Up@dawn 2.0 (blogger)

Delight Springs

Saturday, October 3, 2020

Questions, Oct 5-8

W 7/Th 8
  • Was Mill right about Bentham's account of happiness? Would you rather be a sad human or a happy pig? 139
  • Was Mill right about the best way to organize society? 141
  • Was Mill right about the importance of open discussion and free speech? 143
  • What do you think of Huxley's reply to Wilberforce? 144
  • Is Dennett right about Darwin's idea of natural selection? 146
  • Darwin said the subject of God is too profound for the human intellect. 151 Agree?
  • More on the Scopes Trial: re-visit the Fantasyland discussion from last week. Should the judge have allowed "my first landlord" and the other scientific experts to testify? 
  • If you heard a voice purporting to be God, telling you to murder your child, what would you do? 152
  • Do you agree with Kierkegaard that faith is an irrational "leap"? 154
  • Kierkegaard was a Christian who hated the Danish church and reviled "christendom"... Was he a good Christian? 155
  • Is the "subjective point of view all-important"? 157
  • Was Marx right about history as "class struggle"? 159
  • What do you think of "Marx's vision"? 161
FL
  • Do you watch TV (and YouTube, Netflix, etc.) and play video games as much as (or more than) the average American? 151 Do you think you watch too much? Do you read for pleasure?
  • Were Walt Disney and Steve Jobs great Americans? Have their fantasy worlds made life better? 153-4
  • What do you think of Hugh Hefner's Playboy philosophy? 157 [See Carlin Romano, America the Philosophical 272f.]
  • What do you think of Billy Graham? 166-7  Do we need a national ad hoc pastor-in-chief?
  • Should "under God" be in the pledge of allegiance? Should small children be made to recite a pledge? Should any of us pledge blind allegiance to anything? 167
  • Do people who don't like churches and religions need something like Esalen? 178
  • Are you New Age? Do you believe you "create your own reality"? 180
  • Did psychotropics make America more of a fantasyland, in a bad or a good way (or both)? 186
  • Do you talk to your plants? 187
HWT 
  • Is it more important to form good habits or to follow strong principles, in order to build your character and become a good person? Or both?
  • If you pursue excellence (arete) in life will you be more likely to be happy? More or less likely to value happiness? What do these terms mean to you?
  • Would you rather be Socrates dissatisfied or a fool satisfied? 249
  • COMMENT: "Nurture makes actual what nature makes possible." 252
  • Are "manners" important? 255
  • Is Aristotle right about the "mark of virtue"? 257 About "the mean"? 259 Does the Confucian Doctrine of the Mean apply to philosophy itself, and some philosophers' tendency to over-emphasize "one aspect"? 261
  • Should virtue expect a reward? 263
  • What do you think is the best version of The Golden Rule? 264-5
  • Do truly good people need a Golden Rule? 266



 










More DQs
  • Name two or three of your favorite pleasures. Are any of them higher or better than the others? In what way? Are any of yours higher or better than those of a friend whose list includes none of yours? Why or why not?
  • Is state paternalism ever warranted? 
  • Why don't we ever talk about state maternalism?
  • What are the appropriate legal limits on speech and expression in a free society, if any? 
  • How would you reply to Wilberforce's debate question?
  • What do you think was the best idea ever?
  • Do you want a map of your own genome? Why or why not?
  • Do you agree with Darwin that the subject of God is "too profound for human intellect"? Does it mean we should all be agnostic?
  • What would you have done, in Abraham's position? Would you have doubted the "message" or challenged the messenger? 
  • Does it damage the parent-child relationship if Mom or Dad make it clear to the child that they'll always defer to the perceived instructions of a "heavenly father," even including murderous instructions? Does anything "trump the duty to be a good [parent]"?
  • Would you ever do something you considered morally wrong, in the name of faith? 
  • Does taking a "leap of faith" make you irrational?
  • How do you balance your subjective point of view with objectivity, and with the subjectivity of others? What role should inter-subjectivity play, in forming that balance?
  • If you ever own a business will you pay your workers as little as possible and extract as much "surplus value" from them as you can?
  • Is anything in history "inevitable"?
  • Does religion make people more reconciled to oppression and exploitation, and less likely to revolt?
==
M 5/T 6 Kant, Bentham, Hegel, Schopenhauer-LH 19-23, FL 19-20, HWT 20
  • Do you think the human mind and its categories are like rose-colored spectacles, permanently preventing us from knowing the "noumenal" world but enabling us to see the "phenomena" more clearly? 111-12
  • Was Kant's "great insight" really a breakthrough? 114
  • Is sympathy irrelevant to morality? 115
  • Have you ever helped someone because you felt sorry for them? Was that a moral action on your part?
  • Should you ever lie? Is Kant's reasoning on this question reasonable, or rational? Is it emotionally intelligent? 117-18
  • What do you think of Jeremy Bentham's auto-icon?
  • Do you agree with the Greatest Happiness Principle? 122 Why or why not? 
  • Is a Felicific Calculus possible or desirable? 123
  • Would you plug in to the Experience Machine? 125 Do you think virtual reality technology will one day make that a real option?
  • If wisdom and understanding come only at a "later stage" of history, is philosophy worth doing now? 126
  • Should Hegel have rejected Kant's view about noumena and phenomena? 128
  • Is Geist real? Is there a "single mind" shared by all humanity? 129
  • Was Hegel being arrogant to claim that Spirit first came to "know itself" in his own books?
  • Was Schopenhauer right about Will? 133
  • Is asceticism "the ideal way to cope with existence"? 136
FL
  • Has the film industry narrowed the perceived distance between fantasy and reality? Is it like a drug? 136-7
  • Is advertising manipulative and misleading? Has it engendered false desires and a confusion about what will make us happy? 138
  • Do you think you would have been fooled by War of the Worlds?
  • Are Americans too preoccupied with celebrity, and celebrities? 140
  • Is the American suburb a mistake, a "happy fictionalization"? 143 Is suburban nostalgia racist? 144
  • What do you think of LA and South Florida as fantasylands? 147-8 Do you want to live there? 
HWT 
  • Did you know there's a Confucius Institute at MTSU? 222 Should there be a Western Philosophy Institute in China?
  • Are there other "bonds" of harmony besides those noted by Mencius? 223
  • What's the difference between harmony and conformity, compliance, sameness, or uniformity? 
  • Would we have a more eastern attitude about harmony and cosmic order in the west if Heraclitus (and Hegel) had "won out" over Plato? 225
  • Do the Chinese actually have greater "family values" than westerners? 227
  • Would you ever denounce your parents for political reasons?
  • Do you feel a moral obligation to visit (and perhaps eventually care for) elderly relatives? 228
  • Is Kant's view about Enlightenment and "maturity" an implicit critique of hierarchical and monarchical societies? 230
  • Do you know any parents who try "to maintain their authority over their children after those children have grown up"? 231
  • Is it disrespectful not to criticize others' views when you disagree with them? 234
  • What do you think of people who are "beyond care" and have "given up"? 235
  • Is/are "yin/yang" two things, or one? 237 Or are they things at all? 238
  • Any comment on "picking yin"? 239 (Keep it clean please.)
  • Are Daoists libertarians? 242
  • Is the Confucian principle of quan anti-Kantian? 243 How about the African concept of ubuntu? 246
  • Was Han China's version of Machiavelli? 244-5




 



 

Schopenhauer and his sidekick "Atman"

"His closest relationships are now with a succession of poodles, who he feels have a gentleness and humility humans lack... He acquires a new white poodle and names her Atman, after the world-soul of the Brahmins..." Consolations of Philosophy
Image result for schopenhauer and atman

Reminds me of...

Image result for grinch and max

But he's still fun to read. He's often clever and amusing, and he's frequently right.
  • “The assumption that animals are without rights and the illusion that our treatment of them has no moral significance is a positively outrageous example of Western crudity and barbarity. Universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality.” 
  • “Compassion for animals is intimately associated with goodness of character, and it may be confidently asserted that he who is cruel to animals cannot be a good man.” 
  • “Every miserable fool who has nothing at all of which he can be proud, adopts as a last resource pride in the nation to which he belongs; he is ready and happy to defend all its faults and follies tooth and nail, thus reimbursing himself for his own inferiority.” 
  • "Man can do what he wills but he cannot will what he wills.” 
  • “We forfeit three-fourths of ourselves in order to be like other people.” 
  • “A sense of humor is the only divine quality of man.” 
When he's wrong, though, he's way wrong.
  • “What disturbs and depresses young people is the hunt for happiness on the firm assumption that it must be met with in life. From this arises constantly deluded hope and so also dissatisfaction. Deceptive images of a vague happiness hover before us in our dreams, and we search in vain for their original. Much would have been gained if, through timely advice and instruction, young people could have had eradicated from their minds the erroneous notion that the world has a great deal to offer them.” 
  • “If children were brought into the world by an act of pure reason alone, would the human race continue to exist? Would not a man rather have so much sympathy with the coming generation as to spare it the burden of existence, or at any rate not take it upon himself to impose that burden upon it in cold blood?” 
The great rational optimist and cynical pessimist, ultimately (like us all) in the same boat. "Shipwreck is a permanent possibility," said William James...

Image result for schopenhauer and hegel

Schopenhauer on Hegel:
“But the height of audacity in serving up pure nonsense, in stringing together senseless and extravagant mazes of words, such as had previously been known only in madhouses, was finally reached in Hegel, and became the instrument of the most barefaced general mystification that has ever taken place, with a result which will appear fabulous to posterity, and will remain as a monument to German stupidity.”

Arthur Schopenhauer, Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung, trans. Haldane-Kemp (The World as Will and Idea, vol. 2), London: Kegan Paul, p. 22.

==
William James on Hegel:

Some "Hegelisms" James came up with, when reading Hegel while ingesting nitrous oxide:

What's mistake but a kind of take?
What's nausea but a kind of -ausea?
Sober, drunk, -unk, astonishment.
Everything can become the subject of criticism—how
criticise without something to criticise?
Agreement—disagreement!!
Emotion—motion!!!
Die away from, from, die away (without the from).
Reconciliation of opposites; sober, drunk, all the same!
Good and evil reconciled in a laugh!
It escapes, it escapes!
But——
What escapes, WHAT escapes?
Emphasis, EMphasis; there must be some emphasis in order
for there to be a phasis.
No verbiage can give it, because the verbiage is other.
Incoherent, coherent—same.
And it fades! And it's infinite! AND it's infinite!
If it was n't going, why should you hold on to it?
Don't you see the difference, don't you see the identity?
Constantly opposites united!
The same me telling you to write and not to write!
Extreme—extreme, extreme! Within the extensity that
'extreme' contains is contained the 'extreme' of intensity.
Something, and other than that thing!
Intoxication, and otherness than intoxication.
Every attempt at betterment,—every attempt at otherment,—is a——.
It fades forever and forever as we move.
{297}
There is a reconciliation!
Reconciliation—econciliation!
By God, how that hurts! By God, how it does n't hurt!
Reconciliation of two extremes.
By George, nothing but othing!
That sounds like nonsense, but it is pure onsense!
Thought deeper than speech——!
Medical school; divinity school, school! SCHOOL! Oh my
God, oh God, oh God!
The most coherent and articulate sentence which came was this:—
There are no differences but differences of degree between different degrees of difference and no difference.
This phrase has the true Hegelian ring, being in fact a regular sich als sich auf sich selbst beziehende Negativität. And true Hegelians will Ã¼berhaupt be able to read between the lines and feel, at any rate, what possible ecstasies of cognitive emotion might have bathed these tattered fragments of thought when they were alive. But for the assurance of a certain amount of respect from them, I should hardly have ventured to print what must be such caviare to the general.

William James, On Some Hegelisms
==

Arts & Letters Daily search results for “schopenhauer” (5)


2013-07-11 | John Gray against humanism. Influenced by Schopenhauer, Conrad, and an abiding cynicism, the philosopher has lost hope for mankind more »

2014-03-13 | Schopenhauer called noise 'the most impertinent of all forms of interruption,' and he was right. Thus our obsession with silence: the new luxury good more »

2013-10-23 | Schopenhauer dismissed dignity as 'the shibboleth of all perplexed and empty-headed moralists.' But the notion has been revived as a liberal ideal more »

2010-01-01 | 'Hitler kept Schopenhauer''s works in his knapsack through WWI, so he claimed. Too bad that he couldn''t actually spell the philosopher''s name' more »

2018-01-27 | Philosophers haven’t had much to say about middle age, but Schopenhauer is an exception. His view of the futility of desire -- getting what you want can make you unhappy -- illuminates the darkness of midlife more »

HEGEL
2011-01-01 | Darwin has displaced Hegel as a political thinker, suggests Francis Fukuyama. Is this the end of the end of history? more »

2016-08-02 | A philosophy of education. Influenced by Hegel and Darwin, John Dewey launched a revolution that overthrew the methods of the day. Hannah Arendt was not pleased more »

2017-07-26 | The tradition of Kant, Hegel, and Habermas has given way to slick performers. Is German philosophy exchanging profundity for popularity? more »

2014-12-04 | For an apostle of alienation, Herbert Marcuse sure was a media star. To think his unsettling blend of Hegel, Marx, and Freud ended up in Playboy more »

2011-01-01 | Hegel goes west. In the 1870s, an odd idea took hold on the American frontier: History had a direction, and it pointed toward St. Louis more »

2018-05-12 | For Plato, uprightness made us human; for Kant, people were inherently bent; Hegel worried about stiffness. Why does posture attract such philosophical attention? more »

2017-05-12 | Since Hegel, philosophers have declared the end of art, meaning that no further progress is possible. In that sense, it’s a good thing: Art is now free to be anything more »
KANT
2018-05-12 | For Plato, uprightness made us human; for Kant, people were inherently bent; Hegel worried about stiffness. Why does posture attract such philosophical attention? more »

2014-07-08 | What would Kant do? His maxims, applied to ethical quandaries, seem contradictory, incoherent, a mess. But there's another way more »

2012-11-29 | Harvard wants to enroll the next Homer, Kant, Dickinson. But how likely is it that future philosophers, critics, and artists will be admitted? more »

