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Friday, October 6, 2023

Questions Oct 10

 1. What's the point of James's squirrel story? Have you ever been involved in a "metaphysical dispute" of this sort? How was it resolved?

2. Who said truth is what we would end up with if we could run all the experiments and investigations we'd like to? (And what's a word his name rhymes with?) What does it imply about the present status of what we now consider true?

3. What did Bertrand Russell say about James's theory of truth? Was he being fair?

4. What 20th century philosopher carried on the pragmatist tradition? What did he say about the way words work? Does his approach seem reasonable to you?

5. What did Nietzsche mean by "God is dead"? (And what's a word his name rhymes with?) Does that statement seem nihilistic to you?

6. Where did Nietzsche think Christian values come from? What do you think about that?

7. What is an Ubermensch, and why does Nigel find it "a bit worrying"? Does it worry you that some of our peers think of themselves as exempt from the rules and norms that the rest of us follow?

8. How did Nietzsche differ from Kant but anticipate Freud? Is rationality less available to us than we think?

9. What were the three great revolutions in thought, according to Freud? Was he overrating his own contributions?

10. The "talking cure" gave birth to what? Have you had any direct experience with it, or any other form of "talking cure"?

11. Why did Freud think people believe in God? Was he right, about some people at least?

12. What was Karl Popper's criticism of Freudian psychoanalysis? Do you agree?

HWT
1. What really distinguishes utilitarianism, for Baggini?

2. How did Mozi's maxim resemble J.S. Mill's principle of utility?

3. Each item of Jonathan Israel's key principles of Enlightenment concerns what?

4. Pluralism is often mistaken for what?


==

Ed Craig (a distinguished MTSU alum, class of '21) introduces the philosophy of William James

MY FIVE STEP PLAN FOR KNOWING WILLIAM JAMES by Ed Craig ("Grandfather Philosophy" on YouTube)

 

I never had heard of William James before I went back to college at age 74, and I think of myself as a fairly well-educated man. I knew his brother Henry, the author. I have discovered that I am not alone in not encountering James in my education. I have been educating myself in James over the past couple of years and have come to love him. I have found that James speaks to me, and that there are great lessons in how to live in his writings. It has been worthwhile for me to know him better, and I think it would be for others. For any interested, here is a 5-step plan to get to know (perhaps) America’s greatest philosopher. 

 

Step 1 Do a quick Google search. Read Wikipedia. 

It helps your introduction to William James to get some sense of who he was and his place as an American philosopher. James is not part of the philosophical canon and does not belong to any “school” of philosophy. English philosopher Alfred North Whitehead (1861 – 1947) claimed that the four great philosophical “assemblers” were Plato, Aristotle, Leibniz, and William James. Good company. James was a remarkable man. A quick read of his Wikipedia entry on his early life, career, and family gives a taste of who he was. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_James  

 

Step 2 Watch an address by James biographer Robert Richardson 

An address by James biographer Robert Richardson in August 2010 to the William James Symposium in Chocorua, New Hampshire, on the 100th anniversary of the death of James, provides helpful insight into the type of thinking that makes James so valuable in understanding how to live. (Chocorua was one of James’s homes, and the view of Mount Chocorua from his home, which “had 14 doors which all opened outwards,” is on the home page of Phil Oliver’s blog, Up@dawn 2.0 https://jposopher.blogspot.com/ 

 

Robert Richardson, Will You or Won’t You Have It So 

A second video from the conference contains the introduction of Robert Richardson and the Q&A discussion after the talk. Watch from @17:40. Note specifically James scholar John McDermott beginning at 19:40 when the discussion turned to James’s philosophical “school,” in which he says that James was not a part of any school, nor would he want to be, and that “in my experience there are persons who suddenly get introduced to James and things change, and that James becomes some kind of a presence in their lives.” (Richardson and Phil Oliver @26:04) 

Step 3 Read Jamesian scholar John McDermott’s introduction to The Writings of William James 

John McDermott edited an excellent collection of James’s work in The Writings of William James. In his introduction to this collection, McDermott presents James's thinking in all its manifestations, stressing the importance of radical empiricism and placing into perspective the doctrines of pragmatism and the will to believe. The critical periods of James's life are highlighted to illuminate the development of his philosophical and psychological thought. The Preface and Introduction are the best place to start your journey into James. 

Step 4 Read John Kaag’s Sick Souls and Healthy Minds: How William James Can Save Your Life. 

