Up@dawn 2.0

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar...

Ian Mallari
Section 14
Mid term Blog #2

Plato and Platypus Walk into a Bar...




Continuing my reading in Daniel Klein's book, I stumbled across our 'manly' authority figure Machiavelli. The first joke explaining Machiavelli (Mach for short) tells about his ideas of a ruler being feared over loved:

A woman sues a man for defamation of character, charging that he called her a pig. The man is found guilty and has to pay charges. After the trial, he asks the judge, "Does this mean that I can no longer call Ms. Harding a pig?" The judge says,"That is correct." "And does it mean that I can't call a pig Ms. Harding?" "No", says the judge, "You are free to call a pig Ms. Harding, there is no crime for that." The man looks Ms. Harding in the eye and says, "Good afternoon, Ms. Harding." 

This jokes shows Mach's importance on doing whatever it takes to stay in control/power. Having people fear and hate you, as Ms. Harding does her name caller, than respect them and have them like you. If people fear you, they respect you and your authority over them.
Another important point Mach made to his followers was the notion that deceit is ok, especially if you do not get caught:

A man wins $100,000 in Las Vagas and, not wanting anyone to know about it, takes the money and buries it his backyard. The next morning he goes out back and finds nothing but an empty hole. Seeing footprints that lead to his deaf-mute neighbors house, he asks a professor, who knows sign language, to help him confront his neighbor. The man takes his pistol and he and the professor walk over to the deaf-mute man's door. When the neighbor answers, the man waves the pistol at him and says to the professor," You tell this guy that if he doesn't give me back my $100,000, I'm going to kill him right now! The professor conveys the message to the neighbor, who responds that he hid the money in his backyard under the cherry tree. The professor turns to the man and says, "He refuses to tell you. He says he would rather die first."

Here we can easily see Mach's vision of deceit and lying. The person who lies, holds the control and the power. "Enter into evil when necessitated" was a motto Mach lived by, and wrote about in his book The Prince.
In many ways, Mach's vision of politics reins true today: we know very little about what actually goes on with our political system. Could our 'honest', 'manly' politicians lie about everything, take lives when necessary, and instill fear into our hearts to remain in control?  (Food for thought)

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

I Can't Believe I'm Doing This Over Voicemail (Philosophy Midterm Post #1)


Your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice message system. (615) 885 – 9945 is not available. At the tone, please record your message. When you are finished recording, you may hang up, or press 1 for more options. To leave a callback number, press 5.

*Beep!*

Hey, so I know it’s 2:30 in the morning and I just saw you an hour ago and also that you’re already asleep but…I just have so many questions running through my head and I think I’ll go crazy if I don’t get them out…Questions like…

(Continues at www.collegegirlchronicles.wordpress.com. Click HERE to read the rest!)


Reformatting!


I am reformatting my midterm blog posts based on a recent NPR story I heard which challenged listeners to write a short story as if it were a voicemail.
So, I am still going to address the three topics I mentioned earlier and I will try and do it from my own, Southern perspective. However, I will be writing more creatively and yes, writing as if it were a voicemail.
How fun!
My first post will be about religion and philosophy and, funny enough, a break up. While I haven’t actually ever broken up with someone via voicemail, part of this is very personal for me because it deals with a statement I was once presented with, about my fate as a “non-theist” (I use this term over “atheist” because I have trouble defining myself, honestly). However, it should be noted that the narrator is not me. She simply feels a lot of the same things I do. :)  
--Chloe

Exam Study Guide for Section H1 (BY NATE TILTON!)

Here is the study guide that Nate Tilton put together for the H1 section! Thank you Nate! I thought that it would be good to put it on here as well just to make sure everyone sees it.

H01 Midterm Exam Prep

 

Group 1 FQs

1. True or False: According to Rosseau's philosophy, we are free when following the general will, even if we are being forced to follow it.
A: True

2. Was Pascal only famous for his philosophical beliefs?

A: No, he also had his feet in mathematics, chemistry, and other academic disciplines.
3. What is the difference between a Stoic and a Pragmatist?
A: Stoicism advocates for the distrust of the senses, while Pragmatism argues the case for empiricism and science-based discoveries using our senses.
4. True or False: Boethius was one of the last prominent philosophers of the Roman Empire

A: True

5. As a Skeptic, Pyrrho believed what?

A: Pyrrho believed that you should doubt anything you hear, because everything can be questioned.

