break and a trip to the food court, for those who need it); then, about an hour on Trials of the Monkey... If the weather is temperate enough we'll spend some of that time outdoors, peripatetic-style. If it's too hot, we'll roam the halls a bit while we talk. Then, we'll come back to the classroom to wrap up discussion and get a jump-start on collaboratively co-creating next week's quiz. (I suggest we each try to post a quiz question from every fifth page of our assigned texts, each starting on a different page so as to avoid redundancy and achieve optimal coverage.)

Then, if there's still time on the clock and gas in the tank, we can conclude our last hour even more summerishly, perhaps at a remote location like the BoulevardGreen Dragon, or Mayday.

CafePress - Evolution Cycling - Car Magnet 10 x 3, Magnetic Bumper Sticker
Image result for cafepress evolution hiking
Image result for evolution dog walker

There's a very good discussion of the Scopes Trial in Susan Jacoby's Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism, noting that the trial played differently in the north and the south.


Kurt Andersen also discusses Scopes in his Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History.



Also recommended: Everybody's Story: Wising Up to the Epic of Evolution by Loyal Rue:



==
"NEXT"

Summer '18-MALA 6040, Evolution in America -

Here's a pic from our last, peripatetic class... Henry Adams (who fretted about the 2d Law of Thermodynamics, despite William James's counterpoint that the occupants of an entropic universe need not be unhappy) said "the chief wonder of [our] education is that it did not ruin everybody involved in it." By that standard, I think we had a successful summer semester!! Good luck, all!

The course evaluation period begins Monday, August 6th at 8 am and ends Wednesday, August 8th at 11:59 pm.
You may evaluate your courses anytime during the evaluation period. The evaluation is mobile friendly...
Your feedback requested & appreciated: should I offer an MALA version of my Philosophy of Happiness course next summer? Or, a course on the history and future of peripatetic (walking) philosophy? Or a repeat of, or variation on, this course? Perhaps a course on Experience and Identity: how our experiences define or fail to define us, individually and as a species. Texts might include William James's Varieties of Religious Experience and Carl Sagan's Varieties of Scientific Experience... Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Experience"... Or, do you have other suggestions?

REPORTERS, please post an assignment and a quiz (6+ quiz questions and at least a couple of discussion questions) ASAP prior to your presentation date so we can all add supplemental questions & comments. The assignment can be a reading selection, a YouTube video, a podcast etc.

To post your assignment, scroll down to near the bottom of this page to find "Step By Step Instructions to Embed a PDF On Blogger"... OR give us a link where we can find the material you'd like us to read/watch/hear... OR tell us which scanned pages in Google Books (Jy 25) (Aug1) (Aug 8) we should read.

The final report should also include a blog post of at least 500 words and any relevant links, graphics, videos or other "bloggish" content you find appropriate. Final draft due by our last class date, Aug.8-but feel free to post interim work-in-progress drafts in the meantime, to use in conjunction with your presentation and to solicit constructive feedback from the class.

"The ignorant do not have a right to an audience"...Philosophers in the rain/perfect day for a stroll..."The genius of Charles Darwin" (video)...Democracy in Chains...Nancy MacLean (video)... Scopes re-enactment slideshow... The American Experience documentary series featured the Scopes Trial... and so did In Search of History (featuring Stephen Jay Gould's commentary-the better of the two, in my opinion)... the NYTimes podcast "The Daily" featured the ACLU and gave Scopes a nod on Monday Jy 30... The Tangled Tree, a new book by David Quammen

I've acquired The Creation, so we'll definitely finish screening it sooner or later. Also, I've found my copy of Inherit the Wind... so we can take a longer look at it too, when time allows.

NOTE: your online participation is expected, even if you cannot join us in person. But please do join us in person.

We've not all been posting weekly essays and contributing to the quizzes. Do we need to take a bit more class time for that, perhaps at the beginning?
==
If we wish we can delegate quiz-building this way: those whose question intervals fall on even-numbered pages take the first half of the material, odd the second half.

Remember to open your author invitations, so you can post your weekly essays (250+ words, worth 4 bases, a whole run). Keep a log of everything you post, and when, so you can claim your bases & runs on the scorecard. You get a base for for each question, comment, link etc., and for each correctly-answered quiz question, and a run for every 4 bases.

