FINAL EXAMINATION: summer 2007, Introduction to Philosophy professorDavid C. Lane, Ph.D.Instructions
1. Be sure to place your entire FINAL on your website and when youare finished send a link of yourtest to your teacher directly at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/msacphilosophygroup/post?postID=DG4kSIot8BOnckCvMhQGT9Zk_RjLzhQqvEjj2FuZrgqrKanlg2Ml47eXorRiQ-vq2VyyDnv4NhHhEMuPLd2fc8g (don't sendit to any other email address, except that)
2. Make sure that it is YOUR OWN work and that if you use otherauthors please be sure toquote and/or cite the material appropriately. Plagiarism will not betolerated and you will receivean "F" automatically for the examination.
3. The test is due NO LATER than August 3 at midnite.
3a. Each answer should be at least two paragraphs long, if not muchlonger.
3b. What grade do you deserve and why?Answer: A, I got a B on the midterm; I’ll do the extra credit as listed on the website, that will surely bring up the grade. I worked very hard for this class, sometimes I viewed the lectures twice in order to answer the questions properly. ----------------------------------4. What is your
Friday, August 3, 2007
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Week 6: Post 3 - Short Film
The film Inner Visions and Running Trains was about Faqir Chand, who was fighting in Iraq. The theme was about believing in something that you didn’t actually experience it. The movie was about consciousness, and how we dream about things we expect, not realizing the reality. Chand had a vision in Iraq to put down his ammunition, which caused their lives saved. Right after that, he started worshipping his guru. He had a strong point, what people believe, is what they would most likely to follow. The third video was really hard to understand, their were more of pictures than quotes or narrative. The theme was that people in India believe in baba’s who cant really satisfy their needs. They pose as part of god who can satisfy human needs. I have seen couple of baba’s video where they are caught doing what they say is a miracle.
Week 6: Post 2 - Reading
A Free Man's Worship by Bertrand Russell. A Free Man's Worship essay was written in 1929. In the essay, Russell talks about how human created this god concept. He states that human found powerful nature, and thus they started worshipping god. He said that we have created this sense that there is life after death, in order to make us feel better. I completely disagree with Russell point of view. I found his views hilarious in a way that makes me feel bad that there are these types of people in the world. But again, this a free will, he can do whatever he likes. But, his aguments make me believe that he is a anti-religion type of peron.
Week 6: Post 1 - Lecture
Daniel Dennett is a philosophy teacher, talked about Daniel Dennett. He has written many books, including Consciousness Explained, Darwin’s Dangerous Ideas and Freedom Evolves. Dannett started off with talking about his latest talks and groups. He also talks in details regarding, natural selection, free-will, life, and consciousness. I did agree with his point of view at some extent. I personally think that the natural selection has some design and purpose. The future is inevitable, it does come, and people predict, but not always predictions come true. He mentions that the free will lacks some of the traditional properties. I found his arguments kind of weird on design and free will.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Week 5: Post 3 - Short Videos
Flame On, the video was about homosexuality and long list of famous people being homosexual such as Plato and Socrates. Those are the best philosophers, but not sure how they can live up with that. The term has become common in the 21st century, but in the previous centuries, people were afraid to go out and admit themselves as one. Not because it was wrong, but because people wont let them live or something. The one quote I really liked from the movie was “We simply don't know what is our best and worst quality”. That is 100% true, we human don’t realize how qualities in order to make use of them. If we just know, what we suppose to do, or even think positive, we can probably become better human being.
The short video was about re-living every moment, every single day of live, again and again. The argument was raised, will you live every moment of life again? For me, I would love, I would love to live my life again, and surely make a difference. Actually, I have thought of this question many times before, but never heard from someone else, like the one in the video. I’m not sure what will be the answer by most of the people, but for me, I can live every moment of life again without getting bored. But, the big question is that, if we live our life again, will we know the future, at this time we did this, and events like graduations, and all the major events that has happened? If, we don’t know this, than it might be a new life, such as the one we are living in now.
