[Audio file removed]... The End is Near
PART 1
1. What did John Rawls call the thought experiment he believed would yield fair and just principles, and what was its primary device?
2. Under what circumstances would Rawls' theory permit huge inequalities of wealth between people?
3. What was the Imitation Game, and who devised a thought experiment to oppose it?
4. What, according to Searle, is involved in truly understanding something?
5. How do some philosophers think we might use computers to achieve immortality?
6. What does Peter Singer say we should sacrifice, to help strangers?
7. Why did Singer first become famous?
8. How does Singer represent the best tradition in philosophy?
3. What was the Imitation Game, and who devised a thought experiment to oppose it?
4. What, according to Searle, is involved in truly understanding something?
5. How do some philosophers think we might use computers to achieve immortality?
6. What does Peter Singer say we should sacrifice, to help strangers?
7. Why did Singer first become famous?
8. How does Singer represent the best tradition in philosophy?
FL
9. Most mass killers in America are not psychotics or paranoid schizophrenics, writes Andersen, they're what?
10. What was the moment when the NRA "settled in deepest Fantasyland"?
11. What new technologies give Andersen "the heebie-jeebies"?
AP
12. For what did William James argue in "The Moral Equivalent of War"?
13. Hocking wanted to "overcome this alienation [of Cartesian solipsism]" and argued for what?
14. What philosopher, seeing unity as achieved through conflict, disagreed with Schelling's "static substratum?"
FL 46; AP -235
PART 2
FL 44-45; AP -208.
1. Disneyfication denotes what?
2. 1/3 of the people at theme parks are what?
3. How have we become mentally more like children?
4. A major argument of Andersen's book is that our dominant religion has become what?
5. Mark Zuckerberg became a billionaire at what age?
6. "Magical thinking" is the tendency to believe what?
AP -208
7. Who said women had to be self-reliant because they were expected to take care of men?
8. Who defeated Teddy Roosevelt and Thomas Edison in 1913, and won a Nobel Prize in 1931?
9. When "developed too exclusively," becoming educated omits a response to what "human appeal" or presence?
10. What school brought "young children into contact with original literary sources" and who created this school?
PART 3
FL
1. Right-wing skepticism of the press and of academic experts has effectively trained two generations of Americans to what?
2. What did candidate Drumpf understand "better than almost everybody"?
3. "Don't even think about it..." said who?
4. Philosopher Michael Lynch says repeated self-contradiction by politicians like Drumpf can dull our sensitivity to what?
5. With what good news does Fantasyland conclude?
AP
6. Who said that the "incessant preaching" of missionaries in China was "producing . . . a horde of hypocrites?"
7. What did Marcel and Sartre agree was the "basic method of philosophy," and what was the "fissure" between them?
8. What is the "very old institution that sought to memorialize and counteract the tragedy of human finitude?"
Discussion Questions:
1. Right-wing skepticism of the press and of academic experts has effectively trained two generations of Americans to what?
2. What did candidate Drumpf understand "better than almost everybody"?
3. "Don't even think about it..." said who?
4. Philosopher Michael Lynch says repeated self-contradiction by politicians like Drumpf can dull our sensitivity to what?
5. With what good news does Fantasyland conclude?
AP
6. Who said that the "incessant preaching" of missionaries in China was "producing . . . a horde of hypocrites?"
7. What did Marcel and Sartre agree was the "basic method of philosophy," and what was the "fissure" between them?
8. What is the "very old institution that sought to memorialize and counteract the tragedy of human finitude?"
Discussion Questions:
- What can we do to restore a public/political commitment to facts, reality, and truth?
- Will Drumpf's exploitation and encouragement of partisan division and narrow nationalism have lasting consequences for the country and world? Or will we put it behind us with the election of the next progressive president?
- Why do so many extreme conservatives proudly proclaim their lack of knowledge and expertise ("I'm not a scientist but..." etc.)? Is Know-Nothingism a winning political strategy? What are its long-term implications for the nation?
- Do you value truth and honesty, even though our "leaders" increasingly do not?
- Are we at peak Fantasyland yet? Or does just about every day set a new low-mark?
- Is religious missionary fieldwork inherently hypocritical? How can missionaries avoid hypocrisy?
- What does it mean for philosophy to be "realistic"?
- What is the point of preserving the memory and legacy of our ancestors? Do you hope to be similarly "preservesd" by our descendants?
- Is "maybe" the best answer to the question of life's being worth living?
- Should college students be required OR encouraged to devote a year or two to public service immediately after graduation?
- Is Descartes' "cogito ergo sum" too individualistic, or even solipsistic?
- Have you had to "push beyond your awkwardness" like Royce? 165
- Do you agree with Hegel and Royce that you can know yourself only insofar as you are known by others?
- Do you possess a loyalty and sense of belonging to "a greater whole"? What community/-ties do you consider inseparable from your own sense of self? 169
- If you were in Rawls's "Original Position," what kind of economic system would you argue for?
- In what sense are we "better off" in a society that allows huge income discrepancies between the least and best well-off?
- Will Artificial Intelligence surpass human intelligence, or has it already? Is this something we should worry about?
- What "luxuries" are you prepared to give up, to help people less fortunate than yourself?
- Are you a speciesist? Why or why not?
- Is meat-eating ethically defensible?
- Are we "guests and cast members" in the USA? (402) What's good and bad about that?
- Do you find it odd, charming, or just normal that so many childless adults, like Peter Pan, don't want to grow up-and keep going to Disneyland?
- Have we become an infantilized culture, living fantasy lives, playing video games, and extending childhood indefinitely?
- Is Mark Zuckerberg a hero, villain, neither... ?
- Do you engage in magical thinking?
- "Most men of Hocking's age fell in love at a very early age. With themselves." (185) Has this changed? Do you think sexist assumptions and attitudes continue to dominate philosophical thinking, and life in general?
- Why isn't Jane Addams more famous? 194
==
Arts & Letters Daily search results for “john rawls” (3)
2017-10-25 | John Rawls called it "the best of all games"; Mark Kingwell calls it "the most philosophical of games." What is it about baseball and philosophy? more »
2018-09-04 | What's the meaning of freedom? Isaiah Berlin, John Rawls, and Robert Nozick disagreed on much. But they all emphasized universal values over group identity more »
2018-08-24 | The famously liberal philosopher John Rawls has been recast as a sharp critic of capitalism. If Rawls really was a socialist, why was he so reticent about it? more »
Arts & Letters Daily search results for “ alan turing” (2)
2012-12-22 | Alan Turing was a courageous, patriotic, but sad, unconventional man. He was also gay. Can homosexuality help explain his genius? more »
2014-01-01 | Alan Turing predicted that computers would be able to think by 2000. No dice. Not even close. We still don't understand what thinking is more »
Arts & Letters Daily search results for “john searle” (2)
2015-04-18 | John Searle has a bone to pick with Bacon, Descartes, Locke, and Kant. He blames them for the basic mistake of modern epistemology more »
2015-06-23 | Everything you know about perception is wrong – and it’s the fault of Western philosophers, starting with Descartes. Or so John Searle would have you think more »
“I believe that at the end of the century the use of words and general educated opinion will have altered so much that one will be able to speak of machines thinking without expecting to be contradicted.”
“I'm afraid that the following syllogism may be used by some in the future:
Turing believes machines think
Turing lies with men
Therefore machines do not think."
LA Theater Worksw dramatization, "Breaking the Code" - recording
==
Jaron Lanier on the future of virtual reality etc. - and he says AI is not a thing... On Point 11.29.17... Dawn of the New Everything
==
“To protest about bullfighting in Spain, the eating of dogs in South Korea, or the slaughter of baby seals in Canada while continuing to eat eggs from hens who have spent their lives crammed into cages, or veal from calves who have been deprived of their mothers, their proper diet, and the freedom to lie down with their legs extended, is like denouncing apartheid in South Africa while asking your neighbors not to sell their houses to blacks.”
==
Jaron Lanier on the future of virtual reality etc. - and he says AI is not a thing... On Point 11.29.17... Dawn of the New Everything
==
“To protest about bullfighting in Spain, the eating of dogs in South Korea, or the slaughter of baby seals in Canada while continuing to eat eggs from hens who have spent their lives crammed into cages, or veal from calves who have been deprived of their mothers, their proper diet, and the freedom to lie down with their legs extended, is like denouncing apartheid in South Africa while asking your neighbors not to sell their houses to blacks.”