Before turning to James’s essays and his biography, read John Kaag’s popular book, Sick Souls and Healthy Minds: How William James Can Save Your Life. John Kaag is professor and Chair of Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts. In addition to Sick Souls, he is the author of American Philosophy: A Love Story (2016), and Hiking with Nietzsche: Becoming Who You Are (2018). It is a good story that shows how James can be a positive influence in your life. 


Step 5 Read biographies and essays 

Now begins the study of James. He was a prolific writer and popular public lecturer. The best way to begin a study of James is with a biography and selected essays in hand and read the essays as they appear in the biography.  

Biographies: 

Robert Richardson, William James: In the Maelstrom of American Modernism 

Perry, The Thought and Character of William James, two volumes (the gold standard for James biographies) 

 

Essays:  

Robert Richardson, The Heart of William James  

John McDermott, The Writings of William James 

William James: Writings – The Library of America, two volumes (Best collection for the serious) 

(essays can be found online at https://www.gutenberg.org/  

==

"Best book in the MTSU library" (more modestly, the best book by me in the library):


18 comments:

  1. # 10

    1. The point of the circle story is to show that pragmatism is concerned with practical consequences. I would say that a metaphysical dispute that I have had was between myself and religion. I did not grow up in a religious family and throughout all of middle school and most of high school, I doubted the existence of God, but have recently been guided back to his light. I think religion in general is a very metaphysical topic because it tries to explain the creation of our reality.

    2. C.S. Peirce which is pronounced purse believed that truth is what we would end up with if we could run all the experiments and investigations we would ideally like to. I think that the scientific truths are all based on the practice of C.S. Peirce because for a theory to become Law (or proven true) then the theory must be experimented and investigated with.

    3. Bertrand Russell believed that based on James Williams’ philosophy and idea that something is determined to be true or false because of the effect on the believer of believing it meant that James William must believe that Santa Claus does exist. I do not think that Bertrand Russell was fair based on the Santa Claus example because something as serious as the existence of God should not be compared to the existence of Santa Claus.

    4. Richard Rorty carried on the style of pragmatic thinking. He thought of words as tools that we do things with, rather than symbols that somehow mirror the way the world is. This approach does seem reasonable to me because forms or words such as writing, music, and reading help people learn, cope, and have clarity which are all valuable tools.

    5.Friedrich Nietzsche wrote the statement “God is dead” in his book Joyful Wisdom. Nietzsche means that belief in God had stopped being reasonable. This statement does seem nihilistic to me because believing in the phrase “God is dead” means God’s morals and guidelines should no longer be applied to our lives and as a Christian my religion helps guide me through life so if I did not have a guide then I would be at a standstill.

    6. Friedrich Nietzsche claimed that the patterns of thought and feeling that we happen to possess have a history and that Christian values come from the morality of treating every individual as having the same worth. I think that this is a strong, acceptable, and ultimately right value to have. Every individual does have the same value and should be treated as such no matter their race, religion, sexual orientation, age, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  2. #10

    7. An Ubermensch describes an imagined person of the future who is not held back by conventional moral codes but goes beyond them, creating new values. An Ubermensch is the next step in humanity’s development and is a bit worrying because it supports people who see themselves as heroic and want to have their way without consideration of other people’s interests. I do worry that some people see themselves as above the rules because it gives them a sense of entitlement which is more hurtful for them in the long run. I think it is important for people to recognize that life is not fair and that things don't always turn out the way that you want them.

    8. Friedrich Nietzsche differed from Immanuel Kant because Kant celebrated reason, and Nietzsche always emphasized how emotions and irrational forces play their part in shaping human values. Nietzsche's views influenced Sigmund Freud’s work which explored the nature and power of unconscious desires. I think humans want to believe that we are logical and objective, but we are actually less logical and subjective because of our cognitive biases, experiences, and emotions.

    9. The three great revolutions were discovered by Nicolaus Copernicus who proved that our planet was not at the heart of the solar system, Charles Darwin who came up with the theory of evolution, and Sigmund Freud who introduced the unconscious. Although the unconscious is a very fascinating subject to me I do not think that it is one of the three great revolutions.

    10. The “talking cure” gave birth to psychoanalysis which is therapy that aims to treat mental conditions by investigating the interaction of conscious and unconscious elements in the mind. This therapy helps bring repressed fears and conflicts into the conscious mind through techniques such as dream interpretation and free association. I have never had any professional experience with psychoanalysis therapy, but I regularly try to interpret my dreams.