2015-02-23 | At least since Kant said the 'true strength of virtue is a tranquil mind,' anxiety has been something to avoid. Was he wrong? more »

2015-04-09 | Feeling distracted, as if advertisers, Facebook, and Apple had colonized your mental space? Is silence ever harder to find? Blame Kant more »

2015-08-21 | Kant is associated with optimism, ambition, progress. But he suffered from depression and “general morbid feelings.” His last word: “Enough” more »

2018-08-15 | Kant believed that beautiful art “must always show a certain dignity in itself.” Alfred Brendel disagrees. He believes in musical jokes  more »

2018-09-14 | In 1791, a depressed Austrian woman wrote to Kant seeking advice. She later killed herself. Oh, the folly of asking philosophers for practical advice more »

2015-04-18 | John Searle has a bone to pick with Bacon, Descartes, Locke, and Kant. He blames them for the basic mistake of modern epistemology more »

2017-01-14 | Because the study of logic ended with Aristotle, Kant believed, the field had run its course. But what was logic for in the first place? more »

2016-04-22 | Philosophy has been overrun by Kant and by moralistic rules. We need a version that appeals to people — we need a return to Hume more »

2018-09-06 | Hobbes, Hume, and Kant alike sympathetic to the thought that “there must be something more,” and sensitive to the limits of speculating about God more »

2015-05-13 | From the Greek philosophers to Kant and beyond, theories of the cosmos have been proposed and discarded. Has the expansive debate finally slowed? more »

2016-05-20 | Kant declared fashion "foolish." To Kierkegaard, outer garments kept us from ascertaining inner truth. But clothes are a form of thought, freighted with meaning more »

2017-07-26 | The tradition of Kant, Hegel, and Habermas has given way to slick performers. Is German philosophy exchanging profundity for popularity? more »

2017-11-02 | Kant thought entire civilizations incapable of philosophy. Derrida said China had no philosophy, only thought. Why did Western philosophy turn its back on the world? more »


BENTHAM
2018-02-17 | The comprehensive John Stuart Mill. He was out to combine Bentham with poetry, the Enlightenment with Romanticism, and to span the entire philosophy of his time more »

224 comments:

  1. • Is the American suburb a mistake, a "happy fictionalization"? 143 Is suburban nostalgia racist? 144


    I think the American suburb is a mistake in my opinion. The suburb perpetuates the same fantasy that kicked the native Americans off the land. The idea of owning one’s own piece of property while having the benefits of a city is in my opinion shameful. I see the move towards city life a step in the right direction. I’ve spent many years in an apartment, and I can tell you that nobody owns anything other than the inside of their homes and their cars. Nobody worries about a lawn and they all have to be generally mindful of one another in order to coexist. The idea of the suburb is inherently racist as well as xenophobic. The idea that everyone needs to own their own house has always bothered me. I can’t see what is so appealing about a small town or a front lawn. I think it is far more likely for a community of people actually living together to be created in an apartment complex. The closest thing I had to friends were in an apartment complex and if we cleaned the cities up a little more maybe we could let our kids have fun. Personally, I feel like the older generations have left us no choice but to escape to the suburbs. The inner cities have been neglected for so long now that it is hard to see any hope of resurrecting them now. Especially with every adult I have ever met as well as my pears culturally pushing me to buy a house on land or in a suburb.

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    1. I think this is well written and something I have never really thought about. In America I believe we can all choose to live our own way and I don't see any problem with people wanting to do something different. If somebody wants to buy land in Alaska and live in a snow hut it doesn't really bother me.

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    2. I don't think that it is as surface level as this to determine how to make communities better but this is a good way to think.

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    3. Honestly I live in a smaller house with a yard alongside my family, but I always found a desire to reside in an apartment; I feel like, as naïve as it might sound, the complex could become more tight-knit and generally seem safer if it came down to a choice.

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    4. I like your take on this. Growing up in the suburbs, I can see how growing up in an apartment could promote a much closer bond with those around you. I believe that we should not push people to any certain standard or ideal, and should support them in decisions such as deciding to live an apartment rather than other options. I also hope that we start paying more attention to inner cities, as they are often ignored.

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    5. Responded to Brittney Sherrels post made October 6th 2020 (1 point)
      Responded to Cole Walker October 6th 2020 (1 point)
      Completed mini essay (3 points)

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    6. I like your take on this. I agree that inner cities should stop getting neglected so that it can become a place where you feel safe and open to build a family.

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    7. I really like your opinion on this topic about suburbs, and Therefore I completely agree on how inner cities should stop being neglected and should be considered safe place because it should not be shameful to live in apartment, where I know I can be able to live as well as I can in other options in my area.

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    8. I am curious why you call suburbs racist and xenophobic. At first glance I cannot see a reason why a suburb would have these characteristics and I wish you had elaborated on the subject rather than flitting on to your next point. I am puzzled because you make that statement then move right along, and it really is a neat point. Just wish there was more there, not saying I agree or disagree.

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    9. -I haven't really thought about this argument before, and at first glance I disagree with it, although I respect it because it is your belief. Someone mentioned before, but I agree that I wish you would explain why it is that you think suburbs are racist. Apartments may teach people how to co-exist, but is it really wrong for someone to purchase a small bit of land for their family in a community? Not trying to be disrespectful or mean but I genuinely do want to know more about why you have such disdain for the suburbs.

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    10. This is an interesting take, but I have trouble understanding parts of your argument. While there may be some benefits to living in an apartment complex, I fail to see the connection between city life and societal progress. I believe that it is an inevitable right of citizens to own property, following John Locke's philosophy (one of the main influences of the founding fathers), and see no reason why owning a small piece of land is shameful. While racism and xenophobia may be prevalent in some suburbs, I see this as being caused by the inhabitants of those suburbs more so than being inherent in the idea of building houses outside the city. You definitely make a valid point that inner cities need to be improved, and maybe moving away from the suburbs is a good way to accomplish that. I am sorry that you feel pressured to do something you don't want to do and I do not agree with the people who are doing that.

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  2. Has the film industry narrowed the perceived distance between fantasy and reality? Is it like a drug? 136-7
    -
    Fantasy and reality are very intertwined in modern day society, largely due to the likes of the film industry. What concepts people might have once considered a fantastical illusion can be closely related to realities we now experience. A prime example I can think of is The Hunger Games - I distinctly remember being in elementary school and middle school, reading the novels or watching the films, loving them but also thinking there was no way any of that stuff could happen in real life. As a child subject to these powerful films that seemed like a fantasy, I was also influenced by them as I got older; and many others have made this comparison, too. Take the BLM protests - a lot of my generation, when we were far younger and more naive, didn't think protests of such capacity would occur in our time. And yet, due to the failure of our justice system, these protests have rightfully blown up into a movement - similar to the protests seen in dystopian films like The Hunger Games. The same can apply to the sense of rebellion against corrupt powers - my generation in particular has started to use their voice in this aspect, bringing to light the wrongdoings of our government and its powers. With more fantasy oriented films centered around rebellion in a dystopian society, the line between fantasy and reality becomes more blurred each and every day.

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    1. I think this is very well written and accurate. I think people struggle with reality these days because technology has made it so easy to escape it. Another thing is video games. They are another huge factor on how people use them to escape into another world. It is becoming a major issue for a lot of people.

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    2. I heard this train of thought once (although I cannot remember where i heard this or where this comes from)that explores the idea that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. It is suggested by some that if something can be conceived/imagined then it by default becomes real. I have even heard some go as far as to connect this idea to alternate dimensions saying that what we imagine must exist in an alternate universe.

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    3. Sometimes I really love how much we as a society have progressed, especially when it comes to technology because so many things are so convenient now; but, when it comes to films and how distorted they have made fantasy and reality look I don’t. I miss the part of films where you could distinctly tell reality from fantasy. Where something that was being shown on the screen was so absurd that it was easily known to be fiction. But with the way our society has progressed, with your example of the riots from protests happening, it’s not hard to imagine things progressing to “Hunger Games”.

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    4. Like you said with the idea maybe all the riots could lead to the "Hunger Games". The Matrix and Terminator have always created the mind set to people that artificial intelligence are going to take over the world.Some movies/shows feature a zombie apocalypse. The one movie that scared me the most when I was young,because it felt so real to me was the movie 2012, where it depicts the world was ending.Thee massive tsunami and earthquakes, you can see the building crumble. Despite the fact, this is all CGI and all fictional. It makes you assume the possible futures and makes ask "what if" and you can kinda compare situations and reflect on how far we have come and how much we have to offer.

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    5. I agree that film is a powerful manipulator and should be monitored. However, I think it is an amazing thing as well and can open our eyes in reality in ways unique to film.

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    6. "art imitates life, life imitates art" i will say that it is incredibly staggering to see just how vividly the images seen on screen replicate the ones seen in real life. but i feel that this has always existed but perhaps not so viscerally? i feel that because of everyone carrying around literal cameras with them that the symbols of reality are much easier to spot and therefore replicate more familiarly . anyway great post- love the attention to movies!!!

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    7. This is such a fascinating topic, and an excellent take on it.
      I, too, was a huge fan of "The Hunger Games" books, and often enjoy similar stories. It's quite frightening, how we have to compare those types of stories, to modern times today.

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    8. Brittney thank you for your post. I recently finished watching "Contagion." It was released in 2011 and could not have been better scripted for today's pandemic. Throughout film history, some screenwriters/directors have a futuristic view of what can happen and I marvel at the Sci-Fi writers who can anticipate events so closely. Well-written screenplays can give us a sense of what is possible and where we are headed and how we can play a role. And thank you to your generation for raising their voice and getting involved in trying to correct injustices. I am hopeful that you will lead us to a better future. I wonder who will be the next writer/filmmaker to capture a unique unexplored piece of human relationships that will transport us into a new world. It could be you!

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  3. • Would you ever denounce your parents for political reasons?

    I think that politics is a very dangerous game to play these days with a lot of people. It is something that I personally very much enjoy to study and learn about but today it is very hard to have a rational conversation about politics. In today’s society, we are making almost everything about some type of political belief. One example that I have seen especially socially is professional sports. I understand those players have a lot of influence but at the end of the day all I want to do is watch a basketball game or a football game.
    To answer the question more explicitly I would never denounce my parents for having a political view as long as it was based on facts or they had some type of factual way of backing their statements or views up. If my parents explicitly spread false information on something and have no capabilities of backing it up, then I am not afraid to call them out and explain to them how they are wrong by using facts. I love having political conversations. I consider myself a pretty strong conservative. I have been called many things for having the views that I have and supporting President Trump. One of the examples I will talk about is when people call President Trump a racist. I understand some people have that view and I respect it as long as they use facts and quotes to back up their answer. To further add on to that, they then support Biden fully when he as well has said some very questionable things. Again, I support everyone’s opinion and I believe in the facts and I enjoy having rational conversations with all sides on political topics. What I don’t enjoy is the yelling and the insulting like we especially saw in the first Presidential debate.
    35/35 7 essays class/block 10 15 comments

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    1. I enjoy your thoughts, I'm not a believer in politics or more specifically our democracy but I like to hear the thoughts of others.

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    2. I certainly agree with you that modern conversations about politics have become difficult to have a rational basis to. It is evident that the country has become polarized as people rush to take sides rather than seeking true understanding. I think that people generally speaking can agree on most basic principles, its just that people may have visualized different solutions of achieving.

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    3. I agree that I wish that people would take their focus off politics more, as they are inherently very divisive. I think that some people, for example poc and the LGBTQ+ community, feel like they need to use politics to protect themselves and their everyday life. Because of this, I understand completely why they would push someone, even their parents, away because their political beliefs do not support them. However, I still do believe that we should all try to do better at understanding each other's viewpoints and explain our own in a way that is more compassionate than it is now.

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    4. I agree that it's uncomfortable talking about politics in this age and that they're often linked to things they shouldn't be. I think that it's okay to denounce your parents political beliefs if they are blatantly stemmed from misinformation, or their beliefs hurt someone. For exmaple, I think Trump is a Piece of crap person who shouldn't be president. For the most part, i try not to be judgmental and look past people's political beliefs, but i honestly have no friends that openly support trump. Not so much because of him being a republican, but because his morals do not align with mine- so i can't picture my morals being aligned to someone who supports him. However, I will always listen to someone who can support their stance with valid arguments and i can acknowledge the good things he has done. I don't have any ill will towards you, but I would be happy to email you sometime if you'd like examples of his sexism/racism/Transphobia!

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    5. I definitely agree that politics need to stay out of sports. Sports, to many, serve as an escape from the world and bringing politics in it. Many people in both sides would rather yell and come to hate someone based on political beliefs than have a discussion.

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    6. I like your take on this. I think as long as we can respect each other's views and not demean each other than we should all know how to be open minded to other people political views. We have to learn to separate that from someone's personality/character.

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    7. I really enjoyed reading your post and I like your thoughts on it. My brother has a different opinion when it comes to politics compared to the rest of my family. Sometimes it can be a challenge to talk about certain topics but just because his opinion is different it doesn't mean it's the wrong on. I don't think politics should change the way you think about people or the relationship you have with them.

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    8. I agree with everything you say here. Politics is a hard game and we as a society seem incapable of having a calm and thoughtful discussion about our political views without yelling or becoming offended. People do seem to make very strong statements about political figures and then fail to provide evidence for their reasoning. When questioned, these people will turn hostile and claim that whoever asked is just as bad as the person they have made the unsupported and likely false statement about.

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    9. -Very good post, I agree. Someone else mentioned something else above that I completely agree with, that I watch sports to get away from everything, to forget my problems, concerns and opinions, including politics. All I care about is the snacks and that my team smashes. I could not care less what side of politics the players or spectators are in, that's not what I'm there or watching it for. Sports is for everyone to get away, and have a good time together, and that's all there should be to it. But on another note, it is a great point you made about not denouncing others' beliefs, and that as adults, we should be able to disagree, sit down and talk about it civilly and then leave with the same and hopefully more respect then we sat down. I believe this is away that will help our society to not be as polarized as it is currently.

