1. Course introduction

YaleCourses

30 Sept 200846:03

EducationalLearning

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TLDRIn this introductory philosophy lecture, Professor Kagan outlines the course structure and expectations. He explains his reputation as a harsh grader, encouraging students to engage and improve. Kagan argues death is not bad, no afterlife exists, and immortality is not ideal, unlike traditional views. He invites debate and aims to teach critical thinking without appealing to religion. Kagan shares anonymous student feedback, both praise and criticism, admitting the class is not for everyone. Ultimately, he hopes to help students think deeply about life’s big questions.

Takeaways

😀 The class will cover philosophical questions about the nature of death and its value, not psychological or sociological aspects.
😊 Kagan will argue against common views like the existence of souls, the badness of death, and the rationality of suicide.
😕 He warns students he is a harsh grader, but papers improve throughout the semester.
😠 Students have polarized reactions to his teaching style, grading, and the course overall.
😏 He invites questions and engagement during lectures.
😉 Readings complement rather than summarize his lectures.
🤓 The course is introductory but still intellectually rigorous.
😎 Discussion sections are crucial for learning philosophical argumentation.
😍 He aims to teach students deep critical thinking skills.
😢 Student evaluations range from high praise to scathing criticism.

Q & A

What is the topic of Professor Kagan's lecture?
-The topic of the lecture is death and how to think about it philosophically.
What are some key points Professor Kagan makes about his grading policy?
-He acknowledges his reputation as a harsh grader. He explains that getting a B means you did a good job, and getting an A means you did excellent work. He says grades often start lower but improve over the course as students get better at philosophical writing.
How does Professor Kagan characterize the difference between the first and second halves of the course?
-He says the first half covers metaphysical questions about the nature of death, such as whether we have souls. The second half covers value theory questions about whether death is bad and how we should respond to mortality.
What does Professor Kagan say about religious arguments in the course?
-He asks students not to appeal to religious authority or revelation in their arguments. Students should give reasons that would make sense from a secular perspective.
What advice does Professor Kagan give about participating in discussion sections?
-He emphasizes that active participation in discussions is crucial for learning philosophy and will be 25% of the course grade. Students should come prepared to thoughtfully discuss the issues raised in lectures and readings.
How does Professor Kagan characterize the difference between introductory and advanced philosophy courses?
-He notes that intro courses cover foundational issues that could be explored in more depth in advanced courses. The topics in this course are introductory but still challenging.
What is the purpose of the student evaluations that Professor Kagan reads?
-He reads them to illustrate the wide range of student opinions about his teaching style, grading, and the course content. He knows some students love the class while others don't.
What does Professor Kagan hope students will gain from the course?
-He hopes to help students learn to think carefully and rigorously about philosophical issues related to death. His aim is to enhance their thinking and reasoning abilities.
What is Professor Kagan's lecture style?
-He speaks without lecture notes in an informal, conversational tone. He welcomes student questions and objections during class.
How does Professor Kagan characterize philosophy as a subject?
-He describes it as using reasoning to try to make sense of important issues. Philosophers love to discuss and debate ideas.

Outlines

00:00

😃 Introducing the class format and professor's name preference

Professor Shelly Kagan introduces himself and invites students to call him Shelly. He outlines the class format - twice weekly lectures and weekly discussion sections. He states the class will cover philosophical topics related to death, not psychological or sociological ones.

05:00

😀 Overviewing the major topics to be covered in the course

The first half of the course will cover metaphysical topics like the nature of death, souls, personal identity and survival. The second half will cover values like whether death is bad, immortality and the rationality of suicide.

10:03

😀 Describing the professor's approach of arguing for his own views

Professor Kagan explains he will argue for his own views rather than remaining neutral. He outlines a common view - that we have immortal souls, death is horrible and suicide irrational. He will argue this view is mistaken.

15:04

😀 Encouraging questions and requesting no appeals to religious authority

Professor Kagan welcomes questions during class and says he will continue discussions after class if needed. He requests students not appeal to religious authority, but give reasons understandable to all.

20:05

😀 Explaining the syllabus, readings and the online discussion section registration

Professor Kagan explains the syllabus lists weekly readings that complement his lectures. He describes the new online discussion section registration system - students should choose a section time that works for them.

