Hi. This page is intended for my current and former students, mainly to provide a selection of resources for philosophy classes and related pursuits. I hope it is also interesting and helpful for anyone who may have stumbled by. So, whoever you are, please enjoy this site and share your comments with me, if you have any. If you don't have any, then I guess you can keep them to yourself. But then, you'd be talking to yourself, which isn't always convenient. Wait, you wouldn't have anything to say to yourself, if you didn't have any comments... Sorry....

Philosophy Organizations and Resources

The American Philosophical Association professional organization for philosophers

The Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy professional organization for Continental Philosophy

Society for Women in Philosophy a place to start to see the growing impact of women upon the western philosophical tradition

Association for Feminist Ethics and Social Theory philosophical organization bringing together feminist philosophers and social theorists

Radical Philosophy Association philosophical and practical resources devoted to social transformation

The American Philosophical Society resources related to philosophical, humanistic, and scientific interests

The Greater Philadelphia Philosophy Consortium Keep up with conferences and related events in the region.

Online Papers in Philosophy papers online by philosophy people, mainly in Analytic Philosophy

Philpapers Online a comprehensive directory of online philosophy articles and books by academic philosophers. We monitor journals in many areas of philosophy, as well as archives and personal pages. We also accept articles directly from users, who can provide links or upload copies.

African Philosophy Resources comprehensive site by Bruce Janz of The University of Central Florida

A Taoism Site some great resources and directions for further study of Taoism

Buddhism great site to aid study of the varieties of Buddhist thought and culture

The Philosophers' Magazine extensive philosophy related resources, including great philosophy related games and challenges

Philosophy Minor at Drexel Here are the official details.

Philosophy Major at Drexel New! Starting September, 2009!

Why Study Philosophy? some reassuring news for those considering a Major in Philosophy (and their parents)

The Drexel Philosophy Club since 2002, the philosophy club has tried to provide a place for students and faculty to talk about philosophy and philosophical issues....

Thoughts On Writing A Philosophy Paper some things to think about as you set out to write assigned papers for philosophy classes

More Guides and Resources for Writing Philosophy a comprehensive list maintained at erraticimpact.com

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PHIL105 Critical Reasoning

Syllabus for PHIL105 Section 002 Critical Reasoning, Winter, 2010 At this link you'll find the syllabus for the course. Please read it carefully and bring it to class on the first day so we can discuss it, clear up anything that needs further explanation and start getting to know one another.

Syllabus for PHIL105 Section 005 Critical Reasoning, Winter, 2010 At this link you'll find the syllabus for the course. Please read it carefully and bring it to class on the first day so we can discuss it, clear up anything that needs further explanation and start getting to know one another.

Syllabus for PHIL105 Section 014 Critical Reasoning, Winter, 2010 At this link you'll find the syllabus for the course. Please read it carefully and bring it to class on the first day so we can discuss it, clear up anything that needs further explanation and start getting to know one another.

All Opinions Are Not Created Equal (This is the Text for PHIL105 Critical Reasoning, Sections 002, 005, 014, Winter, 2010) This link takes you to text for the course. Please let me know if you have any questions or find any typos. During the first week of class you will also be able to purchase a copy of this text at the Drexel Copy Shop. A copy of this text will also be placed on reserve in the Hagerty Library.

First Exercise Set This assignment was sent via email in week two. Click on the appropriate link for your section: 002; 005; 014

Second Exercise Set This assignment was sent via email in week four. Click on the appropriate link for your section: 002; 005; 014

Study Guide for the Midterm Exam This study guide was sent via email in week five. Click on the appropriate link for your section: 002; 005; 014

FILM: FRONTLINE: The Persuaders (2004) - “...draws on a range of experts and observers of the advertising/marketing world, to examine how, in the words of one on-camera commentator, ‘the principle of democracy yields to the practice of demography,’ as highly customized messages are delivered to a smaller segment of the market." The film "explores how the cultures of marketing and advertising have come to influence not only what Americans buy, but also how they view themselves and the world around them." You can view this film by clicking on the title or clicking here. A complete transcript of this film can be found here. Questions to consider as you watch the film can be found here.