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  4. Do you think the human mind and its categories are like rose-colored spectacles, permanently preventing us from knowing the "noumenal" world but enabling us to see the "phenomena" more clearly? 111-12
    Yes, but unlike Immanuel Kant, I believe that those spectacles can be removed. Some of the most intelligent people to have lived were often rejected or downplayed at their time. Take for instance the great minds such as Johannes Kepler, Kepler was among the first to publish his beliefs on the Earth not being the center of the universe. He was also the first to say that orbits were not circular, (such as Copernicus believed) but that they were elliptical. He made these bold claims without even knowing how true they were. At his time they were extremely discredited such as many things have been in the past that have to deal with science, reason, and better methodology. Another example I would give is Karl Schwarzschild, he was the first to postulate a black hole(without giving it a name). Something like this seems to be impossible to be done at this point in time. He saw beyond the phenomenal world, even today scientist struggle with the concept, definition, and the "how" of the black hole. A singularity at this time in history was not even thought of and up until very recently it was heavily revoked by many leaders of the scientific community. My point here is that there are many who have seen far past what should even be possible for them to discover in their time period and that in itself I believe should prove to you that the spectacles can be taken off.

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    1. I completely agree, this so called spectacles can be taken off at any time, I just think its hard to get people to understand or even accept the views you develop after doing so. People always demand proof of something these days when, in all honesty, its the lack of certainty that led to amazing discoveries before.

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    2. Tuesday: Posted weekly essay(3 points)
      Tuesday: Commented on Mason Schoonover's post (1 point)
      Tuesday: Commented on Nate Carley's post (1 point)
      7 weeks of posting 1 Essay and 2 Comments weekly = 35 points

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    3. I really like your point of the rose colored spectacles and how they can be taken off. I also like how you chose Johannes Kepler and Karl Schwarzschild. Hearing your point made me think of many other great scientists and I think you have proven your point very well.

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    4. I don't agree but I get the angle you are working and I find it fanisnating. However I do agree that Immanuel didn't give science enough credit.

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    5. I think I agree, the spectacles(at least to me) are like a bias, I think people can work around that bias and see and understand things that are way beyond the norm.

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    6. Cole, I appreciate your post. The more I learn about the human mind, the more I am amazed at how much some individuals in the 16th and 17th centuries were able to accomplish with the technology that they had available to them and how they were able to see beyond where science and mathematics had reached an apparent impasse, but Kant's optimism probably thought that we are all capable of seeing more than we believe we can. I like your choice of Copernicus, Kepler and Schwarzchild. I enjoy reading about how some scientists looking at the same data are able to see what others can not see. I remember looking at some of Kepler's calculations and marveling at how he made so many detailed calculations by hand - no calculator or computer and he did a lot of this during a period of upheaval. If you have not read - Kepler's Witch: An Astronomer's Discovery of Cosmic Order Amid Religious War, Political Intrigue, and the Heresy Trial of His Mother, I would highly recommend it.

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  6. Has the film industry narrowed the perceived distance between fantasy and reality? Is it like a drug? 136-7

    *Had to delete the previous, sorry if anyone was reading but I wanted to add more stuff

    In the realm of entertainment, sometimes the best way to grab an audience's attention is by having a visual image. When you're reading, you get to imagine what the characters look like and what they do, but when you watch a show or movie, it's provided for you and sometimes they want you to feel like you apart of something.As our technology is growing and we have robots, virtual reality, motion capture with CGI, and the different types of engines to simulate what is real or not. For example, Marvel movies, in Spiderman Far From Home when Peter tries to confront Mysterio(Quetin Beck is actually a visual artist that manipulates drones),but he ends up falling into his "illusions" where he goes through a cycle of different places.Peter said that he knows it isn’t all real,but still falls for it, “I don’t think it’s real Peter…” Beck said, “It’s easy to fool people when they are already fooling themselves.” A powerful scene to demonstrate how far our visual effects technology has come for us, and possible potential where it could lead, while also giving us this fabrication that this is all created for a movie. Another thing to note, some films try to be realistic and they refer to historical events or create some sort of dystopian world to create raw emotion and pain for the audience. It's like sharing a moment with someone or being there in the moment.You have horror films that manipulate your surroundings by visual and audio effects to make you feel vulnerable.That can said with video games since, you either in first person to be "in the game" or third person where you "watch the game" and there's been a debate whether of not video games are considered violent for children.We go through life and deal with hardship and obstacles to survive, it makes sense to have a bit of leisure like listening to music or watching something to escape into something that can enjoyable.

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    1. Weekly Essay: +3
      Molly Belk: +1
      Brittney Sherell: +1

      36/35

      Section 10

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    2. I loved your example in Spiderman. That lines up so perfectly with this question! Also, I wanted to add that for me, really good movies make me feel like I'm there with the characters. Last year I took a class called Film Studies at my high school and after we watched Avatar, we discussed about people who got depression after watching the movie. Apparently, these people were devastated that this fake world, Pandora, didn't exist. These people wanted to escape this world and go to another fantasyland. I also think the film industry worsens things like this by fueling fandoms where people pretend to be a part of their favorite movie's worlds.

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    3. I really like your example of Spiderman Far From Home! The illusions that Peter encounters really does show how much technology has advanced giving society a brighter future. I also like to think of the illusions as if it was Immanuel Kant's Rose-Colored reality (p 110).

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    4. The reference you made from the newest film from Spiderman could have not made your point about reality and fantasy any more clearer. The concept of that movie was how easily people can be deceived with their eyes and this example was perfect in telling us how the film industry narrowed the perceived between fantasy and reality.

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  7. Do you know any parents who try "to maintain their authority over their children after those children have grown up"? 231

    The three key features mentioned in this reading fit my parents perfectly. I’m very thankful for my parents and for everything they have given me, and still give me even when I don’t ask for it; however, it is extremely hard to be a married 30 year old woman and still have parents that are domain-specific, dynamic, and empowering. When I or my husband have asked my parents, mainly my mom honestly, for some space to make our own decisions it only ends in an argument unfortunately. Most of the time the excuse for their “interference” is that “they have gone through it and are trying to save me from making a mistake”. I understand completely that my parents are wise and hold a lot of knowledge from their experiences, but I also hold a lot of value in making my own opinions and decisions without their input. I think there are a lot of lessons that can only be learned from making your own choices, even if they result in disaster. With this being the case, I would have to disagree with what I interpret Confucian harmony to be, in that people cannot function to their fullest capabilities with parents who continue holding these traditions well into their children being adults.

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    1. I really understand how you feel, I mean that can also reflect on culture as well. Throughout my life my ma told to study hard to get a good job that requires my head and not my hands since she's been a manicurist for 17 years in our salon with my dad.Up to this point I sometimes question my life's decisions because I feel like I'm restricted. I always thought I was indecisive because I had a choice and I always say,"I don't know" but if it means I haven't learned or experience to understand how to handle it. My ma always worries about the future for me and my brother, to the point where she listens to recording that predict the future. When it comes to relationship I feel like I don't know how to exactly exchange feelings to a significant or know what's it like to feel when someone confessed.I want to do more than what my brother can do and my parents, I want to prove something, but to be able to is different.I wish I had more opportunity and control in my life.

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    2. I've grown up without this parental pressure. In my house, my parents give their opinion when I bring up a decision I'm making, but they do not tell me what to do in most instances. My parents are raising 9 children, so it was important to them that we were independent. (My least favorite rule from this idea was that after 3rd grade we wouldn't get help on projects anymore. I was sad about how good everyone else's projects looked because their parents helped them cut paper perfectly while mine looked like it was done by 9 or 10 year old.) Usually I decide for myself and my parents will talk with me about why or why not my decisions were good. Sometimes I wished they would've stopped me from doing certain things, like my decision to quit soccer in 9th grade, but usually I'm happy they let me make my own mistakes. The closest I've come to the more controlling experience is when my dad and I talk about my future career. I have decided to pursue becoming a nurse, though my dad wholeheartedly believes that I am making a mistake and will switch to pre-med once I realize what nursing truly entails. He thinks this because his side of the family is all doctors (literally like every single one, there's I think 7), but I try to tell him that I want to interact with patients more and truly get to know them.

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    3. Personally, Im not married, and I still live with my parents, but I agree that parents see their kids as kids for far too long. They have obviously lived longer lives than us, and have experiences different things, but their opinions arent the end all be all, and parents in general should be more open to conversation with their kids I think. Eventually kids grow up and become adults, and even if you still view them as your little baby, the child is now old enough to be responsible for themselves and doesn't need parental supervision or opinions at all times.

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    4. I've experienced the same thing especially when I first became an adult, but thankfully my parents now have almost entirely trusted me to male my own choices in all aspects of my life.

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  8. Weekly Essay - Section 012

    Do people who don't like churches and religions need something like Esalen? 178

    I do not think that people need something like Esalen. The concept makes sense, as religious people have meeting places to discuss their religion so the non-religious may want a similar space to discuss their own thoughts. However, this institution seemed to be more than that. I think that it's important that people think for themselves and that questioning what we're told is generally good. However, though questioning our current science is okay, it seemed like Esalen was pushing people away from it. There was also the aspect of spirituality other than religion, which I find interesting. I understand why people would enjoy learning about other spiritual factors while among other people who also have an interest in it. However, environment like this tend to make it seem like anything could be possible, leading to new hypotheses from the people there. While I believe that this is good in itself, I think that having all of those people together could start to spread false information. This is mentioned in Fantasyland, as concepts like this often lead to groups like Scientology. While it is nice to share thoughts with like-minded people, I do not think that a place like Esalen is necessary. Furthermore, I think that the internet has helped fill this need somewhat, with many sources of information and communities available for discussion.

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    1. Weekly Essay +
      Commented on Nate Carley's Post+
      Commented on Mason Schoonover's Post

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    2. I really like your point that the internet has helped fill the need Esalen was intended to fill. I also think that your criticism on Esalen for spreading false information applies to the internet as well. People should certainly be able to express their thoughts and beliefs, but those beliefs shouldn't necessarily be considered as reasonable alternatives to scientific consensus.

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  9. Weekly essay on Bentham's Happiness Principle

    Do you agree with the Greatest Happiness Principle? Why or why not?

    I agree with my understanding of the concept of the greatest happiness for the greatest number with certain caveats. I have not taken Dr. Oliver’s course on happiness, but I may have a different perspective after that.

    When I consider happiness, I view individual’s happiness and society’s happiness. As an individual I consider how satisfied I am with life and how things are going. As a member of society, I consider how society feels about how things are going for all members of society. My focus on happiness is on the eudaimonic well-being and not the hedonic.

    If everyone can maximize their personal happiness without infringing on another’s happiness, then they both can experience the consequences of happiness: better health, more confidence, increased optimism, and energy. The challenge is to recognize the dark side of too much personal happiness when it harms others. Increased happiness in knowing that I have greater security because of the presence of more police officers in my community is not true happiness when I know that a black man in my community is at greater risk for being profiled because of the color of his skin. Universal happiness for us would be that we would both feel more secure and not be discriminated against and that we both would be treated as equal citizens. That should be the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

    One of the challenges to Bentham’s principle is the treatment of a minority in any society. Does the harm to an individual’s right to be happy doing something conflict with society’s right to happiness in their not being allowed to do it? Many years ago, people insisted that they had a right not to wear a seatbelt, now it is required in every state and there are people who still refuse to wear one even though we know it saves lives. They say it conflicts with their rights and happiness, but they are only viewing this from their happiness and not from the happiness for most of society. Today we have the “wear or not wear a mask” equivalent. If you feel that your happiness is being infringed upon, then your focus is not what happiness mean to most of society: fewer infections, fewer deaths.

    The goal should be the elevation of society so it can achieve maximum happiness while listening and trying to understand the concerns of those who feel marginalize.

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    1. Well said, Don. I agree with your perspective on the topic of individual happiness and the collectively happiness of society. One key topic that arises continually in my politics class is the concern of humans and their moral and ethical duality. This means that humans are capable of doing both good and bad actions, and in the course of an individuals' happiness, their interests and desires may sometimes conflict with others naturally and it is something we all need to learn to accept. There is a certain point however where one should ought to understand their actions and what consequences may arise so that we as society have done everything to influence and not forcibly act upon the individual against their will.

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    2. I think you give great examples on the inherent issues with allowing one’s own interests take precedence over others’. When the majority executes their will on all, the interests of the minority will inevitably be dismissed. I agree that we need to combat that by being mindful of the harm our own interests can have on others’ freedom.

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    3. I think you did a good job of explaining why you felt the way you did and also providing the mask and seatbelt analogies to bring in a relevant real world example to the discussion. I also like that you brought up the point of while it would be great for everyone to experience as much happiness as possible there is the possibility of that directly impacting someone else's potential happiness.

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  10. 10/07/20
    Total semester points: 7 weeks, 5 points per week= 35 points (including points below)

    Commented on Brittney Sherrell post (+1 point)
    Commented on Mason Schoonover post (+1 point)

    Weekly Essay (+3 points)
    Question: Is it more important to form good habits or to follow strong principles, in order to build your character and become a good person? Or both?

    I will start answering the question by addressing "good habits" and "strong principles" independently in order to get a better understanding of what we mean when we think of these values. Good habits to me sounds fairly straight forward as having consistency and discipline in your life to where you are able to ingrain positive habits in yourself to the point where you don't even have to think about them. Habits by nature tend to be regular practices which are so ingrained within a person that they may be challenging to give up if needed. For example, a good habit that many people might be able to relate to is the consumption of a good breakfast every morning. Since this may be a habit, it is also very ingrained in people who do so and is even ingrained in our culture as many know the saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Comparing good habits with strong principles leads us to asking what exactly strong principles are. To me, strong principles on the other hand, are more of fundamentals that shape a persons view and behavior. I mentioned above about discipline being a part of having good habits, well, in a sense having strong principles will usually lead to having good habits. My final answer will however be both because I think that it is difficult to separate the two when there is much commonality between these values. The thing that we most often seek is to improve our lives as a whole and so I think that balancing good habits and strong principles will lead to success.