 

Group 2 FQ's

6. Which ancient philosopher was accused of being "anti-democratic" and of "corrupting the youth"?

A: Socrates

7. What philosopher spent his last days writing a philosophy book in prison?

A: Boethius

8. Who believed that all humans are selfish, seeking power over others, and driven by fear of death and the hope of personal gain?

A: Hobbes

9. Define Rationalism.

A: The approach to philosophy that emphasizes reason rather than experiment and observation.

10. What is Kant's definition of a Phenomenal world? A: A world we experience through our senses.

 

H01 Group 3 FQs
11. What is the basic idea behind Aristotle's doctrine of the Golden Mean?

A: Finding the middle ground/way.
12. 
What is Eudaimonia, and what philosopher is credited with it's creation?

A: Eudaimonia is happiness through flourishing or success. The idea is credited to Aristotle.
13. True or False: Kant believed morals and emotions were intertwined.

A: False, Kant believed that morals and emotions should be kept separate.
14. John Stuart Mill was ahead of his time in that he was a _______.

A: Feminist
15. Which famous Roman emperor did Seneca tutor?
A: Nero

Group 4
16. ______________ believe that members of minority groups should have the right to lead their lives as they see fit.
A: Multiculturalists

17.  According to Alexander Nehamas, what is the difference between the values of morality and the values of friendship?
A: The values of morality depend on commonality while the values of friendship rely on individuality.
18.  Who in Philosophy Bites had the idea that “Philosophy is the name we give to a collection of questions which are of deep interest to us and for which there isn’t any specialist way of answering.”?
A: Paul Snowdon
19. Who said "When you're thinking about the infinite, you're thinking about something very basic."
A: A.W. Moore

20. Which philosopher stated, "So if I undermine you in your capacity as a knower, then I undermine you in a capacity that is essential for human value?"
A: Miranda Fricker           

Jake's 2nd Midterm post! H01 Group3

So I have decided instead of posting about Southern Bapstists and what not, I will talk about some big questions that we've been asking ourselves in philosophy class; and what my opinion on them is and why! The big enquiries that we have gone over are: what is happiness? How do we treat those that differ from us? What is right and what is wrong? Is anything real? Who are our friends, and how do we define what a friend should be? Of course, these aren't ALL of them, but these are the questions that have been weighing heavily on my mind, and I wish to write about them not only to tell you guys what I think, but to hopefully figure out how I feel about them! Hopefully, you'll see something you agree or disagree with and you'll comment and we can engender some genuine conversation!

So the first concept I'm going to discuss is happiness. What is it? Is there a difference between joy and happiness?
happiness can be this simple

First, I think it's wise to compare what other philosophers/philosoraptors think about happiness, and then draw my own conclusions. Aristotle believed that pleasure doesn't equate happiness: one swallow doesn't make summer. Meaning that short spurts of temporary pleasure will only leave you sad and wanting more; he also believed that children coldn't be happ (probably because they don't understand the distinction between pleasure and happiness as well as their short attention span). He believed true happiness came from the things you accomplished at the end of your life.He believed the entire pursuit of your life was to find this eudaimonia, or happiness propagated from success and accomlishments; happiness could also be found in peacefully living and interacting with civilized society (having friends, mentors, family, etc.). Contrary to Aristotle's beliefs, Jeremy Bentham believed that happiness is the absence of pain and the presence of pleasure: a more basic view (in the old english use of the term). I believe there are different forms of happiness. In my view, happiness comes from others. When you do something for someone else, have friends, family, etc. It's external. Joy, on the other hand I believe comes from inside you. Happiness is fleeting, it can leave you at any moment. I find happiness in my boyfriend, but he could break up with me. I find happiness in family, but (God forbid) they could all die in a car crash. Joy is happiness with yourself, and it can't be taken away. Those who know me know how much I hate the term "You complete me! *cue sappy stupid romantic music." It pisses me off because it implies that before you met this person, you were walking around as a half human half or something...you should be a complete person by yourself, and you shouldn't base you Joy on external sources: it only sets you up for despair when they leave, die, etc. For myself, Joy comes from alone time, yoga, inner peace, feeling the beautiful natural world around us, partly eudaimonia, and Religion (still figuring this one out however).