Related:

Manufacturing Consent (1992)

Fear and Favor in the Newsroom (1996; extra password: AMATO105)

FRONTLINE: The Merchants of Cool (2001)

No Logo - Brands, Globalization & Resistance (2003)

OutFoxed (2006)

WHYY Radio Times: Stephen Baker talks about data-mining and the "Numerati"

Third Exercise Set This assignment was sent via email in week four. Click on the appropriate link for your section: 002; 005; 014

FILM: Toxic Sludge is Good for You: The Public Relations Industry Unspun (2002) - "...tracks the development of the public relations industry from early efforts to win popular American support for World War I to the role of crisis management in controlling the damage to corporate image. The video analyzes the tools public relations professionals use to shift our perceptions including a look at the coordinated PR campaign to slip genetically engineered produce past public scrutiny." This film can be found online as streaming video at Hagerty Library Course Reserves here or by clicking on the title above. In addition to your Drexel log-in, a password is required for access. It is “AMATO105.” A transcript can be found here. In addition to the Hagerty online streaming version, there are Flash versions of the film online divided into chapters here and here. The film is also at Google Video here. Questions to consider as you watch the film can be found here.

Related:

Weapons of Mass Deception (2006)

Buying the War (2007)

FRONTLINE: News War (2007)

War Made Easy (2007)

John Stauber Interview concerning his book “The Best War Ever”

"America! Meet Your Puppet Master!" by Fabian Marquez (extra password: AMATO105)

"Message Machine--Behind TV Analysts, Pentagon’s Hidden Hand" by David Barstow

"Behind the Pentagon’s Propaganda Plan" by Rachel Coen

Fourth Exercise Set This assignment was sent via email. Click on the appropriate link for your section: 002; 005; 014

Study Guide for the Final Exam This study guide was sent via email in week ten. Click on the appropriate link for your section:

Hagerty Library Course Reserves: Books and Articles:

• Critical Reasoning Text, Amato (4 Hour Loan) required text

• Toxic Sludge Is Good For You: Lies, Damn Lies, And The Public Relations Industry, Stauber (4 Hour Loan)

• Trust Us, We're Experts!: How Industry Manipulates Science And Gambles With Your Future, Rampton (2 Hr Loan)

• You Just Don't Understand: Women And Men In Conversation, Tannen (2 Hour Loan)

• The Consumer Trap: Big Business Marketing In American Life, Dawson (2 Hour Loan)

• Culture Jam, Kalle Lasn (2 Hour Loan)

• Nineteen Eighty Four, George Orwell (Overnight Loan)

• War Made Easy: How Presidents And Pundits Keep Spinning Us To Death, Norman Solomon (4 Hour Loan)

• "America! Meet Your Puppet Master," by Fabian Marquez (electronic reserve, password: AMATO105)

• "Telling the Truth About Damned Lies and Statistics," by Joel Best (electronic reserve, password: AMATO105)

• "What Makes Us Think," by Howard Gardner (electronic reserve, password: AMATO105)

• "Some Professors Take Payments to Express Views," by Michael Schroeder (electronic reserve, password: AMATO105)

Hagerty Library Course Reserves: Video:

• The Persuaders (DVD Overnight Loan; available as streaming video here)

• Fear & Favor In The Newsroom (VHS 4 Hour Loan; also available as streaming video with password AMATO105 here)

• Toxic Sludge Is Good For You: The Public Relations Industry Unspun (DVD 4 Hr Loan; streaming video with password AMATO105 here)

• Thank You for Smoking (DVD Overnight Loan)

Additional articles and other resources:

Mission: Critical, Critical Thinking-Informal Logic Site and On-line Laboratory This site is a great place to sharpen your logical skills, with readings, exercises, logic games and activities. Click on the Home Page button to get started.

FactCheck.org The Annenberg Political Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. FactCheck is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, consumer advocate for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics, monitoring the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases. Their goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding. The APPC accepts no funding from business corporations, labor unions, political parties, lobbying organizations or individuals. It is funded primarily by an endowment from the Annenberg Foundation.

PolitiFact “PolitiFact is a project of the St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly to help you find the truth in the presidential campaign. Every day, reporters and researchers from the Times and CQ will analyze the candidates' speeches, TV ads and interviews and determine whether the claims are accurate. PolitiFact is bolder than previous journalistic fact-checking efforts because we’ll make a call, declaring whether a claim is True, Mostly True, Half True, Barely True or False. We even have a special category for the most ridiculous claims that we call “Pants on Fire.” The St. Petersburg Times is Florida’s largest newspaper and the winner of six Pulitzer Prizes. Washington-based Congressional Quarterly is the authoritative news source for coverage of Congress and politics. Congressional Quarterly and the Times are affiliates of the Times Publishing Company, which is owned by the Poynter Institute, a center for journalism education in St. Petersburg.”