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    1. I agree that both are important, but it is also important to note that sometimes the two can contradict one another. As you said, most the time good habits and strong principles go hand-in-hand, but when they don't you'd have to choose which mattered more in the given situation.

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    2. Zalen Ingram, Sec-10

      I also agree with your statement on the relation of the two. I believe that you must follow strong principles in order to obtain good habits, and if you fail to follow the principles, you won't be rewarded with said habits that will improve oneself and will instead beget bad habits that will be difficult to break.

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    3. I agree with your statements about good habits and strong principles, i think good habits sprout from strong principles because they provide the foundation for a good habit to be exercised regularly. It begs the question in my mind of what strong principles look like if they were not accompanied by good habits. Is that person indeed living life without a proper conscience? is it possible to do so?

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    4. I like what you said about string principles. I think that principles are a moral code that you follow in your day to day depending on what you have experienced

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    5. I agree that they're both important. I like that Barbara brought up that they can contradict each other. I think that principles being what you believe don't necessarily have to relate at all. That being said I do agree with you that when there is a good balance of the two it will likely lead to success.

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  11. I really liked and agreed with a lot of Mill’s principles, but I do not think he was right about happiness. I do like how he typed happiness into intellectual pleasures and mindless pleasures- I think this distinction is important. The problem is that Mill discredits mindless pleasures entirely (probably due to his interesting childhood). I think there should be more of a balance of the two according to what the individual person enjoys. On one hand, I do not think one should play a ton of video games or binge extreme amounts of TV. Only using mindless pleasures seems destructive to the person, but only using intellectual pleasures seems like the person is missing out on life. On the other hand, all work and no play leads to things like burnout, stress, and depression. If I enjoy daydreaming while I eat lunch rather than reading a book to increase my knowledge on a subject, I don’t think the value of daydreaming is less than that of reading a book. Mindless pleasures definitely have a place in my life when I’m stressed, tired, or sad. It’s nice to escape the “real world” for a bit and watch a movie. However, I don’t only find happiness in mindless pleasures; I have a balance of the two. I almost don’t think the two should be compared because they are such different things. I enjoy studying for my anatomy and physiology class and I enjoy watching movies. Those are such different categories that as I write, I’m starting to agree more with Bentham. Happiness is happiness despite where it comes from. Depending on the person, I think different people get greater happiness from doing different things. This is probably why Mill thought happiness could only come from intellectual pleasures, because he never really got to experience mindless pleasures as a kid. As far as choosing between a sad human and a happy pig, I would choose to be a happy human. I know that that is not a choice, but I choose to find pleasure in both mindless and intellectual pleasures.

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    1. Section 11
      Posted weekly essay Wednesday: 3
      Commented on Simon Pergande’s, Molly Belk’s, and Mai-Thi Kieu’s posts: 3
      Total: 35/35

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  12. I had to take the question of “Do you watch TV or play video games as much as the average American after what my parents did today… they cancelled Directv. My mom said it is too expensive and my dad said it is out-dated. We all use our phones to stream anyway. As to whether I watch programming more than the average American, which Fantasyland places at one third of their waking hours (p. 151), I would say I am pretty average only because I have continual access to my phone. I sneak in a quick video or a few minutes of a game on my phone, then I usually get right back to work. If I had to rely on a television set for entertainment, then I watch less than the average American because I am too busy to sit down to watch and there would be nothing good on anyway. Do I watch programming too much? I don’t think so but maybe a little sometimes. I feel like I work hard and deserve some down time. As long as it does not keep me from getting my work done, then I think it is ok. I think it will be interesting starting tomorrow when the tv does not turn on like before but I am sure that I will adapt (hopefully). Do I read for pleasure? No, I never read for pleasure because reading is time consuming and I already have lots of reading for school. I did not enjoy most of the books that high school made me read so that made me dislike reading. It is a little more enjoyable to listen to audible books.

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    1. Section 11
      Weekly Essay posted October 7 6:47pm
      Commented on Mai-Thi Kieu October 7 7:04pm
      Commented on Cole Walker October 7 7:13

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    2. intresting thoughts. i think something we should consider is that the amount of time in a day has not changed, and people have always had recreational activities.. perhaps because of the stationary nature of television/ video games it has somewhat been a damper on our time management and seemingly looks like more of a waste of time as compared to other activies. either way intresting post!

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    3. My family has AT&T and I had them take the cable box out of my room because I never watch actual television anymore. Like you said, I am too busy to sit down and watch tv. I will occasionally watch videos while I'm working on homework or something, but I definitely don't watch as much as I used to. I would agree with you that I'm on my phone an average amount of time. I love to read, but reading for school definitely takes away my free reading time. I really liked your post.
      section 11

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    4. I feel the same way about reading, I'm very ADD so I can very rarely bring myself to read anything but i do love good stories so i love listening to Audible.

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  13. Was Mill right about Bentham's account of happiness? Would you rather be a sad human or a happy pig?
    I believe that Mill was right about Bentham’s view on happiness, meaning that Bentham had a crude view of happiness. Bentham’s stance on happiness is very broad and is very simple, but I do not believe it would be very effective. As to if I would rather be a happy pig or a sad human, I simply must say that I would prefer to be a sad human. I might live life as a happy pig, and I could have a good life, but I would not be free to do as I please, which is not a path that ends in happiness. I agree with Mill about the different kinds of pleasures, and I do not believe I could go through life living on simple pleasures. If I chose to be an unhappy human, I have the opportunity to change whatever it is that is making me unhappy. I would not have to worry about the things that a barnyard animal must worry about, if worry is something that they can do. As a pig, I might only be happy for a short while, playing in the mud and eating slop, until one day I find that this life that seems so luxurious to me, the pig, will be ended by the butcher’s blade. I will wake up one day to discover that I have done as I pleased day after day only because I served a purpose to someone else, a purpose for which I was not told of. To be the pig means to be happy, but to be happy only for a short time. Let me drown in my sorrow and despair, knowing that I can seek out help if it is what I want. If, in my unhappiness, I decide my life is no longer worth the struggle, if I wish for it to end, then once again I find myself in a better position than the pig. For the pig, death comes unknowingly, at the will of the butcher, or the slaughterhouse, or the farmer or whoever else wants use of the pig’s meat. For me, the unhappy human, can I not at the end possess some essence of happiness, knowing that if I choose to die it will be in my own manner, at my own time, the way I wish for it to be done. This alone, in my opinion, makes the unhappy person superior to that sweet little pig, rolling around in the mud with not a worry in its simple mind. #12

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    1. I think if you choose to be a happy pig you wont maintain happiness forever. There will be problems and obstacles you need to endure and then you will wish that you were a dog or cat because you believe you would find happiness. Personally i think that to obtain happiness you need to endure pain first.

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    2. well i cant say that i don't agree with you. this reminded me of a quote "do you think Picasso was happy? Hemingway? no good art has every come from happiness." i would much rather ride the wave of life: happy to sad, love to rage, successes to disappointment. these are all shades of the human experience-- and it wouldnt be being human without them...but man how happy is that pig?

      thanks for the thoughts! great post!

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    3. Wednesday- Weekly Essay
      Thursday- Comment on Nate Carley's post
      Thursday- Comment on Mason Shoonover's Post
      35/35 points

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  14. Autumn Daniel
    Phil 1030-10
    Weekly Essay
    Question: Are you New Age? Do you believe you "create your own reality"?
    I would consider myself to hold “New Age” beliefs to a certain extent. I do lean more towards spirituality and i think that we are all connected to earth and eachother- but i don’t necessarily believe in One creator or God. The idea that people should be able to do whatever feels good without hurting anyone else resonates with me. I also definitely believe that if you do good, good will come to you. I think that puts me in the “New Age” category. There’s no doubt you can create your own reality, but some things are out of your control. However, you can always choose how to respond to that negativity or set backs. You can choose who you want to become, and seek out new ways to better yourself. Part of creating your own reality is trying to set yourself aside from stereotypes, how other people perceive you, and acknowledging all the things that influence you on a daily basis. It’s all about perception and your actions. Speak highly of your dreams, of yourself, and of others and you can count on it positively reflecting in your life.It says in the Talmud, “We do not see things as they are, we see them as we are”. You should always strive to find inner peace for yourself and project that onto others. Empathy is a key to help yourself while helping others. You can do anything you dream of with this mindset, and working towards the life you want. Nothing just magically appears, but anyone can make their own reality. Aside from that, bumps in the road are unavoidable and some of us start with more privilege than others. You don’t need material possessions or a society deemed “perfect” life to be fulfilled and happy (or to create your own reality). Even when your reality isn’t pretty, you can choose how you perceive it and what you take away. The good thing about creating your own reality is that it’s completely yours, and only your perception of it matters.

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    1. I too believe that people should do what pleases them and not hurt anyone else including themselves. To create your own realty i think you need to mold yourself into the reality you perceive. If you want to be intellectual you need to read more and gain knowledge so you can make that a reality.

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  15. Does religion make people more reconciled to oppression and exploitation, and less likely to revolt?

    I believe religion holds people accountable for their actions and teaches them not oppress people and many religions today preach that and promote peace. However, this statement was not true during slavery, white Americans used religion to justify their actions. They claimed that in the bible one of Noah’s children became the father of all black people and that was their excuse to put African Americans into slavery. I don’t think people would follow a religion that promoted violence and chaos, but I think the people of that religion bend the rules or twist the rules to fit their own beliefs.










    • What are the appropriate legal limits on speech and expression in a free society, if any?
    • Freedom of speech can be expressed by any anyone and does not have a limit. However, there are things people know you shouldn’t bring up in discussions such as politics and religion. It is not because that is the limit of your freedom of speech, but it causes controversy and disputes. It is better to not bring it up in the first place. Another example would be if in today’s society if a white man slanders a black man and calls him the n-word it would get so much hate and could even lead to violence or death. It is his right to say the word but the consequences of saying it publicly limits what they can say.

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    1. 012
      essay-3pt
      reply to Autumn Daniel and Eli Feck- 2pt

      grand total points 30 all points

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    2. I agree that Freedom Of speech can be expressed by anyone, and doesn't have a limit- but i disagree with saying you shouldn't bring up religion and politics. They may be uncomfortable to bring up, and may cause arguments, but it defeats the point of saying that there should be no limit- while adding a limit to free speech. I think the only limit should be public hate speech or bullying. Even that is pretty controversial but verbally hurting (or physically), should never be acceptable.

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    3. Zalen Ingram, Sec-10

      I completely agree with your statements on how they exploited and oppressed others using religion, yet were taught that is wrong to do such a thing. I believe now however that we live during a much better era, however there may still be problems in the world regarding religion that has yet to be solved.

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  16. I was so giddy this week when I heard about my favorite philosophical debate: “deontology vs utilitarianism” mentioned by name. the ultimate grudge match, staunch morals vs logical ethics! The reason that this is my personal favorite issue is because it is the moral crutch of my favorite book: Alan Moore’s Watchmen

    Spoilers ahead for the book, tv show, and movie.

    The debate Is held by the heralds of their respective ideals. We have the deontologist Rorschach and the utilitarian Ozymandias. As the book is set in the blazes of the cold war, relations between the US and the Soviet Union are steps away from a nuclear holocaust, so Ozymandias devises a plan to create a false extraterrestrial threat thus giving a mutual enemy and creating peace. But it would have to come at a price. Ozymandias surmised that it would cost the lives of the citizens of Manhattan to sustain his “peace”. As he said: “I killed millions to save billions.” Rorschach took great issue with this—while he could not do anything to save the lives of those lost, he could expose the reality of the situation. Even with his life threatened he would be unable to not share the truth with the world, as his ethical code would not allow it—he ended up costing giving up his own life, but not his beliefs. This creates the ultimate railroad scenario—do you kill millions to save billions? Or do you remain honest and allow humanity to save its own fate? Now I feel that every person might have a slightly different opinion on what is the best course of action, but I have to throw myself deeply into the zone of Rorschach’s deontology. While it may not be the smoothest or easiest option, I believe that if everyone showed the devotion to ethics that Rorschach did, the world would be a much more: truthful, safer, and stronger world.

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  17. so i am a little confused about the points system and how that should be gathered. i have consistently (each week) written an essay and 3 comments each week? Apperentally i have 35/35 (this has not added the extra comment each week, if that does infact add points)

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  18. Zalen Ingram, Sec-10

    I believe that Kant's philosophy on morality is one of the most rigid and emotionless psychologies that only makes sense when discussing it rather than putting it into practice. However, I can understand his 'rose-tinted glasses' assumption well, how we can perceive events in a certain manner that may differ from others due to our personal experiences. He argues upon this with how we would never be able to a truly unbiased world, which is fine with me, for if I never will see it, why should I worry about it? This fits perfectly with Kant's personality, as Kant was said to have a very structured and one-dimensional schedule every single day. I would say that his personality would be what it was due to his obsession with his theory. Or it could be the complete other way, with his theory stemming from his inflexible lifestyle where he thought he was the control. Disregarding the irony, his other philosophy that is mentioned is probably what makes Kant Kant, regarding morality and truth. He says to always tell the truth for it is the moral thing to do, and that what makes a moral decision moral isn't based on emotion at all, but rather duty. An example he himself gives is letting an injured man into your home because its your duty to help him, not because you feel bad. Although I do not entirely agree with this statement, I can understand his thought process. However, another example he gives is that a friend is being chased by an attacker and comes into your house, the attacker knocks on the door and asks if you've seen your friend around. In Kant's eyes, it would be immoral and wrong to lie to the attacker, for you did not tell the truth. This is what I mean by how adamant and inconsiderate his philosophy is. To be moral in my eyes is to be good for goodness sake, with truth being irrelevant in the matter. I respect his thoughts on the matter for being what they are and coming up with the philosophy in the first place, but I firmly believe it is wrong.

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    1. -Comment on Ammar Idris
      -Comment on Simon Pergande

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    2. Such a good essay to read! The way our lives are shaped truly do give each individual their own “rose colored glasses” when looking at different situations. I agree with you that his thoughts on morality are very respectable but are missing something. The example of the injured man is one I think most people can get behind, but to tell the truth to an attacker over protecting an innocent man just for the sake of telling the truth is a hard concept to swallow.

