Group Members
Nader Issa
Colin Szklarski
Devin Dixon
Ember Parr
Jeremy Buma
Quint Qualls
Confucianism: Emphasis on a paternalistic society, such as that found in China.
Taoism: Along the same lines as Confucianism, but with the "society" being the entire earth. We labeled these folks as "the hippies".
Mo: A universal love, that incorporates every living being and atom as a part of a whole. We compared this idea to a "permanent ecstasy".
All in all, the 3 all seemed to garner one central theme-- to seek harmony, get rid of suffering, and to find enlightenment.
Open Question: Why do you think these 3 system's of thought all came about around the time that they did?
Factual Question: Which of the 3 schools of thought focused on the paternalistic society?
Not much too say here on this. So I'll just skip to the next topic.
ReplyDeleteFactual question from the reading: What is a good word or words that would summarize or describe the ideals of the Stoics?
Answer: indifference or apathy
Potential discussion question for next group: Might it be said, that based on its apathetic ideals, that Stoicism could be a detriment to society as a whole since in general, emotions are pointless? What would be one's drive/desire to do anything meaningful if not for the emotional satisfaction?
I found this section very interesting -- namely, because it represented three alternate ways to transcend suffering.
ReplyDeleteI'm not entirely certain, but I believe these three forms of thought were the result of a time of chaos and confusion in China known as The Warring States Period. The Ancient Chinese philosophers were all seeking ways to rise above the suffering created by the darker angels of human nature, as exemplified in the ambitious and callous warlords and factions all vying for control of the Chinese state.
Factual Question: What was the theme of the Stoic belief that led to its conception?
Answer: "Life is tough."
Open Question: Is stoicism effective at transcending suffering? If it is, are there any downfalls to it?
As Nader as stated, we covered the the three: Confucious, Taoism, and Mo.
ReplyDeleteWith Confucious, they seek harmony through being part of a "social" class, and fitting to their role in society.
Also Taoism, they saught harmony through an individual naturalistic experience, and believed society was evil. Their enlightenment was "within one's own nature."
Factual: What was the single most successful and longest-lasting movement in Greco-Roman philosophy?
A: Stoicism
Discussion: Does the idea of the stoics, anger is pointless & self-destructive, move you to change the way you deal with hostal situations?