"The Netherlands is the bicycle capital of the world, with 40% of all traffic movements by bicycle. They have created a bicycle friendly country that promotes a healthier, more active lifestyle for its residents. Last year over 1.3 million bicycles were sold in the Netherlands..."
And to where are they pedaling? Philosophy Night!
The Dutch, it seems, like their philosophy. In an essay for Filosofie Magazine, Frank Mulder discusses the public role of philosophy in the Netherlands..."
Delight Springs
A collaborative search for wisdom, at Middle Tennessee State University and beyond... "The pluralistic form takes for me a stronger hold on reality than any other philosophy I know of, being essentially a social philosophy, a philosophy of 'co'"-William James
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Autodidactic Section 14 Group 1 (Pascal)
Hello all,
Tuesday, September 25,2012, Group 1 discussed the philosopher and mathematician Pascal. We all talked of how absurd his logic for achieving salvation was, as well as how crazy it is to compare the complexities of religion to that of a math problem. A big question that arose during the discussion was whether or not any of us sided with Pascal's crazy notions, as well as what our thoughts of what happens after death were. Pascal was definitely a different type of philosopher. All in all, we enjoyed hearing one another's perspectives. We look forward to the next discussion.
Tuesday, September 25,2012, Group 1 discussed the philosopher and mathematician Pascal. We all talked of how absurd his logic for achieving salvation was, as well as how crazy it is to compare the complexities of religion to that of a math problem. A big question that arose during the discussion was whether or not any of us sided with Pascal's crazy notions, as well as what our thoughts of what happens after death were. Pascal was definitely a different type of philosopher. All in all, we enjoyed hearing one another's perspectives. We look forward to the next discussion.
9-25-12 Sec 13 Group 4 "Multiculturalism"
As a group, we first discussed the connections between this chapter in PB and the chapter regarding Cosmopolitanism. We felt that the philosopher's interpretation of multiculturalism addressed many of the problems raised by cosmopolitanism. Prof. Oliver drew our attention to PB's discussion of a case in which a muslim woman wished to wear a full-face veil while teaching at an elementary school in Britain. This situation presents a particularly troublesome collision of multiculturalism and the separation of church and state. We eventually decided that perhaps the best course of action in dealing with such issues is to engage children in frank and honest discussions of multiple cultures so that they understand the significance of certain cultural practices and develop into well-adjusted and tolerant adults.
Good test-prep advice
"If you want really to do your best in an examination, fling away the book the day before, say to yourself, “I won’t waste another minute on this miserable thing, and I don’t care an iota whether I succeed or not.” Say this sincerely, and feel it; and go out and play, or go to bed and sleep, and I am sure the results next day will encourage you to use the method permanently." -William James, “Gospel of Relaxation“If you’ve been up all night cramming, in other words, good luck. You’ll need it. But if you’ve been diligent, have steeped yourself in the subject all semester long, and either went out to play or to an early bed last night, your luck will be the residue of design. You’ll do fine.
But don’t try too hard to relax.
"It is needless to say that that is not the way to do it. The way to do it, paradoxical as it may seem, is genuinely not to care whether you are doing it or not."Care tomorrow. Today, just show up and do your best.
And then get started on those midterm reports. The way you do that is write a sentence. Then write another one. Repeat, edit, repeat…
Or you could do a presentation.
Up@dawn
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Test Questions section 13 group 3
1. Seneca's philosophy on life was that our lives arent too short, we just__________________
-waste our time
2. What philosopher raised the question whether or not we are dreaming instead of being in reality?
-Descartes
3.Who was Aristotles teacher?
-Plato
4. Who outlined five arguments to demonstrate that God exists?
-Aquinas
5. How did Senecas life end?
-he commited suicide
-waste our time
2. What philosopher raised the question whether or not we are dreaming instead of being in reality?
-Descartes
3.Who was Aristotles teacher?
-Plato
4. Who outlined five arguments to demonstrate that God exists?
-Aquinas
5. How did Senecas life end?
-he commited suicide
section 13 group 3 (9/25)
Today we did not agree our discussion. Locke says that the human is not the same person from baby to adulthood but a completely seperate being. Our group did not find that to be a very smart statement and we all talked about our reasons for disagreeing.
Section 14 Group 3 Summary 9/25
Today, our discussion was centered around John Locke and Thomas Reid. Locke was very focused on the idea that who we are is based on our memories. Most of us disagreed with that. While memory has it's place in shaping who you are, it is not the most important. Who we are is made up by much more than what we remember right at this moment. We talked about our identity being made up of our experiences throughout our lives. You change and grow by what you go through and what you experience. However, if you lost all of your memories of all your experiences then it could completely alter who you are.
We also talked about Locke's idea of the mind (the individual) and the body being separate entities. This could explain multiple personality disorder, where multiple "minds" occupy one body.
We also talked about Locke's idea of the mind (the individual) and the body being separate entities. This could explain multiple personality disorder, where multiple "minds" occupy one body.
Section 14 Group 4
Today we discussed the concept of
multiculturalism. We all realized that the topic from this week and
the topic from last week, which was cosmopolitanism, went
hand-in-hand. Although, multiculturalism is always a part of
cosmopolitanism, cosmopolitanism is not always multiculturalism.
We discussed that as well as the other topics
we've been meeting about, multiculturalism has a basis of tolerance.
Once again, we asked, when is the line
(if there is one) crossed to intolerance? Phillips had put it in a way that seemed to relate to our outlook,
when an action based off of someone's culture is irreversible.
It is not our place to impose on other
cultures, and their ideals. We came to the conclusion that physical
harm and psychological confusion are not the same thing, and that
people often try to impose against culture confusing the two. It is
not right to say that we are tolerant, and only be “tolerant” if
it is not visible.
Review Questions from #14/group 4
Malcolm writes:
I took the liberty of making questions we could use...
Thanks for taking the initiative, Malcolm!
1 According to Savulescu, what are the 3 phases of ‘relationship and love?’
lust, attraction, attachment
2 What does Fricker mean by the term “testimonial justice”?
a type of injustice wrapped up with the theory of knowledge (what philosophers
call Epistemology)
3 What is the Greek word used by Aristotle, in translation, meaning ‘friendship’?
philia
4 Fundamentally, what does Simon Blackburn refer to as “a deep expression of personality, and of plans for living...”?
morality
5 What does Michael Sandel mean be the term ‘robotic athletes’?
athletes who are enhanced genetically, and whose abilities are reliant on those enhancements
Monday, September 24, 2012
Sec19 Grp1: _Pascal_
Pascal famously invented his Wager, which basically meant he calculated the odds of God's existence and acted accordingly, becoming a monk in his later years so he'd have a better chance of getting into Heaven. Today we discussed how this concept held up in modern times, and what it really meant to be accepted into Heaven. Random acts of kindness is what it came down to. Whether or not you believe in God, he prophesied but we refuted, regardless of how good a person you are, will ultimately tip the scales for or against your favor. But since we all have individual views, who is to say what is right and wrong, what is acceptable and what is not? And if all human beings are intrinsically evil, as Pascal claims, then why should we bother trying to better ourselves in His eyes?
Hakuna Matata section19 group 3 Locke and Reid
Today in our discussion we discussed the differing opinions between Locke and Reid about what makes you the same person after time. We determined that Locke beleived that your memories is what distinguishes you as being the same person. You are only the same person as far as you can remember. Past that you are the same man but not the same person. Reid argued this by saying A=B, B=C so A has to equal C. Just because you dont remember does not mean you are not the same person. We all agreed that everypoint in our lives shapes us into who we change into, but just because we may not remember certain things does not mean they still arent a part of us. Our lives are collective from the time we were born.
7 and 1/2 Americans (group 2 section 19)
Group 2 (section 19) EXAM QUESTIONS
1) Was Spinoza viewed as an Atheist? Yes because he was excommunicated from the church and cursed by rabbis
1) Was Spinoza viewed as an Atheist? Yes because he was excommunicated from the church and cursed by rabbis
2) What is a stoic? someone who takes a more objective view when presented with a situation instead of breaking out in emotion.