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  20. Is it more important to form good habits or to follow strong principles, in order to build your character and become a good person? Or both?

    I think that one definitely builds off the other. I think that in order to form good habits one has to follow strong principles previously. In my opinion it’s essential to do both because if you only follow good principles then what is to stop you from being easily swayed to follow other principles and abandon the ones you had? Conversely, if you only have good habits then where did those arise from? What is keeping you from forming bad habits? I liked what Xunzi said “When you observe goodness in others, then inspect yourself, desirous of studying it. When you observe badness in others, then examine yourself, fearful of discovering it. If yo find goodness in your person, then approve of yourself, desirous of holding firm to it. If you find badness in your person, then reproach yourself, regarding it as calamity” (pg 250). I believe it requires that self reflection and persistence to have good habits that come from good principles.

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    1. I like the direction you took this question. I agree that one builds off the other. I also like the quote you said by Xunzi, I agree that it requires self reflection and persistence. That is why I feel people find it hard to follow strong principles, a lot of people don't like putting in hard work.
      section 11

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    2. I believe the exact same as you. You can't genuinely have one without the other.

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    3. This is a great take! I think there are arguments that can be made for any of the choices, but I agree, with both being the best option.
      I think both would definitely be the most beneficial, and help shape your life, and person, better.

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    4. I also believe both are necessary. You cannot form good habits without first having strong principles. If you have strong principles you will much more goal driven and thus more likely to try to form good habits

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    5. I couldn't have said it any better. You can't achieve that latter without the other part. You need to have good/strong habits and principles to build good character.

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  21. • Do you feel a moral obligation to visit (and perhaps eventually care for) elderly relatives? 228

    Personally, yes I do feel the obligation to do so because of my cultural upbringing. Growing up as a Filipino, Filipino being a native of the Philippines, there is some correlation in family values from the rest of Asia. There is the stereotypical “respect your elders” but this is indeed true, at least for my family. In the Philippines, my family had learned to grow as a family by cooperation. My grandpa while living in the Philippines was a farmer and my dad had a job while going to school. My dad worked hard to help pay for rent, while my grandpa helped feed the family. I think this is where the social norm of respecting your elders come into play because the elders were back then working very hard for the family, and in turn my father now works very hard for the family with his job. There is a certain amount of respect that is due to those who provide for us and it doesn’t hurt to acknowledge that fact. This is why I feel a moral obligation to visit my elders every so often because they deserve it. As a different perspective, the elderly are not as able to experience the world the same way as they could before and us being there for them and visit them can help bring the world to them and brighten their day just a little more, even if its just a conversation for a few minutes.
    +3

    Replied Don Enss - +1
    Replied Simon Pergande +1

    1 - (+5)
    2 - (+0)
    3 - (+5)
    4 - (+5)
    5 - (+5)
    6 - (+5)
    7 (this week) – (+5)

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  22. weekly essay
    3 comments
    eli feck
    bailey stephens
    brittney sherrell

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  23. Section 011
    How do you balance your subjective point of view with objectivity, and with the subjectivity of others? What role should inter-subjectivity play, in forming that balance?
    This is something I found pretty important for everyone to learn when it comes to us as people having differencing opinions on many things. Some people might be open to being challenged in their thoughts and some are closed off and what you say won't change them. I believe you should be open to having your subjective view challenged but you shouldn't just change your thoughts if someone says to. Part of the balance is allowing yourself to have your thoughts challenged while also standing your ground on your objectivity. On the opposite of this, one should also be ok if they can't convince someone else to change their subjective point. You can't expect someone to change their subjective view even if you have made the better choice to allow yourself to be challenged. One other key part of the balance is being encouraging in that opposition, most people see having their subjective view challenged as a bad thing but it can be ok to listen. Now whether or not you take the other persons subjective view is based on what you know of them and etcetera but that's another conversation.

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    1. I believe I'm at 31/35 as I've missed comments.

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    2. This is something everyone should learn and I feel like it lacks in a lot of people today. Especially with everything going on in this world respecting different people view is important and keeping an open mind.

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  24. Do you feel a moral obligation to visit (and perhaps eventually care for) elderly relatives?
    I do feel the obligation to care for my close elderly relatives. These people were there with me as I grew up and I should be there for them as they get older. We moved my grandma in with us about 4 years ago because she couldn't take care of herself. Having her live with us has been nice because I get to see her whenever I want and I know I don't have forever with her. I feel like I should also care for my other grandma when she gets to the point of not being able to care for herself. They have both been with me since I was born and it's the right thing for me to do when they are at the point when they need help caring for themselves. I want them to have a good rest of their life.
    Has the film industry narrowed the perceived distance between fantasy and reality? Is it like a drug?
    I feel like this depends on the type of person. I can play video games or watch movies and still be able to tell the difference in what is real and what is fantasy. Of course I wish I could live in fantasy land, but I know that isn't possible. However, there are people who seem to confuse reality and fantasy. A lot of these people play video games as if the games are a drug. They seem to become obsessed with the game and it soon blurs with reality. This kind of obsession can end very badly with the person eventually becoming violent and acting as if they're playing a video game in real life. I feel like it really depends on how a person can tell the difference in reality and fantasy whether the film industry blurs the line of fantasy and reality.
    section 11

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    1. Thursday
      weekly essay +3
      reply to Molly Belk +1
      reply to Bailey Stephens +1
      reply to Shelby Pittman
      grand total 35/35

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    2. I was never graced in my life with elderly relatives. The last grandparent i had died when i was two years old. It is unfortunate i was never able to really meet any of them according to the stories i have heard, but also glad because i am sure they would have beat my ass for some things i have done. I sometimes think when my girlfriend sees her grandparents so often why she does. One is because she loves them and has deep family ties which i also don't fully reciprocate. They are a link to family history and usually the ones that are nice when your parents ground you. They spoil you usually and i can see the allure of wanting to see them especially knowing their time may be running out.

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  25. Section 10
    Do truly good people need a golden rule?
    I feel like there a bigger elephant in the room with this question, so to speak. Is anyone truly good? While I definitely feel as though some people are born more twisted than other, which is evident in the early signs of serial killers, I can’t say I’ve ever met or heard of someone truly good, other than Jesus. God Himself isn’t even “truly good” by most definitions. I suppose that is a big portion of the question. What is “truly good” by definition? It must vary from person to person. Even Hitler thought he was doing good, which I would hope everyone of us would strongly disagree with. “Good” is a tricky word, isn’t it? Not everything is as cut and dry as feeding the homeless is good and mass genocide is bad. Some of it relies on point of view. Take the wild boars in Texas for example. Many people disagree with killing “innocent animals”, therefore hunting them is bad. However for the farmers in Texas that have had whole fields of crops ruined overnight by this invasive species, letting them live is bad. Similar to last week, I’m getting carried away with semantics. To sum up my perspective on this question, it doesn’t matter. No one is truly good. Some are innately better than others, but I don’t believe anyone is truly good. The golden rule is useful in teaching children how to behave and treat others. That’s who it’s for. Children. A lot of whether someone is good or not depends on their childhood and the morals they developed growing up. The golden rule just helps reinforce it.
    Reply to Mason Schoonover
    Reply to Molly Belk
    Total 30/35

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    1. I like your response to this question. There are definitely some twisted people in the world, but no person is completely good. I agree with you that no one is truly good. I also like how you said the golden rule is for children, I can see how it is. I really like your response to this question.
      section 11

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    2. I agree. I believe this is why we need the golden rule. Without it, the sense of good is lost in different perspectives. This is usually taught to children for the exact reasons that you stated, however I believe one never outgrows the golden rule. It's like a north star helping to keep you on track.

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    3. I feel like as humans there is no way to be truly good because of our nature. We all have different opinions on good or bad and I like how you put example of killing "innocent animals" in your answer to show the different beliefs.

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    4. I feel like another aspect that really effects this entire concept is "what is considered good"? We only categorize things as good or bad because thats how society and other people view them but in the minds of others it could be completely different especially in other cultures. From a completely outside perspective there is no good or bad everything is just a decision and we have separated the choices into this category of good and bad.

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    6. I love your response because it seems like you took the words right out of my mouth. Everyone should have a golden rule whether you’re a naturally moral person or not. Why, because nobody that has done something wrong has ever not had a justification for it in their head. Anyone can make the most evil acts seem like it’s the only rational and moral choice. “Nobody is a villain in their own story. We're all the heroes of our own stories.” “A villain is a hero of the other side,” both by George RR Martin

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  26. • Should you ever lie? Is Kant's reasoning on this question reasonable, or rational? Is it emotionally intelligent? 117-18
    In a perfect world one should not lie. If we were machines not capable of having feelings, then we would not be pushed to lie. What I mean by “pushed to lie” is that most people lie to avoid being embarrassed, to hide an awkward situation, hide guilt, or to simply have others think better of the person telling the lie. I’m kind of on both sides of lying and not lying. There are instances where lying can save you, but if you get caught up in the lie it just gets worse. There’s a right time and place for everything and lying goes in that category. Obviously, a person should not just wake up and want to lie. Therefore, that brings me to Kant’s reasoning on lying. I don’t think Kant’s reasoning to this question is reasonable or rational especially the example he follows. In the murderer example a normal sympathetic person, especially if the victim was someone you knew, would lie to the murderer to save the victim. When the author said if the murderer asks you if they seen the victim and you lie and say they went to the park because in your head you know you just sent them to hide in your house, but the victim leaves and hides at said park. I don’t think it would be the “liars” fault. They gave the victim sanctuary, and the victim chose to leave.
    Essay Post Thursday – (+3)
    Comment on Nate Carley’s Post- (+1)
    Commented on Mason Schoonover- (+1)

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    1. I agree completely. Especially the part about waking up and "wanting" to lie. If someone wants to lie, then that is bad, but if one has good intentions, there are many scenarios in which lying is justifiable.

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    2. I believe in very specific circumstances the moral benefits outweigh the need to tell the truth. For Instance. When your child loses their puppy. Do you tell the child that the puppy is dead or that you had to give the puppy to a new home and the puppy has a great life now. I believe most people would opt on the side of kindness.

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    3. I think you did a good job stating what you thought but also giving a reasoning why you thought that way. I agree with you on your assessment of Kant's reasoning as well.

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  27. If you heard a voice purporting to be God, telling you to murder your child, what would you do?
    I would try to ask the voice questions and reason with it. I would want to find out if this voice I was hearing was really God. Even if it was, I'm certain I would not kill my child or anyone's child because God said so. I never understood this Abraham story. Why would God ask Abraham to do something that directly contradicts His ten commandments? I understand that this was to demonstrate that you must have faith in God's commands, but why would He ask him to do something such as killing one's own child. I feel this was not an effective way to get the point across. If I heard a voice that I thought was God, there would be no way to tell if I was delusional. There are known cases of murders taking place that the killer says they were just following the will of God. When it comes to taking someone's life, I'm going to need a little more than just, "God said so".

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    1. weekly post: +3
      Replies:
      Shelby Pittman(+1)
      Isaiah Bryanton(+1)
      weekly total: 5 points

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  28. Blake Hughes
    Section 010
    My Essay (+3)
    Comments (+2): Brittney Sherrell & Molly Belk
    Overall Points: 35
    Weekly Question #7:
    “Do you watch TV (and YouTube, Netflix, etc.) and play video games as much as (or more than) the average American? 151 Do you think you watch too much? Do you read for pleasure?”

    For TV, I, actually, don’t even have TV. I do have a TV, but it’s only for gaming, since it doesn’t pick up any channels, or anything. However, with that being said, I watch so much YouTube. If I could, I would spend hours, upon hours, upon hours watching my favorite content creators. It’s a bit addicting! With Netflix, I do have a few Streaming Services that I’m subscribed to, and I do use them. But, lately, I haven’t really had the time to watch anything on any of them. There are a few shows on there, that I do hope to watch, but just haven’t been able to. If I do have the time to do so, I end up spending my free time playing video games, watching YouTube, or having to do things like taking care of my laundry, dusting, general cleaning, etc. While I do feel like I watch quite a bit of YouTube, I think my watch time is definitely average.

    Now, for my real passion, lol! I absolutely LOVE video games. As of late, I just do not have the time to play like I would prefer, due to school consuming so much of my time. Although, almost anytime I do have time, I try my best to play. Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 are my main consoles, and I would definitely consider myself to play more than the average American (when I have the time.) One of the main reasons for this, is because a ton of my friends are farther away from me, so we will all get together on a group Discord call, as we play, and spend time together. Even if I’m with friends who are in person, or go to visit some of the other, far away friends, we still end up playing video games, lol.

    I used to love reading books, and would frequently go to the Library. But, around sixth grade, I fell out of that touch. Not because I didn’t enjoy reading anymore, but because I always have to read so many things for school, and it continues to stay that way. I’m hopeful that once I’m finished with college, I will be able to pick back up on reading things of my interest.

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  29. Question:
    Are Americans too preoccupied with celebrity, and celebrities?

    I believe that we as a population are way too preoccupied with celebrities. I believe the media has put an emphasis on trusting celebrities for some odd reason. The reason I have an issue with this is celebrities are walking breathing advertisements to the highest bidder. Everything down to the clothes a celebrity decides to wear in public is decided by the brand and corporations that pay for them. A solid majority of celebrities come from wealthy famous families or acting families. The life advice these celebrities give is not applicable to most people. Furthermore I would go out on a limb and say most celebrities are disingenuous with how they came to fame. They say keep trying and you will make it when they themselves only made it due to connections to the industry. Can you really trust what a celebrity says. In my eyes, no, because they are extremely easily bought and paid for. Along with the fact that their life is extremely different from an average person. My general rule of thumb when introduced to new advice is to check as many independent sources as I can to verify whether or not the claim was accurate. I suggest that everyone else do the same especially when doing research on political issues

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    1. comments: Isaiah Bryanton and Molly belk 2pt
      essay 3pt
      unsure of total since some were late
      25/35

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    2. I agree with you about checking independent sources and making sure that that celebrity is credible or not before taking the advice.