    11. Sigmund Freud believed that people believe in God because they feel the need for protection that they felt as a small child. Personally through my worship of God, I have found that I feel a sense of protection, but not in a worldly way. God will protect us from eternal prosecution, but he will not protect us from serial killers. I am not sure if people’s sole foundation of believing in God is for protection, but I know that mine is not.

    12. Karl Popper found Freudian psychoanalysis unfalsifiable, and this was not a compliment since Popper believed that the essence of scientific research was that it could be tested and that there could be some possible observation that would show that it was false. I do not agree with Karl Popper because if you can not prove it to be wrong then in some sense it must be right or true.

    ReplyDelete
  3. 1. The point of this example is to show that pragmatism is concerned with practical consequences – the ‘cash value’ of thought. If nothing hangs on the answer, it doesn’t really matter what you decide. It all depends why you want to know and what difference it will actually make. The truth for James is about what has a beneficial impact on our lives.
    2. C.S. Peirce, it is pronounced purse so hearse could rhyme with his last name. That for something to be true it has to have tangible evidence to support it.
    3. He made fun of William James’ pragmatic theory of truth by saying it meant that James had to believe ‘Santa Claus exists’ is true. His reason for saying this was that James thinks that all that makes a sentence true is the effect on the believer of believing it. And for most children, at least, believing in Santa Claus is great. Which is not fair, as the book stated, because even though believing in Santa works for children it does not work for everyone. If parents believed Santa would deliver toys and they did not buy them then the idea would not perpetuate.
    4. Richard Rorty said words allow us to cope with the world, not copy it. He declared that ‘truth is what your contemporaries let you get away with’ and that no period of history gets reality more nearly right than any other. The meaning words have will change over time along with their interpretation. Rorty presumably believed that there was no correct interpretation of it in the same way that there’s no ‘right’ answer about whether the hunter was circling the squirrel as it scrambled round the tree. His approach seems reasonable and logical to me, to a spectrum of concepts though. Meaning that just because many things said by people can be interpreted several ways does not mean everything can. Moreover, even if words can be interpreted in most situations does not mean they are all not to be trusted.
    5. He meant that believing in God is no longer reasonable with today’s knowledge/intelligence thus the concept of God is dead. I assume you are asking us to find a rhyming word to know that we know how the name is pronounced, which gave me a giggle. Peachy does not exactly rhyme but is close enough if there was an ‘a’ sound after peachy it would rhyme. I don’t think it is nihilistic necessarily, although it could be interpreted as such, to me the concept is more rational.
    6. He thought they came from the slaves and poor envying the aristocrats so they made values directly opposite of the aristocrats and ones that would benefit themselves more. I think it could have some merit since the bible was written by people who did not have much. Although I think it is easier to attach the possibility that the values were created to support the people who created and less out of envy.

    ReplyDelete
  4. 1. What's the point of James's squirrel story? Have you ever been involved in a "metaphysical dispute" of this sort? How was it resolved?

    It shows pragmatism is concerned with practical consequences. My friends have argued over things similar before.

    2. Who said truth is what we would end up with if we could run all the experiments and investigations we'd like to? (And what's a word his name rhymes with?) What does it imply about the present status of what we now consider true?

    Peirce. A word his name rhymes with is purse, or at least it should. Abstract theories are a waste of time, and logic is more preferred.

    3. What did Bertrand Russell say about James's theory of truth? Was he being fair?

    He said it meant James had to believe Santa Claus existing is true. I think so, I think Santa Claus is super cool and awesome.

    4. What 20th century philosopher carried on the pragmatist tradition? What did he say about the way words work? Does his approach seem reasonable to you?

    Richard Rorty. He thought words are tools we do things with. He said "truth is what your contemporaries let you get away with."

    5. What did Nietzsche mean by "God is dead"? (And what's a word his name rhymes with?) Does that statement seem nihilistic to you?

    The belief in God wasn't reasonable anymore. I think anything can rhyme with anything if you pronounce it wrong enough. Maybe "sleepy" is close enough. It does, Nietzsche is very nihilistic, and this famous quote would be the epitome of his perspective.

    6. Where did Nietzsche think Christian values come from? What do you think about that?

    He thought it revolved and kindness, and pity. That it also envolves envy as well. I do agree with that, and it is why I continue to view Christianity as very flawed, as compared to the other religions.

