Welcome to Introduction to Western Philosophy, CMCC Fall Semester 2008!
I assure you, the study of philosophy will enrich your life whatever your future career plans may be:
Don't be fooled by the rumors you may have heard that philosophy is boring or exceedingly difficult to understand:
As a matter of fact, the entire history of Western Philosophy can be recited in just over five minutes. Perhaps by the end of the semester you will be able do so in UNDER five minutes...
But, why would we want to rush through a subject so exciting and fun?
I propose, instead, that we spend an entire semester discussing the meaning of life and perhaps even how one may achieve happiness:
Now, it's YOUR turn! Class members, please introduce yourselves by commenting here on some (at least two) of the following questions:
What do people get out of studying philosophy?
What abilities might you derive from studying philosophy?
What are some questions philosophers might try to answer?
What is a PERSON?
What distinguishes people from objects such as chairs and trees?
What does it mean to have a "mind"?
Are people different from other living creatures in terms of the "mind"?
If so, how?
What do you believe you do to make your life meaningful and significant?
What are the top three "big questions" you try to answer in your own life?
Try to post some comments here prior to the first class!
See you on Thursday night!
Posts
25 comments:
What do people get out of studying philosophy? They could possibly find a fulfillment in their lives. An understanding how and why things occur in the universe.
What is a PERSON? Any human being no matter in what stage of life they are in.
What distinguishes people from objects such as chairs and trees? We have consciousness thoughts.
What do you believe you do to make your life meaningful and significant? I try to ensure that the people around me are not being negatively affected by existence.
Leslie D.
What do you believe you do to make your life meaningful and significant?
I like to question life itself. (hence why I am taking this class) I like to think about what I could do to make myself and others happier or more "whole". I read a lot of self-improvement books and like to look at life at different perspectives.
What are the top three "big questions" you try to answer in your own life?
What is the meaning of life?
What is love?
Is their really such thing as nirvana or complete self realization?
What do people get out of studying philosophy?
People may get a different view on things, perhaps a totally different view than they could have ever thought of having.
What distinguishes people from objects such as chairs and trees?
People are different from chairs because they are living, moving, and breathing beings. They eat, move, and think. Chairs cannot do any of the above.
Trees on the other hand are living and breathing. However, they do not think or move (other than growing).
What does it mean to have a "mind"?
To have a "mind" is to be able to think for oneself; to be able to make one's own decisions. Maybe it is the ability to think alone.
Asmo
What are some questions philosophers might try to answer?
A Philosopher would likely answer questions about: logic, reality, religion and the reason for existence of life. Philosopher also answers question of ethics.
What distinguishes people from objects such as chairs and trees?
What differ people from objects and trees are emotion (feeling), brain (thinking, and understanding the meaning of life.
What do people get out of studying philosophy?
Understanding different points of view, learning to become more open-minded.
Getting closer to finding answers to those big questions in life: why are we here? What's the meaning of life?
Are people different from other living creatures in terms of the "mind"? If so, how?
The "mind" (consciousness?) seems to be what goes on inside the "brain" (a physical organ). All animals have brains, but people have a very different awareness.
Almost any pet owner will tell you that animals do appear to think when figuring out how to do something-- it's not always just pure instinct, but an actual thinking process.I'm not entirely sure a dog or cat has the same consciousness as a person, though. Maybe.
What distinguishes people from objects such as chairs and trees?
people have the choice to be what they want to be. chairs and trees are just chairs and trees, they do not have feelings, thoughts, dreams or the ability to change. on the other hand, people have the capability to feel, think, dream and change.
What are the top three "big questions" you try to answer in your own life?
what is my purpose?
how do people love?
where do i go after this?
What abilities might you derive from studying philosophy?
The abilities I want to derive from studying philosophy are: fine tuning ,my critical thinking skills, greater understanding of the belief systems of those I share the planet with, and to understand how I've obtained my basic belief system (I am always fine-tuning).
What are some questions philosophers might try to answer?
First and foremost, why "we" feel the need to answer questions. Then, of course, the obligatory why are we here, why do we do the things we do and believe the what we do?
What distinguishes people from objects such as chairs and trees?
Nothing or something depending upon the belief of who you are asking. Some might say people are different because they thing, feel, understand, etc., whereas objects do not. Another belief systems may not concur.
What do you believe you do to make your life meaningful and significant?
I love freely, keep an open mind, and I try to put myself in another's shoes to understand where they are "coming from".
What do people get out of philosophy?
I think people will have a better understanding of how things work in the world. Also they will ponder ideas they may have never thought about and perhaps find the answer.
What are the top three "big questions" you try to answer in your own life?
Why do unfair things happen to good,genuine people?
Is there really life after death?
Why do some of the people you care most about in this world, dont seem to care about you?
What distinguishes people from objects such as chairs and trees?
well we are alive (unlike chairs)and we also are capuble of criticle thought
Are people different from other living creatures in terms of the "mind"? If so, how?
we are diffrent because we are capuble of deeper thought. we analize things. we crave knowledge not only about the world we live in but also about ourselves as well.
