Session I

1. Introduction
2. Scope of Course
   1. Session by Session Review
      1. The history of A.I. and Robotics - worldview questions - definitions and a video collage
      2. Current efforts to create animal like/human like robots and where we are today - worldview of those engaged in the effort and worldview of those who are opposed to the effort
      3. The nature of human intelligence and consciousness - the brain & mind, our sensory equipment and Brooks video
      4. What if it happens? Science fiction scenarios - Matrix, A.I., Karel Kapek's play
      5. What if it can't happen but many are convinced it has happened? Wizard of Oz scenarios, movie
      6. What if only weak A.I. develops - advantages and disadvantages of weak A.I.
      7. Technical questions related to A.I. and Theological/Philosophical issues - guest lecturers
      8. Presentation of your learning portfolios

1. Portfolio Explanation - graded weekly so you need to keep a copy for yourself and turn in a copy and make revisions according to my suggestions

1. Definitions
   1. Print Out of three column definition table - first column your definition today, second column the dictionary definition, fourth column how the word is defined along the way by some of those whose views we consider, fifth column your definition at the end of the course
   2. Show how each definition is chained to another and that the whole course is one of seeing how these ideas connect together and how one definition will lead logically to another if you are consistent and consistency is your goal
2. Worldview - what it is and how does it result in the answers you and others give to the question asked in this course
   1. Identify your worldview/belief system in your portfolio and how it is influencing the way you define words and answers you give to the questions of the course
      1. Materialism/Physicalism/Evolutionism
      2. Christian
      3. Muslim
      4. Jewish
      5. Buddhist
      6. Pantheism
      7. Relativism
      8. Other
   2. Worldview questions
      1. Which is correct about origins - your answer to this will definitely influence your answers to nearly all the questions in the course
      2. What is your definition of what it means to be a human being - again this will influence how you answer other questions if you are logically consistent
      3. Will you be able to think without your brain? or does brain death end YOU?
      4. How can we know that other persons are conscious and real?
      5. What are self-evident truths?
      6. Is truth just a matter of opinion?
      7. Why do we exist?
      8. What is the future destiny of humans?
      9. How are human beings different than animals?
      10. How did human beings come to be?
3. Questions of the course - a list of them with a table at the top of which are different persons names and the way they answer the questions for you to fill in as we go along together
4. Handouts for each session - copies of reading material we will read in class in folders with a designation of which session we will likely deal with the material though this could change
5. Explain the website and how to gain access to it - use it for some of the videos and weblinks that are required reading and incorporate in your portfolio a paragraph about what you view and read in which you answer What is being said, What worldview is held, What definition is being used for words, Why does the person think what he thinks, What you think about what is said, and So what?
6. Describe resources in the library for them to review for their portfolios if they don’t find anything else during the week on the internet or in magazines or other books these are there so you won’t run out of things for your weekly portfolio paragraphs
7. Reading of the two books will be done in class but the sooner you read both of them through the better - we will read some sections of each book in class
8. Session by session reading assignments from the books
9. Read from Robosapiens a passage together then stop and have discussion of that section using the definitions of the dictionary and writing down how the words might be redefined by the writers and those interviewed
10. Read from C.S. Lewis the first chapter or so to get an idea of what his book is about and explain why you have chosen this book written in 1943 as it is considered by some to be prophetic of the attempt to abolish humans and replace them not with robots but with a different definition
11. Read from Declaration of Independence and suggest they try to write this from the perspective of a thinking and selfconscious robot created by Rodney Brooks or others in the future and what it might be like and what would happen if was presented to a court in the U.S. - this will be dealt with perhaps at the 7th session so you have till then to write it up
12. Fog filters - detect the variance from the dictionary definitions and from those of your own mind
13. A word becomes a term when two minds clearly agree on the definition
14. C.S. Lewis book WORDS and the problem of verbal mischief - give them copies of some of the pages and read these together and discuss
15. Why latin was used - a non-living language - what latin words might be used to help us avoid confusion when talking about soul, mind, body, consciousness?
16. Better to have new words for new ideas
17. Examples of when words were purposely or unconsciously changed in meaning and the influence it has had on peoples and societies
18. When is a word a good word and when is it a bad word - a good word is one that refers to reality and a bad word is one that makes us think something is real that isn’t or that refers to something that is suppose to be real but isn’t
19. The struggle to define words is a struggle to define what is real about ourselves and the reason we exist
20. Worldviews about how we came to be and why are not scientific presuppositions
21. What is science?
22. Is science without presuppositions?
23. What are the presuppositions of science?
24. Do the presuppositions of science conflict with any worldviews?
25. Who decides what the presuppositions of science are?
26. A.I. to date - examples of pets, teddy bear in matrix, dolls, dogs, cats, roboom, natural speech recognition, in Robosapiens the fish and other robots being made, for war, for rescuing people, smart bombs, scouts, space exploration
27. Movie from Library about A.I.
28. Ask Margie to write or give you a document about what a portfolio is and how it is graded each week