3) Boethius believed that everything in your life was predetermined? T or F? T
4) Explain Plato's Cave Allegory?
5) What was Epicurean thought? philosophy should benefit you in a practical way
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Exam #1 questions/topics
It's Sunday night, and here's what you guys appear to have posted. Have I missed anything?
Your best approach to studying is to find the relevant discussions of these topics in our texts, read them, and ask questions in class if anything is unclear to you. JPO
SECTION 13 GROUP 1 TEST Q&A
In the order of teacher to student, who came first and who came last?
Socrates, Plato, Aristotle
Extreme skepticism, denying of his senses and constantly being saved by his friends best describes which philosopher?
Pyrrho
"one word answer" Epictitus's view on logical thinking could be best described as what?
Stoic, Stoicism
Augustine Believed Adam and Eve started original sin and sin is passed down from generation to generation by means of what?
Sexual Reproduction
In 1532 the book known as "The Prince" was authored by which Philosopher?
Niccolo Machiavelli
Posted by Michael Lucas
==
section 13 group 2 questions
Is it true that Hobbes believed humans don't have souls?
Boethius wrote his most famous book where? (prison)
Cicero was a lawyer and politician (T or F)
Besides philosophy, what occupations or interests did Boethius take part in?
Plato believed that only philosophers truly understand the world (T or F)
Boethius wrote his most famous book where? (prison)
Cicero was a lawyer and politician (T or F)
Besides philosophy, what occupations or interests did Boethius take part in?
Plato believed that only philosophers truly understand the world (T or F)
Posted by allison griffin
==
Sec.13, group4
Below are the FIVE QUESTIONS we have come up with. We took one from each chapter.
1) According to Julian Savulescu, certain "Yuk" factors may have biological advantages.
True/False
2) What issue did Simon Blackburn focus much of his thought on?
A. friendship
B. Cosmopolitanism
C. Moral Relativity
D. animals
E. none of the above
3) According to Sandel, genetic enhancement should only be used for better health and ______.
A. Wealth
B. Safety
C. popularity
D. cosmetic purposes
E. All of the above
4) Which philosopher discussed the importance of friendship?
A. Nehemas
B. Sandel
C. Locke
D. Blackburn
E. Plato
5) Kwame Anthony Appiah would argue that all people are essentially the same. True or False?
Arielle Roides (Section 13; Group 4-PHIL 1030)
Posted by Arielle Roides
==
Autodidactic Section 14 Group 1 (5 Best Factual)
1. After traveling and meeting rulers from across Europe, what one leader impressed Machiavelli the most? Cesare Borgia
2. How was Socrates put to death? Poisined with hemlock
3.Who did Augustine believe was responsible for "Original Sin"? Adam and Eve
4.Which philosopher was an “Extreme Skeptic”? Pyrrho
5. What was Plato's most famous work? Allegory of the Cave
Posted by Landy Tate
==
Sec14 Grp2: Test review questions!
1) What inspired the title of Hobbes' famous book, Leviathan?
2) Why was Boethius arrested and later executed?
3) Who taught Plato, and whom did he teach?
4) What was Epicurus's most famous quote?
5) What was Cicero's greatest concern, and which philosophy did his stance on it reflect?
Answers:
1) Leviathan was a sea monster mentioned and described in the Bible.
2) Boethius was accused of conspiring against the king.
3) Socrates taught Plato, who then taught Aristotle.
4) "I was not; I have been; I am not; I do not mind."
5) Cicero was most concerned with the process of aging, and his insistence that we do not fret this inevitable process reflects the core ideals of Stoicism
Posted by Jonathan Walters
==
Section 14 Group 3 Review
1. True or false. Aristotle's lecture notes made a huge impact on western philosophy.
A: True
2. True or false. Subjectivism is a variety of relativism.
A: True
3. True or false. Blackburn is known as a quasi-realist because of his views on relativism.
A: True
4. What did Aquinas believe was "the uncaused cause of everything that is?"
A: God
5. Who said "I think, therefore I am?"
A: Descartes
Posted by Kendall Martin
==
1 According to Savulescu, what are the 3 phases of ‘relationship and love?’
lust, attraction, attachment
2 What does Fricker mean by the term “testimonial justice”?
a type of injustice wrapped up with the theory of knowledge (what philosophers
call Epistemology)
3 What is the Greek word used by Aristotle, in translation, meaning ‘friendship’?
philia
4 Fundamentally, what does Simon Blackburn refer to as “a deep expression of personality, and of plans for living...”?
morality
5 What does Michael Sandel mean be the term ‘robotic athletes’?
athletes who are enhanced genetically, and whose abilities are reliant on those enhancements
-Malcolm Voltaire==
Grp19 Sec1 Review Questions
Ours happen to be all short answer. But don't worry, they're relatively easy. Relatively.
---------------------
1) What animal did Socrates see himself as?
2) What school of thought did Pyrrho generally adhere to?
3) What previous life experience did Epictetus draw on to make him Stoic?
4) Why would politicians today not admit to reading Machiavelli's The Prince when they have?
5) Which concept allowed Augustine to rationalize God's allowing of evil deeds and suffering?
---------------------
ANSWERS
---------------------
1. A gadfly.
2. Skepticism.
3. He was once a slave who endured many hardships.
4. Reading it means they are likely inspired by Machiavelli's methods and have plans to become as brutal and callous a dictator as he.
5. Manichaeism.
Posted by Michael Sharber
==
Hakuna Matata Sec19 Group3 REVIEW
1. What was Aristotle's simple answer to the following question: How should we live?
A. Indulge in riches
B. Seek hapiness through success
C. Study Philosophy
D. Focus on pleasures and not achievement
Answer:B (Eudaimonia)
2.What was Seneca's philosophy about learning not to care?
short answer:
To not feel angry that life is too short, rather make the most of it.
3.Why does Blackburn believe moral relativism is not accurate?
A. we can't tolerate each other peacefully
B. It creates too much equality
C. Because it doesnt get rid of the fact that there is still conflict and differences
D. everyone should believe one thing
Answer: C
4. What is Descartes's method of cartesian doubt?
short answer:
Dont accept anything as true if there is the slightest possibilty that it isn't.
5. What did John Locke believe made someone the same person over time?
A. What you looked like
B. your decisions
C. your beliefs on issues
D. What you can remember
Answer: D
Posted by Sara Anderson
==
Section 19 Group 4 REVIEW
Factual Questions:
1.True or False: There is one clear definition of philosophy that all philosophers agree on. *False
2. According to Fricker, what has to be apparent for Epistemic Injustice to occur?
a) Prejudice*
b)Nationalism
c) Tolerance
d) Pessimism
3)What does Alexander Nehmas compare friendship to?
*a) the arts B) religon c) politics d) cinema
4) _____ is the ideology that all human ethnic groups belong to a single community based on a shared morality.
A)Nativism
B) Patriotism
C) Communism
D)Cosmopolitanism *
5) True or Flase: Michael Sandel is in favor of the use of biotechnology for medical purposes for the sake of promoting health. *True
Posted by Ali Condon
section 13 group 2 questions
Is it true that Hobbes believed humans don't have souls?
Boethius wrote his most famous book where? (prison)
Cicero was a lawyer and politician (T or F)
Besides philosophy, what occupations or interests did Boethius take part in?
Plato believed that only philosophers truly understand the world (T or F)
Boethius wrote his most famous book where? (prison)
Cicero was a lawyer and politician (T or F)
Besides philosophy, what occupations or interests did Boethius take part in?
Plato believed that only philosophers truly understand the world (T or F)
Section 13 Group 1 Discussion
Group 1
Even though we spent most of our time on the questions during our last visit we did discuss lightly on the Machiavellian ways. This was definitely a very totalitarianistic way of ruling. I dont suppose we would get very far in this country ruling in that way.
