These are unusual times.  Here is the plan for the start of the semester, which may be adjusted if the Covid-19 situation changes:

In standard weeks, I’ll upload lecture videos by Monday that must be watched by Thursday at 1:30pm.  There will be quizzes on these lecture videos as well as quizzes on the assigned preparation (reading & viewing) which will be due on Thursdays at 1:30pm.  The reading will be around 2 short works of science fiction and 2 shorter works of academic or popular writing (two classes worth of material).  From time to time, there may be short written assignments as well, with the same due date.  Class will meet as scheduled on Thursday only.

There will be around three nonstandard weeks (including the first week) where we will meet in person on Tuesday as well as Thursday.  Canvas will be updated regularly and you'll receive advanced warning for such weeks so that you can plan accordingly.

You can see two sample weeks below.

Course Description:

This course will introduce students to philosophy through science fiction. Science fiction and philosophy are deeply linked through their common use of thought experiments.  Our main goal will be to motivate and explore philosophical questions by appeal to thought experiments from short stories and film.  We’ll begin by examining questions about human nature and knowledge practices, discuss theories of morality, and then discuss what we owe to each other.

This will be a highly interactive class.  Students will be expected to come to class having done and processed the assigned out-of-class work (readings, assigned videos (including lecture videos, short writing assignments)), so that they are prepared to engage with other students about the material and related questions in class.  Every week will have a question that we’re trying to answer, and activities will be designed around that question.

Two sample weeks:

Week 2: How does evolution work, and can technology play a role?

• Godfrey-Smith, “Meetings Across the Tree of Life,” Other Minds  [philosophy].
• Dawkins, “Good Design,” The Blind Watchmaker [philosophy].
• Bisson, “Bears Discover Fire” (8p) [scifi].
• Haldeman, “None so Blind” (7p) [scifi].

Week 14: What should we do about serious and persistant injustice?  Is there a right to revolution?

• Notes on Just War Theory [philosophy].
• Coates, excerpts from "Legitimate Authority," The Ethics of War [philosophy].
• Collins, excerpts from Ch1 of The Hunger Games & Ch6 of ­Catching Fire [scifi].  (I might also add a few pages from the prequel out in May 2020.)
• The Hunger Games (2012) [scifi movie].