Next, I will discourse about right and wrong/morality/ethicallity.
True Morality - morality, secularism, divine retribution As before, I will first examine other philosopher's points of view. Immanuel Kant believed that actions were only moral or ethical whenever the person is acting in accordance with their civic duty. Emotions shouldn't be a factor when deciding what to do. Unfortunately, most humans aren't able to snap into stoic mode whenever they need to make a decision: and often times quick decision are required and you don't have time to sit and think about how your civic duty corrolates with what needs to be done. You act on impulse, or emotions. Your reason for doing something, or maxim, should always be universalizable, or apply to everyone. In other words, say you're thinking about doing drugs, just this once to try it out. Wel what if EVERYONE then took some drugs. What a mess that would be, right? I agree to a point with Kant's ideas, but as with most philosophical concepts, I don't agree with the extremes of his position. NEVER lie, NEVER use emotions in decision making, NEVER have a maxim other than your duty. My philosophy (as oxymoronic as it is) is never say never. There are always exceptions to the rules (once again using an ultimatum word, lol). But for the most part, I agree with Kant. If you let your emotions rule you, you won't make a lot of wise decisions in your life. It's usually a bad idea to lie, and civic duties are extremely important.

I hope this has been enlightening, or at the very least a nice break from what can sometimes seem as a monotonous discussion about things we already know, ha ha. Please comment and let me know what you guys think! Next segment I will (probably) be discussing the three questions I left out: How do we treat those that differ from us? Is anything real? Who are our friends, and how do we define what a friend should be? And maybe even a few more, but for now, Au Revior!
-Jake Goza
Word count: 855

The ultimate Exam #1 study guide


Supplement to the earlier study guideExam #1 Qs - study guide


Each section's exam will be based on its own questions. NOTE TO SEC.16: for some reason your questions  came up a little short. I've added a question from PB on Michael Sandel's view of athletes’ use of  Performance Enhancing Drugs, and another on Miranda Fricker's concept of testimonial injustice.

 H01 Group 1 posted an updated version of their top five questions here (http://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-super-powered-trollface-socrates.html). 

The Super-Powered Trollface Socrates Midterm Study Guide

Mario has his mushrooms...Sonic has his power rings...Goku has his Dragon Balls...

AND SOCRATES GOT HIS HEMLOCK!

That last post was just for show, a bluff to throw you off our TRUE power! You thought Hemlock was poisonous? Were you sure about that, bro? Did you really know that it was going to kill us?


Trollface Socrates: Still questioning everything from beyond the grave

  1. True or FalseAccording to Rosseau's philosophy, we are free when following the general will, even if we are being forced to follow it.
    Answer: True
  2. Was Pascal only famous for his philosophical beliefs?Answer: No, he also had his feet in mathematics, chemistry, and other academic disciplines.
  3. What is the difference between a Stoic and a Pragmatist?
    Answer: Stoicism advocates for the distrust of the senses, while Pragmatism argues the case for empiricism and science-based discoveries using our senses.
  4. True or False: Boethius was one of the last prominent philosophers of the Roman Empire
     
    Answer: True
  5. As a Skeptic, Pyrrho believed what?
    Answer: Pyrrho believed that you should doubt anything you hear, because everything can be questioned.

==

H01 Group 2 FQ's


1. Which ancient philosopher was accused of being "anti-democratic" and of "corrupting the youth"? A: Socrates
2. What philosopher spent his last days writing a philosophy book in prison? A: Boethius
3. Who believed that all humans are selfish, seeking power over others, and driven by fear of death and the hope of personal gain? A: Hobbes
4. Define Rationalism: A: The approach to philosophy that emphasizes reason rather than experiment and observation.
5. What is Kant's definition of a Phenomenal world? A: A world we experience through our senses.

==

H01 Group 3 FQs

Sorry this has taken me so long!!

1. What is the basic idea behind Aristotle's doctrine of the Golden Mean?

2. What is Eudaimonia, and what philosopher is credited with it's creation?

3. True or False: Kant believed morals and emotions were intertwined. A: False, Kant believed that morals and emotions should be kept separate."