What are your thoughts on how we would turn out if Machiavelli was around us in this time?
Pascal and his thoughts on rationalizing the existance of god.
Have you or has anyone else tried to present to you the reasoning of one side versus the other on whether god actually existed and made a valid point. I think Pascals point of view is strong and deductive but may not be the best way.
Michael Lucas
Even though we spent most of our time on the questions during our last visit we did discuss lightly on the Machiavellian ways. This was definitely a very totalitarianistic way of ruling. I dont suppose we would get very far in this country ruling in that way.
What are your thoughts on how we would turn out if Machiavelli was around us in this time?
Pascal and his thoughts on rationalizing the existance of god.
Have you or has anyone else tried to present to you the reasoning of one side versus the other on whether god actually existed and made a valid point. I think Pascals point of view is strong and deductive but may not be the best way.
Michael Lucas
SECTION 13 GROUP 1 TEST Q&A
In the order of teacher to student, who came first and who came last?
Socrates, Plato, Aristotle
Extreme skepticism, denying of his senses and constantly being saved by his friends best describes which philosopher?
Pyrrho
"one word answer" Epictitus's view on logical thinking could be best described as what?
Stoic, Stoicism
Augustine Believed Adam and Eve started original sin and sin is passed down from generation to generation by means of what?
Sexual Reproduction
In 1532 the book known as "The Prince" was authored by which Philosopher?
Niccolo Machiavelli
Socrates, Plato, Aristotle
Extreme skepticism, denying of his senses and constantly being saved by his friends best describes which philosopher?
Pyrrho
"one word answer" Epictitus's view on logical thinking could be best described as what?
Stoic, Stoicism
Augustine Believed Adam and Eve started original sin and sin is passed down from generation to generation by means of what?
Sexual Reproduction
In 1532 the book known as "The Prince" was authored by which Philosopher?
Niccolo Machiavelli
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Sec14 Grp2: Test review questions!
1) What inspired the title of Hobbes' famous book, Leviathan?
2) Why was Boethius arrested and later executed?
3) Who taught Plato, and whom did he teach?
4) What was Epicurus's most famous quote?
5) What was Cicero's greatest concern, and which philosophy did his stance on it reflect?
Answers:
1) Leviathan was a sea monster mentioned and described in the Bible.
2) Boethius was accused of conspiring against the king.
3) Socrates taught Plato, who then taught Aristotle.
4) "I was not; I have been; I am not; I do not mind."
5) Cicero was most concerned with the process of aging, and his insistence that we do not fret this inevitable process reflects the core ideals of Stoicism
2) Why was Boethius arrested and later executed?
3) Who taught Plato, and whom did he teach?
4) What was Epicurus's most famous quote?
5) What was Cicero's greatest concern, and which philosophy did his stance on it reflect?
Answers:
1) Leviathan was a sea monster mentioned and described in the Bible.
2) Boethius was accused of conspiring against the king.
3) Socrates taught Plato, who then taught Aristotle.
4) "I was not; I have been; I am not; I do not mind."
5) Cicero was most concerned with the process of aging, and his insistence that we do not fret this inevitable process reflects the core ideals of Stoicism
Friday, September 21, 2012
Grp19 Sec1 Review Questions
Ours happen to be all short answer. But don't worry, they're relatively easy. Relatively.
---------------------
1) What animal did Socrates see himself as?
2) What school of thought did Pyrrho generally adhere to?
3) What previous life experience did Epictetus draw on to make him Stoic?
4) Why would politicians today not admit to reading Machiavelli's The Prince when they have?
5) Which concept allowed Augustine to rationalize God's allowing of evil deeds and suffering?
---------------------
ANSWERS
---------------------
1. A gadfly.
2. Skepticism.
3. He was once a slave who endured many hardships.
4. Reading it means they are likely inspired by Machiavelli's methods and have plans to become as brutal and callous a dictator as he.
5. Manichaeism.
---------------------
1) What animal did Socrates see himself as?
2) What school of thought did Pyrrho generally adhere to?
3) What previous life experience did Epictetus draw on to make him Stoic?
4) Why would politicians today not admit to reading Machiavelli's The Prince when they have?
5) Which concept allowed Augustine to rationalize God's allowing of evil deeds and suffering?
---------------------
ANSWERS
---------------------
1. A gadfly.
2. Skepticism.
3. He was once a slave who endured many hardships.
4. Reading it means they are likely inspired by Machiavelli's methods and have plans to become as brutal and callous a dictator as he.
5. Manichaeism.
Autodidactic Section 14 Group 1 (5 Best Factual)
1. After traveling and meeting rulers from across Europe, what one leader
impressed Machiavelli the most? Cesare Borgia
2. How was Socrates put to death? Poisined with hemlock
3.Who did Augustine believe was responsible for "Original Sin"? Adam and Eve
4.Which philosopher was an “Extreme Skeptic”? Pyrrho
5. What was Plato's most famous work? Allegory of the Cave
2. How was Socrates put to death? Poisined with hemlock
3.Who did Augustine believe was responsible for "Original Sin"? Adam and Eve
4.Which philosopher was an “Extreme Skeptic”? Pyrrho
5. What was Plato's most famous work? Allegory of the Cave
A reply to Machiavelli & Hobbes
I re-tweeted skeptic Michael Shermer yesterday:
If you haven't read Pinker's The Better Angels of Our Nature you should. It is one of the most important social science books ever written.
Steven Pinker’s book The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined says we’re trending, as a species, in exactly the opposite direction from that indicated by human nature pessimists like Machiavelli and Hobbes. He makes a great case. Maybe someone would like to read and report on it, to the class, for midterm or final?
In any case, let's stop getting down on our bad selves so much. It's getting better, really!
Plato & Mill, intellectual & physical pleasure
"James Garvey, environmental ethicist and editor of The Philosophers’ Magazine, is on a long bike-ride: 1,000 miles across Britain. He seems to be having second thoughts, or at least concerns, about striking the correct balance between mental and physical exercise.
Plato advises a careful blend of physical exercise and cultural pursuits… Neglect the Muses, and you become a graceless brute, but without the rigours of sport, the individual “melts and liquefies till he completely dissolves away his spirit…”But then
there’s Mill’s claim about intellectual versus physical pleasures – Bach versus back rubs — that the former are “worth more” than the latter, and those who have experienced intellectual pleasures prefer them to mere physical pleasures..."(continues at Up@dawn)
Section 19 Group 4
In class on Wednesday, we discussed Fricker's view of credibility and discrimination. The discussion was mainly based on how we, as human beings, tend to either write things/people off or accept them too quickly, based on our initial impression. An example would be if a Tennessee fan was to talk to a Florida fan about football, they would most likely write off what the other had to say before the conversation even began. This is a type of discrimination because someone is losing their credibility based on a preference. This form of discrimination can be seen in so many different instances, including race, age, gender, and so on.
If we could be more willing to listen to those we don't necessarily know or trust, we may find that they probably have valuable input. As we talked about in class, a doctor of 30 years may know more than a med student in the long run, but that doesn't mean to write off the med student as useless...it could save your life.
If we could be more willing to listen to those we don't necessarily know or trust, we may find that they probably have valuable input. As we talked about in class, a doctor of 30 years may know more than a med student in the long run, but that doesn't mean to write off the med student as useless...it could save your life.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Autodidactic Section 14 Group 1
Hello everyone,
Today, we members of Group 1 had the oppurtunity to philosophize outdoors. We found an enormous tree not to far from the steps of the JUB to gather underneath, as we discussed the assigned reading on Machiavelli. What most of us concluded was that he was a cruel,merciless individual. In addition, most of us thought that he went about achieving "success" in the worst way possible. We also compared him to others from history, like Adolf Hitler. Machiavelli's harsh teachings influenced many dictators negatively. Machiaelli was definitely the most controversial philosopher that we have discussed since the beginning of the semester. Everyone had comments on this particular assigned reading. In closing, Group 1 is looking forward to the next philosophical discussion.