“If possessing a higher degree of intelligence does not entitle one human to use another for his or her own ends, how can it entitle humans to exploit non-humans?”
“The notion that human life is sacred just because it is human life is medieval.”
“If it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, without thereby sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we ought, morally, to do it.”
“To give preference to the life of a being simply because that being is a member of our species would put us in the same position as racists who give preference to those who are members of their race.”
Just as we have progressed beyond the blatantly racist ethic of the era of slavery and colonialism, so we must now progress beyond the speciesist ethic of the era of factory farming, of the use of animals as mere research tools, of whaling, seal hunting, kangaroo slaughter, and the destruction of wilderness. We must take the final step in expanding the circle of ethics. -”
“Philosophy ought to question the basic assumptions of the age. Thinking through, critically and carefully, what most of us take for granted is, I believe, the chief task of philosophy, and the task that makes philosophy a worthwhile activity.”
- Out for
#GivingTuesday, Animal Charity Evaluators has a new list of recommended organizations working for animals: animalcharityevaluators.org/blog/introduci…
 | Peter Singer (@PeterSinger) |
|
"Philosophy Changing Lives" - an interview with me on Why? Radio:
goo.gl/ztR4m9 | |
Arts & Letters Daily search results for “peter singer” (3)
2011-01-01 | For Peter Singer, the defining idea of the coming decade will be the Internet, which will democratize education, economics, and the media more »
2010-01-01 | Abhorring animal cruelty does not entail the idea that all animals, humans included, sit at the same moral level. Peter Singer has an argument to answer more »
2015-07-07 | Where morality meets rationalism. Is Peter Singer’s “effective altruism” the apotheosis of ethics, or an unempathetic, politically naive, elitist doctrine? more »
Is Life Worth Living? by William James
These, then, are my last words to you : Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is
worth living, and your belief will help create the fact. The "scientific proof " that
you are right may not be clear...
Should college students be required OR encouraged to devote a year or two to public service immediately after graduation?
ReplyDeleteIf it wasn't for all the debt that most graduates have upon graduation I'd wholly agree with the idea. A compromise of sorts could be graduates doing community service in exchange for some debts being forgiven. H2
Kevin Hernandez Ovalle HO2
DeleteI agree with that. College isn’t cheap, but I think their be a better or bigger impact if your compromise was implemented.
Section 9
DeleteDebt forgiveness would be an awesome compromise. Mandatory public service has a sobering effect that provides a useful perspective to any young person that's only participated in academics. From conscription to the non-combatant 1-W service - I believe choosing one or the other should be mandatory before entering college.
I think it would be a great idea to implement some sort of plan that pushes individuals to do community service. I believe that a person can learn so many things from serving the community. Additionally, serving helps develop character.
DeleteAs Kerolos says, I also think that it would be a good idea to have community service, as it really does develop character and those doing it can learn a lot from it.
DeleteI do not think that college should be required because I see people whos parents force them to go and they end up doing poorly. i think that if you would rather take a different path then you should be able to. I know from experience that if I am forced to do something i am less inclined to excel.
DeleteCollege is a place for specialization. Those who desire to dive deeper into a certain area should go to college but those who have other passions will see no need for it.
DeleteI don't think that this should be required at all. I do agree that public service is important, but making it mandatory violates the essence of human freedom. Causing someone to do "work" for free under the ruse of public service is how things lead to taking away more freedom or rights.
DeleteThis sounds like a good idea, however realistically I do agree with the debt part. However I believe it would be beneficial, since it would allow you to gain even more experience. I also think it wouldn't be a good idea, since if it were required many people who don't see good in it wouldn't do it in a right manner.#5
DeleteWill Artificial Intelligence surpass human intelligence, or has it already? Is this something we should worry about?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say surpass. If anything, I believe A.I. beings would be better, as a group, at getting things done than humans are. Information would flow more efficiently using 0's and 1's.
It's hard to picture the best human minds we have today being outsmarted by a couple computers. But talking about the masses, now there's a different story. H2
Section 9
Delete100 years ago, it never would have been conceivable that a computer would beat a chess grand master, or win at Jeopardy (granted, Jeopardy didn't exist). The intellectual islands that humans inhabit - language, arts, creativity - are swiftly being flooded by the swelling ocean of computer processing.
I think artificial intelligence has not surpassed human intelligence. Until today, many machines/robots require the involvement of humans to operate and cannot do certain things. However, I believe that in the next decade, artificial intelligence will surpass human intelligence.
Deletehttps://futureoflife.org/background/benefits-risks-of-artificial-intelligence/
DeleteWhat "luxuries" are you prepared to give up, to help people less fortunate than yourself?
ReplyDeleteI could do without new shoes every year. I could do without video games. I think I'd be alright without sugar. I'm sorry but I couldn't give up my privilege of the modern shower. H2
Section 9
DeleteIf we could solve the lack of reliable public transit, I'd be willing to give up my automobile. Likewise, if there were bullet trains, I'd happily give up air travel. Until then, an hour long commute demands a set of wheels.
I would say that I would give up video games as well. They cost a lot, and that can definitely help people in need.
DeleteShawn, I completely agree with you on having the privilege to shower. I could be without everything else, but not being able to shower would be the deal breaker.
DeleteAre you a speciesist? Why or why not?
ReplyDeleteThis is stupid. There is no constitution for the animal kingdom. H2
Is meat-eating ethically defensible?
ReplyDeleteThis is stupidity at its highest. I don't remember discussing ethics when I learned about the food chain in grade-school. I never felt pity for the rabbit that was food for the hawk. H2
Kevin Hernandez Ovalle HO2
DeleteI can see your point. Eating meat is just another way we need to survive and animals just like you stated. Ethics don’t really play a role to some degree. When your just slaughter animals for fun I think that’s when it is wrong.
Section 9
DeleteI'd say I feel more devoted to my species. I'd never harm an animal for pleasure, but if I need the calories? Absolutely. Given some societies have lived without access to carbohydrates/vegetables, I'd say its ethically defensive from an evolutionary perspective to eat animals.
I could certainly see an argument against meat-eating being ethical. At this point, we clearly know how to get all nutrients that are essential to us without necessitating the killing of an animal. Why should we murder a conscious organism if our lives in no way have to depend on it? Personally, I have no plans on quitting meat, but I do believe vegetarian food that actually includes things like a sufficient source of protein should be made more accessible.
DeleteSome people do need to eat meat, however. The supplements we have out today are simply that--supplements. They are not a substitution for those nutrients, but they are there should we not be able to get enough of those supplements. I see your point, however, Alex. I also personally do not plan on quitting meat.
DeleteI believe that at this point we should be able to not eat meat, of course there are some people who have to eat meat. The way we allow animals to get treated should be recognize more, I think that's the most unethical part. #5
DeleteI like how you aren't afraid to call something stupid. A lot of questions are stupid, but if you humor them you might find something new for yourself. It's important to be able to call out the idiots who make wild claims, but these are simply questions based on text. Specisists are a little extreme but I can see the argument where meat-eating is immoral considering SOME, most definitely not all, animals are treated cruelly before they are killed.
DeleteShould college students be required OR encouraged to devote a year or two to public service immediately after graduation?
ReplyDeleteI believe it should be highly encouraged to students to complete some public service but not required. It would encourage some people to get to work but others would not work very hard.
Is Descartes' "cogito ergo sum" too individualistic, or even solipsistic?
It is a bit individualistic. I believe the world is too big for our little human brains to understand and to sum all of existence into one thought is a bit conceited
Have you had to "push beyond your awkwardness" like Royce?
Yes many times in my life I have had to push beyond my shyness. As I enter the work force and start to create my own voice I find myself pushing further and further.
Do you agree with Hegel and Royce that you can know yourself only insofar as you are known by others?
No, I know things about myself that many people do not. I know more about the sum of my parts than other people know about parts of me.
Do you possess a loyalty and sense of belonging to "a greater whole"? What community/-ties do you consider inseparable from your own sense of self?