And, you get a run (4 bases) for your weekly mini-essay (250+ words). Try to post everything byTuesday before class, so we'll all have an opportunity to respond to your thoughts and questions.
==
Quiz June 13, SG 1-2, TM 1-6

Quiz June 20, SG 3-4, TM 7-11... remember to post quiz & discussion questions for both our texts, and lots of comments (or if you prefer, contrary to WJB, interpretations) and links... Happy Fathers Day! Darwin as family man... Darwin on family, work, and happiness...

Quiz June 27, SG 5-6, TM 12-16... Go over last week's quiz... My colleague Bombardi is at the Green Dragon again tonight 'til 8:30, let's adjourn by 7:30 if we can... good 3d meeting, though we missed several of you. You missed some scintillating discussion, a peripatetic stroll in mild & lovely weather, and Part 1 of our screening of "The Creation." It pre-empted our review of the quiz, so we'll be doubling up next time.

July 4 - Happy Independence Day! I'm going to Montreal...

Quiz July 11, SG 7-8, TM 17-23. Let's all officially commit to our final report topics and nail down our presentation dates by today. Final reporttopics/texts - note the expanded bibliography of suggestions. You can post edited, in-progress drafts of your final blogs at any time, if you'd like to solicit early feedback.

Quiz July 18, SG 9-10, TM 24-30

July 21 (Saturday) - Field Trip to Dayton, TN! - Historic re-enactment of the 1925 Scopes Trial, Rhea County Courthouse, 1 pm Eastern Time(don't come late like Matthew Chapman). Any of us who want to travel together can meet in front of the library Starbucks at 9 am (we lose an hour to the time zone). Additional tickets can be purchased directly from scopesfestival.com.

July 25 - Final report presentation - Don, The Book That Changed America: How Darwin's Theory of Evolution Ignited a Nation by Randall Fuller (excerpt) AND The Influence of Darwin on Philosophy by John Dewey; [Abi's presentation postponed]

August 1 - Final report presentations - Chris,The Blind Watchmaker: why the evidence of evolution reveals a world without design by Richard Dawkins; Chase, Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors: A Search for Who We Are by Carl Sagan & Ann Druyan; Abigail,Darwin's Ghosts: In Search of the First Evolutionists by Rebecca Stott



If you've always wanted to be in pictures, here's a note from Dawn McCormack:

"We have been asked to find 30 people who can act as law school students in two video shoots on July 31st. Here is the info I have: The shoot is on July 31st, and we're basically looking for two groups of 15 students, one from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM in the Honors Building, and another from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM and the Miller Education Center on Bell Street. We're looking for a diverse group of students or staff members that look like they could pass as law school students (avg. age ~25). Please reach out to undergraduate and graduate students who might be interested, and have them contact me via email: dawn.mccormack@mtsu.edu"
==
CoPhi returns on August 27, 2018

Fall 2018, PHIL 1030-
#H-01 TR 11:20-12:45
#H-02 TR 01:00-02:25
#H-03 MW 12:40-02:05

Texts:
American Philosophy: A Love Storyby John Kaag
A Little History of Philosophy by Nigel Warburton
The Joys of Walking ed. Edwin Mitchell
Fantasyland by Kurt Andersen

Up@dawn... Up@dawn 2.0... Osopher(tw)

300 James Union Building (JUB), MW 4-5 & by appt.

EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY: go through the links below, find and fix the broken ones.

See "Previously" at the bottom of the page for old announcements

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

To the new crew on co-phillosophy I would like to give you some tips. I was in this class last semester and guys all you have to do is what he says during his first lecture. Of course, dont skip class. If you can't make it send an email. Post on the blog anything remotely referring to phillosophy (or baseball). Make comments on his  post and the students post.  Be a part of the discussion. Dont be afraid to speak up in class.   It may be an intro course you just need to satisfy a requirement but after I started using phillosophy in my daily life I found a new piece of mind. It helped me in my other classes as well as my personal life.  Seriously, if you join in to the lecture it makes it fun and interesting and dr. Oliver will appreciate it.  I just got my grade and didn't deserve it in my opinion but after I got comfortable with the class I tried to be a part of it and it paid off.  All you have to do is think and discuss your thoughts openly and make the class fun. Good luck and have fun!