FactCheck and PolitiFact on Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane At this link you can listen to this WHYY radio program from September 19, 2008 in which two researchers from these services are interviewed primarily concerning the presidential election. "We examine recent political attacks in the presidential campaign with Michael Delli Carpini, Dean of University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication and Bill Adair, Editor of PolitiFact and Washington Bureau Chief for The St. Petersburg Times."

The Committee of Concerned Journalists "The Committee of Concerned Journalists is a consortium of journalists, publishers, owners and academics worried about the future of the profession. To secure journalism's future, the group believes that journalists from all media, geography, rank and generation must be clear about what sets our profession apart from other endeavors. To accomplish this, the group is creating a national conversation among journalists about principles."

Center for Media and Democracy The Center for Media & Democracy is a nonprofit, public interest organization funded by individuals and nonprofit foundations and dedicated to investigative reporting about the public relations industry.

On The Media Lively discussion, informative news, and insightful analysis of issues and controversies regarding the media produced by WNYC, New York public radio. Airs Sundays at 11:00 am on WHYY FM 91 in Philly.

Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting Offers well-documented criticisms of the effects of corporate control on reporting and defends journalists and the First Amendment when they are under attack.

The Center for Public Integrity The Center for Public Integrity is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, tax-exempt organization that conducts investigative research and reporting on public policy issues in the United States and around the world. The Center was founded in 1989 by Charles Lewis following a successful 11-year career in network television news. Through thorough, thoughtful and objective analyses, the Center hopes to serve as an honest broker of information – and to inspire a better-informed citizenry to demand a higher level of accountability from its government and elected leaders.

MediaTank This is an organization devoted to democratizing the media, with excellent programs designed to counter the negative effects of corporate and political power on democratic public discourse.

Independent Media Center- Philadelphia It's Independent; It's Media; It's Philly. Read, participate, contribute.

What Ever Happened to Investigative Journalism? At this link you can listen to the radio program "Shining a Light" done by On The Media August 15, 2008 which looks at the history and present state of investigative journalism. There is also a transcript of the program.

Still Not The News For an update on video news releases, see this recent report from the Center for Media and Democracy.

The Final Word is Hooray some of the most notable media comments from the early days of the Iraq War, gathered by Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting

At the Frontiers of Spin recent article on new attitudes toward public relations and politics in the Obama Era

The Center for Science in the Public Interest Confused about the multitude of competing claims made in the name of science? Check CSPIN out. They've been working on these issues for years and they'll help you put it in a reasonable perspective.

POGO Founded in 1981, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is an independent nonprofit that investigates and exposes corruption in order to achieve a more accountable federal government. The Project On Government Oversight is committed to exposing waste, fraud and corruption in the following areas: defense, energy & environment, contract oversight and open government.

Media Education Foundation organization producing and making available video resources offering intelligent, informed perspectives on events from the interpersonal to the international

Project Implicit Think you are already aware of all your assumptions and prejudices? Check this out!

How Doctors Think an intriguing discussion of the recent book by Dr. Jerome Groopman, in which excellent examples of phenomena associated with critical reasoning and its failures-- including confirmation bias and other confounding effects, are illustrated

What Makes Us Think? This is a thought-provoking review by Howard Gardner of the book in which a humanistic philosopher and neuroscientist consider the nature and scope of mind and brain and the relationships between science, philosophy, and the humanities in understanding experience.

Drug Rep Radio Times conversation and article by Dr. Dan Carlat, an expert formerly employed by the pharmaceutical industry to promote sales, discusses these kinds of promotional practices.

The Fix Is In, This American Life Program #168: (RealAudio) Aired 9/15/2000 and 02/13/2004 “There are all sorts of situations in which we suspect the fix is in, but we almost never find out for certain. On today's show, for once, we find out. The whole program is devoted to one story, in which we go inside the back rooms of one multinational corporation and hear the intricate workings—recorded on tape—of how they put the fix in. We hear from Kurt Eichenwald, whose book The Informant is about the price fixing conspiracy at the food company ADM, Archer Daniels Midland, and the executive who cooperated with the FBI in recording over 250 hours of secret video and audio tapes, probably the most remarkable videotapes ever made of an American company in the middle of a criminal act. Screenwriter Scott Burns heard this episode of the program and—with director Steven Soderbergh—made it into a film [The Informant, 2009, starring Matt Damon].”

