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Post by Celina Felix on Jul 1, 2015 4:16:50 GMT
Week 1- Essay Questions
1. Socrates was sentenced to death after his trial against the accusations made from Melitus. Melitus accuses Socrates of being a disbeliever of gods (impious) and a corrupter of the youth, and during the trail Socrates asks questions to Melitus concerning his knowledge behind what is good for the youth and what it means to disbelieve the gods. Due his philosophical questions Socrates was found guilty by the jurors and was sentenced to prison where he'll await his death. While he remains in prison, Socrates writes and apology to the people of Athens and informs them of his innocence and justice. He also claims that it is in his right to obey the law, for it is laws are made to follow. So, without the fear of death because death is a happier life beyond this one, Socrates dies from the hemlock poison that he was voted upon to drink.
2.There is conflict between science and religion because each relate to the belief of human existence. While science discusses matter, evolution, physics and biology, religion is based on a latent belief of god or gods that give reason to the existence, ethics, and morals for humankind to follow until their death. In the film, Plato's Allegory of the Cave, the illusion of a higher power and respect is shown in the example of the Wizard of Oz where there is a man controlling the illusion of power that in some aspects may go against religion and direct the focus towards what is real or how matter is equivalent to realness. Meanwhile, it is also typical for humans to view life as one that is not just physiological, but spiritual. I believe that is where religion and science clash, because reason for life can take from away each belief.
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Post by Celina Felix on Jul 12, 2015 23:26:26 GMT
Week 2-Essay Questions
1. Understanding physics and the general rules of the universe are important in doing philosophy because of the fundamental issues that are related to reality and existence. Matter is believed to be what all things are made of; therefore, the study of matter is crucial towards understanding the reason of all things. Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motions through space and time. Energy and force also relate to physics, but you can also find these concepts when studying the general rules of the universe. When partaking in philosophy, knowledge of physics and the general rules of the universe can assist a thought to become proven. Philosophers have studied physics or quantum physics to understand the universe through equations, laws, and phenomenas to research, construct hypotheses/theories and make observations.
2. Eliminative materialism is the belief that mental states do not exist. It is a claim that the common understanding of the mind is false (folk philosophy) such as beliefs, desires and subjective sensation of pain. Instead of relating reason to spiritual belief, eliminative materialism results to physiological observations. One example is how some mental illnesses can be religiously classified as being "possessed", while there are physiological explanations that justify them instead. There were few examples given in the short videos on the course website where inter-theoretic reductionism plays its role in mythological beliefs that explain phenomena. An example such as Thor the thunder god once being responsible for the cause of thunder is now instead reasoned through eliminative materialism that claims that there are electricmagnetic currents that cause them. Intellectual reductionism pertains to the reasoning in our own consciousness that does not become justified through anatomy, but instead arises from an old religious comprehension of it. An example of this would be the terms we use to describe what is going on in our own beings, such as desire, motivation, and free will.
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Post by Celina Felix on Jul 13, 2015 19:09:55 GMT
Week 3-Essay Questions
1. The theory of evolution is important in understanding how humans behave because our bodies have evolved physiologically; there, our minds, thoughts, and behaviors have evolved congruently to its time, also. By learning from species and other animals, one can turn and focus the observation on human behavior as well. There are slight differences between species, but the overall theory of natural selection has taken place upon all. However, understanding how humans behave could illuminate ideas of what evolved to create this behavior.
2. There are some question there may be asked concerning the aspects where evolution cannot answer. As a woman, I would like to understand why is it that woman bare and tolerate high pain tolerance than men? If it’s for maternal purposes, why must the woman undergo menstruation, but men receive the potential to build greater muscle density? Where did female bones and structures evolve from?
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Post by Celina Felix on Aug 1, 2015 5:05:53 GMT
Week 4-Essay Questions
1. The virtual simulation theory is an explanation of how we can easily believe what we see, but it may really not be so. Our brains can play tricks when it comes to our immediate vision perceptions. An example of the virtual simulation theory is found in the video, "Disneyland of Consciousness," where it shows ride at Disneyland having attractions that the human eye can perceive as real presences. There have been many experiences in my life where I believed I saw a silhouette of a human body. My sympathetic nervous system was in full effect, until I realized it was just a towel on top the dresser. It's astonishing and almost frightening how the mind and visual system can assist in alluding thoughts that we can believe are real.
2. The benefit of our mind playing tricks on us can assist in our alert awareness. If we perceive something that truly isn't there out of paranoia, the beneficial aspect of that could pertain to being prepared for the worse or, in this case, what we think. There can be many grateful situations that occur when our minds play tricks on us. It could be beneficial for our genetic survival, for we as human beings can prepare ourselves for the worse or even the most illusive situations. Also, as stated by Harvard University biologist Kevin R. Foster and biologist in Cerebral Mirage, "the inability of individuals , human or otherwise, to assign casual probabilities to all sets of events that occur around them will often force them to lump casual associations in order to establish those that are essential for survival and reproduction."
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Post by Celina Felix on Aug 1, 2015 6:01:22 GMT
Week 5- Essay Questions
1. I believe that artificial intelligence can and may be a significant problem in the future, because of the species itself that create it. Humans can be unpredictable and not certainly explained; therefore, creations of artificial intelligence can be threatening to human kind, more so than beneficial. One can imagine uncontrollable circumstances that relate to overloads of intelligence that can be similar to human behavior when they are accessed to intelligence. Power is a common abuse when into the hands of intelligent minds. It wouldn't be surprising for artificial intelligence to pick up on social behavior, negative and positive, and abuse its intelligence. Although Ray Kurzweil is mostly optimistic and astound of the progress in technology and its increase in understanding the human mind, but I find it a bit unnatural and invading to society.
2. Technology has impacted my life tremendously. I have an iPhone and Mac and they have assisted my research immensely and helped with my research at Mt. San Antonio. Nevertheless, I've taken two classes online that were not available on campus, but are credited the same. However, I do see technology as distracting and time consuming in many aspects. I see my family spending the most of there time entertained by such discovery that they rarely spend time doing actually interaction with nontechnical or outdoor entertainment. Also, technology in hospitals has played roles in assisting family and friends to be cured of illnesses and intestinal ruptures. It is only in those senses where I appreciate technology's existence.
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Post by Celina Felix on Aug 1, 2015 6:13:42 GMT
Week 6-Essay Questions
1. Faqir Chand's experiences are important in understanding the projective nature of religious visions and miracles, because of his experience. As it states in The Unknown Sage, Chand’s “unknowing” hypothesis explains most guru visions experienced in the world. It is important in understanding the illusory nature of religious visions because no matter what experiences religions or explanations, there is still the mystery of the time of death and why. He was admired and worships for his role in saving the lives of his men, due to his visions. But he couldn't take responsibility for religious certainty.
2. The phrase, "Philosophy done well is science; philosophy done poorly remains philosophy," can be interpreted to pertain to the actual reason why humans have philosophical thoughts. Philosophy is based on arguments to enhance knowledge about topics that pertain to existence, reason, and/or ethics. Philosophy that is research and experimented on leads to the other subjects that define reason, science. Therefore, if philosophy was done well it would result to science to assist and back up its claims, while philosophy done poorly stays at an argument, but never fully is researched and examined likewise to science.
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