Today, we members of Group 1 had the oppurtunity to philosophize outdoors. We found an enormous tree not to far from the steps of the JUB to gather underneath, as we discussed the assigned reading on Machiavelli. What most of us concluded was that he was a cruel,merciless individual. In addition, most of us thought that he went about achieving "success" in the worst way possible. We also compared him to others from history, like Adolf Hitler. Machiavelli's harsh teachings influenced many dictators negatively. Machiaelli was definitely the most controversial philosopher that we have discussed since the beginning of the semester. Everyone had comments on this particular assigned reading. In closing, Group 1 is looking forward to the next philosophical discussion.
Section 14 Group 3 Review
1. True or false. Aristotle's lecture notes made a huge impact on western philosophy.
A: True
2. True or false. Subjectivism is a variety of relativism.
A: True
3. True or false. Blackburn is known as a quasi-realist because of his views on relativism.
A: True
4. What did Aquinas believe was "the uncaused cause of everything that is?"
A: God
5. Who said "I think, therefore I am?"
A: Descartes
A: True
2. True or false. Subjectivism is a variety of relativism.
A: True
3. True or false. Blackburn is known as a quasi-realist because of his views on relativism.
A: True
4. What did Aquinas believe was "the uncaused cause of everything that is?"
A: God
5. Who said "I think, therefore I am?"
A: Descartes
Section 14 Group 3 (9/20)
Hello all. This is Kendall filling in for Nikki today. So today we talked about Descartes and decided that he had a rather confusing and somewhat contradictory idea of the world and God. He wanted to find one thing that he could be absolutely certain was true, because if there is any doubt about something, there is a chance that it may not be true regardless of how little doubt there is. Like the fact that you could be having a very realistic dream about reading this post, not actually reading it. There is no real way to prove that you're awake, maybe you're being tricked by a clever and fiendish demon into thinking that you're reading this, but you're actually asleep. Or just a brain sitting in a jar in the laboratory of a mad scientist.
While you may not be sure that you are awake, you know that you exist because you are capable of having that thought. "I think, therefore I am" is Descartes most famous quote meaning that because we are capable of having a thought or capable of being tricked by a demon, then we must exist because if we didn't, there would be no thought and nothing to trick.
The contradictory portion of this thought comes with the existence of God. In general, is there doubt that God exists? Yes. So wouldn't that mean that we can't be sure about God? No, because according to Descartes simply because we have the thought of God is enough proof of his existence. Dr. Oliver told us that some people say that Descartes way of thinking is a circle. We think God exists because God gave us that thought. Because God is perfect and good, he wouldn't deceive us into thinking he existed if he didn't. Which comes back to the thought of God means he exists.
In conclusion, we may all be pickled brains sitting on a shelf in some lab, but we know we exist in some form because we can have the thought of "I wonder if I'm a brain in a jar." And that's all I got.
While you may not be sure that you are awake, you know that you exist because you are capable of having that thought. "I think, therefore I am" is Descartes most famous quote meaning that because we are capable of having a thought or capable of being tricked by a demon, then we must exist because if we didn't, there would be no thought and nothing to trick.
The contradictory portion of this thought comes with the existence of God. In general, is there doubt that God exists? Yes. So wouldn't that mean that we can't be sure about God? No, because according to Descartes simply because we have the thought of God is enough proof of his existence. Dr. Oliver told us that some people say that Descartes way of thinking is a circle. We think God exists because God gave us that thought. Because God is perfect and good, he wouldn't deceive us into thinking he existed if he didn't. Which comes back to the thought of God means he exists.
In conclusion, we may all be pickled brains sitting on a shelf in some lab, but we know we exist in some form because we can have the thought of "I wonder if I'm a brain in a jar." And that's all I got.
Testimonial Injustice (s13; g4)
Hello everybody! Today's class was nice in that we got to sit outside. Our group discussed multiple situations in which we have witnessed testimonial injustice or prejudice. We discussed how children's credibility is often times undermined. Despite the fact that children raise good questions and pose good thoughts, we, as adults, tend to think what they say is unimportant. One person talked about how a night out with her honor society led to an incident of testimonial injustice, in that she and her group were accused of stealing salt and pepper from a restaurant, simply because they were teenagers. These were a group of academically successful teenagers. The Green Mile is a movie that portrays testimonial injustice rather well. An African American man with healing powers is executed for "killing two young girls," when in actuality he was trying to save them. We discussed how looks and first impressions can definitely leave an everlasting impression of the person's character. We must learn to keep an open mind and let our minds be swayed by what the individual is actually delivering to us (his knowledge). Although testimonial injustice may very well be a natural reaction, we must learn to block it out. One person talked about a time at work when a bunch of "pot heads" came in to eat, nobody wanted to serve them because they felt the kids wouldn't tip them. Amanda took the table and ended up getting a $38 dollar tip. Never judge a book by its cover.
Below are the FIVE QUESTIONS we have come up with. We took one from each chapter.
1) According to Julian Savulescu, certain "Yuk" factors may have biological advantages.
True/False
2) What issue did Simon Blackburn focus much of his thought on?
A. friendship
B. Cosmopolitanism
C. Moral Relativity
D. animals
E. none of the above
3) According to Sandel, genetic enhancement should only be used for better health and ______.
A. Wealth
B. Safety
C. popularity
D. cosmetic purposes
E. All of the above
4) Which philosopher discussed the importance of friendship?
A. Nehemas
B. Sandel
C. Locke
D. Blackburn
E. Plato
5) Kwame Anthony Appiah would argue that all people are essentially the same. True or False?
Arielle Roides (Section 13; Group 4-PHIL 1030)
Below are the FIVE QUESTIONS we have come up with. We took one from each chapter.
1) According to Julian Savulescu, certain "Yuk" factors may have biological advantages.
True/False
2) What issue did Simon Blackburn focus much of his thought on?
A. friendship
B. Cosmopolitanism
C. Moral Relativity
D. animals
E. none of the above
3) According to Sandel, genetic enhancement should only be used for better health and ______.
A. Wealth
B. Safety
C. popularity
D. cosmetic purposes
E. All of the above
4) Which philosopher discussed the importance of friendship?
A. Nehemas
B. Sandel
C. Locke
D. Blackburn
E. Plato
5) Kwame Anthony Appiah would argue that all people are essentially the same. True or False?
Arielle Roides (Section 13; Group 4-PHIL 1030)
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Hakuna Matata Sec19 Group3 REVIEW
1. What was Aristotle's simple answer to the following question: How should we live?
A. Indulge in riches
B. Seek hapiness through success
C. Study Philosophy
D. Focus on pleasures and not achievement
Answer:B (Eudaimonia)
2.What was Seneca's philosophy about learning not to care?
short answer:
To not feel angry that life is too short, rather make the most of it.
3.Why does Blackburn believe moral relativism is not accurate?
A. we can't tolerate each other peacefully
B. It creates too much equality
C. Because it doesnt get rid of the fact that there is still conflict and differences
D. everyone should believe one thing
Answer: C
4. What is Descartes's method of cartesian doubt?
short answer:
Dont accept anything as true if there is the slightest possibilty that it isn't.
5. What did John Locke believe made someone the same person over time?
A. What you looked like
B. your decisions
C. your beliefs on issues
D. What you can remember
Answer: D
A. Indulge in riches
B. Seek hapiness through success
C. Study Philosophy
D. Focus on pleasures and not achievement
Answer:B (Eudaimonia)
2.What was Seneca's philosophy about learning not to care?
short answer:
To not feel angry that life is too short, rather make the most of it.
3.Why does Blackburn believe moral relativism is not accurate?
A. we can't tolerate each other peacefully
B. It creates too much equality
C. Because it doesnt get rid of the fact that there is still conflict and differences
D. everyone should believe one thing
Answer: C
4. What is Descartes's method of cartesian doubt?
short answer:
Dont accept anything as true if there is the slightest possibilty that it isn't.