Yes I feel as if the experiences I've had connect me to my place in the universe. I feel as if my future in criminal justice has always been set. My life has been filled with experiences that I feel like have pushed me towards where I need to be.
If you were in Rawls's "Original Position," what kind of economic system would you argue for?
I would argue for a bit of everything because there is no perfect economic system. I believe that everyone's needs are different and an economic system should account for this.
In what sense are we "better off" in a society that allows huge income discrepancies between the least and best well-off?
Our society allows us to somewhat work our way up to the top. However, not all advantages are the same. One could argue this is a positive for some people but of course someone always draws the short straw.
Will Artificial Intelligence surpass human intelligence, or has it already? Is this something we should worry about?
I believe that it will at some stage but I also believe that it isn't something we should worry about. If artificial intelligence surpasses humans we should use this to our advantage and form an alliance with those more superior than us.
What "luxuries" are you prepared to give up, to help people less fortunate than yourself?
I am prepared to give up some of my income and the luxuries that large sums of money can give. I believe all people deserve the basics and the fact that some people don't have that is saddening.
Are you a speciesist? Why or why not?
Yes and no. I believe humans are superior to all animals in terms of intelligence but I think all animals deserve to live a peaceful life before their death. I think that our ecosystem is designed for some animals to unfortunately lose their lives to feed the rest of the ecosystem. However, I do not believe in the inhumane treatment of any living creature.
Is meat-eating ethically defensible?
Yes, some people need protein to live. If the animal is treated ethically before it dies then I believe it is appropriate to it the meat from it.
(H02) Discussion question: What would stoics think about the unbiased nature Artificial Intelligence can possess?
ReplyDeleteKevin Hernandez Ovalle HO2
ReplyDeleteIn what sense are we "better off" in a society that allows huge income discrepancies between the least and best well-off?
You could say that in the sense of self- determination was born from the society we live in today. If we lived in a society where everyone was equal and nobody benefitted without someone else prospering as well then there wouldn’t be self-identity. In the society we live in there are people who are better off than others. Some that are born into poverty and others that are born with a silver spoon in their mouths. Some that experience great traumas and unfortunate events at a very young age and maybe throughout their growing age. There are some that fall into a dark period where all they do is harm others are do illicit things just to survive. There are some that lose love ones and it leaves them heart broken or others get heart broken. All those people that I have mention that have had an unfortunate life in some way or another could at one point in their life desire something better. I personally know I do. Just like me, these millions of people will or have in some point of their life decided to break the routine and have pushed further than what most people say they can or can’t do. In accomplishing (or not) their goal(s) they find themselves feeling different. This sense of feeling different is what you could say a form of self-identity that they could have only gotten when they tried to change their current situation. Although I dislike the way the world is right now- the poverty, crime, and injustice I think it is the perfect type of society for someone who is at rock bottom or “poor and useless” to rise up and find that sense of self-indentity.
Section 9
ReplyDeleteAlternate DQ
If it's determined that plants have a form of consciousness and can experience pain, how would one survive while still trying to limit harm to other organisms?
Joslyn Parker Phil 1030-009
DeleteAs a vegetarian, this is a difficult question. Perhaps wait for plants to naturally drop their fruits/seeds? Unless you're saying that tomatoes detached from the vine have consciousness(Movie: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes), then I just don't know. All food we eat is grown, whether its animal or plant.
I believe that not harming plants is a very difficult task. We all eat food made from plants. Not harming plants is definitely a challenging task for all of us.
DeleteI think that would be hard to do, as Joslyn says, most of what we eat derives from being grown. Maybe waiting for the fruits could help.
DeleteJoslyn Parker Phil 1030-009
ReplyDeleteShould college students be required OR encouraged to devote a year or two to public service immediately after graduation?
Maybe for some.. I think it depends heavily on the students area of study. Some areas are very intensive and it may be best for the student to pursue their career or further studies right after graduating. I think instead of after graduating, public service should be encouraged during school, like over winter and summer break. However this may not feasible for many students. All in all, I think it ought to be suggested but definitely not required.
Joslyn Parker Phil 1030-009
ReplyDeleteWill Artificial Intelligence surpass human intelligence, or has it already? Is this something we should worry about?
It probably will, I'm not sure if it has already. I don't think we should be worried. Worrying causes wrinkles, and maybe if we are less worried we will be happier and less destructive towards one another and AI won't have any reason to eradicate the humans.
Section 06
DeleteTake a look at this link. I believe it answers the question as to whether or not they will surpass us, but I believe we created them to be in a different lane from us.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2018/08/28/how-far-are-we-from-truly-human-like-ai/#1b13889931ac
Link for quiz question #9
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bbc.com/future/story/20180509-is-there-a-link-between-mass-shooting-and-mental-illness
Sect. 10
ReplyDeleteShould college students be required OR encouraged to devote a year or two to public service immediately after graduation?
I do not agree because it is important to get a job after graduation That’s the reason anyone goes to college. Public service should be a voluntary action which a person wants to do rather than has to.
Sect. 10
ReplyDeleteIs meat-eating ethically defensible?
Yes because it is important to fuel our bodies naturally. We are carnivoures naturally, but it is more honorable to eat every part of the animal and not to waste it. Respecting the animal is crucial.
Sect. 10
ReplyDeleteWill Artificial Intelligence surpass human intelligence, or has it already? Is this something we should worry about?
I think it may surpass Humans in terms of being capable of having knowledge, but I don’t think it will ever have the capability to have emotion, or the abiltitly to improvise. I think we should worry about it and make sure it is regulated.
Sect. 10
ReplyDeleteWhat "luxuries" are you prepared to give up, to help people less fortunate than yourself?
I would be prepared to have less energy use and less exotic meals to help others.
I should try using less energy more often. That is a really good thing to do for others and the planet
DeleteSect. 10
ReplyDeleteAre you a speciesist? Why or why not?
Partly, depending on the circumstance, If an animal or a human has to die, then I would have to save the human. But, I have love for all animals and there as much as part of this Earth as we are.
I agree with your statement. We should all endeavor to love animals and save them as much as we can, but we should also agree that human life is equally as important. Some people need to eat meat (i.e. anemic people) as iron supplements aren't enough to supplement a vegetarian-only diet.
DeleteI agree with your statement as well. I think many people see the significance of animals. However, when we were to choose between a human's life versus that of an animal, many people would give more value to the humans.
DeleteSect.10
ReplyDeleteIn what sense are we "better off" in a society that allows huge income discrepancies between the least and best well-off?
It causes an incentive for people to try and work hard for the next echelon of wealth. If everybody is in the same wealth bracket, then a lack of desire to be productive might ensue.
Sect. 10
ReplyDeleteDo you possess a loyalty and sense of belonging to "a greater whole"? What community/-ties do you consider inseparable from your own sense of self?
I find that I have a balance between my loyalty to the greater whole and myself. I find the relationship of being in the Human race to be inseparable from myself. Although many times I question my fellow humans for their actions.
Section 06
DeleteI find myself questioning their actions and responses as well
I agree with you. We have an obligation to set up a boundary for ourselves versus the whole group.
DeleteAbby Pittman section 6
ReplyDelete[DQ8]
A.I. cannot pass human intelligence in the fact that it lacks emotional intelligence such as empathy towards others. When it comes to intellectual intelligence, A.I. is capable of completing many things that the human mind cannot. To an extent, we should be worried that A.I. will overpower the amazing aspect of genius human beings and how intricately their minds work. As for if it with affect the safety of humankind, I don’t know, but I really hope not.
I agree that emotional intelligence such as empathy is something that A.I's cannot achieve. Do you think that someday there will become a day in which we could upload our memories into an A.I? Would you do it if you had the chance?
DeleteAbby Pittman section 6
ReplyDelete[DQ1]
I don’t necessarily think it should be required for students to commit to a year of public service immediately after graduating. I think it should definitely be encouraged, but college students are expected to start working and make money to pay back loans as soon as they get their degree. It’s difficult because it would be an amazing thing to devote time to helping others, and I think you should try to do that whenever possible. It would be hard to ask of people. However, if there was some kind of incentive offered, I’m sure more people would be interested in doing it. It does kind of defeat the purpose of helping others, considering you would be committing for your own benefit. Morally, I don’t know if that would be appropriate.
https://blog.prepscholar.com/129-examples-of-community-service-projects
DeleteSection 06
ReplyDelete• Should college students be required OR encouraged to devote a year or two to public service immediately after graduation?
