We started our discussion by speaking of James and that he believed that people should believe things to be beneficial for themselves. That if people believed in god and it was beneficial for the individual.
Then we touched on the topic of the squirrel. There is the literal circling of the squirrel and the figurative sense. It all depends on how you ask the question and what you mean by it and how you define the words that you are using in a debate. What's the point? There was nothing hanging on the answer so the argument is pointless.
James believed that is was completely ok to believe that every person can know things to be true and have them differ, a belief that Pierce would disagree with. James believed that we are better off with diversity and differing thought processes than if we all believed the same thing. Different varieties of experience and thoughts benefit both the individual and also society as a whole.
We also touched on the subject of Pierce and that we did not gather what Dr. Oliver gathered from the reading, that Pierce believed more of what was true in the future and that James was different-he believed that you should believe something that is beneficial to you in the moment.
I completely agree with James on the fact that we are better of with diversity and differing in thought processes. I believe if everyone was the same in every aspect of human life, then life would not be as well of as it is today. I can not imagine a world where everyone was like me or everyone was like someone else. One, I think that would be scary, and two, I think the world would be boring. With differences among people, we can work together by valuing other people's opinions to try to solve the world's problems. Also, we are able to have our own individuality. Someone should not shape themselves how someone else wants them to. Everyone needs to have their own personality and ways of life of how they see fit.
ReplyDeleteLike James, I too believe that its better for us to have our own thoughts of whats true and be different from everyone. When we have it like this we as a society gain more knowledge I feel, and also it gives us something to research and think about if we want to prove our point.
ReplyDeleteI also believe in an argument both sides can bring equal truths to light without either sides being wrong. I agree also with the thought in believing in something and it is beneficial to you then why not believe in it. After all, everyone believes a slight bit differently.
ReplyDeleteI did agree when Dr. Oliver brought up that the truth is only what society allows it to be. I can't remember at this moment how Dr. Oliver was tying this to James, but it still got me thinking. Today if someone says aliens are real, they might be laughed off as a tin hat wearing fool. However in the future, what if that fool is proven right? What if the truth is that aliens really do exist?
ReplyDeleteI believe as well that it is better to have differing opinions, honestly I think it makes us better thinkers to be able to understand both sides of a point. I also definitely agree with both David and Dr. Oliver that society dictates what is truth and what is acceptable to believe.
ReplyDeleteJames seems to be a very open minded person. I like that he thinks its ok for others to have different beliefs. It is definitely something that needs to be a more wide spread belief.
ReplyDeleteDiffering options are good on occasion but let's think about what differing options has caused throughout history. For instance, the crusades between the Christians and Muslims there differences in options caused hundreds thousands of deaths.
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