5. What did John Locke believe made someone the same person over time?
A. What you looked like
B. your decisions
C. your beliefs on issues
D. What you can remember
Answer: D
Sec19 Grp1: Mock-iavelli
To be a loved leader or a feared one, which is more important? Machiavelli would argue that love made his subjects weak and gave them choices whereupon they could possibly ruin the interests of the state, whereas fear bound them in an iron grip and forced them to behave in a way that kept alive the interests of the state. We, however, came to the conclusion that a combination of elements of each is most favorable.
Machiavelli's method of disloyalty and backstabbing enemies and friends alike (though he did it more literally) is used much in politics today, we surmised. Politics is a shady, dirty business, the corruption of which is definitely popularized in all forms of media, and it has been this way since even back in his time. Campaign promises pretty much have to be made to bolster candidates' followers, whether or not they deliver on them. There are good, humble candidates, as well, but the negative ones drag them down. In the end, it's very difficult to tell if our leaders are doing things that help the common people or that further societal order but may not seem morally clean or trivial to us.
Many people mock Machiavelli's The Prince as a "handbook for gangsters," an unimaginably evil text that spelled out his biggest belief: rulers should stay in power by any means necessary, regardless of moral standards or even dignity. And yet, it seems to be an important read for many politicians today, though few would admit it.
Our opinions differed greatly on this, but are all people inherently rotten, as he claimed, are we inherently distrustful of our fellow humans, or do we all have (forgive me for taking a quote from my first book) "a hidden cache of gold inside the walls society forced us to erect in [our] hearts?" You decide.
Machiavelli's method of disloyalty and backstabbing enemies and friends alike (though he did it more literally) is used much in politics today, we surmised. Politics is a shady, dirty business, the corruption of which is definitely popularized in all forms of media, and it has been this way since even back in his time. Campaign promises pretty much have to be made to bolster candidates' followers, whether or not they deliver on them. There are good, humble candidates, as well, but the negative ones drag them down. In the end, it's very difficult to tell if our leaders are doing things that help the common people or that further societal order but may not seem morally clean or trivial to us.
Many people mock Machiavelli's The Prince as a "handbook for gangsters," an unimaginably evil text that spelled out his biggest belief: rulers should stay in power by any means necessary, regardless of moral standards or even dignity. And yet, it seems to be an important read for many politicians today, though few would admit it.
Our opinions differed greatly on this, but are all people inherently rotten, as he claimed, are we inherently distrustful of our fellow humans, or do we all have (forgive me for taking a quote from my first book) "a hidden cache of gold inside the walls society forced us to erect in [our] hearts?" You decide.
Hakuna Matata Sec19 Group3 Descartes
Our group began to talk about the extent to Descartes's beliefs on what not to trust. We brought up his evil demon analogy of controlling doubt. We tried to determine the difference of sceptics and Descartes. We decided that Descartes was not a sceptic, he believed something in the world had to be true. His conclusion was that he found himself the one true thing that he could be certain of. This is because he had thoughts, and he determined that you cant have thoughts if you dont exist. We started to ask ourselves the question if it really is possible that we could all be dreaming at that moment? Though it may be possible we decided to constently think that things may not be real would just be a terrible way to live your life. Most of us agreed that we agree with Descartes's method of cartesian doubt, but its hard for us to accept it because then we would live our lives with alot of doubt.
Section 13 Group 2 9/18
In our group discussion we discussed Boethius. Our main discussion was focused on whether if God was all-knowing then do we have free choice? We never came to a clear conclusion for the group but we did understand where Boethius was coming from. We talked about whether or not maybe he was experiencing visions or having visual hallucinations from being in prison.
7 and 1/2 Americans group 2 section 19
Today we talked about Thomas Hobbes, a man who wasn't very optimistic about the nature of humans thinking them nasty and morally filthy beings. He also said that a society that was controlled by a dictator so it was not right to keep people under oppression just to maintain order and that democracy was the better option but wasn't for them at the time. We then talked about how democracy doesn't have much order which is because no one is afraid of their government.
Section 19 Group 4 REVIEW
Factual Questions:
1.True or False: There is one clear definition of philosophy that all philosophers agree on. *False
2. According to Fricker, what has to be apparent for Epistemic Injustice to occur?
a) Prejudice*
b)Nationalism
c) Tolerance
d) Pessimism
3)What does Alexander Nehmas compare friendship to?
*a) the arts B) religon c) politics d) cinema
4) _____ is the ideology that all human ethnic groups belong to a single community based on a shared morality.
A)Nativism
B) Patriotism
C) Communism
D)Cosmopolitanism *
5) True or Flase: Michael Sandel is in favor of the use of biotechnology for medical purposes for the sake of promoting health. *True
1.True or False: There is one clear definition of philosophy that all philosophers agree on. *False
2. According to Fricker, what has to be apparent for Epistemic Injustice to occur?
a) Prejudice*
b)Nationalism
c) Tolerance
d) Pessimism
3)What does Alexander Nehmas compare friendship to?
*a) the arts B) religon c) politics d) cinema
4) _____ is the ideology that all human ethnic groups belong to a single community based on a shared morality.
A)Nativism
B) Patriotism
C) Communism
D)Cosmopolitanism *
5) True or Flase: Michael Sandel is in favor of the use of biotechnology for medical purposes for the sake of promoting health. *True
Section 19 Group 4
In class on Monday, we discussed Cosmopolitanism, which can be defined, in short, as global citizenship. It is the ideology that all human ethnic groups belong to a single community based on a shared morality. Cosmos is Greek for "of the world" which can also be translated as a "common thread". These translations together can lead to the meaning of coexistence.
All of these definitions come down to one thing; no matter where we live or what race we are, we are human. If you poke a person in Japan, and then poke a person in Italy, they will react the same way. In order to be a Cosmopolitan, you must tolerate, and more importantly, appreciate the differences of the world. To do this, is to break down the barriers between cultures.
The underlying questions are: Is it the moral obligation of humans to "owe" all people as much help as we can offer? What is the ethical justification of that obligation? Is it too much to ask of us?
All of these definitions come down to one thing; no matter where we live or what race we are, we are human. If you poke a person in Japan, and then poke a person in Italy, they will react the same way. In order to be a Cosmopolitan, you must tolerate, and more importantly, appreciate the differences of the world. To do this, is to break down the barriers between cultures.
The underlying questions are: Is it the moral obligation of humans to "owe" all people as much help as we can offer? What is the ethical justification of that obligation? Is it too much to ask of us?
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Autodidactic Section 14 Group 1 (9-18-12)
Hello all,
Today in Philosphy, Group 1 discussed the ins and outs of the complex life and views of thinker Augustine, or St.Augustine. The first thing we really found interesting about Augustine was that he was really the only thinker we have been introduced to thus far, whose religious views out weigh his philosophical viewpoints. With Augustine, they are both in a way entangled; however, his religious side was more evident. In the midst of discussing his Christian views, we as a group managed to come to the conclusion that Augustine, much like everyone else, was not a perfect individual, which in a way made him even more relatable. Furthermore, we ceased our philosophical discussion by thoroughly conversing on the concept of original sin. In closing, the discussion was very consise and different from most of the other excerpts we have read thus far.
Today in Philosphy, Group 1 discussed the ins and outs of the complex life and views of thinker Augustine, or St.Augustine. The first thing we really found interesting about Augustine was that he was really the only thinker we have been introduced to thus far, whose religious views out weigh his philosophical viewpoints. With Augustine, they are both in a way entangled; however, his religious side was more evident. In the midst of discussing his Christian views, we as a group managed to come to the conclusion that Augustine, much like everyone else, was not a perfect individual, which in a way made him even more relatable. Furthermore, we ceased our philosophical discussion by thoroughly conversing on the concept of original sin. In closing, the discussion was very consise and different from most of the other excerpts we have read thus far.
