Up@dawn 2.0

Monday, April 27, 2020

Being Sick in the Middle of a Pandemic & Highlights of the Week

     This week I suffered from a severe illness that left me unable to take care of myself for several days. I had very high temperatures that exceeded 103 degrees, and simple actions like getting out of bed to go to the bathroom took every ounce of strength I had. Of course, my family and I were worried I had somehow contracted COVID-19 (even though I have been quarantining myself), so I was mostly cut off from the rest of my family during this time. Thankfully, a visit to the doctor after several days of no progress revealed I had an infection and and I was given an antibiotic. Of course I was upset about the fact that I got sick in the first place. How did I get sick? I have been in quarantine, doing nothing social, and somehow I still get sick. Lots of other people are being social and not taking any precautions and they are just fine, but somehow I still get sick. I could sit and pout about this all I want, but it doesn't change the facts. This is the philosophical journey of my sickness. Instead of being negative about the fact that I got sick to begin with, I am instead just very thankful that (1) I do not have COVID-19 and (2) I am healthy now! I am so glad to be back on my feet!

     I have also decided to post my highlights of this week on cophilosophy. These are things I commented this week that I think would make for excellent discussion!

1. There is a very popular (somewhat crude) saying that "all a man has is his word and his balls." If you take everything temporary away (money, status, etc.) a man is left with (1) the fact that he is a man and (2) his ability to speak the truth and to keep his word. If a man cannot speak the truth and keep his word, then he is no longer a true man.

2. I do not believe that missionary work is inherently hypocritical, but it can become hypocritical if it is done incorrectly. For example, Jesus commanded his disciples to travel city to city preaching the Gospel. However, Jesus also told them that if a city rejected them, they are to "shake the dust off their feet" and leave. In other words, don't try and force the gospel on someone who doesn't want it. Where people go wrong is by ignoring this advice and trying to force their message.

3. The idea that morality is determined by the motive instead of the outcome is very complex. Sure, this is plausible when the action does not pertain to certain rules. But what if their are rules? If the moral code you follow says "thou shalt not commit adultery", is there any motive that can make this action not immoral?

Here are my bases for the week. They are a couple days late do to my illness.
  • Comment on “Philosophers consult on lockdown” 
  • Comment on “Coronavirus myth busting” 
  • 6 comments on “Quiz Apr 28” posted on April 23
  • Comment on “You grasp that, you come close to life.”
  • Comment on “A good way to keep progressing is to always get back up” 
  • Comment on “Earth Day” 
  • Comment on “Happy Birthday Kant”

8 comments:

  1. Glad you're well! I hope we're all learning vital lessons about the fragility of our form of life, and the importance of attending to our own AND others' health.

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  2. The human body can get sick very easily especially from a lack of sleep and/or partially compromised immune system.

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  3. Thankful, you are well! there is a saying, "if you don't know the body, you call it yours." Meaning that it is easy to get seek.

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  4. I agree with the second discussion point. As someone who has done mission trips in the past, (they were in Appalachia) I always enjoyed helping the community out and never really did it for religious purposes, I just wanted to help people. Unfortunately, some people who do mission trips do it for their own seflfish reasons and not to actually help the community they are serving in and push religious beliefs onto others who don't want it or have a different religion, and then in turn not helping them or giving them resources. That, in my opinion, is not being a true Christian. You can preach the gospel while serving, but if someone doesn't share similar beliefs, don't abandon them, instead continue helping.

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  5. In response to your third point, I think an action has 3 parts; the means, or intention, action, what you actually do, and ends, or outcome. This also is in relation to your second point. If any of those 3 parts is immoral the entire act is, so you can do service work, but if your means is to make yourself look like a good person, it is immoral.

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  6. Really glad you're doing better. A covid scare in any ones family is a truly frightening thing.
    5

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  7. First of all, it's good to hear that your illness was just a severe infection and I understand how frightful that would have been considering what is happening in the world. I do agree that if one cannot speak freely for himself or speak the truth. A man who has no voice is really not a man at all, more like a restless soul. This closely relates to how some homeless people feel. Aimlessly roaming the streets feeling muted by the rest of the society.

    Section #5

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  8. Jaylen Bass11:36 AM CDT

    I hope you continue to recover, and we all know the feeling of being sick. It makes me feel so weak I do not like it at all.

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