I believe they should be required to do at least a year in public service. Devoting a year to public service would help us stop taking them for granted and also give us a chance to fully learn about them. It should be a rotation, where they spend a certain period of time at one place then move on to another one. However, I also understand that with loans or any other circumstances could prevent this from being a requirement. It would be nice if people gave up some of their free time no matter how much to educate themselves on public service.
• Have you had to "push beyond your awkwardness" like Royce? 165
Yes, I remember being extremely shy in middle school and my Dad would always make me talk in front of people whether it was through the clubs I was in, with family/ friends, or practicing my presentation.
• Do you possess a loyalty and sense of belonging to "a greater whole"? What community/-ties do you consider inseparable from your own sense of self? 169
With the internships I do every summer it makes me feel important and gives me a reason to be here on this Earth.
• Will Artificial Intelligence surpass human intelligence, or has it already? Is this something we should worry about?
I think that artificial intelligence is far too different from us to even try to compare. The human brain is much more complex than the artificial intelligence, so I don’t know if we can even compare the two. But if we could then I would say that the brain is still in the lead and it will take time for the artificial intelligence to catch up if it could.
• Is meat-eating ethically defensible?
Meat eating isn’t technically defensible but if you look at this way, animals that are eaten should be treated better and we should buy from farms that treat their animals with respect and humanely. Meat eating has been around for so long that I don’t think the entire world could go 100% vegan. I eat meat and strive to have dinners without meat involved. No one is perfect and we shouldn’t be bashed for the things we do 24/7.
• What "luxuries" are you prepared to give up, to help people less fortunate than yourself?
Every three months I go through my closet and bag up the ones I no longer wear and donate it. I like to shop and thankfully I have cut down on it. Whenever I can no longer wear something, I give it to other people, family, friend, or any organization that would take what I have. Right now, I am donating some clothes to a women’s shelter here in Murfreesboro. I have realized that I should help out as much as I can and give people a chance in life in any way I can. My clothes could be used for a job interview, children, warmth, a boost of confidence, etc. There are times when I used the money I earn to buy a homeless person I see food. There have been times where I gave up my free time or took time off work to volunteer at homeless shelters. I don’t mind giving up luxuries I have to help someone in need, because there could be a day where I need help from a stranger. I have been thinking about giving away some of my books again since I don’t read every single one of them anymore. I am always open to ideas in what I could do to make someone’s day or life better. You never know what people are going through, so you can’t judge them as soon as you see them. A lot of people like to hide their struggles or make it seem not as bad when it actually is.
Section 06
DeleteDQ suggestion
Would you consider eating less meat or no meat at all? Why or Why not?
It would be nice if people would be willing to give up their time to volunteer, but I wonder if more people would be motivated to spend time if a semester of college was paid for, for the specific reason that people go fulfill the requirement of volunteering? Do you think that would be one way to get people on board with volunteering?
DeleteSection 06
ReplyDeleteVox wrote an article questioning the morality of meat eating
https://www.vox.com/2015/8/9/9122907/meat-ethics
Techtalk posted a comparison and contrast between human intelligence and artificial intelligence
https://bdtechtalks.com/2018/08/21/artificial-intelligence-vs-human-mind-brain/
For those who are thinking about changing their diet to include less meat or no meat at all
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322827.php
And here is another one in case that one doesn't help
https://www.livestrong.com/article/430508-differences-between-vegetarian-non-vegetarian-diets/
Should college students be required OR encouraged to devote a year or two to public service immediately after graduation?
ReplyDeleteI definitely believe that we should be encouraged to devote a year to public service, but the problem with this is the changing economy. We have less economic "playroom" to be able to pursue our goals freely. With the rising cost of college and debt, we are forced to work in order to make up for the costs of just one semester. So, while I agree with being strongly urged to do so, I disagree with the requirement.
Have you had to "push beyond your awkwardness" like Royce? 165
I have to push beyond my awkwardness several times. I am an natural introvert, so I always try not to be the center of attention. However, when I am at the center of attention, I always feel like I'm not good enough, and the atmosphere gets awkward, but I have to push through it.
Do you agree with Hegel and Royce that you can know yourself only insofar as you are known by others?
I agree as well as disagree. Although we can only know what we are perceived as by others, I believe that through our own selves, we can see ourselves. Our daily decisions are made by seeing ourselves and what we would do in a situation based on our personalities that we have made for ourselves.
What "luxuries" are you prepared to give up, to help people less fortunate than yourself?
I am prepared to give most, if not all, luxuries. This may sound selfish, but I am not prepared to give up my phone. My phone is the only way I can link myself to my family who live across an entire ocean. My phone is the only link I have to my own family. However, that being said, I would satisfied with a flip phone that can talk across an entire ocean.
I would have never thought of you as being an introvert. You're so social and talkative all the time. I totally understand pushing past self awkwardness. My middle name is practically awkward, but instead of letting it define me in group settings, I use it to make friends and get people laughing. It can be really hard at times, and coupled with my anxiety, it can be ~really~ hard.
Delete9
DeleteI am an introvert as well as relate to that. I hate being the center of attention too. I thankfully made an extrovert friend when i started college, and just from being around her it helped push me out of my awkwardness. Being around an extrovert really helps I think. Just by paying attention to how they interact with people, and being forced out of your comfort zone when your with them helps "push you beyond your awkwardness".
This may sound odd, but as I am also an introvert, I have never felt like I have been in a situation where I've had to "push past my awkwardness" I have however had to endure someone else awkwardness.
DeleteSec 6
ReplyDeleteAs college students, we're always encouraged to be a part of some public service within our community. Personally being on a pre-med path, it's required that you have so many volunteer hours as well as shadowing hours before you even apply to a certain medical school. It shouldn't be necessarily seen as a "requirement" after college if we've been doing it for four years or more of our college careers.
Joslyn Parker Phil 1030-009
ReplyDeleteOn Philosophy and Vegetarianism (long read)
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/vegetarianism/
An Interview: Jeff McMahan is an Oxford moral philosopher and vegetarian of almost 50 years. He still doesn’t know if it’s wrong to eat meat.
https://qz.com/1102616/an-oxford-philosophers-moral-crisis-can-help-us-learn-to-question-our-instincts/
Abby Pittman section 6
ReplyDelete[DQ11]
I don’t think that it should go as far to say it is unethical, but I do believe meat consumption should be limited to a small amount of times per week in order to decrease effects of climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As far as ethics go, there are many practices in place that are ridiculously inhumane and are actually illegal. There are specific regulations set in to place in order to prevent the unnecessary harm of animals, and these are not always followed. I don’t eat a lot of meat because I don’t necessarily think it’s an okay thing for us to do, and it is better for our environment to abstain sometimes.
Abby Pittman section 6
ReplyDelete[DQ9]
I would be willing to give up a lot of my material possessions in order to help others. I have many clothes that I don’t wear, and I would be willing to give them to those that need them. I would reduce the amount of waste and energy use as well.
Abby Pittman Section 6
ReplyDeleteI found this interesting opinion article over artificial intelligence:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/24/opinion/sunday/artificial-intelligence-economic-inequality.html
DQ: Should college students be required OR encouraged to devote a year or two to public service immediately after graduation?
ReplyDeleteI don't believe anyone should be required to, but encouraging people with the ability to help others to do that is never a bad thing.
DQ: Is Descartes' "cogito ergo sum" too individualistic, or even solipsistic?
The full phrase is "I doubt therefore I think; I think therefore I am." I wouldn't say that this is individualistic at all, but an observation Descartes had into his own view of existence. This could definitely be considered solipsistic, however, if the statement is interpreted to mean that his thinking causes his existence. More likely though, this statement is regarding not Descartes' actual existence, but his fulfillment in life. He is because he is fulfilling his life through his thinking.
DQ: Have you had to "push beyond your awkwardness" like Royce? 165
I constantly have to "push beyond my awkwardness." I just have a hard time in most situations around people and feel awkward or as if I have done something wrong a lot. I have come to realize logically that I am over-judgmental of myself, but this is hard to convince myself of emotionally.