Section 14 Group 3 Summary 9/18/12
Today we talked about Anselm and Aquinas. Both of them discussed the idea of God and ways to go about proving his existence. One thoery by Anselm stated that the fact that we even have an idea of God should prove that there is a God. We didn't necessarily like this explanation. It is too inconclusive.
We all had our own ideas and explanations (or no explanation) about God. For some it was based on experience, others the lack of their own experience. We talked about just how hard it actually wrap your mind around who or what God really is. Kendall gave us a quote that said, "My head tells me that I'll never understand God, but my heart tells me that I'm not meant to." We also discussed that God is different things to different people. Some view him as a person who guides their lives and watches over them, while other people may view him as a source of energy from which things started. This kind of ties into what Aquinas says about God being the uncaused cause. Everything has a beginning, and using God as the starting point allows people to avoid tracing origins back into infinite regress.
We all had our own ideas and explanations (or no explanation) about God. For some it was based on experience, others the lack of their own experience. We talked about just how hard it actually wrap your mind around who or what God really is. Kendall gave us a quote that said, "My head tells me that I'll never understand God, but my heart tells me that I'm not meant to." We also discussed that God is different things to different people. Some view him as a person who guides their lives and watches over them, while other people may view him as a source of energy from which things started. This kind of ties into what Aquinas says about God being the uncaused cause. Everything has a beginning, and using God as the starting point allows people to avoid tracing origins back into infinite regress.
Sec14 Grp2: Today, Boethius, Thursday, Hobbes!
Today's class went fairly well. We got off to a strong start discussing Boethius, and I personally felt that the date of his birth was a little understated. Overall, we found him to be one of the least interesting philosophers we have had so far. His values depicted the idea that all men are equal below a higher power, and he had a rather large say in the politics between churches, something which proved to be the cause of his death.
Mr. Oliver bought up an interesting point during his discussion that perhaps, in his final work, his depiction of philosophy as a woman might have actually been a hallucination (albeit one that's not very assuring). "She told him that it was God's plan and will, so he should do nothing to counteract it, as things were the way they should be. Not very reassuring if you ask me!
As for a discussion to reply to - Do you think Boethius would have chosen the Grecian gods instead of Christianity's Yahweh if he had been born during the time of Epicurus and Cicero? Perhaps they might have had great philosopher armchair clashes involving competing ideals.
Tomorrow's discussion is Hobbes. I haven't done any research on him, so do come prepared to discuss!
Class isn't even over yet,
Jon
Section 14 Group 4
Today our discussion surrounded around
cosmopolitanism. As soon as
we got situated, it seemed that the conversation went ahead and took
off. We automatically asked, where is the line for “cosmopolitanism”
drawn? What things would we see and look past, and what things would
we see and try to intervene?
From
the interview with Appiah, we brought up the female castration in
other countries, and how we see it as repulsive. But, in some
nations, it is seen as completely necessary and humane.
Cosmopolitanism would say that we should learn how to accept the
different cultures that we are surrounded by, but is this really
tolerable?...
We
decided that there are some cultural barriers that we don't
comprehend, but somethings are just inevitable, based from centuries
of cultural, or even religious belief.
We furthermore came to ask, what is harm? Is it emotional, or is it physical? How do we determine what is harmful, and what if the people of that culture don't recognize it as harm? What if they're not interested in help?
When we try to intervene with another cultures ideals, are we being productive, or are we just fueling a fire of intolerance?
Tolerance is very important, but tolerance only succeeds if tolerance is reciprocated.
Intolerance will only breed intolerance, so cosmopolitanism has its flaws.
It was summarized that cosmopolitanism is possible, but only becomes productive and progressive when all cultures are involved in having the same set of ideals and outlook towards the cultures that surround them.
It was summarized that cosmopolitanism is possible, but only becomes productive and progressive when all cultures are involved in having the same set of ideals and outlook towards the cultures that surround them.
Section 14 Group 3 Summary from 9/13/12
Again, sorry this is so late! I'll get back on my game soon I promise! Last Thursday we talked about Seneca. Basically, he says that life isn't too short, like many others believe, we just don't make the most of the time we do have. Seneca also says that the most fruitful way to live is to spend your days studying philosophy. We did not agree with this, but we also decided that theories on how to live a fruitful life change based on who you talk to.
section 13 group 3 (9/18)
Today our group talked about flag burning and debated weather that is freedom of speech or not. We then discussed about the existence of God. We also talked about if you have a perfect God in mind, do you really know and can you actually posses a "perfect picture" of God in your mind.
Sec14 Grp2: Cicero, the Latin Poet! Followed by Boethius
Thursday's topic was Cicero, the Orator of the philosophy world. After we got each other up to date on our doings, we discussed his reformation of the Latin language through his writings alone, from a basic to descriptive language through his sheer writing alone, to his unethical decision which singlehandedly blocked a coup, to his focus on aging and its similar yet opposite stance in comparison to Epicurus and death, as well as him being written down by some of our founding fathers as an inspiration.
Overall, today was a pretty productive day! We learned a bit more about each other and our own philosophical views, on my part especially. I thought back to the time in class a few times over the weekend and it helped further structure my initially blurrier philosophical views.
On Tuesday, we'll be discussing Boethius, who was born over six-hundred years after Epicurus and Cicero. He was a politician, like Cicero, although Boethius was born into nobility. He worked with the Church, and his conciliatory efforts led to accusation and eventual execution. In addition, some of his works indicated a higher power above all man.
A trend I'm beginning to notice is that most of our philosophers are also mathematicians. I suppose they both require a lot of thinking, after all, and there were only so many thinkers! It's definitely something to discuss on tomorrow. Or, by the time I've finished writing this, today. Hope you all get the chance to read this before class!
Cheers,
Jonathan
Overall, today was a pretty productive day! We learned a bit more about each other and our own philosophical views, on my part especially. I thought back to the time in class a few times over the weekend and it helped further structure my initially blurrier philosophical views.
On Tuesday, we'll be discussing Boethius, who was born over six-hundred years after Epicurus and Cicero. He was a politician, like Cicero, although Boethius was born into nobility. He worked with the Church, and his conciliatory efforts led to accusation and eventual execution. In addition, some of his works indicated a higher power above all man.
A trend I'm beginning to notice is that most of our philosophers are also mathematicians. I suppose they both require a lot of thinking, after all, and there were only so many thinkers! It's definitely something to discuss on tomorrow. Or, by the time I've finished writing this, today. Hope you all get the chance to read this before class!
Cheers,
Jonathan
Monday, September 17, 2012
7 and 1/2 Americans Group 2 Section 19
Today we started to talk about Boethius, an interesting character who said that you don't need to rely on luck to be happy. You need only rely on the happiness from inside yourself because only you can create it. Another one of Boethius' philosophies was that everything was already predetermined in our lifetime so we minus well just live our lives in the sense that we are not living our lives but are living out a sort of puppet show where god is the puppeteer. We agreed that this notion of existence without choice is just not something we think is plausible. You need to be able to make your own decisions and not have to worry about some divine entity controlling you at every turn.
Section 14 Group 1 Compilation of Study Questions
1.What was Plato's most famous work?
2.Who did Socrates teach and which of his pupils prospered in their own careers as a philosopher?
3.How was Socrates put to death?
4.What is The Allegory of the Cave?
5.Which philosopher was an “Extreme Skeptic”?
6.What is Pyrrho's philosophy?
7.What was the background behind Epictetus' philosophy?
8.What was the name of the U.S. Fighter Pilot whose life was saved because of Epictetus' teaching?
9.What two emotions did Epictetus help a U.S. Fighter Pilot avoid with his philosophy?
10.Which Greek philosopher also recognized the problem of a good, all-powerful God tolerating evil?
11.Who did Augustine believe was responsible for "Original Sin"?
12.What view did Augustine have in common with Plato?
13.Do you believe that Adam and Eve are to blame for the ills of the world?
