The Exploding Philosopher tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2008:/mcgin017/blog//7163 2008-06-06T16:34:24Z A blog maintained by Casey McGinnis, philosophy instructor at University of Minnesota, Duluth. Check here for up-to-date information on Dr. McGinnis's classes and philosophy-related events at UMD. Movable Type 3.33.uthink Speaking of "logic, language, and life"... tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2008:/mcgin017/blog//7163.130905 2008-06-06T16:31:32Z 2008-06-06T16:34:24Z Have a look at the 20 funniest newspaper headlines ever.... Casey McGinnis Have a look at the 20 funniest newspaper headlines ever.

]]> Mmmm... doctoral cake.... tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2008:/mcgin017/blog//7163.128907 2008-05-18T15:44:15Z 2008-05-18T15:50:36Z View image... Casey McGinnis View image

]]> New UMD philosophy blog tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2008:/mcgin017/blog//7163.128905 2008-05-18T15:21:08Z 2008-05-18T15:26:06Z Professor Eve Browning has started a UMD Philosophy Blog. Check it out!... Casey McGinnis Professor Eve Browning has started a UMD Philosophy Blog. Check it out!

]]> Phil & World Religions grades tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2008:/mcgin017/blog//7163.128838 2008-05-16T21:19:32Z 2008-05-16T21:20:05Z Final grades are now posted on eGradebook and have been submitted to the registrar.... Casey McGinnis Final grades are now posted on eGradebook and have been submitted to the registrar.

]]> Logic grades tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2008:/mcgin017/blog//7163.128704 2008-05-15T23:28:47Z 2008-05-15T23:29:40Z Course grades are posted on eGradebook and have been submitted to the registrar.... Casey McGinnis Course grades are posted on eGradebook and have been submitted to the registrar.

]]> Logic - Final exam grades tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2008:/mcgin017/blog//7163.128671 2008-05-15T20:39:33Z 2008-05-15T20:40:19Z Final exam grades are now posted on eGradebook. Course grades will be posted soon.... Casey McGinnis Final exam grades are now posted on eGradebook. Course grades will be posted soon.

]]> Phil & World Religions - final exam grades tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2008:/mcgin017/blog//7163.128555 2008-05-15T02:43:17Z 2008-05-15T03:07:19Z Final exam grades are now posted on eGradebook.... Casey McGinnis Final exam grades are now posted on eGradebook.

]]> Attention: "Prove it Or Lose It" contestants tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2008:/mcgin017/blog//7163.128468 2008-05-14T18:09:49Z 2008-05-14T18:11:00Z Dear logic students, I'm afraid I didn't get a complete list of the contestants and winners of "Prove It or Lose It!" on Friday. Please remind me by email (mcgin017@d.umn.edu) if you competed (automatic B minimum for third participation increment),... Casey McGinnis Dear logic students,

I'm afraid I didn't get a complete list of the contestants and winners of "Prove It or Lose It!" on Friday. Please remind me by email (mcgin017@d.umn.edu) if you competed (automatic B minimum for third participation increment), and also if you won (automatic A for third participation increment).

Thanks, and have a nice summer.

-"Zip"

]]> 19th and 20th - final grades tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2008:/mcgin017/blog//7163.128466 2008-05-14T18:00:38Z 2008-05-14T18:07:41Z Final grades for this class have been submitted and can be viewed on eGradebook. Note: if your final grade is listed as, e.g. "B+ => A-", this means that I manually raised your grade from B- to A+ to accommodate... Casey McGinnis Final grades for this class have been submitted and can be viewed on eGradebook.

Note: if your final grade is listed as, e.g. "B+ => A-", this means that I manually raised your grade from B- to A+ to accommodate natural breaks in the final scores. (I only raise grades to accommodate such breaks; I never lower them.)

]]> Logic - Monday May 12 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2008:/mcgin017/blog//7163.128314 2008-05-13T15:18:48Z 2008-05-13T15:20:08Z The final exam was given. Final grades will be submitted and posted to eGradebook within a week. Have a great summer!... Casey McGinnis The final exam was given. Final grades will be submitted and posted to eGradebook within a week.