DQ: Do you agree with Hegel and Royce that you can know yourself only insofar as you are known by others?
I wouldn't say that this is true. One could have full knowledge of oneself as a complete hermit. But if you are known well by others it is likely that you know yourself.
DQ: Do you possess a loyalty and sense of belonging to "a greater whole"? What community/-ties do you consider inseparable from your own sense of self? 169
Humanity in general ties me to itself. I think the world is a greater whole and utilitarian morals seem to really make sense. We must be doing what is better for the most people because that is in turn better for ourselves. Our sense of self may not rest in community, but our actual self does.
DQ: If you were in Rawls's "Original Position," what kind of economic system would you argue for?
If I could start people from scratch or make them morally good as Marx claimed people would eventually be, a full anarchist (lack of) government with a Marxist economy would be the best. If I were to work inside of this world as it is now that question may be too difficult to answer. I would want an economy that allowed for growth like capitalism with the support for the poor like socialism or communism and I would want a democratic government without the authoritarianism of either right-wing racism or left-wing socialism.
DQ: In what sense are we "better off" in a society that allows huge income discrepancies between the least and best well-off?
I don't see us being better off at all. When there is ability to help people and people are still not helped that is not better and therefore we are not better off.
DQ: Will Artificial Intelligence surpass human intelligence, or has it already? Is this something we should worry about?
ReplyDeleteBill Nye described true self actualized artificial intelligence as a computer choosing on its own to make art. This makes sense as at that point the computer would be doing something purely as expression of self and not as a response to an input. There is a possibility that artificial intelligence could do this and if so it maybe could surpass us, but so far it has not. At this time it is not something that we should worry about, as artificial intelligence does not seem close to our level of self realization.
DQ: What "luxuries" are you prepared to give up, to help people less fortunate than yourself?
I would be ok avoiding most luxuries if I found that it would help people for me to do so. At this point, I do not allow myself many luxuries and I am not in a very good position to help people besides in a physical way so I do not currently give up anything I have, but I would not be against giving up anything I do currently have if it could help someone.
DQ: Are you a speciesist? Why or why not?
I would likely be viewed as a speciesist because I do believe that we should look out for the whole of humanity before we look out for other animals. I do not believe that animal lives do not matter or that they aren't important. Even as a means to human life, many animals are important in the ecosystems we inhabit. But bigotry against animals in many senses shouldn't be considered bigotry in the same was racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, or any other view bigoted against certain humans is.
DQ: Is meat-eating ethically defensible?
Meat eating can be viewed as an ethics question, and in that case there could be a good argument for it not being ethical. However, there is both an abundance of animals and people on the earth with animals being much more abundant. I do not see it as harmful for humans to eat animals because of this. I do see it as harmful to end an animal's life "trophy hunting" and to not use the body of that animal for any purpose other than taxidermy. That is wasteful and an indefensible way to end a life.
Alternate quiz questions:
ReplyDelete1) What percentage of Americans say that they hunt?
A: 15%
2) What ban expired in 2004 that was not reinstated because of NRA lobbying?
A: the ban on semi-automatic weapons
3) The Sandy Hook mass murderer's mother homeschooled him and taught him what sort of philosophy according to her sister-in-law?
A: "a survivalist philosophy"
4) "The directors and star" of what move said they were inspired by "Baudrillard's 1981 book [on reality] 'Simulcra and the Simulation'?"
A: "The Matrix"
5) How many states now have casinos?
A: Forty states
6) What New York City cop discussed a plan to "kidnap, murder, and cannibalize women" online and was convicted of planning a murder only for that conviction to be overturned?
A: Gilberto Valle
7) Who said, "Fantasy is a natural human activity?"
A: J. R. R. Tolkien
8) "In the last decade, more American adults have read" what book "more than any other novel?"
A: "Fifty Shade of Grey"
PHIL 1030-009
ReplyDelete1. Should college students be required OR encouraged to devote a year or two to public service immediately after graduation?
-No. Sure it sounds like a great thing, but if we have to dedicate our time to public service, then we may not be able to dedicate our time to finding a job or working in general. Also, people have children they have to dedicate their time to. So, if we are dedicating our time to public service, we can not necessarily dedicate our time to other important things. It would also probably discourage some people from applying to college.
2. Do you possess a loyalty and sense of belonging to "a greater whole"? What community/-ties do you consider inseparable from your own sense of self?
-I do not feel as if I posses a loyalty or sense of belonging to “a greater whole”. If I do belong to any “community” it would simply be society as a whole.
3. Will Artificial Intelligence surpass human intelligence, or has it already? Is this something we should worry about?
-No, it will not surpass human intelligence. Yes, the two have some things in common like long-term memory/storage and the ability to process information. However, artificial intelligence can not process information in the same way a human brain can. The human brain is immensely complex and has many networks that information can run through, while artificial intelligence runs through one system. Also, if the human brain is damaged, then it can sometimes be repaired, information can be processed once again. However, with a computer, once it is broken, it can not be repaired.
4. What "luxuries" are you prepared to give up, to help people less fortunate than yourself?
-I would give up eating out and shopping for new clothing items. I would give up having expensive new gifts on holidays and birthdays. I would give up as much as I could to help others, while still being able to provide for myself.
5. Is meat-eating ethically defensible?
-Yes, there is evidence from a nutritional standpoint that meat is good for the body when consumed in certain portions. Also, animals are here for a purpose and their purpose is to provide us with food to eat.
PHIL 1030-010
ReplyDelete"Will Artificial Intelligence surpass human intelligence, or has it already? Is this something we should worry about?"
I believe that the moment when we should begin to worry about AI surpassing humanity is when it begins to ask why it was created or begins to challenge the human race with harmful intentions.
I agree with you on this, for the most part it seems as if the AI at the moment can only be programmed to do what we humans tell it, or respond given the information we have provided. I don;t even think it has reached a point where it can think for itself. The question is though, once AI reaches a point where it begins to ask questions, will it already be too late?
DeletePHIL 1030-010
ReplyDelete"Is meat-eating ethically defensible?"
I believe that in our current of affairs regarding factory farming and how we treat animals as a result, it is very difficult to find ethical justification for such acts beyond "we must to survive and grow."
However, if we were to miraculously be able to install traditions that entail respectful dealings with and pertaining to how we treat animals - after death, as well, much like many Native American tribes - then perhaps we could say that we have a way to pacify our fears regarding our ethical dealings with animals; however, I don't believe we can ever truly justify our treatment of animals currently as we see it, what with factory farming and all.
PHIL 1030-010
ReplyDelete"What "luxuries" are you prepared to give up, to help people less fortunate than yourself?"
I would be willing to give up a pair or two of boots I own, if not all of them.
I own a lot of pairs of boots, as they are my favorite kind of shoe; but if it meant that it would be helpful to someone less fortunate, I could live just fine!
Should college students be required OR encouraged to devote a year or two to public service immediately after graduation?
ReplyDeleteI think it should be required, because not only will they receive government benefits they would also help the society at large, almost like a symbiotic relationship. It will teach them a variety of skills and values that can benefit them in the long haul. It would promote health and patriotism.
I 100% agree with you. Working a job that focuses on service I can attest to the difference it's made in my life when it comes to appreciating my fellow service worker and understanding all of the labor that goes into it. Ever since I was little my mom always talked about the value that comes with service experience, because the perspective it gives you instills a sense of empathy that you wouldn't have gotten without being behind the scenes.
DeleteSection #6
Have you had to "push beyond your awkwardness" like Royce?
ReplyDeleteYes, when I was with this girl I couldn't help but be nervous and even stumble in my own words. My heart was racing because of my awkwardness, yet what scared me more was losing the opportunity with her. So I had to overcome my awkwardness.
Do you agree with Hegel and Royce that you can know yourself only insofar as you are known by others?
ReplyDeleteYes, how people view you beyond your own biases, is you you really are, although you might want to take in a variety of input, but likewise that will give you the most accurate description. People tend to view themselves better than they really are or try to put themselves on a pedestal.
