Generated by ChapGPT: This course explores the use of ChatGPT, a large language model, as a tool for engaging with philosophical questions and problems. Students will learn how to interact with ChatGPT to generate responses to philosophical questions. The course will cover a range of topics in philosophy, including ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, and philosophy of mind. In this course, students will learn how to formulate questions that can be answered by ChatGPT, how to interpret ChatGPT's responses, and how to critically evaluate the limitations and strengths of using machine learning for philosophical inquiry. Overall, this course aims to develop students' critical thinking and analytical skills by providing them with a unique opportunity to engage with philosophical questions using cutting-edge technology. Notes: Below are the philosophical questions we will go through in this course. What is knowledge? Is knowledge merely justified true belief? Could it be that we are living in Matrix? Are we really justified in believing in the way the world is? Do I have a soul that can be separated from my body? Is my mind just my brain? Is my mind merely something like a computer program? Can there be perfect zombies, which are not distinguishable from normal human beings by their appearance and behavior but somehow have no minds? Does a perfect robot (which is indistinguishable from normal human beings by its appearance and behavior) have a mind? Are we free to make choices? Does the total past and present determine the future? If so, are we free to make choices or to bring about different futures? If not, what’s the point of scientific prediction about the matters like whether it will rain tomorrow? Is it possible to travel back into the past and kill your grandfather before he gave birth to your father? Is it morally wrong to tell a lie to make other people happy when there is no negative consequence in any way? consequence in any way?

The goal of this course is to equip students with the following abilities: (a) To understand the philosophical works and how philosophers ask questions. (b) To analyze and critically evaluate these philosophical viewpoints with the aid of ChatGPT. (c) To develop and articulate your own views on the issues.

Each student enrolled in this class is expected to adhere to certain requirements. These include completing assigned readings before every class, attending each session, and participating actively in both in-class and group discussions. The class will be divided into sets, with each set comprising five groups. Each group, in turn, will have only four members. Pre-class preparation: Each group will use ChatGPT to learn as much as possible about a given topic. This will involve a series of tasks, such as checking ChatGPT's response to the topic, refining questions to obtain more refined answers, critically evaluating ChatGPT's responses, and formulating the group's response, which should differ from ChatGPT's response. The first session of class (20 mins): This is the last chance for each group to critically evaluate ChatGPT's responses, and formulate the group's response, which should differ from ChatGPT's response. In the second session of class (30 mins), 2 or 3 randomly selected groups will present to the class, showcasing their interaction with ChatGPT and detailing the tasks they completed in the first session of class. The instructor will evaluate each group's performance and grant an additional point towards the final grade, which may be a positive or negative number. In the third session of class (50 mins), the instructor will provide a traditional lecture-style overview of the topic and views. In addition, there will be three group presentation events, with each set organizing a time and place for their presentation and debate. (So different sets may have different time/place for presentation.) Each group will be required to present their findings (just like what they do in the first session of class) and answer questions or challenges from other groups. Presentations have to be filmed and uploaded to NTUCOOL as proof of completion.

Course Schedule Week 1 Introduction Problems of knowledge – Gettier’s problem o Gettier, "Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?" Week 2 No Class Week 3 Problems of knowledge – Cartesian skepticism o Descartes, "Meditations on First Philosophy"(1st&2nd) Week 4 The problem of mind and body – Cartesian dualism and materialism o Descartes, "Meditations on First Philosophy"(6th) o Churchland, "Eliminative Materialism" Week 5 The problem of mind and body – Functionalism, the hard problem, and the semantic problem o Turing, "Computing Machines and Intelligence" o Jackson, "What Mary Didn't Know" o Searle, "Minds, Brains, and Programs" Week 6 Group Presentation 1 Week 7 Earthquake Break Week 8 Exam 1 Week 9 The problem of free will and determinism o van Inwagen, "The Powers of Rational Beings: Freedom of the Will" Week 10 The problem of time travel – the Grandfather paradox o Lewis, “Paradoxes of Time Travel” Week 11 Group Presentation 2 Week 12 The problem of gender o Alex Byrne, “Are Women Adult Human Female?” o Robin Dembroff, “Escaping the Natural Attitude about Gender” Week 13 Problems of morality – utilitarianism o Mill, Utilitarianism (excerpt) Week 14 Problems of morality – Kantian ethics o Kant, Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals (excerpt) Week 15 Group Presentation 3 Week 16 Exam 2 Grading: Two Multiple-Choice Exams: 30% (to be converted into letter grades) Group Discussion/Presentation (4 students per group): 30% (inter-group evaluation) + 30% (intra-group evaluation) Attendance & Participation: 10% In-class presentation adjustment: -10% ~ +10% The final grade will be curved.

Selected readings from various sources, which will be made available online. Reference: Introduction to Philosophy – Classical and Contemporary Readings (Edited by John Perry etc., Oxford University Press).