course material

1. Philosophy 1301 discussion（need to be divided into six documents）
Wanda/SchwandaAfter completing the assigned reading for this unit, respond to the
following:What do you understand Locke’s claim about personal identity to be? In other
words, for Locke, what makes us us? And how does Michaels’ thought experiment about
Wanda challenge Locke’s view(s)? In your response, be sure to make specific references to
the readings by Locke and Michaels.Personal Identity and Genetic ModificationIn Chapter 6,
you read about problems of self/personal identity, the difficulties in answering the question
‘who am I?’ Recent developments in genetic technology are making issues of personal
identity radically different than they have ever been. In the very near future, we may be able
to create designer people; personal identity, though we do not even agree on what that is,
may be malleable in ways previously only possible in fiction. Watch the Ted Talk “The
Ethical Dilemma of Designer Babies” and then answer the following:What are the two points
made by Paul Knoepfler that resonated with you most? (this might mean scared you the
most, intrigued you the most, and the like). Do you agree with Knoepfler that, at least for
now, we should ban the genetic modification of humans? Why or why not? And, if you could
genetically modify yourself, alter your personal identity in some way, would you do it?!
Explain. https://youtu.be/nOHbn8Q1fBM Works Linked/Cited:“The Ethical Dilemma of
Designer Babies.” YouTube, uploaded by Ted, 10 Feb. 2017,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOHbn8Q1fBM. Accessed 29 April 2020.Who Are
You?Watch the video below on personhood and the one on arguments against personal
identity, and then answer these questions: Which of the theories about personal identity do
you find the most plausible/convincing and why? Which of the arguments against personal
identity do you find most plausible/convincing and
why? https://youtu.be/GxM9BZeRrUI https://youtu.be/17WiQ_tNld4 Works
Linked/Cited:Personhood: Crash Course Philosophy #21. YouTube video file. [9:13].
CrashCourse. 2016, Jul 25. youtu.be/GxM9BZeRrUIPersonhood: Crash Course Philosophy
#20. YouTube video file. [9:43]. CrashCourse. 2016, Jul 11. youtu.be/17WiQ_tNld4The
Mind-Body ProblemAfter reading Chapter 5 and watching the video below on the mind-
body problem, do the following:state your understanding of the mind-body problemexplain
which view of the mind most agrees with your understanding of ‘mind.’ Are you a dualist? A
materialist? Explain why; defend your position with
reasons. https://youtu.be/3SJROTXnmus Where Does Your Mind Reside?: Crash Course
Philosophy #22. YouTube video file. [9:06]. Crashcourse. 2016, Aug
1. youtu.be/3SJROTXnmusRejecting DualismSection C of Chapter 5 contains various

2. readings that discuss rejections of dualism, the view that the world contains physical and
nonphysical ‘stuff’ and that humans also contain physical and nonphysical ‘stuff’, typically
that the mind is nonphysical and the body is, of course, physical. After reading Chapter 5,
choose one of the readings in Section C, provide a brief explanation of its rejection of
dualism, and then give your own response to the argument.AI and PersonhoodSaudi Arabia
recently granted the status of citizenship to a robot, Sophia. Read this article about Sophia
and watch the video below to see her speak to a live audience. Given recent advancements
in the development of sophisticated AI, what do you see as the implications for human
beings? Do you think we have moral responsibilities to such creations? Should we consider
them ‘persons’? Defend your answer with reasons for your position(s). Often in this thread,
students write comments such as ‘AI will never be human’ or ‘no, I do not and will not ever
consider AI to be human.’ BUT!!! Note that we are discussing whether AI should be
considered persons, not humans. Clearly, to be human means to have human DNA etc., so, AI
cannot be human. Make sure to focus your comments on the potential personhood of
AI. https://youtu.be/S5t6K9iwcdw Works Linked/Cited:Weller, Chris. “Meet the Fist-ever
Robot Citizen – A Humanoid Named Sophia That Once Said It Would ‘destroyhumans’”.
Business Insider. 27 Oct 2017. Interview with the Lifelike Hot Robot Named Sophia (Full) |
NBC. YouTube video file. [5:04]. CNBC. 2017, Oct 25.
youtu.be/S5t6K9iwcdwwww.read.bi/2KzpzUX. Accessed 30 April 2018.