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    3. Some celebrities are sellouts for sure just here to grab the most money. but also these celebrities are being managed to some extent so when they are in a sponsorship it is usually a business deal and not a personal deal.

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  30. Has the film industry narrowed the perceived distance between fantasy and reality? Is it like a drug?

    With the technology we have now, people have a lot of options to "escape" reality. When I was younger, I would watch many films just for entertainment. I would get lost in that world and make connections with the characters without trying to compare it to the real world. I have become aware that films can have a deeper purpose than just to entertain the audience. I would see these films and think to myself "This stuff wouldn't happen in the real world.", but looking back on it, there were so many messages that could be applied to reality. The film industry puts out these films where people's lives can be shaped by them whether it's for the better or the worse. For example, the characters in movies aren't realistic when comparing to people in real life. They can be, but it depends on the film. Films usually have these out of the world characters or romantic characters which people will perceive that that is how people should be in real life. When in reality it is far from it. These standards can be too unrealistic and it can cause people to lose a grip on reality. I still think that films are a great way to learn and perceive things in different ways.

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    1. Thursday: posted Essay- 3 points
      Thursday: commented on Patrick Wolff's Essay on October 8th, 2020 at 2:32 PM - 1 Point
      Thursday: commented on Molly Belk's Essay on October 8th, 2020 at 2:36 PM - 1 point

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    2. I agree. Movies usually have some sort of well intended, good hearted message. It is intending on helping the viewer live a more positive life and hopefully not be like the antagonist. It does draw from reality a bit if you become entranced with film like i am. Sometimes i think about things in my life happening or not happening and wonder why the hell, until i realize i may have a jaded opinion based on something someone wrote to seem outstanding.

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    3. You bring up an interesting point about movie characters affecting people's expectations of people in the real world. I think there is a risk there of blurring the lines between fantasy and reality, especially in the way you mentioned about unrealistic characters. I also believe that taken in the right context rather than at face value, films have the ability to enhance our understanding of reality rather than obscure it.

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    4. I also would like to say that i believe the word drug has a very negative connotation attached to it. I also really don't think there is anything wrong with expanding our imagination and creativity. Although like you said this can create false hopes and fantasies i believe it is just important to know the difference between fiction and reality.

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  31. Karl Marx was incredibly intelligent. While his ideas have rippled through history in only a negative manner, i believe he meant well. It is a classic case of great idea, but poor execution i believe. No system will ever truly be great no matter what anyone says. Capitalism may not be the ideal system, but it is the best one we have got thus far. Communism was a well thought out idea. A means to share the wealth and no one ever going hungry or homeless. Everyone is able to provide for themselves and their families. This, unfortunately, will never work for humans. His idea of a class struggle holds some merit. The rich wanting to stay rich and get richer even though they couldn't spend every penny they earned before they died if they tried. However many years ago, Bill Gates who is worth $64 billion donated has his net worth to charity that year. By the same time next year his net worth was back to where it was and then some. The poor struggle at the bottom with very small possibilities of truly living out their potential. Imagining a world where no one would want for anything and all was fair and equal is an astounding thought, but one that will, at least for now, only be seen in movie theaters of the future. Humans are always wanting for more. They are greedy and will always strive for more. More money, more power, just more. The idea that maybe the system does work, but the leaders during those times did not follow his ideas to the letter is an interesting thought and one we may never know to be truthful or not.

    +3 essay
    +1 commented on Kate Allen
    +1 commented on Randy

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  32. Section 10
    I do agree with Mill about Bentham’s account of happiness. It’s obvious that there is more to life than pleasure. I agree that the sad human would still be capable of higher pleasures than the happy pig rolling in the mud. This question makes me think of the saying, “ignorance is bliss.” The pig is ignorant to the world’s suffering and even it’s own potentially grave fate. This allows it to enjoy it’s simple life. In contrast though, because of this same ignorance, the pig is deprived of the higher pleasures that even the saddest of humans can enjoy through engaging with art, reading, understanding, and being understood. I think people are far better off doing more with their lives than seeking simple pleasures.

    I also agree with Mill that people would be happier if allowed to live their lives in the way they choose as long as it doesn’t harm others. Victorian England’s attempt at improving society by imposing what it considered to be good moral values on its people is a harmful way to govern. This is something that is still readily observable in politics today. Too much of the government is being controlled by those wishing to impose their religious doctrine on the country’s population. This is evident with the battles that we are still fighting with marriage and reproductive rights. I agree with Mill that restricting people from growing and developing how they choose will result in people not only being less happy and fulfilled, but also making fewer contributions to society as a whole.

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    1. Section 10
      Main post 10/8= 3 points
      Commented on Kimmie Steakley’s post 10/8= 1 point
      Commented on Don Enss’ post 10/8= 1 point
      Grand Semester Total (excluding bonuses)= 35

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  33. What do you think of "Marx's vision"? 161

    To understand and make sense of Marx's vision, I believe it is essential to have an understanding of the conditions during his lifetime. He lived in Europe during the time of the industrial revolution, when factories and mass production were becoming more and more prevalent. At this time, there was a sharp contrast between the laborers and the business owners, with business owners being rich and powerful, while workers were heavily exploited for their labor. Not only were they underpaid, but the factory hours and conditions made their lives arguably not even worth living, all while the business owners were getting richer from the laborers' labor and practically living like kings. Under this framework, Marx's vision of a workers' uprising, followed by the construction of a utopian society where nobody gives more than they are able and everyone has everything they need, seems like a valid solution to the problems faced by post-industrial revolution Europe. However, I believe Marx's philosophy is flawed in that it is too idealistic; it depends on the willingness of every person to work for the good of all of society. Between the wild success of capitalist economies and the devastating failure of "communist" societies over the past couple centuries since Marx's lifetime, (communist in quotes because none of these societies completely followed Marx's original ideals), it is easy to see that as a whole, people look out for their own interests over the interests of society as a whole. While this individualism is what fuels a capitalist economy, it is the downfall of any real attempt at communism. Besides this fact, increased regulations over free market economies in the centuries since Marx's lifetime have solved, or at least made progress away from, many of the issues that Marx's vision intended to solve.

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    1. Essay +3
      Reply to Nate +1
      Reply to Randy +1
      Running Total: 8/35

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  34. Do you watch TV (and YouTube, Netflix, etc.) and play video games as much as (or more than) the average American? 151 Do you think you watch too much? Do you read for pleasure?

    I do spend a lot of time watching television. In fact, that is what I turn to when I feel like I have nothing to do. If I am not watching television, I am on my phone scrolling though social media or watching Tik Tok. When it comes to comparing myself to others and the constant intake of entertainment or social media, I would say that I am about average. It really is an addition because I do not think about what else should I do when I have free time. I do consume a lot of media and entertainment and I will say that it is a really bad habit that I have and pretty much everyone I know.
    When I was younger, I read all the time. It was my favorite thing to do. My family did not have cable and the streaming services that I have today were not a thing back then. The only tv shows I watched when I was younger was whatever we rented from the library. So, we did spend a lot of time at the library and that is where I would always pick out a book and a movie for the week. When I was older and had gotten a phone, reading was not really something I would do anymore. I still love reading, but I make up all kinds of excuses not to read a book unless required for a class. The reason that I like this class is that I find the books that I read so far quite interesting and that has reminded me of my love for reading.

    Section 12

    Essay +3
    Shelby Pittman comment +1
    Matt Kolzow comment +1
    Altogether 35/35

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    1. I was the same when I finally got my phone I never gravitated towards books for my form of entertainment. Whenever I start getting into a book it is a lot more fun reading it then when you are just starting.

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    2. I'm glad you've been reminded of your love of reading! I've read almost constantly for years but lost the motivation to do so for a long time. After starting college, I've gravitated back towards my "to read bookshelf"

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  35. Name two or three of your favorite pleasures. Are any of them higher or better than the others? In what way? Are any of yours higher or better than those of a friend whose list includes none of yours? Why or why not?
    I like watching/playing games a lot, I like eating a lot, and I like sleep just an absurd amount. Are any of them better than others? For sure, I would rate sleeping at the highest because its something I can enjoy at any moment. Games are probably second on the list, because the object is already prepared and I just have to delve into it unlike food, where the quality of the food is dependent on a lot of things, like if I made it, or if a chef made it, or someone completely inexperience’s made it, it depends on if it’s hot or cold, if I’m eating it with friends or not, so on and so forth. My pleasures are not necessarily higher than my friends however, my pleasures are based on my bias, so of course they seem more appealing than my friends’ pleasures. If my favorite color is yellow, and my friend’s favorite color is blue, and we see a pair of yellow shoes that I like and he hates, it doesn’t mean that either of us are wrong, it just comes from the bias that we have.

    Do you agree with Darwin that the subject of God is "too profound for human intellect"? Does it mean we should all be agnostic?

    Taking away whether he exists or not, God is a creation of man, and what I mean by that is that mankind is the only kind (that we know of) that believes in God, if no one believes in God he might as well not exist right. No animals believe in God, they don’t contemplate his existence, they don’t worship him on set days or anything of the sort. God is, at least in the way we believe in him, a creation of mankind, and mankind has every right to ponder about God. That’s like saying that you shouldn’t think about your parents or the solar system or the universe, your parents created you, but you still question them, the solar system has existed for billions of years, but we still investigate it, the universe is literally infinite, but it doesn’t stop us from exploring it. I think wondering about God is just the logical conclusion. So, in short, I think we shouldn’t be agnostic.

    Section 12

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Questions for the week +3
      Replied to Cole Walker +1
      Replied to Molly Belk +1

      This week 5/5
      Total 35/35

      Delete
    2. You sound just like my brother. He loves eating,sleeping and playing video games. Sleep however is very important and its something you need a lot of. I loved reading your post about God. I absolutely agree if God didn't exists we wouldn't have a lot of things.

      Delete
    3. I can totally relate to you! I can sleep all day if I have no work to do. I also agree with your response to the second question. If we(humans) stop believing or doesn't at all believe in god, he might not exist.

      Delete
  36. The first question I picked is: Do you watch TV (and YouTube, Netflix, etc.) and play video games as much as (or more than) the average American? Do you think you watch too much? Do you read for pleasure?
    I do not think I watch screens as much as the average american. When I watch tv and youtube it's probably once or twice a week. However when it comes to screen watching I am constantly on facebook,instagram and snapchat watching videos and or looking at friends/family posts. I sometimes wish I could just sit on the couch and relax while watching tv but I can't. I find it hard to sit and watch tv when I know I could be doing other things that are more productive. I think the average american watches way to much tv and plays videos games. I think with quarantine it doesn't help that so many more people are home which makes the tv and netflix ratings go up more and more.
    The second question I picked is: Is it more important to form good habits or to follow strong principles, in order to build your character and become a good person? Or both?
    I think it's more important to follow strong principles. I feel this way because if you have good principles then you can establish good habits. I definitely think it's important to have both of these qualities to have healthy relationships and to have a good job/work ethic. It's very important to teach children things you wish you knew and things you wish you had more of. Overall I dont think its hard to have both of these qualities.
    Essay +3
    Comment to 2 people +2
    Total +5

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    Replies
    1. I think it's interesting that you think people watch too much tv/play too many video games, as you think your time can be used more productively but by your own admission you are constantly on your phone. Though I too agree that the average American spends way too much time with any screen.

      Delete
    2. I agree with you that quarantine has prompted many people to stay home, resulting in more screen watching time. I can relate to looking at your phone and being on social media often. I struggle with this and managing my time well with this. I think you have some good thoughts and insights!

      Delete
  37. Calvin Parrack

    Were Walt Disney and Steve Jobs great Americans? Have their fantasy worlds made life better?

    I believe that in order to answer this question it first must be clearly defined. What does it mean to “make life better”? What does it mean to be a “great American”? There are many different ways of thinking about what making life better means; I am conflicted between defining it as a contribution to humanity as a whole that improves the quality of life, and something that makes life more enjoyable for each individual person. Now obviously the creations of these two Americans don't necessarily affect everyone on the globe but they do affect a large majority. In today's day and age i'm sure it would be extremely difficult to find someone that doesn't own a smartphone or hasn't seen a Disney movie. And judging by the fact that everything these people have created and worked for was intended to help people and make them happy, i would say Yes! Yes Walt Disney and Steve Jobs have made the world immeasurably better. And i believe this also goes hand in hand with qualifying them to be recognized as great Americans! Great is not just good, it's beyond and I believe both of these men have accomplished great things throughout their lives that will probably affect America and the world for the rest of time. That i would say is great and maybe even amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Were Walt Disney and Steve Jobs great Americans? Have their fantasy worlds made life better? 153-4

    It depends on what you definition of a great American is. I think it's a little broad of subject- something that everyone will have a different opinion on. A lot of people when they think of a good version of America they bring up the American dream. Starting out from nothing and becoming something greater than yourself. Admittedly I don't recall much about Walt from animation history- and a lot less about Steve jobs- I would say that neither was a very good person, but a good entrepreneur. And under that definition of a great American, would make them such. Ignoring Steve since he really only contributed to the state of things without directly creating them- I think that the fantasy worlds that Walt helped create have both hindered and helped humanity. On one hand, everyone needs a break or a positive light to look up to separate from ourselves - and I think some of Disney's work can provide that. However, people can end up separating themselves too much from the actual world they live in and not assist when needed as a result. Additionally, they can be more susceptible to bouts of naivety - Disney said it isn't a problem, so it clearly isn't. The concept of the performative compliance within corporations is the main issue I think about regarding Disney's fantasy lands. They build up a love and a trust among their consumers so that when they go back on their promises to do better in the face of scandal- the consumer does not notice or does not care. How can 'someone' who makes such beautiful moving creations do something so awful? At a certain point there is a failure to disassociate the creator/the creation from the corporation.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Do you watch TV (and YouTube, Netflix, etc.) and play video games as much as (or more than) the average American? 151 Do you think you watch too much? Do you read for pleasure?