Are people different from other living creatures in terms of the "mind"?
If so, how?
Animals and humans aren't really all that different. I see it as just a matter of development. Humans had to develop their brains in order to survive. What are the top three "big questions" you try to answer in your own life?
1.Whats the best way to live my life?
2.Is there any purpose to life on earth, or are we just atoms like everything else?
3.Why are we the way we are?
What do people get out of studying philosophy?
A few possibilities. New perspectives on issues that they hadn’t thought of before, a bit of meaning in their lives, and understanding of how things are or how they could be- or some combination of the three.
What abilities might you derive from studying philosophy?
The ability to think in a logical manner. To go from a mental starting point and move forward based on that starting point, and see where you end up.
What is a PERSON?
Any sentient and sapient being.
What distinguishes people from objects such as chairs and trees?
Aside from the obvious biological differences, people are self-aware, trees probably aren’t, chairs definitely aren’t. They’re dead.
Are people different from other living creatures in terms of the "mind"?
I think that a human mind just has more layers than the species that it evolved from. Even if another species were self aware and “rational” it would think in a very different way than how we think, if only by virtue of the fact that they evolved in a completely different biological line.
I'm so pleased to see these thoughtful comments! Keep 'em coming. All blog posts count towards your class participation grade, and more than that, they help to create the "philosopher's forum" where we can share our thoughts on the big questions.
NH
The Answer to the Great Question Of . . . Life, the Universe and Everything . . . [is] Forty-two.
Author: Douglas Adams
Source: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (ch. 27)
My name is Leslie Desmond. I am currently a General Studies major planning to transfer to USM. Something that you can't forget about me is I obessed with ducks.
Oh, by the way.... My name's Christine, and I'm a Liberal Studies student. I expect to be graduating from CMCC in December and then transferring to USM for Media Writing. This is the third class I've taken with Nancy. I'm a big fan.
My name is Augden, I am at the moment general studies but will be moving to liberal studies soon. Philosophy interests me for many reasons. My biggest reason is that fact that it center's around thought, peoples thoughts and theories. Philosophy makes you question. You have always been told one thing, and then they make you wonder "why is that" "who says that's why" and so on. Plato, Nietzsche, de Sade, an the list goes on. Morals, that subject I could on all day. What makes something immoral or moral. A topic brought up constantly in philosophy.
My name is Rich Lake and Im a student in your Western Phil. class that meets Wednesday nights at CMCC..that being said, I'll see ya in class tomorrow night!
What do people get out of studying philosophy?
I think people get a better understanding of themselves and everything else and people who understand themselves are generally happier people.
What are the top three "big questions" you try to anwser in your own life?
1:What am i going to do for a career?
2:Is there a such thing as everlasting love?
3:What else is out there for me?
hi im alyssa, im a libral studys majore but in december im graduation and transfering to USM where im going to major in history.
Hi I am Cheryl. I graduated in May, Liberal Studies program. I am back taking classes ala carte while I get my act together to transfer to LAC's Leadership and Organizational Studies program. Something quirky about my self: I tend to sing Christmas carols in July, pretty weird considering I don't much care for that holiday.
My name is Lisa and I am majoring in liberal studies and I am planning to transfer to a university but I am not sure which one yet. I am not quite sure what I want to be majoring in but I want to do something like animal training for exotic/marine animals or something that has to do with animal behavior.
Are people different from other living creatures in terms of the "mind"?
I believe that people and animals are alike in terms of the mind. The process of thinking is basically the same. Animals don’t do everything just off of instincts they have an actual thought process. But are minds are just more complex and evolved than other living creatures.
What are the top three "big questions" you try to answer in your own life?
-Why do bad things happen to good people?
-What is my purpose in life?
-Who am I really and am I the person I want to be?
-What is really wrong and right in life?
What do people get out of studying philosophy?
A sense of awe, and, I think, the ability to enjoy just living more. When people don't just stop and think, the everday just becomes a blur.
What are some questions philosophers might try to answer?
What is the origin of consciousness? (No individual cell has consciousness, the brain is greater than the sum of its parts.)
Why do we exist at all? Why does anything exist? What is the purpose of everything?
Personally, I think there's absolutely no reason for anything. Does anything really matter in the end? I don't think so. Some might call it morbid, but I find it fascinating. When I think about it, I realize everything in our reality is based on a) cycles or b) equilibrium. Both suggest that nothing can ever REALLY change. We are the impossibly lucky wielders of an infinitely ephemeral spark of consciousness, we might as well have fun with it.
Are people different from other living creatures in terms of the "mind"?
If so, how?
John Locke declared, "beasts abstract not." This is what separates us from other animals. While some higher apes do seem to have some abstract notions (On the Abstractions of Beasts, by Carl Sagan), they are never as complex as ours. I believe our language, and our need to communicate due to our social nature has helped build these abstract notions.
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