Intro to Philosophy Class Notes

 1/30/2026 Could a perfect designer produce an imperfect design? [Philosophy Club every Monday, 4-5 pm, in the Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences room 436 ("The Cave")] [Challenge for today: Try to think of (and possibly ask) at least one question.]   Most real-world arguments, even those that are deductive in structure, are really probabilistic.  This is because the premises in most arguments are derived from experience or testimony. Example: 1.    All ducks quack. 2.    Daffy is a duck. 3.    Therefore, Daffy quacks. The 1st claim here is called a “universal generalization.” Universal generalizations are justified either by definition (conceptual analysis) or by empirical observation (inductive reasoning). The reason to think all ducks quack is that all ducks observed so far quack. The first-cause argument rests on two premises that appear to be empirical rather than definitional: Everything that exists must have had a cause. Nothing can cause...

 1/23/2026 Do you think there has to be a reason for everything? A > A  Another version of cosmological argument Suppose we divide things that exist into two groups: Those that exist because of something else, and those that exist because of themselves (allowing self-causation or necessary existence). 1.    Everything that exists is either a dependent being or a necessary being.  2.    The universe exists. 3.    The universe is either a dependent being or a necessary being. [from 1 & 2] 4.    It is impossible that only dependent beings exist. 5.    Therefore, there has to be at least one necessary being. [from 1 & 4] 6.    The universe can’t be a necessary being. (first, because the universe can be conceived not to have existed, second because the universe changes – and necessary beings must be unchanging). [from 2, 3, and 4] 7.    Something other than the universe is a necessary being. [from 5 ...

 1/21/2026 One prominent philosopher once said that one of the most important questions is “Why is there something rather than nothing?” What do you think the answer is to this?   First Cause Argument 1.    The universe exists (and began to exist). 2.    Everything that began to exist had a cause for its existence. (Principle of Universal Causation) 3.    The universe had a cause. [from 1 and 2] 4.    Nothing can be its own cause. (No self-causation) 5.    Something other than the universe caused the universe. [from 3 and 4] 6.    That must be God. 7.    Therefore, God exists.   Once upon a time there was absolutely nothing at all. Then, for no reason whatsoever, the universe existed.  

 1/16/2026 If God exists, do you think he has a sense of humor?   For Plato, REASON consists mainly in the grasping of Forms. Around the 1700s and 1800s, the model of reason shifts more toward logic and inference. The core of logic concerns the question of how some claims can provide reasons for others (or how some claims can be inferred from others). The claim that reasons are provided in support of is the conclusion. The claims that provide the reasons are premises. Premises + conclusion = an argument. Arguments in philosophy are NOT disagreements, but rather (ideally) objective reasons in support of a claim. Every argument is good or bad in either of two ways: -    In respect of structure (logic) -    In respect of content (are the premises true or at least reasonable to believe?) So, when we ask “Why should anyone believe that rather than something else?” we are looking for arguments for competing claims and asking which argument is the best in respect of bo...

1/14/2026 Could two things exist that are EXACTLY alike?   When asked what soft skills they most need in employees, the three most mentioned usually include: Critical Thinking, Communication, and Ethical Judgment. Philosophy excels in teaching 2/3 of these … or maybe 2.5/3 … because philosophy teaches clear and precise expression in language.   Thinking of Law School?     Business school?   Oh yeah? Well, what about Medical School?   (Why 1998? Because that was the last year before philosophy got lumped in with other Humanities majors)    Other grad school?   (By GRE section):               Philosophy majors outperform other humanities majors in earnings   Studying philosophy integrated with technical disciplines (especially data sciences), tends to result in outperforming studying only the technical disciplines. (Philosophy major + subject minor > Subject major + philosophy minor) Why?  Because of the difference between dur...

Introduction to Philosophy with Eric Sotnak No devices in class (notes blog) Grades: 50% Weekly reflections/responses (Assignments page) Roughly 3 paragraphs (2/3 page) 20% Essay (mid-term)(Assignments page) (Value of writing)) 20% Exam (final)(Quizzes and Exams page)(Reinforcement) AI policy: Don’t copy-paste AI output.  10% Attendance      Maximum of 20 absences before failing course     You get 1 point for each day you come to class. There are 44 class meetings (= 44 points).  If you attend 38 class meetings, you will get 100% on your attendance grade (38 points). If you attend more than 38 class meetings (up to 44) you can earn 116% on your attendance grade. In addition, extra credit points will be earnable at the end of the semester depending on how many people complete the course evaluation.   1/12/2026 Is love something that happens to you or is it something you make happen?   What is philosophy? Etymology:  Philo = love/lover Sophia = wisd...