The history of philosophy Discussion

Assigned Quotations

• “Philosophy is not a thing; it’s an activity”
• “But freedom is trouble” (study the context of this phrase)
• “The history of philosophy is an archive of possibilities”
• “One of the tasks of philosophy, then, is to engage in a critique of scientism.” (Be sure to see my mini-lecture on the philosophy of scientismbefore you begin your answer).
• “The perverse flip-side of scientism is obscurantism*, namely the idea that the explanations of science are wrong and have to be rejected in favor of another ‘causal’* story…” (Be sure to note two words here: Obscurantism:the practice of deliberately preventing the facts or full details of something from becoming known. Causal… this word does not mean casual as in laid back… it means causation, in terms of cause and effect. The author is talking about other ’causes’ for the universe besides those that can be verified by science).

Interpret a series of quotations from our readings. If you simply copy the text as part of your answer you risk failing the assignment. The goal is to interpret the passages accurately in terms of what they ‘mean’ and not how they make you feel. You should look up any word(s) you do not understand before you attempt to interpret a passage.

• Overly brief and vague interpretations may result in a failing grade. Analyze these quotations in the proper context of the reading.
• Be sure to check for spelling, punctuation and grammar as you will lose points for each error. Type out each quotation before typing your answers. You are being assessed for how well you follow instructions.Please do not mash all your answers into one paragraph. Be sure that you offer separate interpretations for each quotation.
• Post your assignment in Word format (Do not post work in a PDF, PAGE, or TXT)