Do you possess a loyalty and sense of belonging to "a greater whole"? What community/-ties do you consider inseparable from your own sense of self?
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, the human race. No matter what if it is detrimental to our society as a race as a whole then I will do everything In my power to stop it, while secondly I am an American, so far America is one of the most decelooed countries and.where I grew up, I owe America for allowing me to be born in such a great environment, rathe than starve, do, or compete on the streets of Laos.
PHIL 1030-009
ReplyDeleteAlternative Quiz Questions:
1. According to the author (FL), what was “just like a movie”?
2. What did Gregory Orr quote about the fantasy of guns?
3. What percentage of us now say we hunt?
4. In the 1970’s how many Americans said they had a gun?
5. Why, according to the author, do most Americans keep an arsenal?
6. What is the answer to the question proposed in the book, “Why are Americans buying the semiautomatic AR-15 and rifles like it more than any other style, 1.5 million each year”?
7. What became the American uniform after the 1960’s?
8. What do experts say that mass killers are?
9. What is the chance of being murdered in New York City as of 1990, and why?
10. When did the ban on semiautomatic weapons expire?
11. In the 1980’s the conservatives feared what about the confiscation of guns?
12. What does LaPierre say about FBI background checks?
13. What quote was made by Charlton Heston about gun confiscation?
14. The fantasy-industrial complex has grown by enabling what?
In what sense are we "better off" in a society that allows huge income discrepancies between the least and best well-off?
ReplyDeleteIn a sense that we are even able to attain such extremes, such we have a chance of being exceeding poor, but the same is true for the latter. Through that potentiality of being powerfully rich, there is an allure to it, a sense of hope or luck of the draw. Whereas in a society without that, we are cap locked with each other, no matter if in makes or has an idea to make more money, that money would only flow down towards the less fortunate, which to me seems soul sucking.
Will Artificial Intelligence surpass human intelligence, or has it already? Is this something we should worry about?
ReplyDeleteIt already has through the chess ai that no one can beat, and yet it isn't something to worry about so long as we have counter measures against the ai just in case if it goes hay wire and tries to kill us. A fail safe for a fail safe for whatever, so long as one way or another it can impede the awol ai.
I agree. It has clearly passed us up in some areas including affordability. But I won't worry about AI until it possesses emotions. We barely understand the process of emotions so I see it as difficult to give it to a robot.
DeleteWhat "luxuries" are you prepared to give up, to help people less fortunate than yourself?
ReplyDeleteMy weekends, honestly I really don't mind volunteering to help people on the weekends. Days off are a luxury, and they are something I'm willing to give up so long as it can help people.
This is a luxury I feel that most people don't even realize is a luxury, or take it for granted. Time is one of the most valuable thing in everyone's life because no one can ever get it back.
Delete1. Mar 21 - made a post under DQ section
2. April 21 - posted three replies to others' comments, in comments section under discussion post
3. April 23 - posted replies to two DQs in comments section under quiz
4. April 23 - posted two replies to others' comments, in comments section under discussion posts. Total for week: 9 bases/2 runs
Are you a speciesist? Why or why not?
ReplyDeleteYes, like it or not the human race is more important than all the other sprcirs, and I'm not saying we can just go killing Willy-nilly, but we still need to look out for our kin, and if we can do it in a peaceful and conservative way, then great, however that doesn't change the fact most people would kill an animal if they had to. Thus we are all speciesist in some form through self preservation. In a way preserving yourself is preserving the human species.
Is meat-eating ethically defensible?
ReplyDeleteYes, we are humans we need food to help our numbers grown and explore. We need energy to work and promote our race, we've done it as far as our ancestors could, so why stop now? We were the ones who won in the genetic race and over took other animals and used them to help us be where we are today? So why now does it matter that we eat meat? Do you wish to throw away your heritage? If so then by all means live in the wild and eat plants and dirt.
Micah Chapman Section 11
DeleteI can agree with this view it makes logical sense to me.
1030-10
ReplyDeletePosting for JESSE POHL
1) Should college students be required OR encouraged to devote a year or two to public service immediately after graduation?
Encouraged. This should be voluntary. However, I do think people should do public service.
2) Is Descartes' "cogito ergo sum" too individualistic, or even solipsistic?
I guess some could think that.
3) Have you had to "push beyond your awkwardness" like Royce? 165
I push beyond my awkwardness on a daily basis.
4) Do you agree with Hegel and Royce that you can know yourself only insofar as you are known by others?
No. I know things about myself that others will never know. However, I think it depends on the person.
5) Do you possess a loyalty and sense of belonging to "a greater whole"? What community/-ties do you consider inseparable from your own sense of self? 169
Yes, I believe I do. My family, volunteer work, Catholicism.
6) If you were in Rawls's "Original Position," what kind of economic system would you argue for?
A fair and good one. Honestly, I am glad I am not in that position.
7) In what sense are we "better off" in a society that allows huge income discrepancies between the least and best well-off?
Best-off can give to the less-well off. Which can make us good people. We have more individuality and choice. Things are more self-determining. Survival of the fittest.
8) Will Artificial Intelligence surpass human intelligence, or has it already? Is this something we should worry about?
Intelligence will become much greater before our demise. I worry about robots taking over the world. However, they are only smart because we make them, and we program them.
9) What "luxuries" are you prepared to give up, to help people less fortunate than yourself?
Really anything. I can give up a lot, I would get used to it sooner and later.
10) Are you a speciesist? Why or why not?
I mean I think we are amazing as humans. However, we need to treat everything with respect. I think to an extent we are above animals, but everything should be given what they deserve and live a comfortable life even animals. This is not really a black or white question to me, it is more of a to what degree question.
11) Is meat-eating ethically defensible?
I mean I like meat so yes.
Alt. Quiz Questions
1) What is altruism?
2) Who does John Searle have a bone to pick with?
3) Who predicted that computers would be able to think by 2000?
4) Who disagreed on a lot but emphasized universal values over group identity?
5) Who is John Rawls?
6) Who wrote Dawn of the New Everything?
7) Who thinks “the defining idea of the coming decade will be the internet”?
8) In 1954 homosexuality was illegal. Who was given a choice between imprisonment or to undergo hormonal treatment? And what did this person do in response?
1030-10
Delete13) What is altruism?
The belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others.
14) Who does John Searle have a bone to pick with?
Francis Bacon, Rene Descartes, John Locke and Immanuel Kant
15) Who predicted that computers would be able to think by 2000?
Ray Kurzweil
16) Who disagreed on a lot but emphasized universal values over group identity?
John Locke
17) Who is John Rawls?
John Rawls, (born Feb. 21, 1921, Baltimore, Md., U.S.—died Nov. 24, 2002, Lexington, Mass.), American political and ethical philosopher, best known for his defense of egalitarian liberalism in his major work, A Theory of Justice (1971)
18) Who wrote Dawn of the New Everything?
Jaron Lanier
19) Who thinks “the defining idea of the coming decade will be the internet”?
Sam Han
20) In 1954 homosexuality was illegal. Who was given a choice between imprisonment or to undergo hormonal treatment? And what did this person do in response?
Alan Turing
1030-10
ReplyDelete2) Should college students be required OR encouraged to devote a year or two to public service immediately after graduation?
I think it should be an option rather than a rule.
3) Is Descartes' "cogito ergo sum" too individualistic, or even solipsistic?
I think it’s too individualistic because it essentially means the only way other’s exist is because he thinks they exist.
4)Have you had to "push beyond your awkwardness" like Royce? 165
Every time I have to give a speech or a presentation it is pushing beyond my awkwardness.
5)Do you agree with Hegel and Royce that you can know yourself only insofar as you are known by others?
I don’t necessarily think so, since there is so much we know about ourselves that we don’t necessarily have to tell others.
6)Do you possess a loyalty and sense of belonging to "a greater whole"? What community/-ties do you consider inseparable from your own sense of self? 169
I don’t have that sense of belonging to “greater whole”
7)If you were in Rawls's "Original Position," what kind of economic system would you argue for?
I would consider all the options carefully and then choose the right option that is highly beneficial.
8)In what sense are we "better off" in a society that allows huge income discrepancies between the least and best well-off?
I don’t think we are better off in a society like that.
