Machiavelli, Hobbes-LHP 9-10. HWT 11-13. Rec: FL 11-12. MIDTERM REPORT PRESENTATIONS* begin, check the schedule. If you miss your turn we'll move on, you may not have another opportunity to claim those 25 points - 1/4 of your grade.
* Today's scheduled presenters: #6 Karsyn-Machiavelli, Ellie G-Hobbes, Lochlann-Aristotle (or ?); #7 Felopater-Machiavelli, Phinehas-Hobbes, Garrett-HWT
1. What did Machiavelli say a leader needs to have? Do you agree? Is it important to you for our leaders to be reliably honest, with exceptions only for instances of national security and the nation's best interests?
2. Machiavelli's philosophy is described as being "rooted" in what? Does your own experience confirm his appraisal of human nature and what's "realistic"?
2. Machiavelli's philosophy is described as being "rooted" in what? Does your own experience confirm his appraisal of human nature and what's "realistic"?
3. The idea that leaders should rule by fear is based on what view of human nature? Do you respond more positively to politicians who appeal to pessimism and fear, or to those who appeal to hope?
4. Life outside society would be what, according to Hobbes? Do you think your neighbors would threaten your survival if they could get away with it?
5. What fear influenced Hobbes' writings? Do any particular fears influence your political opinions?
6. Hobbes did not believe in the existence of what? Do you? Why or why not?
HWT
1. How do eastern and western philosophies differ in their approach to things, and what is ma? Which do you find more appealing?
2. An interest in what is much more developed in eastern thought? Do you share it?
3. What is dukkha?
4. What is Sakura?
5. What takes the place of religion in China? Do you know people here who have found religion-substitutes?
6. Chinese thought does not distinguish between natural and ____, focusing on what?
7. What is the famous story of Zhuangzi? What's your reaction to it?
8. The Japanese fascination with robots reflects what traditional view? Are you similarly fascinated?
FL
1. What was Arthur C. Clarke's 3d law regarding technology, and what's its converse?
2. What was the original "alternative medicine" and what is its "upside"?
3. What national craze of the 1830s relied on a "totally bogus extrapolation"?
4. Who was Mary Baker Eddy and what are her followers misleadingly called?
5. Who was Dr. William A. Rockefeller?
6. What did Mark Twain say about history?
7. How was the California Gold Rush an "inflection point" in how Americans thought about reality?
8. What did de Tocqueville say was "the chief or secondary motive in everything Americans do"?
Niccolo Machiavelli (in From Humanism to Hobbes by Quentin Skinner)
Calvin sounds like (Thomas) Hobbes describing the state of nature. Hobbes (the tiger) behaves like Machiavelli's Prince. (And check out Hobbes, Machiavelli & others in Existential Comics...)
Emma Essary Section 6
ReplyDeleteLHP 1. What did Machiavelli say a leader needs to have? Do you agree? Is it important to you for our leaders to be reliably honest, with exceptions only for instances of national security and the nation's best interests? Machiavelli insisted that leaders needed to have "Virtu," or strength, prowess, and control. I agree to certain extent, but without someone keeping the leader in check, this can lead to some dark places. The way the world is now, there are thousands of people controlling and dictating our government. With that also comes people willing to commit harm in order to gain control. To combat this, having a leader who is both honest and strong is necessary as a leader, especially if that means not letting the wrong people come into power.
Honesty and strength may actually be two sides of the same quality. But they may be too rarely combined.
Delete"thousands of people controlling and dictating our government" - Not sure about that. Who are these thousands?
Emma Essary Section 6
ReplyDeleteLHP 4. Life outside society would be what, according to Hobbes? Do you think your neighbors would threaten your survival if they could get away with it? Life outside of society would be short and brutal, because without someone to keep the peace the world would become chaos. Hobbes believed that everyone would turn on each other if our basic survival needs were not met, and I agree. The world is already a place of chaos, and without necessary restrictions, people would do whatever they could to survive. Honestly, if the world ever did get taken over by zombies I would be the first to grab a weapon. People are not inherently selfless or good-far from it.
I don't think most of the people I've met would "turn on each other"... Most of us are better than that, in my experience. I'm sorry you've not met more selfless/good people.
DeleteKevin Rodriguez Sec:7
ReplyDeleteQ1) Machiavelli said that a leader needs to have “Virtu”. This idea of manliness or machismo might have been effective in an older generation but in today’s day in age I believe too much manliness or an excessive amount of it may lead me to stray away from a leader. Perhaps in a way that they are trying to compensate for other areas lacking by being big and manly. In my perfect society our leaders would be honest and protect the interests of their constituents. If the state of our national security came into question, I would hope that they would put an honest effort into trying to solve it diplomatically and peacefully before resulting to violence. I feel the exceptions should be few and far between.
Q3) Machiavelli’s view of human nature was cynicism. He thought that humans were not to be trusted and would not be loyal if they only loved a leader. That was not enough and that they had to fear the leader so they would not betray them.
