As Taught in:

2013/2014

Level: 

Any

Learning Resource Types:

=> Notes

=> Lecture Power Point

=> Reading Resources

Course Description:

The Philosophy of the Game of Chess central from Western Philosophical thoughts with relation to Eastern Philosophical and recent findings in cognitive science and related fields. The course is structured around three intertwined sets of topics: Morality and Justice, Joy and Peace, and Hope and Love.

Prerequisites:

International Chess 101

Text:

Learner are not required to purchase any textbooks or sign up for any websites that have a cost associated with them.

Also, there is no reference textbooks. However, there are recommended readings, notes selected topics, and slides. Please refer to the “Related Resources” Tab that you may wish to discuss.

Requirements:

All learner must attend discussion sessions. Learner can help raise one’s grade, but can never hurt. However, passive participation will lower one’s grade.

There will be three short papers. Each should be 5 pages, double-spaced, exclude images. All papers are worth equally. If papers show improvements over the term, however, the later work will be counted even more subsequently.

There will be no final exam.

Grading:

Equally measured from your active participation and three written papers.

Our courses are self-written. All lecture notes, PowerPoint, and reading material are available online as HTML and .PDF files. As mentioned in the syllabus, there is no other required textbook. Here’s the topic:

1. Introduction
2. The Thought of Chess – Strategy and Tactics
3. Parts of the Existences of Positioning in Chess Part 1
4. Parts of the Existences of Positioning in Chess Part 2
5. The Well Order Positioning – Harmony and Beauty of Tactics
6. The Abstract of Positioning – Synergy and Uncertainty of Strategy
7. Sacrifice and Strategy
8. Sacrifice and Tactics
9. Advantage and Pattern Part 1
10. Advantage and Pattern Part 2
11. Weakness of the Biases and Prediction
12. The Light-Dark Token Arguments and it’s Critiques
13. Chessology – the Rules That Means to be Improve
14. The Two-Token Positioning Problem
15. Empirically-Analysis Responses
16. Philosophical Game of Chess
17. Consequences Part 1
18. Consequences Part 2
19. Movements and Flow of the Game
20. The Challenge Dilemma
21. Equality Part 1
22. Equality Part 2
23. Positioning Structures
24. Blind Spot in Positioning
25. The Beauty of the Game of Chess
26. Conclusion

These related resources are not required textbooks. However, these can be a good insight for a learner to have some sense and references:

Ariely, Dan. 2008. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions. Published by Harper Collins.

Blackburn, Simon. 2008. The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, 2nd Ed. Published by Oxford University Press.

Evans, Jonathan St. B. T. 2003. “In Two Minds: Dual-Process Accounts of Reasoning.” Trends in Cognitive Science vol. 07

Haidt, Jonathan. 2006. The Happiness Hypothesis: finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom. Published by Basic Books.

Kazdin, Alan. 1980. Behavior Modification in Applied Settings. Published by Dorsey Press.

Plato, trans. G.M.A. Grube and C.D.C. Reeve. 1992. Republic. Hackett Publishing

Sustein, Cass. 2005. “Moral Heuristics,” Behavioral and Brain Sciences 28.