Autodidactic(9-17-12) Section 14 Group 1
Hello fellow philosophers,
I have completed the assigned reading for our upcoming meeting. Our focus for this week is on the philosopher Augustine of Hippo. Augustine seems to be the first philosopher that we will discuss that devoted a lot of his time to religion and based many of his doctrines around the latter. Also, I definitely noticed that Augustine's existence was centered around the most common and overdone religious question of all time....Why does God permit evil? Augustine was very intuitive and had a knack for curiosity. Hopefully we can further discuss Augustine's beliefs and principles in greater detail at our upcoming philosophy session, without stepping on anyone's toes as well as remembering to respect one another's religious views etc. because we all know how testy conversations of the like can be. All in all, I am looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow afternoon for another great Philosophy period!
Questions:
1) What view did Augustine have in common with Plato?
2) Do you believe that Adam and Eve are to blame for the ills of the world?
I have completed the assigned reading for our upcoming meeting. Our focus for this week is on the philosopher Augustine of Hippo. Augustine seems to be the first philosopher that we will discuss that devoted a lot of his time to religion and based many of his doctrines around the latter. Also, I definitely noticed that Augustine's existence was centered around the most common and overdone religious question of all time....Why does God permit evil? Augustine was very intuitive and had a knack for curiosity. Hopefully we can further discuss Augustine's beliefs and principles in greater detail at our upcoming philosophy session, without stepping on anyone's toes as well as remembering to respect one another's religious views etc. because we all know how testy conversations of the like can be. All in all, I am looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow afternoon for another great Philosophy period!
Questions:
1) What view did Augustine have in common with Plato?
2) Do you believe that Adam and Eve are to blame for the ills of the world?
Philosophy Bites Text
Hello everyone,
If anyone is still in need of Philosophy Bites, I have an extra copy that I will gladly sell for just five dollars. If anyone is interested just reply to this post!
Thank You,
Landy Tate
If anyone is still in need of Philosophy Bites, I have an extra copy that I will gladly sell for just five dollars. If anyone is interested just reply to this post!
Thank You,
Landy Tate
Sec19 Grp1: Dance, Puppet, Dance
(I'll try to be objective and not let my atheism shine through the cracks too much.)
We discussed Augustine's philosophies today, including God's supposed omnipotence, why He allows evil, and his (A's) opinion on the "Original Sin." Most questions were answered according to Occam's razor: that is, the hardest questions have the simplest answers.
We also went over fate versus randomness. If God has a thorough plan for all of us, no matter what we do, we will be unable to deviate from the course, right? Or is everything chance / coincidence? And is the ability to change course really skewing you off the line, or just onto another? Bad things do happen to good people, and vice-versa, so this hardly justifies a caring God. In the end, we all had differing opinions on the matter, as though our classroom were a miniature representation of the planet.
(Side anecdote: In Chinese and Japanese legend, God ties people together via an invisible red string of fate that makes the fettered ones unable to depart too far from each other's sides, or lives, try as they might.)
It came down to the matter of free will. If humans are animals, too, what separates us from the beasts? Though it can be argued some beasts are intelligent for their kind, they generally do not compare to the free will and consciences we humans possess. While we both act on instinct, we (so far as we have discovered) are the only ones capable of imaginations, logic, and reasoning skills. Can we be so sure dogs don't think? Maybe we're just intrinsically prideful.
And that is all for today.
We discussed Augustine's philosophies today, including God's supposed omnipotence, why He allows evil, and his (A's) opinion on the "Original Sin." Most questions were answered according to Occam's razor: that is, the hardest questions have the simplest answers.
We also went over fate versus randomness. If God has a thorough plan for all of us, no matter what we do, we will be unable to deviate from the course, right? Or is everything chance / coincidence? And is the ability to change course really skewing you off the line, or just onto another? Bad things do happen to good people, and vice-versa, so this hardly justifies a caring God. In the end, we all had differing opinions on the matter, as though our classroom were a miniature representation of the planet.
(Side anecdote: In Chinese and Japanese legend, God ties people together via an invisible red string of fate that makes the fettered ones unable to depart too far from each other's sides, or lives, try as they might.)
It came down to the matter of free will. If humans are animals, too, what separates us from the beasts? Though it can be argued some beasts are intelligent for their kind, they generally do not compare to the free will and consciences we humans possess. While we both act on instinct, we (so far as we have discovered) are the only ones capable of imaginations, logic, and reasoning skills. Can we be so sure dogs don't think? Maybe we're just intrinsically prideful.
And that is all for today.
Hakuna Matata Section 19 group anselm and Aquinas
We started by discussing how this reading was very different and kind of hard to understand. But also that it was refreshing to take a different perspective on the subject of God. We started discussing Aquanis's the idea that God was the end of the uncaused-cause idea. But how do we know that God is the cause? but as humans we all want an answer and an ending point. We started asking ourselves if we personally believed that there was a strating point. We then talked about Anselm's idea that because you have an idea of God means that it exists. To us this doesnt really make sense. Though Anselm did say that this only works for God because he is the perfect form of anything. We then talked about Aquinas's five ways that were meant to demonstrate that God exisits. We established that Anselm and Aquinas disagreed about how to prove God exist. Aquinas believed there must be a starting point. Anselm believed that because everyone has an idea of God means that he has to exist.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Epictitus - Augustine Section 13 Group 1
Good Evening Group 1
We discussed Epictitus and the Stoicism behind his views. With this I believe that we related best across the board for our understanding of men and women. Either way the conversations that we had were good.
Stoic, What is this word mean to us or how does it reflect us.
Augustine; This was quite the turn of philosophers from Epictitus. Jumping into beliefs of god, satin, good, evil and the purpose or decisions that we make. Augustine tries to explain how we are free to make the decisions that we do. Our group has several who know stories of the bible and may strike great conversations relating Augustines' view to those.
When Augustine was in his thirties he followed which religion?
Here are some good things that we can ponder over. See you all on Tuesday.
Michael Lucas
09-16-2012
We discussed Epictitus and the Stoicism behind his views. With this I believe that we related best across the board for our understanding of men and women. Either way the conversations that we had were good.
Stoic, What is this word mean to us or how does it reflect us.
Augustine; This was quite the turn of philosophers from Epictitus. Jumping into beliefs of god, satin, good, evil and the purpose or decisions that we make. Augustine tries to explain how we are free to make the decisions that we do. Our group has several who know stories of the bible and may strike great conversations relating Augustines' view to those.
When Augustine was in his thirties he followed which religion?
Here are some good things that we can ponder over. See you all on Tuesday.
Michael Lucas
09-16-2012
Friday, September 14, 2012
Handmaid's Tale... in Nashville?
"I'm not sure what to make of [Mayor Dean's] selection of Margaret Atwood's classic The Handmaid's Tale for his "citywide read." As reported by WPLN, he seems aware of its controversial nature:
“Certainly it’s controversial, but those are the books that generate conversations. That’s a book you’ll have a debate about, and that will be a good thing.”
Well, yes. I agree. But it's more than just controversial. It's a searing and damning indictment of a very popular mindset around the state — that we should have a Christian theocracy, that all sex should be procreative, that women should be focused on domestic tasks and making babies, and that anyone who doesn't want a life like that should get the fuck out..."
Mayor Champions Handmaid's Tale: Should We All Change Our Names to 'OfKarl' Now? | Pith in the Wind
“Certainly it’s controversial, but those are the books that generate conversations. That’s a book you’ll have a debate about, and that will be a good thing.”
Well, yes. I agree. But it's more than just controversial. It's a searing and damning indictment of a very popular mindset around the state — that we should have a Christian theocracy, that all sex should be procreative, that women should be focused on domestic tasks and making babies, and that anyone who doesn't want a life like that should get the fuck out..."
