Blog Post #12

I think Nussbaum’s argument about how life is dependent on luck and chance are for the most part true. There are some people out there who make their own luck but I believe them to be the minority not the majority. Some people just have better luck than others. I would describe myself as an unlucky person. One time I went to a silent auction raffle, I put 50 raffle tickets in a bag and found out that there were 62 in total in the bag. Now i have more than double the odds to win, but I did not, the other person did. Nussbaum’s argument does not make me feel any differently about my values, I work hard and try because I want to. I happen to be more of a pessimistic person so when I do fail I still will blame myself, regardless of how unlucky I am as a person.

Blog Post #11

Schopenhauer talks about how tragedy is necessary to life. This helps us make sense of tragedy because I think it shows us that it is not for nothing. Tragedy helps us grown and learn. If it just happened for nothing we wouldn’t be able to understand it. I think understanding that tragedy happens for a reason makes us feel better when we do experience it personally. When something horrible happens to us, it help us prepare for the future and what it will bring. For example, death. It is apart of life, and though it can be horrible when we experience it young, it helps us when we are older and we can know what to expect.

Blog Post #10

I think it’s easier to feel pity when we see others in tragedy in person or in a film  because we as people understand it. And with films it’s the age old question of “Does life imitate art or does art imitate life?” I know for me personally, I feel things very deeply and when I see people in tragedy I can relate to it, and know that feeling of sorrow. I remember how I felt and when I know others are feeling the same way I feel terrible about it. I think some people have a hard time seeing others in pain so instead of dealing with it, they tend to shy away from it. I don’t agree with Socrates that we have to be alike to feel pity for others. I think at the end of the day we all have tragedy and while it not might be the same as someone else’s we can still understand and relate to it. 

Blog Post #9

I think we find joy in thrill, and it excites us but I think that healthy. It’s the feeling in our stomach that we get when we jump off a boat or out of a plane. I think we seek these things out because it brings a feeling of excitement that we don’t get in everyday life. I think we like watching tragedy because it’s an emotion that we don’t experience everyday. It keeps us on the edge of our seat. I’m not the biggest fan on horror movies but I like the feeling I get when I watch them. “Parasite” and “A Clockwork Orange” are two of the most horrifying films but they’re also great. As the viewer we get a thrill out of watching them and it adds something to our lives, even if it’s a little sad and scary. 

Blog Post #8

It might be hard to believe but I had no idea that Martin Luther King had written while in jail, maybe I did know but just forgot. MLK has always been someone that I have respected and admired. A big part of why is because he always preached non-violence and like we talked about a few weeks ago, is what to look for. It’s one of the reasons he was so respected and loved by so many. After all the atrocious things that happened to him he still wanted everyone to come together and be peaceful. King said “I have earnestly worked and preached against violent tension, but there is a type of constructive nonviolent tension that is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal...” I thought that this quote was great and it was really cool and interesting to read him talk about Socrates who we have been reading about. 

Blog Post #7

When I think of natural rights, I think of being treated equally and voting. Susan B Anthony talks about this a lot in her speech. She talks about how when she arrested voted in 1872, she did nothing wrong. “I not only committed no crime, but, instead, simply exercised my citizen's right, guaranteed to me and all United States citizens by the National Constitution, beyond the power of any State to deny.”  She is exercising her right to vote just like any man would, which was written in the constitution. It’s what we fought about in the Revolutionary War, our right to be able to vote and become our own country. Natural rights is one of the major points in her speech because every person should be able to vote. Whatever happens in your country you should be able to vote on. Women make up half of the population, why shouldn’t they have been able to vote? No matter a person’s gender, race, sexual orientation should be able to vote.  

Blog Post #6

It’s a discussion as old as time if not being violent is way to win anything. I tend to agree with Ghandi that violence is never the way to go. I believe that what Ghandi says remains true that violence is never the answer. The quietest person in the room always hold the power, if we think of the film “The Godfather” it is  Michael Corleone who holds the real power not Sonny. “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far” said Theodore Roosevelt. There are many people throughout history who have preached non-violence and they are the ones that people have respected and looked to for answers.  It’s always best to not fight and use peace, even in the darkest of times. 

Blog Post #5

I disagree with Thoreau that people doing the right thing because it’s the right thing to do isn’t compatible with democracy. As people, there are certain things we know are the right thing to do. Not harm others, treat people with kindness, and so on. As a democracy we’ve put these things in place and all agree on them, well some of us. People who are on the left all vote on things that we think are the right thing to do and we vote on it because it’s morally right to us. Such as gay rights, women’s rights, health care and so on. As does the right. We do that because we believe it’s the right thing to do and it is synonymous with democracy and it’s why we vote the way we do. 

Blog Post #4

To me it seems that Socrates knows how important education is and how when you do learn about new things it can completely change a person’s entire world. In today’s time, any subject can change who you are and how you think, and it doesn’t have to be in a classroom. Education is one of the biggest privileges that we as Americans get and sometimes we take it for granted. There are women all over the world who are harmed and in some cases even killed for wanting to learn, now that doesn’t mean there aren’t any problems. The biggest problem in today’s education and schooling is the cost. Everyone should be able to further their education at an affordable cost, and the price that students have to pay does not help their education. The money funds things that really have nothing to do with our education, rather it funds new sports arenas and  marketing to get more people into debt just to name a few. Today some colleges and even secondary schools don’t feel like a school anymore but a business. 

Blog Post #3

If the last few years have taught us anything it is that when politicians, and I use that term lightly, take people’s fear and anger to use as their focus, they can do anything. With power, anyone can accomplish anything and we have seen that many times over the years of history. This is what politics looks like now, it seems as though main issues get cast aside and the person in power only cares about staying in power. Democracy is important and without it, we could not survive, focusing on the true issues at hand is what matters most.

Blog Post #2

I agree with what Socrates says in the Nobel Lie, there are lies that people believe in to go through everyday life. Everybody lies to some extent, sometimes they’re white lies and sometimes huge lies. If everyone told the truth all the time, chaos would ensue. White lies are usually told to protect another person or to make them feel better. A lie that everyone tells themself is true is that the government is there to help us. The government lies too people all day everyday for “the greater good” and that ignorance is bliss, and sometimes the truth hurts us. Sometimes it’s best that we don’t always know what is going on, it keeps the peace within our society.

Blog Post #1

In Book One of The Republic of Plato, Cephalus talks about getting older and how the men wish to be young. “Now then, when they meet, most of the members of our group long lament, longing for the pleasures of youth...” (4). The passage goes on to talk about how the men acted and how they feel angry that they are now old. Even today people are still wishing for their youth, to look and feel younger. People want to relieve the old days and even resent the younger generations. The passage made me think about the future, to try and not look back on the past with regret but be present in the moment, and enjoy what each passing year has to offer. 

Dummy Post for Philosophy 101

just a dummy post to make sure people can see