Thank You for Smoking This link takes you to the listing at Hagerty Library course reserves, at which you can find a DVD of this film to watch in the library or borrow overnight. The film offers a candid but humorous satire of public relations, its misleading effects on consumers and its distorting effects on the lives (and arguments) of practitioners.

Killing Us Softly Feminist author Jean Kilbourne's site dealing with the impact of media and advertising on our lives in various ways

Buying the War This is a 90-minute documentary that explores the role of the press in the lead-up to the 2003 U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. It "includes interviews with Dan Rather, formerly of CBS; Tim Russert of Meet the Press; Bob Simon of 60 Minutes; Walter Isaacson, former president of CNN; and John Walcott, Jonathan Landay and Warren Strobel of Knight Ridder newspapers, which was acquired by The McClatchy Company in 2006...The program analyzes the stream of unchecked information from administration sources and Iraqi defectors to the mainstream print and broadcast press, which was then seized upon and amplified by an army of pundits. While almost all the claims would eventually prove to be false, the drumbeat of misinformation about WMDs went virtually unchallenged by the media." For complete information, resources, and a complete transcript, go to: http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/btw/watch.html. Watch online at these links: Buying the War; Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5.

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PHIL241 Social & Political Philosophy

Syllabus for PHIL241 Section 001 Social & Political Philosophy, Winter 2009 At this link you'll find the syllabus for the course. Please read it carefully and bring it to class on the first day so we can discuss it, clear up anything that needs further explanation and start getting to know one another.

• Social and Political Philosophy Readings From Plato to Gandhi, edited by Somerville and Santoni, Doubleday, 1963 required text

• Nineteen Eighty Four, George Orwell (4 Hour Loan)

• How Holocausts Happen, Doug Porpora (4 Hour Loan: please see Hagerty Reserve for my PHIL330 class)

• War Made Easy: How Presidents And Pundits Keep Spinning Us To Death, Norman Solomon (4 Hour Loan: see reserves for my PHIL105 class)

• Required Readings for PHIL241 - The readings linked in your syllabus for the class have all been posted on electronic reserve

Additional articles and other resources:

Democracy Then and Now - Changed Meaning of Democracy in Ancient Athens and Now - from About.com: "Democracy is considered an invention of the ancient Greeks. This page on Greek democracy brings together articles on the stages democracy went through in Greece, as well as the controversy Greek democracy caused, with passages from period thinkers on the institution of democracy and its alternatives."

Postmodern Thought - Wonderful and wide range of various resources in Contemporary Philosophy, Critical Theory and Postmodern Thought, compiled by Martin Ryder

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PHIL330 Criminal Justice Ethics

Syllabus for PHIL330 Section 001 Criminal Justice Ethics, Fall 2009 At this link you'll find the syllabus for the course. Please read it carefully and bring it to class on the first day so we can discuss it, clear up anything that needs further explanation and start getting to know one another.

Before Teaching Ethics, Stop Kidding Yourself This article by Gordon Marino is our first reading.

First Essay Assignment Here are complete instructions and guidelines for your first assignment, due October 28. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sketch of Notes for the First Two Weeks of Class

What is Ethics? Our third reading this term. Please bring this and all readings to class when we're talking about them if you can.

Study Guide for First Midterm Exam Distributed via email in week four. Our First Midterm Exam will be held Monday, October 19.

Hagerty Library Course Reserves: Video:

• The Plea (DVD 4 Hr Loan)

• The Legacy: Murder and Media, Politics and Prisons (DVD 4 Hr Loan; streaming video with password AMATO330 here)

• To Kill or To Cure (streaming video with password AMATO330 here)

• Real Justice (streaming video with password AMATO330 Part 1; Part 2)

Additional articles and other resources:

The Plea "'The real American justice system is unlike anything depicted on Law & Order and Court TV,' says producer Ofra Bikel. 'I know I was stunned when I realized that only about 5 percent of all felony convictions result from jury trials. The rest are settled by plea bargains. And these deals aren't always to the defendant's advantage.' The Plea tells several stories--different people, different charges, different parts of the country, all with one thing in common: the difficult dilemma of confronting a plea. The program also interviews experts on the criminal justice system." A complete transcript of the film can be found here.