The short video was about re-living every moment, every single day of live, again and again. The argument was raised, will you live every moment of life again? For me, I would love, I would love to live my life again, and surely make a difference. Actually, I have thought of this question many times before, but never heard from someone else, like the one in the video. I’m not sure what will be the answer by most of the people, but for me, I can live every moment of life again without getting bored. But, the big question is that, if we live our life again, will we know the future, at this time we did this, and events like graduations, and all the major events that has happened? If, we don’t know this, than it might be a new life, such as the one we are living in now.
Week 5: Post 2 - Reading
On the Genealogy of Morals A Polemical Tract by Nietzsche. Nietzsche starts off by saying that we are very much ignorant in every way. He discussed morality of life, and how small things are bad. He mentioned two type of behaviors we are living with, either good or bad. He also talks about things are being forgotten slowly, that are not suppose to be forgotten, such as reading, people don’t usually practice anymore like they used, maybe because of the time. We have made ourselves so much busy that we don’t have time to do good deeds. Nietzsche state that we have made ourselves to forget things, we do not understand ourselves, and we are just enjoying things to be shown as experienced person.
Peace, Non-violence and Conflict Resolution by Gandhi. Gandhi is a well known idealist, who is known for peace by force of non-violence. People like Martin Luther King Jr, were also inspired by his actions of non-violence. Gandhi states that the nonviolence is a practice for everyone, not only for people in war, but for every regular person on the street. Gandhi proposed a very simple but effective formula that leads toward nonviolence. He shows very common way to fight violence: active force, matchless bravery, and the exercise is faith. Gandhi state that in order to fight violence, is by doing nonviolence, put all the guns down with literally no weapons against the enemies. Everyone can fight each other, they can be stronger than each other, but in his view, if everyone put downs the violence, then its truly democracy.
Peace, Non-violence and Conflict Resolution by Gandhi. Gandhi is a well known idealist, who is known for peace by force of non-violence. People like Martin Luther King Jr, were also inspired by his actions of non-violence. Gandhi states that the nonviolence is a practice for everyone, not only for people in war, but for every regular person on the street. Gandhi proposed a very simple but effective formula that leads toward nonviolence. He shows very common way to fight violence: active force, matchless bravery, and the exercise is faith. Gandhi state that in order to fight violence, is by doing nonviolence, put all the guns down with literally no weapons against the enemies. Everyone can fight each other, they can be stronger than each other, but in his view, if everyone put downs the violence, then its truly democracy.
Week 5: Post 1 - Expert Lecture
The expert lecture by Sam Harris. Harris wrote a well known book The End of Faith. Harris started off apologizing on the lecture might offend people. Then he defined believe, what is believe. He defined it to be “believes are machinery and guidance to our behavior through time”. In his understanding that believes are becoming human suffering to religious people. He points out different religious moderations that are taking place, all of them relate to believes that have become compulsory to follow in society, such as the one Jesus coming to save the world. I could tell by the Harris examples regarding religion and religious believers were related to compatibility issue with science. Religious believers tend to focus on religion, and they believe in what Bible or Quran has to say, and ignoring the fact on finding ourselves in this universe can reveal so much unknowingness which leads towards moderations. One of the strongest points by Harris was that the Bible and Quran believers only believe in their books, which he said are the two books that are most powerful among other books in the world, but following blindly on a religion causes issues, from Harris point of view. It was a very good lecture. I found myself not agreeing with his point of views, but they were good points.
The lecture, Why Turn Vegetarian. First of all, the movie had very good reasons, why to become vegetarian, extremely well developed reasons. One thing I didn’t like about the movie was the killing of animals on screen, that’s horrible. I know that animals do fear, experience death, and want to be free. But, they are in the world to be eaten. There are also good sides to eating meat, such as very enormous amount of calories. It will take more time to eat same amount of calories if the person is veg. Furthermore, there are also bad sided to eating meat, such as fatness and unhealthy food. But that is true, there are more negative facts to eating meat.
The lecture, Why Turn Vegetarian. First of all, the movie had very good reasons, why to become vegetarian, extremely well developed reasons. One thing I didn’t like about the movie was the killing of animals on screen, that’s horrible. I know that animals do fear, experience death, and want to be free. But, they are in the world to be eaten. There are also good sides to eating meat, such as very enormous amount of calories. It will take more time to eat same amount of calories if the person is veg. Furthermore, there are also bad sided to eating meat, such as fatness and unhealthy food. But that is true, there are more negative facts to eating meat.
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