    I am usually watching shows or movies in my free time. I also play video games with my friends every once in a while. I don't think I use too much of my time watching shows or playing video games. I have to go to work on the days I don't have in class classes and when I get home I do my class assignments. so my free time is after my work and before I have to go to sleep. sometimes I will practice on bass or saxophone and try to learn new songs. whenever I want to relax I will watch shows or playing games. Sometimes I will read for pleasure. It is hard for me to start a new book but once I start reading it gets really interesting and makes me want to continue reading.

    1 + 5
    2 + 5
    3 + 5
    4 0
    5 + 5
    6 0
    7 + 5

    25/35

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    1. I am honestly the exact opposite of you, I spend most of my free time goofing off playing games an watching YouTube. I wish I had the self discipline not to goof all my time away.

      Delete
    2. I can relate to the way you read, and how I rarely pick up a book, but when I do I'm usually glued to it. By what you stated, I feel like you manage your time well with what you watch and consume.

      Delete
    3. I can agree with your reading. I tend to start reading something and then for the next few hours if I find it interesting I will just as much as I can.

      Delete
    4. I agree with you. I do not have time anymore of watching TV or playing videos because I have classes and homework to do and get a good grade at school plus I do not have anytime to go to sleep

      Delete
  40. Class struggle has reared its ugly head so many times throughout history that it seems like completely different events all together. Every time the peasants overthrew the king or every time the people elected some off the wall strong man was, a result of class struggle. Some would say that it’s the singular problem that humans have been trying to get past since they started living in societies, we’ve constantly been trying to make the class divides more fair and more fluid but we haven’t made it so everyone has the same opportunities or eliminate the classes all together. I also do subscribe to Marx’s idea that there are only two classes the workers and the owners, because that’s what it all boils down to eventually if you don’t work for yourself than you do work for someone for cheaper than you’re worth. So, wouldn’t that make every job a form of exploitation no matter how well you’re paid. I like to add that little piece at the end because you always see people getting mad at rich celebrities when they talk about making a fairer system, the main criticism is usually, “HEY, you make millions a year and you think you can tell people about how messed up there system is when you’re an example of how well the system works,” see that’s a flawed argument. Why, because if an actor can make $3 million from a movie than the studio probably made over $300 million, your Wendy’s franchise owner can afford to pay you 9/hr because you really make him $200 an hour.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. interesting way, how you said it. How the class struggled and how much money to work for those people. The way I see is that money is the rude of all evil.

      Delete
  41. I agree in Mill’s declaration that there are different kinds of pleasure: higher and lower. Though as I try to define the levels I would lean more towards- lower would be the small things and the high things that move us on a deeper/more intense level. Simple pleasures versus those that are highly impactful on our happiness. These terms would be applied to different experiences/activities/passions/disciplines ectara and applied differently by all the people in the world. A simple pleasure for someone could be getting the latest iPhone (expensive but simple) but someone who has never had a smartphone perhaps never could afford one could see that as a high pleasure for reaching a financial goal. Bookworms, movie buffs, car enthusiasts, stamp collectors are but a few examples of people finding happiness in an activity but not everyone will identify with that. So as for “if a pig could read, it would prefer reading to rolling in mud” I find narrowminded and slightly elitist.

    As for choosing between a sad human and a happy pig? I’d pick the happy pig. Perhaps it is from my experience with the sometimes-overwhelming effects of mental illness and all that comes with it that colors my choice. Rolling around in the mud sounds like a great reprieve, wouldn’t have to work so hard to make my own self happy. As I stated in class about “what would you come back as?” I wouldn’t choose human. I don’t think that makes me a nihilist, I believe life is worth living and I like to think I have decent morals. Just means I’m a sad little human that would enjoy a nice roll in the mud.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Weekly essay: +3
      Comment: Kiera and Miranda +2

      33/35 no comment permissions for first week
      commented extra 1 week +1?

      Delete
    2. I have a theory that if people are good and get a choice to reincarnate they would usually choose to be a house cat or a dog. It's great to be a human and speculate everything but it is tiring and hard especially for us sad little humans.

      Delete
  42. Weekly productivity
    Comment on Cole Walker's post Oct 6 Rose-colored spectacles - 1 pt
    Weekly essay on Bentham's Happiness Principle - 3 pts
    Comment on Brittney Sherrill's post Oct 8 on film - 1pt
    Weekly summary 5
    Accumulative summary 45

    ReplyDelete
  43. Is it more important to form good habits or to follow strong principles, in order to build your character and become a good person? Or both?

    I believe to form good habits, you must follow strong principles. Or you are at least following some kind of principle someone has shown you or you have sought out. There is always a reason or objective when going through with something and that is usually the principle. I think accepting responsibility and having grace with yourself when you fail goes into this. Part of life is making mistakes and we can either learn from them, or hold a grudge and never admit to ourselves that we aren’t perfect and still need help from others. Building good character requires some kind of act of self discipline. This can be through forming habits and following through with them. The ability to pursue something with good intent and go through without letting temptations waver you can be hard, but can result in building good character. I think another big contributor to becoming a more well-rounded person is knowing and seeing yourself for who you are. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses and figuring out the balance within yourself can be incredibly significant to becoming your best self. Not only this, but we can also benefit from truly listening to yourself and others through life. Overall, I think both forming good habits and following strong principles are both equally important when building character.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I strongly agree that they are both important to build character. I also think that habit originate from the principles that have been shown before you by others.

      Delete
  44. weekly essay: 3+
    commented on Miranda and Douglas Hauser's post: 2+

    ReplyDelete
  45. Have you ever helped someone because you felt sorry for them? Was that a moral action on your part?

    Honestly, at times before yes I have. I have felt sympathy towards a friend or family member that I'm close with so if they were or are in a position and needed help from me then I feel like it's only right to help them out in a time of need. It's not that I just feel sorry for the person, it is just I put myself in their position. If I was going through the things that they are dealing with, I would want someone to help me out as well. I have also had friends or family be there for me in a time of need. So, when the tables turn I know that if I'm able to provide for them the way they've provided for me then I'm going to do that in any way that I can no matter what. If I am in a position where I can come through for someone in need then I will try my best to help them out.

    Weekly Essay= +3 points

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Replied to Moustafa Shamdeen= +1point

      Delete
    2. Replied to Aidan Rose= +1 point
      Total= 32/35

      Delete
    3. I most definitely agree, well written. Its just one of those things being a good person and having a big heart because some don't put their self in others shoes.

      Delete
    4. I agree that it is always the right thing to help someone that is in need, but we all do it because we put ourself in that situation and see that we would need help also in order to create the moral idea to always help people.

      Delete
    5. I totally agree! Being there for those you love and care about doesn't usually come out of a place of pity, but a place of love. When it comes to those we don't know as well the situation is slightly altered as it shifts our perspective to what WE would feel like if in their position. Does this make the helping act selfish in a way? Does that really matter if we always end up helping anyway?

      Delete
    6. Yes! If we don't recognize when others are struggling then how can we ever know when to reach out and provide support? Pity is a demonized emotion because our society as a whole is too proud. Pity is the offspring of sympathy and empathy and if it inspires positive and unselfish action then what's the harm?

      Delete
  46. • Do you watch TV (and YouTube, Netflix, etc.) and play video games as much as (or more than) the average American? 151 Do you think you watch too much? Do you read for pleasure?

    I watch more content and play more video games than the average American. I do think that I watch too much content. So now the question would be if I know that I watch to much stuff why not simply stop watching so much? And the answer to that is I do not know. I want to stop watching so much content because I know my time is better spent doing something else, but I just find myself to entertained by what is happening on my screen. There are times when I tell myself one more video or one more episode and then I end up watching way more than I would like to and then without me realizing half of my day is just gone. Maybe the reason could be that I am just trying to avoid work that I need to get done. I end up procrastinating or missing the assignment completely. Things that I need to get done just end up not getting done because I am immersed in what is going to happen next or this problem is going to get solved.
    Sometimes I read for pleasure. Some stories are really good and I end up reading for hours because I want to know how the story will end. There will be some days where I will not read because I think that I need to take a break because I do not want to end the story so fast but then there’s days where I read a lot and read more than I anticipated to read.

    Weekly Essay +3
    Responded to Douglas Hauser
    Responded to Simon Pergande

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I fully agree and relate to this. I also feel like I myself watch TV or play video games more than an average American. I feel like the reason a person will continue to watch a TV or play a game is because we may see something that catches our attention and is an interest to us then we will want to continue watching or playing because it is a good show or good game. Our span of attention will expand when we like something so it makes us never want the show or video game to end.

      Delete
  47. Betsy Akpotu
    PHIL 1030-010
    Weekly Essay #8


    Was Mill right about Bentham's account of happiness? Would you rather be a sad human or a happy pig? I can be both. Well I cannot do that. I rather be a happy pig that roles over dirt, eat, and sleep because that makes me happy. Its funny because humans and pigs are the same thing including rats and primates. 95 % rats and primates are the same thing as humans. I would not be sad human because I want my sleep, I need to sleep and not find a job and just be lazy but you need job to survived in the world, but I rather be happy pig than sad human. Do you watch TV (and YouTube, Netflix, etc.) and play video games as much as (or more than) the average American? 151 Do you think you watch too much? Do you read for pleasure? Sometimes, I watch TV too much today because TV nowadays are to toxic and not entertaining anymore. Today, its still not entertaining and that’s why we have next Netflix. Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and Disney use to be better in the 90s and 20th century but not anymore. I use to watch Dexter Laboratory on Cartoon Network when I was a kid, but that show is gone. Now I read books more then watching TV. I go to library and I wonder if I can be like Matilda that girl that read books all they and have superpowers. Were Walt Disney and Steve Jobs great Americans? Have their fantasy worlds made life better? Yes and No. Yes, to help the children of entertainment believe in your dreams coming true and relate of children being homeless or forgotten back in the day. No, because in todays society it’s much more toxic because they keep on reboot show or movies and live action just like the live action movie Mulan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I loved Dexter's Laboratory! Matilda also used to be one of my faves as well. Do you see a change in who you are during periods of time when you watch more TV versus who you are after a period of reading a lot? I personally go through phases depending on how much time I have or what mood I'm in, but I think there's a difference in mood, personality, and character.

      Delete
  48. Do truly good people need a Golden Rule?

    In my opinion I don't think so, its similar to what it states in How The World Thinks "Those who don't steal don't need precepts against theft". Therefore I believe more people should practice the golden rule to become a better person overall. However, truth is on a day-to-day basis living by the Golden Rule will make you a better person, will make those around you happier, and will make the community you live in a better place. We should make it a habit to try to place yourself in the shoes of another person. Any person. Loved ones, co-workers, people you meet on the street. Really try to understand, to the extent that you can, what it is like to be them, what they are going through, and why they do what they do. Once you can understand another person, and feel what they’re going through, learn to want to end their suffering. And when you can, take even a small action to somehow ease their suffering in some way. Also the Golden Rule doesn’t really mean that you should treat someone else exactly as you’d want them to treat you … it means that you should try to imagine how they want to be treated, and do that. So when you put yourself in their shoes, ask yourself how you think they want to be treated. Ask yourself how you would want to be treated if you were in their situation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. Weekly essay(+3)
      Tom P. comment +1
      Cory Roberts comment +1
      Jason A. Perez comment +1

      Grand Total:(31)

      Delete
  49. Do you know any parents who try "to maintain their authority over their children after those children have grown up"? 231

    From the culture I have grown up in I know many parents who try to and still maintain authority over their children even after they are grown. In Hispanic culture, parents are known to always have authority in their children’s life. Yes, they can choose whether to listen to what they ask, but if they do not that is considered highly disrespectful from where I come from. We are taught that we need to follow our parent’s authority all times and treated with respect, no matter if they were right or wrong. With growing up in in a household where that is highly looked upon, I can still be grown and still feel the authority my parents had while I was growing up. Not that I still want that authority over me, I just grew accustom to it. Part of it is because of my morals and religion. Other parts of it is because the need to make them proud. The authority is a lot pressure do not get me wrong especially when their authority challenges your desires in what you want to do or achieve in life. I am grateful for my parents and everything they have given me without question, but just because some believe parents do not need to have the authority over them even if they are grown it does not mean they need to show their independence to their parents with disrespect. Apart from my experience there are plenty others that face this same challenge and have their different opinions.

    Essay +3
    Nate Carley comment +1
    Mai-Thi Kieu comment +1
    Total(15)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've actually heard in some cultures they do that but I also feel its just love they have for their child and don't want them gone

      Delete
  50. Do you watch TV (and YouTube, Netflix, etc.) and play video games as much as (or more than) the average American? 151 Do you think you watch too much? Do you read for pleasure?

    Personally, as 19 year old working almost full time and also attending school full time, I just don't have enough free time to be able to watch much TV and such. However, I am a huge Kentucky sports fan so whenever I get the chance to I definitely watch the games! I think there is such thing as watching too much TV, but I don't think there's such thing as having too much imagination. Shows and movies influence people and help them shape their self in either a good way or bad way. Lately, I've been reading books as a way to improve myself mentally and physically. Right now I'm reading "1000+Little Things Happy Successful People Do Differently" by Marc and Angel Chernoff. I'm a huge fantasy reader, but during 2020 I've made my way to reading things that motivate and inspire me. With this year being a rough one, I decided to use it as a way to improve myself. As much as I like watching movies and TV shows when I can, I usually like to enjoy the little things in life. Whether that's spending time with friends or being outdoors, I like to be able to take in every moment that I can.

    Taylor Christian
    Phil1030-10
    Total points: 30/35

    ReplyDelete
  51. Section 011
    Should you ever lie? Is Kant's reasoning on this question reasonable, or rational? Is it emotionally intelligent?
    Do you agree with the Greatest Happiness Principle? Why or why not?