A dog is hiding behind a flowerpot

Thursday, May 3, 2018

You guys are probably tied of my adding things to this blog but its a great way to interact with fellow students.  I found a very interesting article in CNN about Australian Professor  David Goodall.  He is 104 years old and wants to commit suicide.  I have always been undecided on Euthanasia.  For someone that's in a lot of pain and there is no hope whatsoever, then I think it should be allowed.  Seen to many family and friends suffer from a lot of pain.  I don't believe in it though if its just someone who is tired of living but then I read this.  My grandfather died at 103 and the doctors said he died because he was tired of living.  I remember he had to have care givers, couldn't see, couldn't hear well and just layed in bed all day except for his physical therapy.  So here is a link to the article, what is your opinion?  Please comment.
thanks guys

David Goodall's Euthanasia article

The second part of our walk: to be Peripatetics.

Image result for the lyceum of athens     I chose this topic because I enjoy walking and I would agree that if you let your mind wonder while you wander a great deal many things may come to your mind. Websters defines peripatetics as movement or journeys hither and thither, meaning that the journeys will take you far and wide mentally and physically. The word peripatetics originally came from the word peripatos. This way of thought was originally a school founded by Aristotle in Ancient Greece around 335 B.C. then lasted roughly until the third century A.D. after a brief attempt at a revival from the Romans.  This school of thought was lost for a time in the west but
in the east early Islamic philosophy adopted it. The Peripatetics were followers of  Aristotle who founded a physical location for his school in the Lyceum just outside of Athens. He and his followers would hold walking discussions for the public to engage upon, unlike the majority of institutions of the time. Although the Peripatetics where the main users of the Lyceum it was also used for housings Aristotle's Library. He also created the first zoo and botanical garden there as well for patrons of the school to see. The teachings of Aristotle in the peripatetic field proved to be inspiring to not only Islamic Philosophers but also to the founders of the scholastic philosophy.
  I have found that in my own experience walking is a gate way to another level of thinking in some aspects at times when you don't have distractions but when its calm that's when you can really think when your mind is allowed to just wander. At times like during boot camp during our final few hikes when it was dead silent it really made you think and observe the world and appreciate it.  It makes you start to contemplate everything that you have done and take pride in your actions. I remember towards the very end thinking of everything as it had happened for the past three months and i could really think of those experiences and what they all taught me. Its times like that where you realize that walking can wake up your mind to explore not only the physical world but the expanses of the mind. At times when I am stressed out I will take a trip to the green-way to just go for a brief run to then turn I into a relaxing walk and while that is time I could be doing other work that allows me to calmly think about all my work that I still have yet to do but it calms me enough to be able to successfully complete it all. Also when I go for a good walk normally it puts me in a good mood from my perspective it would reinforce Robert Thayer when he says that walking can boost your mood for up to two hours post walk.
     In the end i would say id believe in being a Peripatetic because i feel like it can open up ones mind to venture far and wide.

Comment #1 https://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2018/04/dungeons-and-dragons-game-for.html?showComment=1525327808588#c8027597057466931898
Comment #2 https://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2018/04/aldair-avalos-8.html?showComment=1525328697930#c8465028778299164639

Fact? or Fantasy? Vol. II

Image result for empty tomb
In preparation for this blog post I did an awful lot of digging. If you read my first post entitled Fact? Or Fantasy? It was a step by step look at the historical applications of the Bible, the reliability of the scriptures and if Jesus of the New Testament actually existed outside of the New Testament scriptures. This post, as I wrote, is much more weighted in its applications and context.
As I stated before, without the resurrection, the Christian faith is dead. If the resurrection is a fabrication then that would discredit Christianity. So, Jesus definitely did die on the cross that is an undisputed fact, but did he conquer death? How do we know?
The answer lies in the tomb… Was it empty? The answer is yes.
For this to be applicable to your knowledge, I need you to open your mind. I already proved the historical reliability of the scriptures. So we can begin to use some of those to form ideas, in this instance. 
“Second, the earliest Jewish arguments against Christianity admit the empty tomb. In Matthew 28:11-15, there is a reference made to the Jew's attempt to refute Christianity be saying that the disciples stole the body. This is significant because it shows that the Jews did not deny the empty tomb,” (Perman).
This has astronomical historical applications. The Jews were enemies of Jesus and his disciples, they hated them. Jesus’ claim that he was going to raise from the dead needed to be refuted. They stated that the disciples stole the body. Which we will assess later and come to the conclusion, is false. In the process of blaming the disciples for the empty tomb, they acknowledged something. The tomb was empty, this became a well known fact in Jerusalem at that time. The Pharisees and Sadducees, or religious leaders, did the worst thing they could’ve possibly have done for their case. Acknowledge that the tomb was indeed empty, when they could’ve sealed it themselves and told everyone that Jesus still lay in there. But then the Pharisees would be actively participating in something that they knew was a lie. The Pharisees certainly wouldn’t have taken the body, or else they would’ve shown people that he hadn’t risen through bodily evidence to back up their claim.
So let’s acknowledge the Pharisees claim. Could the disciples have taken the body. At first glance you would say, why yes they could’ve. Until you take a look into what the disciples actually went through. 10 of the 12 were killed in gruesome ways in the name of Jesus. No big deal right, we see cults all the time where people kill themselves based on a lie. Difference is, in those cults, they believe those lies to be truth. Had the disciples taken the body they would have known that it was a lie, and thus they would’ve have been consciously dying for a lie. Not likely. 
On top of all of this you have the accounts from the disciples that over 300 people witnessed the risen Jesus, in some way, shape, form, or fashion. I encourage you to look into the questions associated with this if you are still curious and open minded.