Mayor Champions Handmaid's Tale: Should We All Change Our Names to 'OfKarl' Now? | Pith in the Wind
Section 13 Group 2 9/13
In group discussion today we discussed the philosopher Cicero. We talked about the process of becoming old. How we shouldn't sit around alone or in a nursing home, but we should still go out and "live". We agreed that with growing old one should not be pessimistic. We weren't sure how we felt about how Cicero said that friendships and good conversation can take the place of physical pleasure. But accepting the process of growing old is the most important thing.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
section 13 group 3 9/13/12
Today our group talked about regrets in life. we discussed the idea that life isnt too short, its that people waste their time while they are here. a debate came up on weather technology helped us use time more wisely or helped us waste time. we also discussed if killing yourself or having the guards kill you would be a better choice to die.
Autodidactic-Section 14,Group 1 (9-13-12)
Hello fellow philosophers,
Today, September 13,2012, Group 1,Autodidactic, discussed the ways of Epictetus,as well as the pronunciation of his name. Initially,we reviewed the background of Epictetus, particularly his being a slave, in order to gain a little more insight into his torpid philosophical beliefs. Hence, Epictetus was all for neglecting emotions and debating the question of whether "feelings" were even in existence or not, which lead us as a group to ponder our own beliefs on emotions/inner feelings. After analyzing the life of Epictetus, we also found time to briefly discuss the lives and beliefs of Cicero and Seneca; however, as you can imagine, we spent more time discussing Senca than that of Cicero for obvious reasons. In conclusion, Group 1 enjoyed discussing yet again another group of interesting and diverse philosophers. We are all anticipating our next meet!
Today, September 13,2012, Group 1,Autodidactic, discussed the ways of Epictetus,as well as the pronunciation of his name. Initially,we reviewed the background of Epictetus, particularly his being a slave, in order to gain a little more insight into his torpid philosophical beliefs. Hence, Epictetus was all for neglecting emotions and debating the question of whether "feelings" were even in existence or not, which lead us as a group to ponder our own beliefs on emotions/inner feelings. After analyzing the life of Epictetus, we also found time to briefly discuss the lives and beliefs of Cicero and Seneca; however, as you can imagine, we spent more time discussing Senca than that of Cicero for obvious reasons. In conclusion, Group 1 enjoyed discussing yet again another group of interesting and diverse philosophers. We are all anticipating our next meet!
Section 14 Group 4
Today we spoke about Nehemas' outlook
on friendship. Our group agreed that friendships are very vital to
our existence. Naturally, we hold a very large attachment to the
relationships that we have with people around us. But, when those
relationships reach a certain level of internal significance, they
transcend into something different. Something heavier.
When friendships are terminated, we all
agreed that the “it's not you it's me” / “don't take this
personal” are all just ways to avoid the sincerity of the
situation, relationships are terminated based on the dissatisfaction
of one of the members of the relationship.
We all feel like social networking has
turned friendships into just flatlined “interactions”.
Furthermore, we discussed how
interactions with people through other means than direct
conversation, can cause us not to catch the authenticity of a
conversation. When just communicating through text, either cellular
or social networking, we lack the ability of body language, vocal
inflection, etc. etc., and these things are vital in understanding
one's personal message.
We agreed that friendships are vital,
given that humans strive for acceptance, our interactions with
friends build our character.
But we came to a question, where do our
friendships develop into an overall change of character?
Because of how influenced we are by our
social groups.
And where does it become wrong?
Is it wrong?
We discussed that conformity is
inevitable, and that it's okay, as long as we do keep our perception
of own identity.
We discussed the expectations that
people set to friendships, and that the timespan of friendships can
not really be determined. Therefore, it is more plausible to “go
with the flow”.
“Friendships are like cotton
t-shirts, wash them with hot water, and they'll shrink.” - Jacob.
What does it mean to be a TRUE friend? Is this status possible to obtain? (S13;G4)
Hello everybody! Today, I was a bit nervous to participate in discussion, because I felt I did not have much to contribute. Like every other class, however, our group always manages to stay engaged. Today we discussed the ways in which our friends allow us to become who we wish to be. We said that, in many ways, the people we choose to befriend are those who possess characteristics that we desire. Therefore, being around those people often, cause us, with or without noticing it, to act, speak, and make decisions similar to them. Often times, we imitate our friends. We started by describing human instincts. Humans possess an instinctively selfish characteristic. The idea of friendship goes against this common trait, in that it requires one to release this characteristic. We do not think friendship is moral or immoral, but rather a part of life. Commonalities are valued by the moral, whereas differences are valued in a friendship. I do not believe true friendship is possible to obtain. I think this relates to Plato's theory of forms. We can attempt to obtain it and hope for it, but it can never truly be obtained. This may be attributed to human selfishness and imperfection. We discussed that often times we are more brutally honest with friends than strangers. We tell friends what they need to hear; we tell strangers what they want to hear. We could all relate to falling out of friendship. Falling out of friendship does not always means that this relationship ended on bad terms. It could mean that one or both of the individuals had changed. It could also mean, that because of distance, the relationship had faded entirely. We also looked at the differences between male friendships and female friendships. We determined that males, often times value their friendships more than their love relationships. The opposite is true of females. Women have trouble maintaining friendships, due to their competitive, jealous personalities, as well as their heightened sensitivity and dramatic characters. We determined that good friendships will challenge you to do better; on the other hand, poor friendships will pull you away from your personal goals. Friends build character and show you what to look for in future friends. Something to think about...How do our friends allow us to become who we want to be? Is it possible to fall out of a friendship or would that mean one never existed at all? Why is it that friendship is a gradual process? Can true friendship ever be obtained? I look forward to hearing everyone's thoughts and continue discussion next week.
-Arielle Roides (PHIL 1030-13)
-Arielle Roides (PHIL 1030-13)
Where Do We Draw the Line on Enhancement? S13; G4
I apologize for the tardiness of my post. Last class,
my group and I discussed sports and enhancement techniques. We discussed
how using these techniques would diminish the awe that natural talent brings
about in an audience. Using enhancement
technologies in sports would dramatically change the way we thought about human
accomplishment. The use of this technology would turn the game in to a completely
different game—who has the best genetically engineered abilities? Who has more money to buy their talents? Matthew argues that either way, athletics are
about money. If genetic engineering in
athletics became popular, standards would shift upward in society and amazing
would become the new average. Records
would be easily shattered and continue doing so. Human advancement could certainly plateau
under these conditions; while it may also continue advancing. We figured there
would have to exist two separate competitions for each sport—one that included “athletes”
with these engineered abilities; and another which included real athletes, with
100% natural talent. This is the only
way the game could be fair. We also discussed the pressure and
responsibility this puts upon parents. We
wandered in discussion to enhancement in all abilities, rather than just
sports. What if my mother decided I
would be a singer and genetically engineered my voice at birth, but I grew up
to want to be a lawyer? How should my parents have the ability to create and
shape who I am going to be? Is it not up to me to make my own decisions and decide
who I would like to become? Doing this
to your children will also give them the mentality that they are superior and
do not need to care about other things that have high importance, simply
because they already know what they are “supposed” to be doing. This eliminates the thrill, mystery, and
point of life. We determined that similar to wealthy parents
not spoiling their children now, there will be wealthy parents who will give
their children these abilities, but also those who will not. However, they may understand that their
children will never amount to anything if they choose not to genetically
engineer them. Caitlyn discusses her
faith in God; despite competition caused by genetic engineering. We discussed the role these enhancements
would play in the economy. Would they
stimulate or crash the economy? We
determined that nobody would want to be engineered to do the lower class jobs
that are necessary, which would make everything about money, and leave no room
for breaking the chain of poorness for poor people. These people would never be able to succeed. For the wealthy, it would be much easier to
buy one’s fame, increasing competition dramatically. Where would the line be drawn in using this
technology to “genetically program” a child? This is a situation of moral
relativity—Health and safety vs. cosmetic and popularity. Who has the right to make a call like
this? It is extremely difficult to
legislate morality. We concluded by
discussing the fact that there are no stances we would hold to
unswervingly. It is important to keep an
open mind and see that everything is situational.
-Arielle Roides (PHIL 1030-13)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)