Up@dawn 2.0

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Philosopher's Guild- Discussion Questions Exam 1

Discussion Questions Exam 1:

Do we really become less human by controlling our emotions?

Would the loss of negative emotions be worth the loss of the positive ones?

Do you believe that mental control will make your life calmer? If so, what other effects could it have on your life?

Do you believe that mental control will make your life calmer? If so, what other effects could it have on your life?

Do you agree with the Stoics idea that we should only worry about the things we can change? Or do events outside our control cause stress in our lives? 

Do you believe in Epicurus' theory that there is no afterlife because the gods are not concerned with us?

Does the study of philosophy today encourage to use it practically by putting your thoughts and ideas into practice? Or does it focus mainly on the thinking and musing side?

Is there an increase in American socialization? and if so does this increase in social participation increase the philosophical intellect of America?

 Do you agree more with the Platonian/Socratic theory of forms or the Aristotelian material view? 

An interesting question I found in the reading: "What's education for and what should it include?" The two theories seem to be either for the benefit of the economy or the benefit of the individual. 

Do you believe Aristotle's theory on Eudaimonia is an accurate description of human happiness?

Would you go to a philisophical therapy session? Why it why not?

Do we truly pursue the interest of ourselves by pursuing the interest of others in society?

Socrates states that the unexamined life is not worth living. Is it better to go on with our live the way we have always known or is it better to question everything we do in our lives?

How true or false is the statement "Philosophy is to confound our sense of the way things are, to flip our world upside down, and to ferret out hidden, often uncomfortable truths about life" and why is that?

Was Socrates's act of allowing himself to be executed conducive to his idea of an examined life, or should he have denounced his views, and continued living. In a similar vein, were other thinkers who were put in a similar situation to Socrates's and ended up denouncing their views (Galileo comes to mind) living an examined life?

 Is it better to be stupid and elated or intelligent and depressed?

Why is Philosophy such a White, male dominated feild, and how will this change?(In reference to page 19 in AP)

Do you think that the Socratic Method of questioning others and mutually benefitting is more philosophical than that of person reflection?

do you think that America is really as unreasonable and anti-rational as Susan Jacoby believes?

Is American culture the most philosophical in the history of the world (up to this point)?


 What can America do to become a more philosophically based nation?

1 comment:

  1. Hi, I'm from "Nameless" by the way. And was wondering if anyone had thoughts- or if your group had discussed- the first discussion question.. it really interested me and I wanted to hear your thoughts!!

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