4. John Stuart Mill was ahead of his time in that he was a _______.

5. Which famous Roman emperor did Seneca tutor? 



Answers:

1. The perfect balance of two vices creating virtues (recall the soldier on the battlefield, whose bravery is somewhere between "foolhardiness" and "cowardice").

2. Eudaimonia is happiness through flourishing or success. The idea is credited to Aristotle.

3. Not what we do but why we do it.

4. Feminist

5. Nero
==

Exam #1 Factual Questions, Section H1, Group 4

Here are the questions that we have picked that we considered "best-fit" to be on the exam:

1.     Q: ______________ believe that members of minority groups should have the right to lead their lives as they see fit.
        A: Multiculturalists


2.     Q: According to Alexander Nehamas, what is the difference between the values of morality and the values of friendship?

        A: The values of morality depend on commonality while the values of friendship rely on individuality.


3.     Q: Who in Philosophy Bites had the idea that “Philosophy is the name we give to a collection of questions which are of deep interest to us and for which there isn’t any specialist way of answering.”?

        A: Paul Snowdon


4.     Q: Who said "When you're thinking about the infinite, you're thinking about something very basic."
   
        A: A.W. Moore


5.     Q: Which philosopher stated, "So if I undermine you in your capacity as a knower, then I undermine you in a capacity that is essential for human value?"
        A:Miranda Fricker                                                                                               
==

14-1 Final Midterm Factual Questions

Here are the 14-1 five factual questions. Enjoy!

1. Whose Philosophy was summarized by these three questions (regarding happiness): 1. What are things really like? 2. What attitude should we adopt to them? 3. What will happen to someone who does adopt that attitude?
A: Pyrrho

2. According to Augustine, how is Original Sin passed down? Briefly explain where Original Sin came from.
A: sexual reproduction; Original Sin came from Adam and Eve eating from the Tree of Knowledge, and betraying God.

3. Socrates’ immediate student was _______,  who then taught________?
A: Plato, Aristotle

4. What was the Italian word for "manliness" which Machiavelli believed essential to a successful life?
A: virtù

5. True or false: Pascal’s philosophy could be summed up in this quote: “If you win, you win everything; if you lose you lose nothing”
A: True

==

14-2 Exam questions

What are the three levels of Plato’s perfect society?
Philosophers (Kings), ___________, and Workers

A: Soldiers

Who was Plato’s teacher?
  1. Aristotle
  2. Pyrrho
  3. Socrates
  4. He didn’t have a teacher
A: c. Socrates

What is the categorical imperative?
A: Kant’s ethical system that is based on duty, not emotions.

True or False. Spinoza believed that God is nature.
A: True

What was the name of the location where Epicurus and his followers met to discuss philosophy?
A: The Garden

==

Section 14-3

1. Did Socrates have any written accounts on his personal theories?
answer: No! He never actually wrote anything down. Instead he would have conversations with people and targeted who he though were arrogant and undermine their answers.

2. "One swallow doesnt make a summer" - Aristotle

3. "De gustibus non est disputandum" - Simon Blackburn
meaning: there's no disputing about taste. (relativism)

4. James Boswell asked David Hume whether he was worried about what would happen after he died.What was his answer?
answer: he said that he was no more worried about the time after his death than he was about the time he had not existed before his birth.

5. What was the name of Jeremy Bentham's walking cane?
answer: Dapple

6. "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains" - Jean-Jacques Rousseau

==

14-4 Final Midterm Questions

1. What are the two problems in identifying infinity?
Answer: The first, is that infinity itself is something that knows no limits or barriers, so some say it cannot be defined at all. Second, as with many philosophical concepts, the term itself cannot be agreed upon as to HOW to define it.

2. True or False: Alexander Nehamas believed that friendships could be immediate and need no further development.
Answer: False. Nehamas believed that true friendship takes time. You have to know the ins and out of the other person, understand who they are and their differences from us, and still decide to be friends with them.

3. Does being a cosmopolitan mean placing more importance on being a citizen of the world?
Answer: No,  Appiah suggests that one of the best things about his idea of Cosmopolitanism is that while we should share citizenship with everyone, we can and should feel more strongly attached to our local or national community, and identify with others from our own culture.