    I don't think that a lie in itself is inherently bad or evil, I believe it depends on the context and reasoning for the lie. If the lie is for selfish reasons like to further yourself, or something trivial like to avoid embarrassment then I don't believe that it's okay, but if the lie is to "protect" someone in some way then I think it's fine. I think Kant's reasoning on this comes from a rational, though extreme, train of thought but I don't feel that is is very reasonable. Kant's point that everyone would lie when it suits them is valid but it fails to take into account the integrity of people. His argument in my opinion is not emotionally intelligent because he has narrowed his opinion to only be in line with what he wants to be true not necessarily what is true.
    I don't agree with the Greatest Happiness Principle. When I first read through this chapter my first thought was to do whatever will produce the most happiness or pleasure without considering what the acts themselves are sounds like a complete lack of morals. I appreciate that Bentham placed an emphasis on equality even though this was not the norm at the time and also that he included the feelings of animals into his "calculations". In practice I don't think it ever would have worked though. What would have happened when what makes %51 of the population happy was a painful experience for the other %49? While in theory his ideas sound nice I think that peoples pleasures and pain should not be considered that heavily and certainly not be the only things considered when making any kinds of decisions.

    Post on 10-8-20 (+3)
    Responded on 10-8-20 to Isaiah Bryanton (+1)
    Responded on 10-8-20 to Simon Pergande (+1)
    Responded on 10-8-20 to Don Enss
    Total points 28/35

    ReplyDelete
  52. Section 10
    Is it more important to form good habits or to follow strong principles, in order to build your character and become a good person? Or both?

    I believe that in order to build your character and become a "good person" in the eyes of society, one must have strong principles and good habits. Good habits are a derivative of strong principles because the principles define why you practice those habits. Without strong principles you would be hard pressed to create good habits as you have no reason to. A principle is a fundamental, a building block if you will, in the structure of our character. We are able to reinforce our character by creating habits from those principles we, or others, have instilled in us.


    If you pursue excellence (arete) in life will you be more likely to be happy? More or less likely to value happiness? What do these terms mean to you?

    I do not believe anyone should strive to be excellent per se, but strive to be as close as possible. No one can be "excellent" because you will always have room to improve on whatever it is you are involved in. You can spend your entire life attempting to be excellent at something only to find that when you aren't able to continue, there is still room to grow. Happiness, in my opinion, is much easier to achieve when you do something to the best of your ability, knowing you would not be able to do it perfectly but still giving it your best shot. You can always choose to improve, but you will yourself unhappy with where you are, convincing yourself you can be better and forever trying to improve (or maybe prove yourself to someone).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I totally agree with you that we need both good habits and strong principles in order to build good character and good personality. For "good character", person must have strong principles to follow with proper habits.

      Delete
  53. Daniel Lopez, Section 1030-011

    Was Mill right about the best way to organize society?

    In general, I believe that Mill's Harm Principle is a pretty reasonable way to organize a society. One of the glaring issues I find with it, however, is with what constitutes harm. While people may agree on only intervening or interfering with a person's free will when their actions could bring harm to another, they very likely wouldn't agree on what constitutes harm worth intervening for. For example, the example of the man who wishes to drink his life away. He may not be bringing direct harm to anyone through physical harm or negligence of a financial sort, but he does bring his condition and state into everything he does. Assuming, for instance, he was going into work hungover the next day, this would easily be an instance where his actions are bringing perhaps a lesser harm to society. He will not perform his best, perhaps be irritable or shirk his responsibilities entirely due to discomfort brought about by his own actions. I feel that with the Harm Principle as it is, it does not do enough to really ensure the best society possible, and therefore, I feel that situations like these should also be taken into account when defining "harm" within a society.

    Weekly essay 8/27/20 (3 pts)
    Weekly essay 9/3/20 (3 pts)
    Weekly essay 9/10/20 (3 pts)
    Weekly essay 9/17/20 (3 pts)
    Weekly essay 9/24/20 (3 pts)
    Weekly essay 10/01/20 (3 pts)
    Weekly essay 10/08/20 (3 pts)

    Total: 21 pts

    ReplyDelete
  54. Does religion make people more reconciled to oppression and exploitation, and less likely to revolt?

    I feel like that this is one of those question that if you asked, the answer would change based upon when the question is asked or what time period that you want to focus the question on. The idea of region, war and fighting against one another till the other shed blood till they passed is something that you can associate prior to the 1900s. You could consider the many wars, fights, rebellions, and other harmful activities during the 1900s, but I see more religion-based reasoning to more of the older times than you would see in today's revolts and idea. For example, oppression during the medieval times was mainly based around the church and their conflicts with non-supporters/ non-believer in the church or someone of high religious power. Nowadays, oppression is more or less based upon peoples concern to return to the former beings of society that include slavery, segregation, and unequal rights for women. These were also problems back then, but there was more power and control coming from the church rather than the government, so many looked at religion as being the controlling factor in their lives. Now that I believe religion is more of free activity of the mind set aside by the thought of human success and the advancement of today’s society, religion does not play a role in life that is “needed.” With that being said I do not believe one can be reconciled to oppression and exploitation because of religion. However, I believe that since most people use religion as a safe haven of the mind that clears them of the “evil” society built on human greed and power, this could help few to some stay clear of this revolting motive in order to get what they want. Today, oppression and exploitation is built upon the flaws of the human race that have reappeared onto the focus of our mind in a time where many minds are hungry for power and “the spotlight” of their ideas to be better than the person next to them. I do not see religion as a driving factor in today's world and in the future in my own opinion.
    Weekly Essay +3
    Responded to Cory Roberts+1
    Responded to Anna Collins+1
    Overall (35/35)
    Section 012

    ReplyDelete
  55. Are manners important?
    Manners are important in today’s society because the basis of modern society is communication, and good communication requires manners. Good manners define you as a person. It shows off our personality traits. Good manners help you gain respect and create a good as well as lasting impression. Manners create an expectation for how people will act. Ever walked into a store and encountered a rude staff member? The reason it irks you so much usually isn’t just because they were rude, but because they failed to meet your expectations of how a store staff member should act.
    Manners also reduce conflict. Think about all the times you have been miffed at someone. Maybe while driving, shopping, or walking in a crowded place, catching public transport and so on. There is a good chance you were miffed because the person annoying you wasn’t using basic good manners. You may have even let out a huff or said something to them. Manners reduce the rub between people much like traffic lights reduce accidents at crossings.

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    1. essay +3
      replied to Hunter Bowling +1
      replied to Moustafa Shamdeen +1
      section 010

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    2. -I also believe proper communication is #1 importance for having good manners because you're basically expressing yourself. Being able to communicate well is excellence and will be acknowledged. Also, it can reduce conflict because it shows that you're level of maturity isn't at their level. Keep up the good work !

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    3. Manners are definitely important. Like you stated, they can prevent so much conflict in our lives. The way you act towards others is reflected in the way people will act towards you.

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  56. Kant’s reasoning behind why one should never lie is just like his life, strict and routine. There is no emotion behind his belief at all, which I believe is impractical because humans are very emotional beings. Honesty within itself seems very simple, but when applying it to situations it becomes very complex, and whether lying is wrong cannot be a broadly applied ideal. It’s a situation-by-situation matter. When in class we discussed the example of someone hiding a Jewish individual from the Nazis, and when questioned about it, lying about the whereabouts of said Jewish individual. I just can’t imagine how handing over someone for torture and execution is morally correct just because you were telling the truth. Morality is defined as the distinction between right and wrong, good and bad behavior. Lying in the scenario above is a justified act as you were saving a life.It’s sacrificing one moral for a greater purpose. Using the question, “What if everyone did that?” for this scenario would be like saying, “What if everyone lied and sent the would-be murder to the park?” Well, then all these would-be murderers would be in one park, away from their would-be innocent victims, probably all get caught, and then no more murderers, so ha. Take that Kant.

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    1. Section 010
      weekly essay: 3
      replied to: Betsy Akpotu & Cory Roberts (2)
      overall: 35/35

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  57. -Do you feel an obligation to visit and eventually care for elderly relatives? I personally do very much, especially of my close relatives. I watched my parents take care of their parents when they got old, they supported and took care of them, just like their parents had done for them when they were children. Its almost like they were paying it forward in a sense. There is a passage in the Bible, in the book of Ephesians that says "Honor your father and mother that it may be well with you and you may live long in the land". This is what my parents were doing for their parents, and this is what will do for them and their parents as well, if they live to be old enough. This as well as treat ring them with respect and dignity and caring for them.
    -Do you watch TV and play video games as much as or more than the average American? Do you thin you watch too much? Do you read for pleasure? Personally, out of all the entertainment options available to us today, YouTube is the one that seems to suck the most of my time away, oddly enough. I'm kind of sarcastically ashamed of this, but I do have toe careful, because a lot of times if I allow myself to start watching 1 video that I'm interested it typically leads to another and then another, so on and so forth. Placing actual limits on my screen times typically works very well. I do very much enjoy reading for fun, whether its novel, the Bible, a Bible commentary, articles online, Wikipedia, biographies, sub-reddits, textbooks, you name it. Even reading these posts and comments becomes very time-consuming because of how interesting it is. Even if I fundamentally disagree with it, there's something so cool about having so many opinions and so much knowledge at the tips of our fingers.

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    1. Full essay (3 pt)
      -Reply to Nate Carley (1 pt)
      -Reply to Mason Schnoonover ( 1 pt)
      I believe I have 35/35, but if I missed anything then that is my bad and I will fix the points accordingly.

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    2. I agree, I too feel as though we have an obligation to take care of the elderly. For example when it comes to my parents and grandparents, I know that one day I will have the responsibility of taking care of them as they once had the responsibility of taking care of me.

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  58. Section 12
    Do you think you would have been fooled by War of the Worlds?
    I honestly don't know because I know that I have two sides to my personality; one side that's rational and reasonably intelligent, and the other that is gullible, a little dumb, and way too trusting. Usually my first reaction to anything is with the latter and then the former will kick in a few seconds later. So I think that I would be skeptically convinced for a good minute and then realize what was going on and feel gullible for the rest of the day.

    Does it damage the parent-child relationship if Mom or Dad make it clear to the child that they'll always defer to the perceived instructions of a "heavenly father," even including murderous instructions? Does anything "trump the duty to be a good [parent]"?
    I can tell you from experience that yes, it does irreparable damage to a relationship if a parent makes it understood that they will always defer to "heavenly guidance". It gives the parent an excuse to mentally and emotionally abuse the child, even if there is no malicious intent, because the parent is incapable of taking morally grey situations and doing what is best specifically for their child and that situation over what is instructed or implied through the "Heavenly Father". This leads me to...

    Would you ever denounce your parents for political reasons?
    Yes. I have a parent that has made it perfectly clear that my autonomy and happiness are meaningless because of their religious beliefs which influence their political beliefs and voting habits. So, considering that they believe that my rights as a human are fodder to their religion, I do not mind denouncing them whatsoever. We fight at least once every two weeks because of this.

    Are you New Age? Do you believe you "create your own reality"? 180
    You already know my answer is yes. I think that we all reap what we sow, so if we sow positivity then we will reap positivity.

    Do you talk to your plants? 187
    I can't keep a plant despite how much I love them. I've killed cactuses before. But if I had plants, I would totally talk to them. I would also play the album Mother Earth's Plantasia by Mort Garson to promote plant happiness and growth. It's also great for studying, helping get to sleep, and as an accompaniment for meditation. Here's a link : https://youtu.be/l0vrsO3_HpU

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    Replies
    1. Points-
      weekly essay above
      comment on Emily Klunk's post
      comment on Cory Roberts' post
      total points so far: 35

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  59. “Is/are yin/yang two things or one? Are they things at all?”



    I believe yin and yang are two opposing ideas that cannot exist without the existence of the other, and as a result come together to form one state of being. Most of the time people sum up the concept of yin and yang as being two complete opposites just as light and dark are, for example using Adolf Hitler and Winston Churchill as an example of a yin yang relationship, though this is actually quite the opposite of what yin and yang are. In the case of Adolf Hitler and Winston Churchill you have two men who simply cannot coexist within the same plane of existence, whereas for their relationship to be yin yang their coexistence is essential to their own individual existence as one cannot exist without the other. One example you could give that is related to that time period is that of war crimes and the Geneva Convention, both polar opposites in a way but yet they could not exist if the other did not. If there were no war crimes then there would have been no need to create an agreement on the conduct of soldiers during war, and if there was no conduct agreement like the Geneva Convention then these atrocities would technically not be war crimes as they do not violate any established document. So I do feel that yin and yang are two different things, but that they come together in a way that makes them one through allowing the other to exist.



    Weekly essay +3

    Replied to Baily Stephens +1

    Replied to Holly Belk +1

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  60. I would say I definitely watch tv as much s the average American. I haven't always watched tv this much, but during quarantine it became somewhat of a habit. When I was younger, I read more for leisure than I do now. I generally enjoyed reading more when I was younger than I do now. Now I have more access to YouTube and social media through my cell phone which I did not have 10 years ago. I believe this is one of the main reasons why my leisure reading has declined.
    Do I believe in "creating your own reality?" I absolutely do. I feel as though life is what you make it. As said in the text, "What we see in our lives is what we have been thinking, feeling, and believing."

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  61. weekly essay - 3pts
    commented on Carter Stephens and Kushi Patel post - 2 pts
    total of 27 pts

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  62. Do you watch TV (and YouTube, Netflix, etc.) and play video games as much as (or more than) the average American? 151 Do you think you watch too much? Do you read for pleasure?

    Yes, I do enjoy watching TV but my favorite tv shows on Hulu and Netflix. The shows on Netflix I enjoy watching are The Parkers, Moesha, Sister Sister, All American, Jane the Virgin. The shows I watch on Hulu are Good Trouble, Grown-ish, Pretty Little Liars, Jersey Shore, Catfish: The TV Show. I would say that I watch TV that is a good portion but not little and not too much like daily, just in between when I can, but not more than the average American. The annoying thing I absolutely hate the ads on TV because to me, it takes away from the show or movie in general.

    I believe I watch a good amount of TV like between 15 - 20 minutes after I completed an assignment or after working for my two jobs. I always have to take in a show or movie before bedtime along with my favorite snacks. Watching television for long periods of time can be very overwhelming and make the eyes hurt and when you are sitting in a chair for too long your butt goes numb. I do enjoy reading for pleasure when I have an assignment to do about it like this class or my English class. I really do not enjoy reading but I try every now and then to grab a good book that catches my eyes. I glance at the back of the book and if it sparks that interest inside of my body and mind then I will pay for it and read it, and if it does not then I would put it back on the shelf.

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