Up@dawn 2.0

Monday, February 10, 2014

Team Why Not? 2/10/14 (Section 12)

Today we decided the topic for our group project. The plan is to do an analysis of the Calvin & Hobbes cartoons and their philosophical merits. We also discussed the philosophies of Pyrrho and Epicurus. We found Pyrrho's version of skepticism a bit much, but did note his contributions to moderate skeptics. Epicurus also had an interesting opinion on how to take on death and how we as humans should deal with it. Well, that's about it for the summary. Here's a Calvin & Hobbes comic strip that relates to our class discussion today. . .

8 comments:

  1. Hello good people. I was charged with reading AP pages 57-59. In these three pages Romano describes what the 'effective critic' is and why they are necessary in society. He lists a number of redeeming qualities that the critic should have and utilizes several quotes to further illustrate his point. These qualities include (but are limited to): the refusal to pay homage to the powers-that-be, to speak loud in defiance of said powers, to be a hero, to challenge friends and enemies alike, and commits himself or herself to question relentlessly the platitudes and myths of their society.

    FQ: The philosopher-critic should work from within a community's _____ _______, rather than snipe from the rooftops. (pg.58)

    DQ: What are you most critical of? That is to ask: what subject (controversial or not) do you have a strong critical opinion on?

    http://alignmap.com/2008/07/29/calvin-and-hobbes-on-life-and-patient-compliance/

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  2. This week I got the pleasure of reading about the stoics Epictetus, Cicero, and Seneca. As the name of the chapter (Learning Not To Care) implies, the stoics are all about emotional control and they believe that we should only show emotion towards the aspects of life that we can control rather than what is beyond our control. We may not be able to steer the course of events in our lives, but we certainly can influence how we feel about those events. Generally, this group of philosophers seemed to be very well-rounded and fulfilled individuals who taught that we should make the most of the time we have and avoid squandering it at all costs. I agree with their point of view overall, however according to the text they believed that we should not just control our emotions, but remove them altogether whenever possible. I would argue that emotional control is far more useful and more enjoyable than the absence of emotion.

    FQ: According to Cicero, four main problems with growing older were that it gets harder to work, the body becomes weaker, _______________, and death is close. - Joy in physical pleasure goes pg. 30

    DQ: Are there scenarios in which the absence of emotion would serve a person better than emotional control?

    Link: More Calvin and Hobbes!!
    http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1992/12/26#.UvpsWfldWtM

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  3. Hello Why Not group?
    I'm charged with reading AP pages from 67-70. In these pages, he talks about Charles S. Peirce Pragmatism "How to Make Our Ideas Clear" and that action is not the end of life.

    FQ: Who was the first American thinker to dare, to insist that his countrymen could have an original relation to the universe? Emerson pg.67

    Link:How to Make Our Ideas Clear by Charles S. Peirce
    http://www.uh.edu/~cfreelan/courses/americanphil/peirce.html

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  4. Erin Herbstova11:20 AM CST

    In pages 60-62 it was a discussion on the philosophical value of the Constituion.

    FQ: Who said that the authors of "The Federalist " papers lacked " the benefit of modern sociology, psychology, economics, and political science." pg.61 AP A: Charles Beard

    FQ: What award did historian Forrest McDonald's study "Novis Ordo Seclorum: The Intellectual Origins of the Constitution"? pg. 61 A; Pulitzer prize

    FQ: According to Morton White what were the two aims of The Federalist Papers for the Constitution? pg. 61 A: protection of natural rights, seeking of the public good

    FQ: What is the significance of March 4, 1889? pg. 62 A; it is 100 year after the first Congress meeting

    FQ: Who refused to attend the celebration in Philadelphia because his state of New York fought hard to defeat ratification? pg. 62 A: Alexander Hamilton; the statesman's grandson.

    DQ: Do you consider the Constitution as being a philosophical document?

    Link: This is a link to an article about the constitution and Philosophy http://www.civiced.org/papers/political.html

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  5. Taken from pages 63-65 of AP,

    Romano goes over some of the history of the constitution as it was covered by historian Michael Kammen. Through the years he covered it, with some more recent examples and statistics, Romano touches on things like the ratifications and amendments to the constitution as well as it creation. He goes into some of the timeless and withstanding parts of the constitution such as the right to free speech.

    FQ: Who is the historian whose work in A Machine That would Go of Itself: The Constitution in American Culture?

    FQ:In 1943 what percentage of americans could identify or state some part of the Bill of Rights correctly?

    FQ: Who did not attend the celebration in philadelphia after his state fought hard to defeat the ratification of the constitution?

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  6. Pages 75-78
    FQ: What was William James' first act of free will?
    DQ: What is "Free Will" that William James speaks of, do we all possess free will? what does it mean to you?
    Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igF_M5r_9So
    I found this link which argues again James idea of free will.

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  7. A Great Calvin And Hobbes Strips
    Link:http://www.progressiveboink.com/2012/4/21/2912173/calvinhobbes

    Bill Watterson Answers Fan's Questions about Calvin and Hobbes
    Link: http://andrewsmcmeel.com/books/comics-and-humor/calvinandhobbes/pw_watterson.html

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  8. FQ: What did Peirce say was the "whole function of thought"?
    ANS: To produce habits of action (For realizing if you are thinking longer than necessary) AP 70

    DQ: Is it easy end up thinking longer that you need to about a particular subject?

    Link: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/peirce/#anti

    In this link, Peirce's thinking about Anti-determinism is further explained

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