POST#14-NATURALISM

In general, philosophy concerns itself with reason and the giving of reasons for one’s positions and beliefs. To philosophers, the person with the best arguments wins the contest of ideas. This means that even an argument that is very technical and contains little or no rhetorical devices, is very exciting because arguments are at the center of action. Also, in a broadly democratic culture, engaging in reasoned debate rather than violence to persuade others to adopt a policy or course of action is essential. So it is important to be familiar with the reasons and arguments both for and against naturalism. List and explain some of the reasons for and against NATURALISM.

Post#13-PRAGMATISM

We can say of a tool that it works, is efficient, gets the job done, is useful, lives up to our expectations, is better than the competitions, and serves our needs and wants.

To what extent could the same descriptions apply to a concept or a belief? Are some beliefs better than others because they are more useful when applied within our everyday lives?

Post #12-Moral Philosophy

Today we discussed Moral Philosophy.  Moral Philosophy basically examines the rightness and wrongness of our behavior.  Below is a Moral Dilemma that I would like you to answer.  Determine which is best coure of action to take and explain why.

Hypothetical #1:  You are stranded with thirty people on a lifeboat that is intended to hold only seven. No one can paddle this heavy boat and it is definitely going to sink, drowning everyone inside it. It occurs to you that you can save some of the people in the lifeboat by asking all but the strongest rowers to go overboard. Do you think it would be morally permissible to save some people by asking others to go overboard?

Post #11-Rationalism

Describe the strengths and weaknesses of a rationalistic philosophy.

Post#10-TPQ: Life

Great discussion in class today.  Here is another reflective question AND be specific.
Question: What gets you excited about life?

Post#9-Thought Provoking Questions

“Asking the right questions.”-This is what philosophy is all about.  Philosophy thrives on asking questions that make people think. 

Please answer this Thought Provoking Question (TPQ): When was the last time you tried something new?  What was it?

Post #8-Justifying Your Beliefs.

We have been learning about the criteria for determining when a belief moves from opinion to fact-i.e., Knowledge.  Identify one belief you have and provide a rational evidence based justification for that belief.

Post #7-Arguments

Explain what makes an argument strong? Provide examples.

Post#6-Plato's Allegory of the CAVE

1) What is an Allegory?; 2) Provide examples of 5-popular allegorical novels/books?; 3) On Monday we will learn about Plato and his allegory of the cave.  Plato's view of reality as well his concept of knowledge is represented by this allegory.  In his allegory of the cave, what does Plato suggest is true about reality? Please reference the following web link for details to help you answer this question (http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/allegory.html).

Post # 5-Plato

Explain in 5-sentences (Max) who Plato was and what ideas he was best known for postulating.

Post #4-Socrates: Dangerous IDEAS!

Today in class we discussed the 6-areas of philosophy.  We then began our lecture discussing the famous Western Philosopher-Socrates.  We learned that as a result of his ideas, Socrates was punished by the State (Athens, Greece) for corrupting the minds of the young.  Question:  What makes an idea dangerous?  When you answer the question provide specific examples to suport your view.  Watch the following video by Dr. Kaku to energize your ideas and opinions.  You can comment on Dr. Kaku's views but come up with additional examples of dangerous ideas (Hint:  you may have to do a google search).

http://bigthink.com/ideas/38469

Post #3: What Do Philosophers Study?

Answer the post question by visiting this website from Texas A&M: http://philosophy.tamu.edu/Academics/Undergrad/what_philosophers_do.html

POST #2-Other's Purpose

How can we identify the purpose of someone else's existence?  Is this possible, if we have difficulty arriving at our own purpose for living?  What advice would you give a friend who says, "I do not know what I should be or what I should be doing in this life?

PURPOSE IN LIFE

What is your purpose in life?  How do you know? Define: Epistemology.  Also: Portaportal is giving me problems.  Use this site to access philosophical works: file:///Users/admin/Desktop/Philosophy/Philosophy%20Texts%20Online.webarchive