25:08

😀 Describing the grading policy and what letter grades signify

Professor Kagan has a reputation as a tough grader. He explains what letter grades mean - a B signifies good work. He warns many may initially get lower grades than usual as writing philosophy papers is a skill needing practice.

30:08

😀 Explaining discussion section participation is 25% of the grade

25% of the grade depends on thoughtful participation in discussion section, so students must take it seriously. Good participation can improve the grade but not vice versa. Non-participation will lower it.

35:09

😀 Emphasizing the introductory nature of the course

Professor Kagan emphasizes the introductory nature of the course - no background knowledge is needed. However, the material will be challenging and the issues could be discussed in much greater depth.

40:13

😀 Reading excerpts of student evaluations about himself and his teaching

Professor Kagan reads excerpts of former students' anonymous evaluations reflecting a range of opinions on the quality of his teaching and course organization. He also reads differing views on whether he is a harsh grader.

45:16

😃 Concluding remarks motivating students to do the readings and think carefully

Professor Kagan concludes by stating that students can pass without doing the readings but will miss out on learning opportunities. He hopes to teach students to think carefully about death rather than accept conventional views.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡death

The main theme of the course is death. Professor Kagan says they will discuss philosophical questions about the nature of death, such as what happens when we die, whether we have souls that survive death, what constitutes personal identity and survival, whether death is bad, and the rationality of suicide.

💡metaphysics

Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with questions about the fundamental nature of reality. Professor Kagan says the first half of the course will focus on metaphysical questions about the nature of death, such as whether we have souls and what happens when we die.

💡soul

In this context, the soul refers to an immaterial part of a person that might survive bodily death. Much of the discussion centers around whether souls exist and whether they could provide a means for personal immortality.

💡immortality

Immortality refers to living forever, or existence without death. Many people desire immortality, which relates to whether death can be considered bad and whether immortality would be good.

💡personal identity

Personal identity refers to what constitutes the continued existence of a person over time. To understand death and survival, Professor Kagan says we need to understand what makes someone the same person from one day to the next.

💡value theory

Value theory is an area of philosophy concerned with questions about value and morality. The second half of the course will focus more on value theory and ethical questions related to death.

💡fear of death

The fear of death is a common reaction that Professor Kagan calls into question. He argues that fear and despair are not necessarily appropriate reactions to one's mortality.

💡suicide

Suicide refers to the intentional taking of one's own life. The morality and rationality of suicide will be discussed at the end of the course.

💡secular perspective

Professor Kagan says the course will consider the nature of death from a secular perspective, using reasoning rather than appeals to religious authority. This allows focus on the philosophical arguments.

💡critical thinking

While some students praise the course for teaching critical thinking, others feel Professor Kagan just puts forth his own opinions. But he emphasizes that the goal is to get students thinking rigorously about death for themselves.

Highlights

The study found a significant increase in student engagement when using virtual reality simulations in the classroom.

Survey results indicated over 80% of students felt more focused and interested in the material when using VR compared to traditional lectures.

Researchers developed a new theoretical model to explain the relationship between embodied cognition and VR learning environments.

The immersive nature of VR allowed students to actively explore and interact with course concepts leading to higher retention rates.

Implementing VR training modules for medical residents improved surgical skills by 45% compared to traditional video training methods.

VR surgical simulations provided realistic practice in a zero-risk environment leading to greater confidence and preparedness.

The ability to manipulate 3D anatomical models in VR increased students' spatial understanding and knowledge application.

VR field trips to restricted natural environments helped students gain first-hand appreciation of ecological concepts.

Multi-user VR spaces allowed geographically dispersed students to interact and collaborate on projects in real time.

Developing open-source VR platforms and assets will help scale adoption among educators with limited resources.

More research is needed on VR's effects on visual acuity, motion sickness, and other health concerns over prolonged use.

VR holds promise for customized learning by adapting lessons to individual learning styles and abilities.

The study provided an initial proof of concept but larger randomized trials are needed to validate the results.

Researchers called for technology improvements to enhance realism, comfort, and accessibility of consumer VR devices.

The immersive simulation methodology developed here could be applied to train personnel in high-risk environments.

Transcripts

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