Ultimately, it is historical fact that the tomb of Jesus Christ, from the New Testament, was in fact empty. Jesus was raised from the dead. If you are not a person of faith, but still want knowledge, and are curious I deeply encourage you to research for yourself the historicity of the claims I have presented. If this Jesus is the son of God it has massive implications for your life. With love, and open mindedness I have presented facts for you. If you would like to continue discussion with me about any of these topics or more you can contact me at : harrisandrew057@gmail.com


I have enjoyed the challenging thoughts presented in this class. I have tested them each against my faith. Philosophers can only speculate what came before the universe, but the Bible has an answer. Has many answers for what is usually speculative. Do some digging. I encourage your curiosity. Test the scriptures as I have done. They will not let you down. Keep your minds open and your thoughts positive. Love unabashedly. Godspeed.


“Historical Evidence for the Resurrection.” Desiring God, 3 May 2018, www.desiringgod.org/articles/historical-evidence-for-the-resurrection.

The Institute for Creation Research, www.icr.org/ChristEmptyTomb/.

First Installment: 

http://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2018/04/fact-or-fantasy.html

Comments:

http://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2018/04/abigail-mcadams-part-1-pro-life-and-pro.html#comments


https://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2018/05/why-do-we-fear.html?showComment=1525326052466#c4972398378614093563

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

No Phone Policy

#3
2nd Installment


To first answer, the question “do you think that professors should have a no cell phone policy?” yes I do believe that professors should have a no phone policy. Speaking from experience and from the student's point of view, it brings a huge distraction to our learning ability in the classroom. I notice that in the classes were my professors don’t allow any technology, it creates much easier and more focused learning environment. Amy Macy, a teacher an MTSU, told our class to not even bring our phones to class because of how much of a distraction it can still be even if it’s just sitting in your bag.  Something as small as just hearing the buzz or vibration of your phone can trigger our brains to want to see what it is. I used to keep my phone on my desk sometimes just in case something important were to happen and somebody needed me, but I found that even just having it on my desk urged me to want to pick it up just from the that it was sitting in my face.
            For the classes that I did take where they didn’t allow technology, I noticed a lot of improvements. I could keep more focus and stay on pace with the teacher. It amazes me how technology has almost programmed our brains to wear we hear something, and we immediately go to it. For instance, each social media has its own sound that it makes on your phone when you get a notification. One example is Twitter. The sound that it makes is a bird noise and is recognizable to about every person under the age of 25. If you ever hear that noise in a classroom, immediately you will see about half the class check their phone, either making sure it wasn’t them, or just looking at it because they feel obligated to do so. It’s as if it is the modern day drug.
            To implement a no phone policy would be crucial to students but in a good way. I hear sometimes teachers say that it’s for the student to be responsible for their education. It is, but if the teacher cared about their student then forcing that upon students would help tremendously. It would increase classroom participation and less distraction. In a day and age where technology has advanced so much, not having a no phone policy would almost be asking for students to not pay attention, in my opinion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UDxP8V-hv8 

Installment 1:

Comment 1:

Comment 2:

https://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2018/05/is-random-really-random-part2-by-mena.html?showComment=1525315321473#c6739622372486185311