We will meet in room MB-11 at 1:00 p.m.
Bring with you to class today:
1. The McHenry book.
2. Two copies of a reflection paper on Mc Henry: Chapters 3 and 4.
You may comment on or raise issues about any of the ideas that interest you in these chapters. But also consider the following issues:
In chapter 3, McHenry urges us to recognize that the information that we receive through the senses is not the same thing as knowledge. Knowledge requires a foundation, a system of organizing information that gives it pattern and meaning. In chapter 4, he calls such a system an "ideology"--and says that most of us hold both the "big-I" and "little-i" sort. Beginning with Descartes' attempt to lay a clear logical foundation for our knowledge of the world, McHenry traces many of the difficulties that keep us from developing such a foundation. Making the information of the senses into knowledge requires a framework of interpretation, but the framework we seem to develop on our own doesn't work for all kinds of information (for example, the behavior of electrons).
From the perspective of the end of chapter 4, think back on William James's observation that "Our faith is faith in someone else's faith, and in the greatest matters this is most the case." Is that true? In what sense is it true" And in what sense is it not true? In your reflection paper, explain to what extent you think our knowledge is a product of our own experience and learning and to what extent it is a product of the ideologies (either big-I or little-i) that we accept from others. The answer may not be the same for all of us. What factors would make it different?
Complete the following reading by Monday:
Mc Henry: Chapters 5 and 6.
Complete the following writing by Monday:
Two copies of a reflection paper on Mc Henry: Chapters 5 and 6.
McHenry discusses the matter of authority. We need to rely on the word of others, frequently others who we don't know personally, for much of our everyday information. What authorities do you trust most? Why? Based on McHenry's discussion of authority, are there some authorities more worthy of trust than others? How can we tell which authority to trust? Be specific enough that we could actually apply your suggestions.
In chapter 6.3, McHenry says "I'm apt to consider it true because I know it, even though logically it ought to work the other way round." Is this true of you? Why or why not? Either way, how do you know? That is, how can you tell whether you are seeing what you want to see, knowing what you want to know, or seeing and knowing what's really there?
Reminder. You should have completed the following reading by today:
Mc Henry: Chapters 3 and 4.
You should have completed the following writing by today:
A reflection paper on Mc Henry: Chapters 3 and 4.
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This page was last edited:
01/27/09