"In my perfect society our leaders would be honest..." Mine too. But I don't think it has to be perfect, just better.
ReplyDeleteLH 3 The idea that leaders should rule by fear is based on what view of human nature? Do you respond more positively to politicians who appeal to pessimism and fear, or to those who appeal to hope?
ReplyDeleteLeaders should rule by fear because their followers won’t betray a leader they fear. As for how I respond to politicians, I think I prefer a balance of the two. But rather than referring to the concept as fear, it should be worded as respect. I wish to respect my politicians as well as harbor a hope for them and our future.
Section 6
ReplyDeleteHWT
Dukka is "unsatisfactoriness" or "suffering." It has to do with seeing reality as it is and is referred to the "path of enlightenment."
Sakura is the national symbol of transience in Japan. The Japanese are said to "flower abruptly," but they fall as abruptly, the Sakura tree symbolizes the nature of life.
Felopater Melika #7
ReplyDeleteLH
1. Virtu, yes, I agree with what he says.
2. In realism, yes, it’s very realistic.
3. Psychologically I respond more to fear, and all politicians and news channels know that there for all the news is negative there is no talking about anything good or positive because people are more controlled by fear.
4. Definitely, civilization only lasts as long as the lights are on and at our core nature, we are animals just like any other, just with more advanced brains.
5. Fear that England could easily descend into anarchy, yes, fear of my kids in the future having to watch a drag show or porn in school or brainwashed to being with some weird gender/sexuality.
6. soul, I do, because I am a Christian, I don’t know how to prove that a soul exists though.
HWT
1. Western is more of logic and reasoning and eastern is more of personal experience and spirituality. I find western philosophy more appealing because I prefer logic and reasoning. Ma is the concept of space between.
2. The east is more developed in nothingness and emptiness. No, I don’t share interest in those philosophies.
3. it’s translated to unsatisfactory, mainly with how things are impermanent
4. It means cherry blossom and it is a national symbol of transience.
5. Nature and no.
6. the supernatural, focused on the needs of humans here and now.
7. That he dreamed of being a butterfly and then when he woke up he was confused if he was dreaming of being a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming of being a man. my reaction to it is that this is a bit too insane.
8. That everything is alive. yeah, I like the idea of robots and creating humanoids and androids.
LHP
ReplyDelete3. The idea that leaders should rule by fear is based on what view of human nature? Do you respond more positively to politicians who appeal to pessimism and fear, or to those who appeal to hope? The idea that leaders should rule by fear is based on a low view of human nature, that people would abandon you without it. I'd respond more positively to a politician who could be realistic and still appeal to hope, I don't think a good leader would have to rely on fear.
4. Life outside society would be what, according to Hobbes? Do you think your neighbors would threaten your survival if they could get away with it? According to Hobbes life outside society would be 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short'. However I do not believe my neighbors would threaten my survival if they could get away with it, because before there were large scale state organized societies human survival still depended on forming close social ties and working together.
6. Hobbes did not believe in the existence of what? Do you? Why or why not? Hobbes did not believe in the existence of the soul. I also do not believe in the existence of souls. Personally I think we are just material bodies and when we die there is no immaterial part of us that continues to live.
LH 3. The human nature this view is based on revolves around the premise that humans won't betray what they fear. To instill this in people is tyrannical in nature and is a shortcut to building devout followers. On the other hand hope can be used similarly but takes more strength in my opinion to build a nation on ideals instead of fear. I would be more inclined to follow a politician whose made a reputation by spreading hope for the future.
ReplyDeleteHWT
ReplyDeleteQ3. Dukkah in buddhism is the first sermon of Buddha which is the basis of most of his teachings. It means suffering. It is the nature of reality and the means of supression. It is innate.
I think that suffering is apart of the human experience. I see it as a nessecary evil and what we learn from. I don't see suffering as inherently bad. Sometimes the only to learn is by failing and falling to pick yourself up and try again.
Section 7 Carter Marbry
ReplyDeleteHWT 1: Western is more about finding some form of logic or reasoning in things. While eastern is about your own spiritual journey and experiencing everything for yourself. I like Eastern more because I think the best way to learn is to experience it for yourself.
HWT 2: The East is more focused and developed with the concepts of nothingness/emptiness. I do share this since I myself think of how empty I feel inside and stuff along that line
HWT 3: it means unsatisfactory, it mostly focuses on stuff that is not permanent.
Raymond Curry. Section 7
ReplyDeleteI do not agree with Machiavelli or Hobbes on the nature of Humanity. I believe that most people are basically good. I do believe in incentives. If the right incentives are there, people will behave respectfully.
Connor Haynes Section 10 LH 4
ReplyDeleteHobbes thought that life outside of society would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short" because individuals in a state of nature would be in constant competition for resources, and there would be no higher authority to prevent violence and resolve conflicts. In his view, the establishment of a social contract and the creation of a government were necessary to maintain order and ensure the safety and well-being of individuals. I hope my neighbors wouldn't threaten my survival in a lawless situation, I also happen to think some of them are kind of annoying