FRESHMAN SEMINAR IN PHILOSOPHY: RELATIVISM
PHIL 150W, Sec. 01: TTh 9:30am-10:50am in Blair 142
PHIL 150W, Sec. 02: TTh 11am-12:20pm in Blair 142
The College of William and Mary
Spring 2003
Instructor: James Woodbridge
email address: jawoo2@wm.edu
Course Webpage: http://fsweb.wm.edu/jawoo2/wm/150w.htm
Office Hours: T 3:30pm-5pm, W 10:30am-12pm, and by appointment
Office: 126 Blair Hall
Office Phone: 221-2713
Dept. Phone: 221-2735
RESPONSE ESSAY 7
In Relativism and Reality, Chapter 10, Sections 2-4 (pp. 146-155), Kirk discusses the relationship between the "everyday"
conception of the world and the scientfic conception. Write a 2-page paper reacting to this material.
Aim to do the following sorts of things:
- In your own words, explain as clearly as you can the position Kirk offers and the worry it is supposed to address.
- Explain the reasoning involved on this point--How does Kirk argue for his position? What assumptions about realism does he address?
- Evaluate the arguments--Do you think Kirk's reasoning about those assumptions works? Explain why or why not. Do you think the position Kirk develops
by responding to those assumptions is a genuinely realist position? Does his position answer the worry it is supposed to address? Explain.
- Identify further questions that can be raised about Kirk's view in light of your assessment of what is said in these Sections.
Keep your paper within the 2-page limit!
Your paper is due at the beginning of class, Tuesday, April 1st.