9)Will Artificial Intelligence surpass human intelligence, or has it already? Is this something we should worry about?
I think it will surpass and it is something we should be really worried about.
10)What "luxuries" are you prepared to give up, to help people less fortunate than yourself?
It depends on what each one considers what luxury is, the thing that is luxury to me could be a normal thing to somebody else.
11)Are you a speciesist? Why or why not?
I really believe in the policy Live and Let live.
12)Is meat-eating ethically defensible?
I think yes, but also its just food chain.
010
ReplyDeleteDQ: Should college students be required OR encouraged to devote a year or two to public service immediately after graduation?
I think if this was a requirement than our payment for college should be said service.
Is meat-eating ethically defensible?
Depending on how the animal was harvested and how much was wasted than yes.
Will Artificial Intelligence surpass human intelligence, or has it already? Is this something we should worry about?
I dont think it has or ever will, but I am worried that it will become good enough to make humans financially obsolete.
What "luxuries" are you prepared to give up, to help people less fortunate than yourself?
I would like to say all of them but I dont think that would be honest. I would be willing to give up luxuries I dont use/need on a daily basis.
Phil 10
ReplyDeleteI am not knowledgeable of speciesist but, looking it up, I wouldn't like to discriminate or put superiority towards other species. Humanity has a way to put a system for species to be exploited for food.
Phil 10
ReplyDeleteAI will surpass human intelligence for accumulate more knowledge, and form thoughts. It should be something to keep caution because what if their thoughts or actions would negatively cause harm to humans. Even though, some of us are bad enough to cause harm.
Phil 10
ReplyDeleteMeat-eating isn't ethically defensible because we implemented a system to exploit them for food. There has been life styles that survive without meat. Plus, you can't say that you love animals if you keep eating specific species of animal, it wouldn't make sense.
9
ReplyDeleteShould college students be required OR encouraged to devote a year or two to public service immediately after graduation?
I think they should be encouraged, but not required. Most people attend college right after high school, and then attend college right after, and then get a job. Rather than going with the intention to learn, most people in the younger generations only go because they want to be able to make money/ have a job. After spending so much time and effort in college, it is important that is pays off for the person. In many cases, companies like to hire when someone is right out of school, so it is important that they immediately try to get into the field.
It would be a nice thing if everyone experienced doing public service- it might help some people understand others better.
Section 12
ReplyDeleteDQ: Will Artificial Intelligence surpass human intelligence, or has it already? Is this something we should worry about?
I don’t know for sure whether or not it has surpassed our human intelligence, simply because I don’t think artificial intelligence has gotten to the point where it can really think for itself and creatively. However, should it get to that point, I think it would be cause for concern. While that is somewhat unpredictable at this point, what we do know is there are negative consequences to some of the technology we have currently. I think we are relying a bit too much on technology, which has been linked to greater loneliness and shorter attention spans.
DQ: Should college students be required OR encouraged to devote a year or two to public service immediately after graduation?
I don’t think it should be a requirement, but I don’t see why it would be a bad thing to encourage it.
DQ: Is meat-eating ethically defensible?
Yes. While I will agree that there are problems with the meat industry, I don’t think that the very act of eating meat is inherently immoral. I would say that this is true because meat eating is very natural for humans and other animals as well. However, the issue surrounding how animals are treated and killed is another topic that certainly should be discussed as well.
Will Artificial Intelligence surpass human intelligence, or has it already? Is this something we should worry about?
ReplyDeleteAI can work an assembly line, sort thousands of pieces of data, and beat masters of chess. But, they do not have any common sense unfortunately. They do not possess general intelligence, which means they can't solve any intellectual task we are able to.
For now, they have yet to create their own thoughts or have an ability to learn how to solve issues. I do not think we have anything to worry about a robot takeover though. The worst that will happen is that people will lose their jobs.
Is meat-eating ethically defensible?
I think it would be nice if the meat industry treated their animals better. Also, the current demand for meat is currently outrageous and it's negatively affecting livestock and the environment.
Should college students be required OR encouraged to devote a year or two to public service immediately after graduation?
I think it would be nice to push students towards public service and to work for non-profits. The US job market is too centered around chasing money right now. I don't think requiring it would be good though.
- Cody Maness Section 11
Micah Chapman Section 11
DeleteArtificial intelligence will always lack in my opinion certain kinds of intelligence that makes humanity special.
Section 13
ReplyDeleteDQ: Do you possess a loyalty and sense of belonging to "a greater whole"? What community/-ties do you consider inseparable from your own sense of self?
While I am proud of my country and my heritage, I like to consider myself a citizen of the world. I’m very loyal to those I care about, but they are all so different and not at all a grouping of any kind. Because I have moved so much throughout my life, I don’t really have any local/community ties like a lot of other do when they live in the same area or are around the same types of groups. I just see all people as trying to do the best they can with what they have wherever they happen to be.
DQ: In what sense are we "better off" in a society that allows huge income discrepancies between the least and best well-off?
I don’t feel we are better off as a society; I think those who benefit from the income disparity hold a lot of power and have chosen to keep the cards stacked in their favor. Those on the other side of income disparity have been silenced for so long, being told to be thankful for they crumbs they have and to work harder if they want more. The work is unbalance, the pay is unbalance, and the rewards for innovation and technology never go back to those who helped earn it, just those who send emails and host dinners for a living. If there was more of a balanced (not perfectly balanced), our society as a whole would have a better educated, more engaged, and more productive society.
DQ: Are you a speciesist? Why or why not?
I have never heard that term until this book. After thinking it over, I think 99.99% of humankind could be considered a speciest. I personally have trouble with things like zoos, aquariums, and fishing expeditions because they are aren’t for survival, but for entertainment at the expense of another specie. At the same time, I still eat mean, have a dog, and kill recluse spiders when they are in my home. For these actions, I think I could be considered a speciest. I don’t know how not to be and still survive.
Section 13
ReplyDeleteShould college students be required OR encouraged to devote a year or two to public service immediately after graduation?
- Encouragement to public service is harmless but i think it would need to remain a choice, not a requirement.
Will artificial intelligence surpass human intelligence, or has it already? Should this be something we should worry about?
- Artificial intelligence was essentially created by human's natural intelligence. Although I don't think it will ever surpass humans, I do think it already shows signs of controlling us.
Have you had to "push beyond your awkwardness" like Royce?
* Theres multiple times in life where i have, and I'm certain there will be more.
Section 12
ReplyDeleteShould college students be required OR encouraged to devote a year or two to public service immediately after graduation?
I think this should depend on the job the student wants. This should be encouraged but not required.
https://thoughtcatalog.com/lane-loomis/2017/01/alexa-told-me-where-the-bodies-are-buried/
Will Artificial Intelligence surpass human intelligence, or has it already? Is this something we should worry about?
In my opinion it is something we should worry about, especially regarding sharing information online. We should not rely on the national database.
Micah Chapman Section 11
DeleteI tend to agree with that it is important but not a necessity.
Section 12
ReplyDeleteShould college students be required OR encouraged to devote a year or two to public service immediately after graduation?
I say no, trying to find a job after graduation is hard enough.
Have you had to "push beyond your awkwardness" like Royce?
Yes, my job has forced me to push beyond my awkwardness and learn how to communicate and interview others.
Will Artificial Intelligence surpass human intelligence, or has it already? Is this something we should worry about?
I think this is a potential worry, but I don't think it can fully ever surpass human intelligence.
Is meat-eating ethically defensible?
ReplyDeletei think that it is ethically defensible because it is how the food chain has gone for billions of years. I think that we are made to eat meat because we are able to process it. If we weren't made to consume meat then we would not be able to get nutrients from it.
I agree with this. Humans are the master species on this planet for a reason and to be surrounded by food and not use it is silly. Animals dont exist on the same plane of existence as us.
DeleteShould college students be required OR encouraged to devote a year or two to public service immediately after graduation?
ReplyDeleteI think that college should not be forced by anyone. I think that if someone was forced to go to college then they would be miserable because personally I would not be inclined to excel at my studies if I was forced to do them.
I do think that being able to serve the community would do more good then harm. I think that it would be a good way to give back and make an impact on the community.
What is the point of preserving the memory and legacy of our ancestors? Do you hope to be similarly "preservesd" by our descendants?
