A collaborative search for wisdom, at Middle Tennessee State University and beyond...
"The pluralistic form takes for me a stronger hold on reality than any other philosophy I know of, being essentially a social philosophy, a philosophy of 'co'"-William James
We discussed the different ways one can believe in a god whether it be based from religion, logic, or spirituality. Having a purpose in life and the holy scriptures were discussed as well.
I thought that our conversations about God were very interesting and I enjoyed hearing everyone's point of view. I consider myself to be more on the agnostic side of things, as I am not exactly sure what I believe. So far, I see valid points on both the side of the Theists and the opposition. If I had to choose between the two I think that my views lie more towards believing in God in the fact that I do think there is something bigger than ourselves out there.
As for our readings, I do not believe that I could be a sceptic like Pyrrho because I like facts too much. I do however, like the teachings of Epicurus and how he believed in living a simple life to not want more. I am a strong believer in that the world has become too obsessed with greed and self interests and I think if more people lived simpler lives this would not be such a problem.
My FQ: Does Epicurus think that the fear of death is irrational or rational? My DQ: What do you believe happens after death?
While reading the chapter on Pyrrho, I did not agree at all with his philosophy. He states that our senses trick us and that we can not truly rely on them, which is a lie. I believe we have these traits to help us survive, but I do believe that our minds mess with signals our senses are getting. As Pyrrho states you might mistaken a cat for a fox in the dark, which is true I mix things up all the time when its dark, but once you have a source of light or touch it that sense proves that it wasn't really a fox.
Epicurus: I really enjoyed reading this chapter, because it first beginnings with Epicurus explaining that we need to overcome the fright of death because once we do we can enjoy our time on this Earth much more. I always catch myself worrying over things that I could never possibly change, and I always have to tell myself there's no point to stress over something I have no control over and that I just have to learn to live with it. I also loved his idea about if your desires are simple they will be easier to fulfill and this will ensure happiness.
FQ: What did Hume say "wise" person would say about a miracle ? DQ: Do you agree with the gamblers argument (Pascals wager) ?
I thought highly of Pyrrho's philosophy of skepticism. It reassures the urge to question things daily. I would not consider extreme skepticism because I'm not trying to die and I can't allow myself to just "let go" in that type of way. Epicurus was smart to question why we don't concern ourselves with our existence before we were born. I, for one, have never considered it. I cannot say I care too much about it. My fear of death is in the process of changing. I am learning ways not to fear death. I believe we will experience our death and have souls. In saying that, I have a very low tolerance for pain. I say "ow" when I barely bump into things so if I were to die in a painful way, I would be afraid of the pain.
FQ: (T/F) Epicurus was prolific. DQ: Is the existence of yourself before your birth as relevant as your existence after your death?
I could not find where our author posted for last Thursday, so I am just going to post on this comment again!
I believe that it is always important to care because that is what drives us to do things in life. If we did not care we would not push ourselves to do good in school. If we did not care we would not watch after our children and the list goes on.
My FQ: What did Epictetus start out as? My DQ: Why is it important to care in our everyday lives? Is there some things that you should not care about?
I still could not find our author post, but we talked a lot about whether the right things and came up with a lot of great examples. In addition, we talked about many different controversies such as capital punishment, abortion, and a few others.
My FQ: Where was Augustine born? My DQ: If there is a God, why do you think he allows so much suffering in the world?
Section 12
ReplyDeleteI thought that our conversations about God were very interesting and I enjoyed hearing everyone's point of view. I consider myself to be more on the agnostic side of things, as I am not exactly sure what I believe. So far, I see valid points on both the side of the Theists and the opposition. If I had to choose between the two I think that my views lie more towards believing in God in the fact that I do think there is something bigger than ourselves out there.
As for our readings, I do not believe that I could be a sceptic like Pyrrho because I like facts too much. I do however, like the teachings of Epicurus and how he believed in living a simple life to not want more. I am a strong believer in that the world has become too obsessed with greed and self interests and I think if more people lived simpler lives this would not be such a problem.
My FQ: Does Epicurus think that the fear of death is irrational or rational?
My DQ: What do you believe happens after death?
While reading the chapter on Pyrrho, I did not agree at all with his philosophy. He states that our senses trick us and that we can not truly rely on them, which is a lie. I believe we have these traits to help us survive, but I do believe that our minds mess with signals our senses are getting. As Pyrrho states you might mistaken a cat for a fox in the dark, which is true I mix things up all the time when its dark, but once you have a source of light or touch it that sense proves that it wasn't really a fox.
ReplyDeleteEpicurus: I really enjoyed reading this chapter, because it first beginnings with Epicurus explaining that we need to overcome the fright of death because once we do we can enjoy our time on this Earth much more. I always catch myself worrying over things that I could never possibly change, and I always have to tell myself there's no point to stress over something I have no control over and that I just have to learn to live with it. I also loved his idea about if your desires are simple they will be easier to fulfill and this will ensure happiness.
FQ: What did Hume say "wise" person would say about a miracle ?
DQ: Do you agree with the gamblers argument (Pascals wager) ?
FQ: What did Epicurus's philosophy school become known as?
ReplyDeleteDQ: Why do people generally fear death?
12
ReplyDeleteI thought highly of Pyrrho's philosophy of skepticism. It reassures the urge to question things daily. I would not consider extreme skepticism because I'm not trying to die and I can't allow myself to just "let go" in that type of way. Epicurus was smart to question why we don't concern ourselves with our existence before we were born. I, for one, have never considered it. I cannot say I care too much about it. My fear of death is in the process of changing. I am learning ways not to fear death. I believe we will experience our death and have souls. In saying that, I have a very low tolerance for pain. I say "ow" when I barely bump into things so if I were to die in a painful way, I would be afraid of the pain.
FQ: (T/F) Epicurus was prolific.
DQ: Is the existence of yourself before your birth as relevant as your existence after your death?
I could not find where our author posted for last Thursday, so I am just going to post on this comment again!
ReplyDeleteI believe that it is always important to care because that is what drives us to do things in life. If we did not care we would not push ourselves to do good in school. If we did not care we would not watch after our children and the list goes on.
My FQ: What did Epictetus start out as?
My DQ: Why is it important to care in our everyday lives? Is there some things that you should not care about?
I still could not find our author post, but we talked a lot about whether the right things and came up with a lot of great examples. In addition, we talked about many different controversies such as capital punishment, abortion, and a few others.
ReplyDeleteMy FQ: Where was Augustine born?
My DQ: If there is a God, why do you think he allows so much suffering in the world?