The Legacy: Murder & Media, Politics and Prisons This film documents the rise and results of mandatory sentencing practices in California and their relationship to wider social and political forces. The PBS website for the film can be found here. Use your Drexel log-in and the additional password AMATO330. A DVD can also be found at Hagerty Library Reserve.

Industrialized Social Control This piece by Paul Leighton is an informative critique of some foundational aspects of criminal justice policy in the United States. It is also available at his Criminal Justice Website, (http://paulsjusticepage.com/).

Institute for Criminal Justice Ethics Resource Links "The Institute for Criminal Justice Ethics, the only nonprofit, university-based center of its kind in the United States, was established to foster greater concern for ethical issues among practitioners and scholars in the criminal justice field."

Penal Reform International "Penal Reform International is an international non-governmental organisation working on penal and criminal justice reform worldwide."

Reducing the Costs of Incarceration "Most incarcerated people are eventually released into the community. Programs that offer inmates and youthful offenders assistance with rehabilitation and transition back into the community can reduce crime and recidivism. Thus, in an effort to increase public safety and reduce the high rates of incarceration in Baltimore, the Criminal Justice Program plans to concentrate its resources on two program priorities: the successful transition of ex-offenders into the community; and alternatives to incarceration for juveniles..."

Restorative Justice Online "Restorative justice is a theory of justice that emphasizes repairing the harm caused or revealed by criminal behaviour. It is best accomplished through cooperative processes that include all stakeholders..."

Families To Amend California's Three Strikes  "Over 24,500 nonviolent Strikers are serving life sentences, or at least double and triple what they would serve without the punitive character of California’s Three Strikes Law. These strikers are costing taxpayers over $1 billion dollars each year. California’s the only state where a nonviolent crime can trigger a life sentence and California’s the only state where the prison population has expanded to almost 200% of its capacity..."

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PHIL399-002 Philosophy & Technology

Syllabus for PHIL399-002 Philosophy & Technology, Fall 2009 At this link you'll find the syllabus for the course. Please read it carefully and let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

"Dikes and Dams, Thick with Politics" by Wiebe Bijker

Notes on Heilbroner and Jonas

Term Paper Assignment The Term Paper for this class is due Tuesday, December 8.

"Is it O.K. to be a Luddite?" by Thomas Pynchon

"Preface to Questioning Technology" by Andrew Feenberg

"The Story of Technology" by David Kaplan

"The Philosophy-Science Continuum" by Howard Gardner

"Useful Invention or Absolute Truth- What is Math?" by George Johnson

"A Contrarian Future for Minds and Machines" by Selmer Bringsjord

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Other Sites of Interest

Drexel University official university information and resources

Drexel University Television a resource with eye-opening, thought-provoking programming

WKDU Drexel Radio "Because we are a free format radio station, the content of our shows is not pre-programmed. Nobody is told what to play. The music played is at the discretion of the on air DJ. We encourage our DJs to play at least 1/3 new music, but beyond that, it is up to them. If it is not being heard on another radio station in the area, then there is a chance we will play it." Cool.

WPEB, 88.1 FM, "Radio Volta, the audio working group of the Philadelphia IMC, is an outgrowth of the webcast team that broadcasted over the Internet waves during the 2000 Republican National Convention...."

Drexel Community Social Awareness & Political Action Page resources, announcements, and activism information

Ten Things Everyone Should Know About Race "Most variation is within, not between, “races.” Of the small amount of total human variation, 85% exists within any local population. About 94% can be found within any continent. That means, for example, that two random Koreans may be as genetically different as a Korean and an Italian....."

Dark Legacy "While researching the Italian-American experience, filmmaker Heather Hartley stumbled onto one of the uglier episodes in American history: the lynching of 11 Italians in New Orleans in March of 1891...."

Essential Information extremely informative resources geared toward activism promoting informed and intelligent social choices

Commondreams.org At this highly recommended site you will find wide-ranging resources to help you keep up with world events.

Democracy Now! a national, listener-sponsored public radio and TV show

Working for Change great information and resources website associated with Working Assets

The Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign Philadelphia's Kensington Welfare Rights Union

Co-op America socially-responsible opportunities for investors

Wooden Shoe Books the intellectual and activist traditions of anarchism, alive and well and living in Philly

Adbusters challenges to consumerism

John Perkins Interview author of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, from WNYC Radio, New York, November 8, 2004, (scroll down for link).