Up@dawn 2.0

Monday, September 9, 2013

Section 16, Group 3

Hello group,

Today we discussed primarily the concept of luck and karma, thanks to Ben. He kicked off the discussion by stating that he didn't believe in luck, but instead in coincidence -- that events/things don't occur simply out of nowhere, but that they all are a consequence of some previous act. In addition, the belief of karma was questioned. Collectively, we agreed on the idea of karma and luck as being coping mechanisms for things that happen to us -- an explanation in lieu of taking personal responsibility for our experiences. 

Why do we feel the need to make superstitious excuses for our actions and experiences in life? What other thoughts/comments do you have to add to the conversation we had? After having this discussion, have your beliefs in luck and/or karma changed?

Hailey Lawson


13 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:45 PM CDT

    E.E (16-3)

    Today we started our first discussion. Everyone was a little shy and did not know where to start. Ben as a float came to our group broke the ice. I believe in karma and luck whenever it benefit me. Everyone knows neither karma nor luck exists, but most people still use these terms to make life easier.
    Isn't life more beautiful if you do not have to think a lot of questions?

    FQ: (in class) Who are the figures stand in the middle of in Raphael's 'The School of Athens'?
    A: Left one is Plato, he is pointing at the sky. He believes that the world we are living in is not real and the real world is high up there,he studies abstract philosophy.
    Right one is Aristotle, he is interested in everything around him,he studies how things happens and the reasons why they happened(at least he tried to )in this world(universe)we live.

    DQ: What do you think of "seek happiness"?

    This is a super cute video about what do people think is "happiness", everyone deserve to be happy.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2IV4IM06EU

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  2. Anonymous11:56 PM CDT

    Abigail Jones (16,3)

    alright, because I'm an idiot I accidentally read LH for Wednesday on Monday so today I will do Monday's actual reading...

    factual question: Who proved Aristotle's hypothesis wrong about dropping two object and the heavier landing first? (Galileo Galilei)

    discussion question: Today, we all know that if two things are dropped from a window, they will fall at the same speed. However, back then, Aristotle said that the heavier object would fall more quickly. Everyone believed him for the longest time. They did not even test his hypothesis out because they thought he was wise enough to know the answer. This makes me wonder how often situations like this occurred back then. Why would they not try a simple task to prove hypothesis? Why did they think Aristotle could never be wrong?

    You can find my group comment on 16,3 previous post. You can find my other group comment on 16,1 message.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twhnnmwEIF4

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  3. Early religious traditions, to my understanding, came from a fear of death. Our ancestors needed a way to reconcile the fact that they would one day die. They were also there to explain the origins of the universe.

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  4. Anonymous1:20 PM CDT

    Ricky: Section 16 Group 3

    To some degree, I also believe in karma/luck but after the discussion on Monday we had in class, I start to question whether or not I should. In my opinion, the basis of the idea of 'luck/karma' is to do good, which is another concept that Socrates mentions is a form of beauty in Plato's Symposium(PB). I look back on my own experiences and further analyze my situation as to whether karma does exist. For example, some memorable 'good' moments in the following year would be helping 2 different situations of ladies (car broken down) to fix their cars. I believe to always do good and nothing bad has ever occurred to me so I believe that's good karma.

    FQ: In Ancient Greece, who was known as one of the most extreme sceptics?
    (Pyrrho)
    DQ: What does it really mean to be 'free' or achieve 'freedom?'

    Mark Vernon's Podcast about Pyrrho
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqHUmMBGZlU

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  5. unique-section16/group33:08 PM CDT

    FQ:Name one of the African American philosophers mentioned in section one of AP.
    DQ: why do you feel there was so much opposition to Philosophers being able to use philosophy as a treatment method instead of people always going to a therapist?
    i feel superstition is just a part of society. i think everybody at some point in their life recognizes or uses some type of superstition, even if its something as small as "good luck." i do believe things happen more so because you work, or dont work, for them. however, sometimes it can just be a stroke of luck or good fortune.

    "Reason is not the opposite of superstition. it is a branch of superstition." -unknown author. i just searched "philosophy and superstition" in google and this quote came up. i think this is a great quote that can cause some discussion.

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  6. Anonymous3:22 PM CDT

    Anthony Helton 16- 3
    The karma/luck talk really got me interested in the discussion because for so long have I believed in luck. With sports especially baseball luck (I feel) has a big contributing part. If you ask any baseball player if they are hot then, they will not change a single thing about there swing or the bat they use to hit the ball. But, if you are cold you will change everything because luck is not on your side.
    Factual Question:What was Amo's most intriguing work according to Laud- Hammond?
    Inaugural Dissertation on the Rights of Blacks in Europe
    Discussion Question: Why did Johnny Washington have such a bad experience with trying to introduce a black philosopher? Why and How was he insulted?
    Link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOpBoejG6-M

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  7. Anonymous3:24 PM CDT

    Kristin Barton (16, 3)

    I've never really believed in the concept of luck or karma, but to some extant I agree that believing in good karma can be a way to motivate yourself to do good things. However, I take a lot of issue with the concept of bad karma. While sometimes it's nice to think that bad things will happen to bad people, the truth is a lot of times bad things happen to good people, and in societies where they generally believe in karma, or something like karma, it becomes easy to accuse people in bad situations of having done something to deserve it. Instead of trying to help the person out, they might question what secret evil acts they've been doing to deserve it, and shut that person out. In that sense, I think the negative social effects of karma can be quite damaging.

    FQ: What does APA stand for? (American Philosophical Association)

    DQ: In the chapter about Epicurus, they point out how humans are much more concerned about the future than the past. It's not what's before life that worries us, but what's after life. Why do you think this is?

    Video on Epicurus and Zeno
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2r1KaB15ck

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    Replies
    1. I think we worry if we will go to heaven or not, and that is why we are concerned about the afterlife.

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  8. Shelby 16-37:30 PM CDT

    I'm a believer in luck, its something that cant be explained. I'm a baseball player and I was surrounded by superstitious acts and sometimes luck. Its apart of me I suppose.

    FQ: Where was Epicurus born? -on the Greek island of Samos in the Aegean

    DQ: Epicurus believed, like many Ancient philosophers, that philosophy should be practical and change how you live, do you agree or disagree?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R6BYr0nMP8

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  9. Courtney 16-38:41 PM CDT

    Like a lot of people, I believe in luck to a certain extent. I think some people have a better chance of good or bad things happening to them. I guess it's just one of those things that seem impossible to explain or understand, so overtime, luck has become the easiest concept to understand.

    FQ: In which country did Pyrrho visit that inspired his unusual lifestyle?- India

    DQ: Pyrrho believed, "unhappiness arises form not getting what you want." He believed people needed to free themselves from desires and not care about how things turned out to achieve happiness. What are your opinions on this idea?

    Link:
    http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Happy

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  10. Ben Nguyen 16-110:02 PM CDT

    I'm glad that we could understand this together! I think that superstition and luck dates back further than practical statistics was common to everyone. And like anything else in life, it was just passed down.

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  11. Anonymous12:12 PM CDT

    Jeffrey 16
    FQ: For Epicurus, the purpose of philosophy was to?
    To attain a happy tranquil life.

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  12. Anonymous2:51 PM CDT

    I thought it was interesting to hear about the Peace Corps. I want to travel the world but I dont think I could do it that way...

    Abigail Jones (16,3)

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