Have a great summer!

]]> 19th and 20th - Mon May 12 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2008:/mcgin017/blog//7163.128313 2008-05-13T15:16:36Z 2008-05-13T15:18:37Z The final exam was given. Raw scores are posted on eGradebook. These will be converted to letter grades shortly. I have also finished grading your papers and will post final grades soon. Have a great summer!... Casey McGinnis The final exam was given.

Raw scores are posted on eGradebook. These will be converted to letter grades shortly. I have also finished grading your papers and will post final grades soon.

Have a great summer!

]]> Logic - Friday May 9 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2008:/mcgin017/blog//7163.127936 2008-05-09T20:09:52Z 2008-05-09T20:17:01Z We played "Prove It Or Lose It!" (with your host, Zip Martin). All contestants won Dum-Dums and participation credit. While doing proofs we listened to some killer tunes, including: "You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party", "Rock the Casbah,"... Casey McGinnis We played "Prove It Or Lose It!" (with your host, Zip Martin). All contestants won Dum-Dums and participation credit.

While doing proofs we listened to some killer tunes, including: "You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party", "Rock the Casbah," "Eye of the Tiger", "Never Gonna Give You Up", "Superstitious", and "We Built this City on Rock and Roll"!

Here is the cheesy video to the Survivor song:

And here is the awesome video of Stevie Wonder on Sesame Street:

]]> 19th and 20th - Fri May 9 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2008:/mcgin017/blog//7163.127920 2008-05-09T17:54:00Z 2008-05-09T17:55:47Z We had class outside today!!! It was nice. I collected papers and participation logs. We finished up our discussion of Quine. Then I had y'all come up with some more questions for the final: ORDINARY LANGUAGE PHILOSOPHERS What is Strawson’s... Casey McGinnis We had class outside today!!! It was nice.

I collected papers and participation logs.

We finished up our discussion of Quine. Then I had y'all come up with some more questions for the final:

ORDINARY LANGUAGE PHILOSOPHERS
What is Strawson’s contention with Russell?
What did Austin mean by “performative utterances”?
What is the difference between Grice’s logical implications and conversational implicatures?
How do the views of Austin and the later Wittgenstein differ?
What is a Locutionary act?
What is an illocutionary act?
What are Grice’s four maxims?
What is the significance of “cancellability”?
What would be the illocutionary act performed by saying “You are stupid” (presuming I meant it)?
By bringing up an irrelevant topic in a conversation, what maxim are you violating?
According to Strawson, what sorts of things bear meanings? What sorts of things bear truth values? (Sentences, assertions/uses of sentences)

QUINE
What is Quine’s critique of the analytic/synthetic distinction?
What does Quine mean when he says that everything exists?
What are qualia?
How/why does Quine write off qualia?
Give an example of an extensional inference. (X is P. X = Y. So, Y is P.)
Did Quine doubt that there are mental or spiritual entities?
Does Quine agree with Russell on the relevance of ethics in philosophy?
What are Quine’s criticisms of (traditional) empiricism? (I.e. what are his “Two Dogmas”)
What abstract objects does Quine believe in?
What does it mean for two terms to be co-extensional?

]]> Phil & World Religions - Fri May 9 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2008:/mcgin017/blog//7163.127884 2008-05-09T16:29:19Z 2008-05-09T16:31:12Z Last day!!! I collected participation logs and we reviewed for the final (which of course is Tuesday, May 13, 12-1:55pm, ABAH 225).... Casey McGinnis Last day!!!

I collected participation logs and we reviewed for the final (which of course is Tuesday, May 13, 12-1:55pm, ABAH 225).

]]> It's a bird... It's a plane... It's... tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2008:/mcgin017/blog//7163.127687 2008-05-08T20:32:06Z 2008-05-08T20:43:30Z Philosophical Superheroes! (and Villains) Collect 'em all!... Casey McGinnis Philosophical Superheroes! (and Villains)

Collect 'em all!

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