ReplyDeleteI think that this is mostly so we can learn from past mistakes. I think a lot of things in history repeat themselves and it's important to remember how others handled it so we can follow their example or know to do better.
Disneyfication is a term which describes the transformation of something, usually society at large, to resemble The Walt Disney Company's theme parks.
ReplyDelete8) Will Artificial Intelligence surpass human intelligence, or has it already? Is this something we should worry about? I believe we already there it might not be official yet but I know that AI is around us even if we don’t see it
ReplyDeleteI believe it also might already be there, we use technology to help us do things we can not do ourselves. #5
DeleteA major argument of Andersen's book is that our dominant religion has become what?
ReplyDeletemajor argument of this book is that Americans are not just exceptionally religious but that our dominant religion has become exceptionally literal and fantastical—childlike—during the last fifty years in particular
*** What can we do to restore a public/political commitment to facts, reality, and truth? ***
ReplyDeleteI think that it starts with the media. If the media starts leaving their biases in the garbage where they belong, and if they start focuses on the facts and leaving their opinions out of it and just giving us the raw information, then the people will follow.
*** Why do so many extreme conservatives proudly proclaim their lack of knowledge and expertise ("I'm not a scientist but..." etc.)? Is Know-Nothingism a winning political strategy? What are its long-term implications for the nation?***
ReplyDeleteIt is a very sad fact that there is a group of very conservative people that strongly distrust the government and think everything is a conspiracy. These people convince themselves that their lack of knowledge on the subject is valid comes from their belief that public education is equivalent to brainwashing.
*** Do you value truth and honesty, even though our "leaders" increasingly do not? ***
ReplyDeleteThere 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.
That was a great way of putting it. What is a man if he cant keep and own up to his words.
DeleteSection 11
*** Is religious missionary fieldwork inherently hypocritical? How can missionaries avoid hypocrisy? ***
ReplyDeleteI 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 "knock the dust off their shoes" 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.
I agree. There are right ways and wrong ways to do it but most missionaries are there to spread the gospel and ENCOURAGE people to believe not force them to.
Delete*** What is the point of preserving the memory and legacy of our ancestors? Do you hope to be similarly "preserved" by our descendants? ***
ReplyDeleteI think it is important to preserve them in memory because they are the reason we are hear today. To some extent, we owe our existence to their hard work. And that should be remembered.
*** Do you possess a loyalty and sense of belonging to "a greater whole"? What community/-ties do you consider inseparable from your own sense of self? ***
ReplyDeleteThe greatest community I belong to is the worldwide community of brothers and sisters saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. This community surpasses the local church, and it surpasses our cultural view of Christianity. It includes everyone from everywhere who has accepted Jesus as their lord and savior.
What "luxuries" are you prepared to give up, to help people less fortunate than yourself?
ReplyDeleteI think abouth this often, I am willing to give up anything I know I don't need, and they would appreciate. I have family in another country where they dont have the luxuries I do. Something I have given up are stuff I hear they want. I had a camera, and one of my relatives wanted one. I know it's easier for me to get another one later on in the road, I also have a phone so I did not hesitate on giving it to them. I would give the simplest things I know I could get myself easily. #5
April 27th: replied to a comment about Should college students be required OR encouraged to devote a year or two to public service
April 27th: replied to Is meat-eating ethically defensible
April 27th: Replied to Will Artificial Intelligence surpass human intelligence
April 27th; commented on What "luxuries" are you prepared to give up
4 bases/1 run
#5
ReplyDelete"Do you value truth and honesty, even though our "leaders" increasingly do not?"
I do value truth and honesty. Lying just digs yourself a deeper hole and you will find it difficult to find a way to climb out. I believe it's human nature to lie here and there, but leaders of our countries should probably think a little more before doing so as we look to them for clarity and comfort.
#5
ReplyDelete"Is "maybe" the best answer to the question of life's being worth living?"
I would think so. I think a lot of still are not sure if we serve a purpose in life. I know for a long time, I didn't really care about anything until my little brother was born and I came back to school. My goal is to make sure he has someone in his life to look up to as well as I want to become an important member of the APA (American Psychology Association).
Is "maybe" the best answer to the question of life's being worth living?
ReplyDeleteNo, everyone's life is worth living. Everyone has a purpose even if they don't see it right now. There is always a reason to live.
section 5
I agree, while I understand that the constant pain and grief associated with life can make that answer seem most appropriate, I think life should be given more credit than that. Consciousness and the ability to experience anything at all is a miracle only granted to a select few.
DeleteSection #6
Do you value truth and honesty, even though our "leaders" increasingly do not?
ReplyDeleteI do value the truth. I believe that every relationship is built on trust and that every friendship or connection will eventually fail if there is no trust.
section 5
What is the point of preserving the memory and legacy of our ancestors? Do you hope to be similarly "preserved" by our descendants?
ReplyDeleteI think its very important to have that memory of our ancestors as they pose as examples for what we should or shouldn't do in our lives. I hope that I could also lead as a good example for my descendants.
section 5
I agree and they do teach us valuable lessons that maybe life cant do right now at the moment. But I believe you will a fantastic job !
DeleteSection 11
Why do so many extreme conservatives proudly proclaim their lack of knowledge and expertise ("I'm not a scientist but..." etc.)? Is Know-Nothingism a winning political strategy? What are its long-term implications for the nation?
ReplyDeleteI think they do this because they don't see it as themselves proclaiming their ignorance, but rather they see it as the scapegoat that lets them spout out whatever unfounded theory and fraudulent information that's convenient at the time, without the fear of future accountability or blame.
Unfortunately, this political strategy seems to be winning a lot. It's like this weird suit of armor that makes politicians impenetrable. It seems counterintuitive but it works.
I think one of the main long-term implications is that it will gradually breed more and more distrust and confusion in the American people when looking for reliable data and guidance. This will start to erode the nation's credibility and people's confidence in this country.
Section #6
Do you value truth and honesty, even though our "leaders" increasingly do not?
ReplyDeleteYes I do value truth and honesty, and I am aware that our leaders do not always tell the truth. I am sure they have a good reason though. I guess knowing that a lot of people do not tell the truth is what makes me value honesty more.
Should college students be required OR encouraged to devote a year or two to public service immediately after graduation?
ReplyDeleteI think it should be encouraged and not required. If it is required, is it really from the goodness of your heart? Also I am sure that most people after their studies will be exhausted and would much rather finally live their life.
I agree it wouldn't be bad helping out but college students we have to go and do a lot that after graduation we just want to travel, internship somewhere, get our place just live life before cracking down fully in our degree or career.
DeleteSection 11
Will Artificial Intelligence surpass human intelligence, or has it already? Is this something we should worry about?
ReplyDeleteI don't think AI has yet surpassed human intelligence, but I definitely believe that it could happen anytime. The concept of a technological singularity has worried me for a long time now because we truly are reaching that point in out advancements. It isn't helpful either that us humans have a tendency to play into the excitement of the moment and focus solely on the instant reward, which can make us oblivious to the impending doom clouds emerging behind us. Up to this point, humans have always had some form of control over their inventions or the ability to direct its course in some way. However when it comes to this situation, I see it as a ticking time bomb that we can never regain control over.
Section #6
Do you find it odd, charming, or just normal that so many childless adults, like Peter Pan, don't want to grow up-and keep going to Disneyland?
ReplyDeleteI've never really put much thought into, but in framing it this way it seems more normal and explainable to me than odd. I do also find it a little endearing, but somber as well. I think there's a part in all of us that continuously longs for the purity and simplicity of childhood, so it makes complete sense that people go to places like Disneyland where there's an exception to the rule and it's okay to act like a kid again. It's normal to not want to be an adult for a while and the image of adults embodying this childlike essence is a charming one. However, the image of an amusement park full of childless adults that fear growing up is also a sad one, because it's an impossible dream and having to come to that realization can be depressing and bleak.
Section #6
Is "maybe" the best answer to the question of life's being worth living?
ReplyDeleteMaybe is a good answer but I would not say the best because life is full of surprises, ups and downs, different turn of events you never know what is going to happen and in cases people have different view points on the question of life worth living.
Section 11