4.  According to Sandel, what is it we lose the most of when using PEDs in sports?
Answer: The human dimension and the appreciation in athlete themselves, rather than their pharmacist or engineer.

5.  True or False: Wendy Brown believes that tolerance is an important part of equality.
Answer: False. Ms. Brown's view of tolerance is that it implies an inequality that is put up with rather than dealt with.

Links to the blog posts related to the questions:
http://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/01/14-4-enhance-enhance-enhance.html
http://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/01/14-4-friendshipnehamas.html
http://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/02/14-4-tolerance-is-no-virtue.html
http://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/02/on-and-on-and-on-and-on-and-on-14-4.html
http://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2013/02/dont-worry-be-happy-14-4.html

==

16-1

Top 5 Test Questions.

Sorry Guys I misunderstood I thought I was supposed to bring the questions in on a piece of paper.


Anyways....

1. Who believed, even against all the factual based reasoning behind it, that if a tree falls in a force it makes no noise?

Georges Berkeley

2. What was Pascal's view on religion?

That even if you do not truly believe you should attend the church anyways, you must go through the steps, go through the practices, participate in ceremonies, and eventually you will believe what the religion teaches.

3. Who has been viewed to follow Machiavellian philosophy and what is this philosophy?

Hitler, Stalin, ect. A Philosophy where it can be viewed that violence is a correct and form of leadership because it is far better to be feared then love.

4. Who believed and introduced the idea that we don't know anything? (The stoics view of life.)

Pyrrho

5. Who is sacrificed himself, from what we know, for his love of knowledge?

Socrates
==

Final Exam Questions 16-2

- The Greek Philosopher _________ believed that the best way to live was in a very simple manor, around friends and those close to you. To avoid pain and create simple desires that could be easily attained on a day to day basis were his main goals. To promote this philosophy he created a commune which came to be known as _________________ in which his students lived, even including slaves and woman.

Epicurus, The Garden

- The philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli wrote a book called ______________ in 1532 which came to have a notorious reputation as it outlines how a leader should rule in a less than honest way, underlining lying, breaking promises and murdering one's enemies.

The Prince

- The philosopher Baruch Spinoza was excommunicated from his synagogue because of his unorthodox views about God. One of his views was that God and ________ were one in the same thing.

Nature

- Author of the famous book The Critique of Pure Reason, which is described as overly complicated and dry, this philosopher believe we couldn't know anything about the real world, or the noumenal world, only the phenomenal world which we experience with our senses.

A. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
B. Immanuel Kant
C. David Hume
D. John Locke

- This Philosopher's great influences included both the Buddha and Immanuel Kant. He was quite the pessimist and his most important work was titled  The World as Will and Representation.

A. John Stuart Mill
B. Georg W.F. Hegel
C. Arthur Schopenhauer
D. Jeremy Bentham


Oh the Things You can Think! Dr. Seuss and Philosophy

Katy Ramsey Midterm Blog #2
Section 14

Oh the Things You can Think!

In today’s Dr. Seuss and Philosophy blog, we will explore two seemingly unrelated characters: Horton the elephant, and Immanuel Kant (found in Held’s book, Dr. Seuss and Philosophy in chapter ten).

Many people recognize Horton from the 2008 hit movie Horton Hears a Who! His loveable, carefree personality creates an amusing tale that captivates readers (and/or watchers) from the start. But in order to fully connect Horton to Kant, we first need to backtrack and look at Horton’s overlooked story Horton Hatches an Egg. 





In this story, Horton is asked by Mayzie (the bird) to sit on her unhatched egg while she takes a quick break. Being unable to say no to a friend, Horton agrees and gently sits on her egg until she returns.... which she never does. Horton soon realizes Mayzie is not coming back, but remains diligent saying, “I meant what I said, and I said what I meant, an elephant is faithful one-hundred percent.” He goes on to hatch the egg (which produces a flying elephant) and shows how good deeds will be rewarded. Here, we see the underlying lesson of being truthful and honest. This relates to Kant through his clear standpoint that truth-telling is a perfect duty. He believed you should always be honest and faithful to your word (even if there could be negative results. As a moral absolutist, Kant said our morals and obligations should be upheld without hesitations or exceptions. This clearly relates back to Horton who was diligent, faithful and honest...

