19. The Nature of Persons: Dualism vs. Physicalism
This lecture highlights the two main philosophical positions on the question “what is a person?” On the one hand, dualists argue that people have bodies and souls. As expected, physicalists argue that people are composed only of a physical body. Conceptual problems arise with both positions, and a number of arguments address the opposing camp. Course materials may be accessed here.
Course description: There is one thing I can be sure of: I am going to die. But what am I to make of that fact? This course will examine a number of issues that arise once we begin to reflect on our mortality. The possibility that death may not actually be the end is considered. Are we, in some sense, immortal? Would immortality be desirable? Also a clearer notion of what it is to die is examined. What does it mean to say that a person has died? What kind of fact is that? And, finally, different attitudes to death are evaluated. Is death an evil? How? Why? Is suicide morally permissible? Is it rational? How should the knowledge that I am going to die affect the way I live my life?
- Views: 178,896
- Posted: 6 Years Ago
- Course: Death (Phil 176)
18. J.D. Salinger, Franny and Zooey
This lecture presents a close reading of Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger, and follows Professor Hungerford as she presents an argument about religion in the novel that she uses as an example of how to write a sound critical lit paper. The lecture also tackles Salinger’s portrayal of religion in the text. Course materials are available here.
Course description: In “The American Novel Since 1945” students will study a wide range of works from 1945 to the present. The course traces the formal and thematic developments of the novel in this period, focusing on the relationship between writers and readers, the conditions of publishing, innovations in the novel’s form, fiction’s engagement with history, and the changing place of literature in American culture. The reading list includes works by Richard Wright, Flannery O’Connor, Vladimir Nabokov, Jack Kerouac, J. D. Salinger, Thomas Pynchon, John Barth, Maxine Hong Kingston, Toni Morrison, Marilynne Robinson, Cormac McCarthy, Philip Roth and Edward P. Jones. The course concludes with a contemporary novel chosen by the students in the class.
- Views: 190,424
- Posted: 6 Years Ago
- Course: The American Novel Since 1945
17. What is Biomedical Engineering?
This introductory lecture highlights current applications of biomedical engineering technologies, as well as areas where improvements can be made. A final portion of the lecture also reads through the poem “London Bridge” in an attempt to highlight social issues involved with making materials and biomedically engineered devices. Course material may be accessed here.
Course description: The course covers basic concepts of biomedical engineering and their connection with the spectrum of human activity. It serves as an introduction to the fundamental science and engineering on which biomedical engineering is based. Case studies of drugs and medical products illustrate the product development-product testing cycle, patent protection, and FDA approval. It is designed for science and non-science majors.
- Views: 190,616
- Posted: 6 Years Ago
- Course: Frontiers of Biomedical Engineering
16. Electrostatics
The basics of electricity are outlined in this course. Discussion of Coulomb’s law and the principle of superposition help to explain how electrostatic forces may be calculated from a given distribution of charge. Course materials are available here.
Course description:This is a continuation of Fundamentals of Physics, I (PHYS 200), the introductory course on the principles and methods of physics for students who have good preparation in physics and mathematics. This course covers electricity, magnetism, optics and quantum mechanics.
- Views: 206,896
- Posted: 3 Years Ago
- Course: Fundamentals of Physics, II
15. Thermodynamics
This lecture on thermodynamics, one of the main subjects of the course begins by outlining an understanding of temperature. Scales and instruments of measurement of focused on, then a discussion of heat and heat transfer is entered into, including the concepts of convection and conduction. Course materials are available here.
Course description: This course provides a thorough introduction to the principles and methods of physics for students who have good preparation in physics and mathematics. Emphasis is placed on problem solving and quantitative reasoning. This course covers Newtonian mechanics, special relativity, gravitation, thermodynamics, and waves.
- Views: 218,783
- Posted: 6 Years Ago
- Course: Fundamentals of Physics, I