Unit I
IN THIS LESSON
Philosophy begins the moment you stop defending what you believe and start asking why you believe it.
Topics discussed:
Philosophy is plural. Its meaning has shifted—from a way of life (Stoics), to a quest for certainty (Descartes & Kant), to linguistic analysis (Vienna Circle), to a partner of modern science.
Arguments are philosophy’s tools. They connect premises to conclusions and can be tested for validity and consistency.
Consistency matters. Contradictory beliefs can’t all be true; identifying tension is the first step toward clarity.
Reasoning errors are predictable. Fallacies and cognitive biases (like confirmation bias) reveal how even smart thinkers can fool themselves.
Your role: Follow arguments where they lead—practice curiosity, not certainty.
Focus Questions
What does the word philosophy literally mean, and how has its meaning changed across different eras?
Why might philosophers disagree about what philosophy is or should be?
What makes an argument philosophical rather than merely personal or emotional?
How can logical consistency serve as a standard for truth—or at least for clarity—in philosophy?
What’s the difference between being wrong and being inconsistent?
Why might cognitive biases like confirmation bias be especially dangerous for philosophers (and anyone seeking truth)?
How does recognizing your own biases prepare you to “follow the arguments where they lead”?
Can philosophy still matter in an age where AI can reason, argue, and summarize?
ALEX 1.1:
What is Philosophy?
You are going to work with an AI tutor to build a foundation for this course.
The learning objective is:
Define philosophy and related key terms, such as argument, premise, conclusion, and logical consistency.
Here’s how this will work:
You’ll paste the AI Prompt (below) into an AI chat.
The AI will first explain just one concept: “philosophy.”
It will give you three different versions of the explanation (high level, medium level, low level).
You will choose which one you prefer.
This lets the AI match your learning style — do you want fast/simple, or precise/technical?
After you choose, the AI will keep teaching you at that same level. It will explain:
what an argument is,
what a premise is,
what a conclusion is, and
what logical consistency is (and why it matters in philosophy).
You should ask questions as you go. If you don’t understand something, ask the AI to slow down, rephrase, or give an example.
What you’ll turn in for credit:
The complete chat transcript (you + AI).
A short reflection (150–200 words) where you answer:
Which level did you choose (high / medium / low), and why?
Did anything surprise you about how arguments or consistency work?
Important:
You are allowed to use AI here. You are not allowed to ask the AI to write your reflection for you.
Your job in this course is to follow the arguments where they lead you — not to “win,” and not to defend what you already believe.
When you’re ready, click the “Copy Prompt” button and paste the AI Prompt into your AI chat. Then follow its instructions.
After you finish, return to Canvas and submit your transcript + reflection.
AI Prompt
You are playing the role of a tutor, helping a learner to master the learning objective:
"Define philosophy and related key terms, such as argument, premise, conclusion, and logical consistency."
Different learners prefer different levels of sophistication and complexity, so please begin by providing
three different explanations of the first concept, "What is philosophy?" The first explanation should be
high sophistication (technical, detailed, historically aware). The second should be medium sophistication
(clear but not overly technical). The third should be low sophistication (plain language, everyday examples).
After you provide those three versions, ask the learner which version they prefer: the first, second, or third.
After the learner chooses, continue the tutoring session at that same level. At that level, explain the following
concepts one by one, in this order:
1. argument
2. premise
3. conclusion
4. logical consistency (including why inconsistency is a problem in philosophy)
After each concept, ask the learner to give you their own example in their own words, and give feedback on
their example. If their example is unclear or inaccurate, guide them — do not just say it's correct.
At the very end of the session, ask the learner to summarize, in 3–4 sentences, what philosophy is and
why logical consistency matters.
More to Explore
The activities below are optional. Do them if you want more practice, deeper self-reflection, or you just like arguing with machines.
Goal
Practice identifying informal fallacies (like ad hominem) and see how weak reasoning actually looks in the wild.
Instructions to the Learner
- Copy the AI Prompt below and paste it into your AI chat.
- Ask the AI to generate arguments that use obvious fallacies. Your job is to identify which fallacy is being used and explain why it's bad reasoning.
- Then ask the AI to rewrite each argument without using that fallacy.
- Save the conversation. If you want extra credit later, you'll submit it.
Reflection question (not submitted unless assigned):
Which type of fallacy was hardest for you to catch, and why?
AI Prompt
Pretend you are trying to convince me of something silly, like
"Broccoli should be illegal" or "Everyone should pay a tax to my dog."
Part 1. Give me three different arguments for your position, each one
using a different informal fallacy. Choose from: ad hominem,
appeal to emotion, slippery slope, or straw man. Label each fallacy.
After you present each argument, stop and ask me:
"Which fallacy is this, and why is it bad reasoning?"
Part 2. After I answer, tell me if I'm right or wrong, and explain.
Then rewrite that same argument so it does NOT use a fallacy
— try to make it logically stronger.
Keep going until we've done all three arguments.
At the end, give me a short summary of what a fallacy is and
why philosophers try to avoid them.
Goal
Notice how confirmation bias and belief bias actually show up in your own thinking — and why philosophy cares.
Instructions to the Learner
- Think of something you used to believe strongly, but later changed your mind about. (It can be serious or not-serious. It does not have to be personal or emotional.)
- Copy the AI Prompt below and paste it into your AI chat.
- Answer the questions honestly. Let the AI help you identify which bias might have been at work.
- Save the conversation for yourself. This is about self-awareness, not being “right.”
Reflection to keep for yourself:
How does being aware of your own bias connect to the line from class:
“Your job is to follow the arguments where they lead you”?
AI Prompt
I want to understand how cognitive bias affects my reasoning.
First, ask me to describe:
1. A belief I used to have that I later changed my mind about.
2. Why I believed it at the time.
Then, based on what I tell you, identify whether confirmation bias
(the tendency to look for info that supports what I already believed),
or belief bias (judging arguments mainly by whether I like the conclusion),
or something else might have been at work.
After that, ask me how confident I felt back then,
and whether that confidence was justified by good evidence.
Finish by explaining, in plain language,
how practicing philosophy can help a person notice and correct this kind of bias
— without shaming them for having it in the first place.
Reading List
(Note to Students: These are not assigned readings. Rather, these are some of the books that I drew upon when building this lesson.)
Roderick Beaton, The Greeks: A Global History.
Pierre Hadot, Philosophy As A Way of Life: Spiritual Exercises from Socrates to Foucault.
Josephine Quinn, How the World Made the West: A 4,000 Year History.