So how does Horton’s tale (not tail :)) in Horton Hears a Who! relate to Kant? Through the idea of human dignity. 



In case you are not familiar, Horton’s journey starts when he hears a tiny ‘yelp’ coming from a speck on a clover. He aims to defend the small speck (as he learns there is a town called Whoville dwelling inside) and refuses to let anyone harm the unseen Whos. While many try to tell him no one can be that small, Horton stands behind the belief that “A person's a person, no matter how small!” This notion connects with Kant’s belief in ethical behavior. He can be quoted saying, “Act so that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of another, always as an end and never as a means only.” (Held 125) This relates to Horton through the idea that people (all people) have a unique value and worth. Kant also believed that all persons (as opposed to his notion of non persons being ‘things’) were to be treated as people...not things.

It seems like Dr. Seuss knew what he was doing (and incorporating) when he wrote his books.

Side note: Kant and Horton differ GREATLY through the connection (or lack there of for Kant) between emotions and morality. 

Click here to see the Horton Hears a Who! movie trailer.

Final Exam Questions 16-2

- The Greek Philosopher _________ believed that the best way to live was in a very simple manor, around friends and those close to you. To avoid pain and create simple desires that could be easily attained on a day to day basis were his main goals. To promote this philosophy he created a commune which came to be known as _________________ in which his students lived, even including slaves and woman.

Epicurus, The Garden


- The philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli wrote a book called ______________ in 1532 which came to have a notorious reputation as it outlines how a leader should rule in a less than honest way, underlining lying, breaking promises and murdering one's enemies.

The Prince

- The philosopher Baruch Spinoza was excommunicated from his synagogue because of his unorthodox views about God. One of his views was that God and ________ were one in the same thing.

Nature

- Author of the famous book The Critique of Pure Reason, which is described as overly complicated and dry, this philosopher believe we couldn't know anything about the real world, or the noumenal world, only the phenomenal world which we experience with our senses.

A. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
B. Immanuel Kant
C. David Hume
D. John Locke

- This Philosopher's great influences included both the Buddha and Immanuel Kant. He was quite the pessimist and his most important work was titled  The World as Will and Representation.

A. John Stuart Mill
B. Georg W.F. Hegel
C. Arthur Schopenhauer
D. Jeremy Bentham

You Act How You Listen (Pt 4)

After a musical theater detour last post, I am back on evaluating a specific song. I hear this song on the radio ever once and a while. When I was driving home last night, it came on and I thought... Perfect! The song is "Let Her Go" by Passenger.

Here is the chorus, that I absolutely love. (And perhaps you will see the connection I made)

Well you only need the light when it's burning low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go
Only know you've been high when you're feeling low
Only hate the road when you're missing home
Only know you love her when you let her go
And you let her go


Here is what I saw in this. We have discussed before things such as Bentham's Felicific Calculus and other ideas from Mill and the Greatest Happiness Principle. As Dr. Oliver, pointed out when traveling through our groups discussion, all these things are more about minimizing pain, than they are about maximizing pleasure or happiness. I had the opinion that if we only have pleasure with no pain, how do we know it is pleasure? Like the song quotes, you can only feel one thing if you have felt the opposite. 

Try it like this. Most people love cake. But if the only thing you eat is cake, it no longer tastes any good. Too much of a "good" thing is a bad thing. Though it is fair to say that we should shy away from pain,( stoicism takes this too far in my opinion).  I think that we only know that for instance, a gourmet hamburger taste really good, if we have tasted a McDonald's hamburger. Okay... weird example but oh so true. 

So this is why I love this song, it also remind me of that "Live Like We're Dying" song by Kris Allen. You know this one.... perhaps it is more familiar than "Let Her Go".


In conclusion, just like Aristotle suggested the Golden Mean, we should have a golden mean of pain or "bad" things in our lives. We certainly do not create them, but in a imperfect world they are bound to happen. We shouldn't embrace them, but perhaps we brace ourselves for them and understand that through them we can achieve higher pleasure.