    7. What is an Ubermensch, and why does Nigel find it "a bit worrying"? Does it worry you that some of our peers think of themselves as exempt from the rules and norms that the rest of us follow?

    "It is the next step in humanity's development." He finds it worrying because "it seems to support those who see themselves as heroic and want to have their way without consideration of other people's interests." I think many people are very entitled of themselves, and think of themselves as special. So they think they stand above rules.

    8. How did Nietzsche differ from Kant but anticipate Freud? Is rationality less available to us than we think?

    Kant preferred reasons, Nietzsche was appealed by emotions and human values. Freud was inspired from his work and wrote about the influence of the unconscious. I do agree, a lot of things are actually irrational.

    9. What were the three great revolutions in thought, according to Freud? Was he overrating his own contributions?

    Copernican revolution, theory of evolution and natural selection, and then the unconscious. No, Freud is one of the greatest people who has ever lived. He is the 44th most influential person in human history according to my Psychology textbook. There's no denying the greatness of Freud. Embrace him.

    10. The "talking cure" gave birth to what? Have you had any direct experience with it, or any other form of "talking cure"?

    It influenced talk therapy. Yes, I have went to therapy, and I think it has great benefits. It's interesting how that works.

    11. Why did Freud think people believe in God? Was he right, about some people at least?

    He said it's to have a sense of protection they didn't get as a child, I honestly think this is a good point.

    12. What was Karl Popper's criticism of Freudian psychoanalysis? Do you agree?

    No, he is obviously wrong because Freud is great. Freud's theory changed the way we look at things, and moved away from the concrete idea of proving things through quantitative evidence. It is genius because, that means you can never prove Freud wrong and he will always be right. His theory is practically impenetrable.

    - Kelly Molloy, Section #13

    ReplyDelete
  5. 1. The point was to show pragmatism concerning practical consequences. Unusually, if it is, its more of a debate that we end with agree to disagree.
    2. Pierce. Purse. Abstract theories are a waste of time.
    3.James believes Santa clause is real. So this is the truth. In a sense, yes, the concept does exists making him kind of real.
    4. Richard Rorty. Words are tools we use to do things with Truth is what your contemporaries let you get away with. Yes, because if you get away with it, then it is sorta true in a sense if you mind can make you think so.
    5. Believing in God was no longer reasonable. Cheeky. Yes, it describes him well
    6. Kindness, pity, and envy. I do think it has turned more envious and sour in the modern days
    7. A step in humanities development. It supports those who see themself as heroic. It shows entitlement.
    8. Kant = Reason. Nietzsche = emotions. Freud created the unconscious theory with his influence. I think rationalization can be clouded easily, but it is there.
    9. Copemican revolution, thoery of evolution, natural selection, and the unconscious mind. Im not sure, he had a impact but in today's studies we are finding that not all his findings were completely correct.
    10. Talk therapy. Therapy can be useful in so many ways, by helping you break bad habits, work through trauma, manage anger, or even just have someone to load off your shoulders. Some people cannot function without human contact in these situations but not all regular humans are always equip to help in highly emotion situations, hence therapy.
    11. To give protection, a feeling lost in childhood. I do think people believe in religion to have a sense of comfort.
    12. He said it was unfalsifiable. Which, I get. Freud was brilliant but not always right, as a human he did indeed mess things up.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Q1. What's the point of James's squirrel story? Have you ever been involved in a "metaphysical dispute" of this sort? How was it resolved?

    A1. That there is no single truth. Yes. It wasn't.

    Q2. Who said truth is what we would end up with if we could run all the experiments and investigations we'd like to? (And what's a word his name rhymes with?) What does it imply about the present status of what we now consider true?

    A2. Pierce. (Purse.) It might not be.

    Q3. What did Bertrand Russell say about James's theory of truth? Was he being fair?

    A3. That it doesn't work. Yeah.

    Q4. What 20th century philosopher carried on the pragmatist tradition? What did he say about the way words work? Does his approach seem reasonable to you?

    A4. Richard Rorty. Words are tools. Yes.

    Q5. What did Nietzsche mean by "God is dead"? (And what's a word his name rhymes with?) Does that statement seem nihilistic to you?

    A5. "Believing in God was no longer reasonable." (Cheeky?) No.

    Q6. Where did Nietzsche think Christian values come from? What do you think about that?

    A6. From angry slaves. He raises a fair point.

    Q7. What is an Ubermensch, and why does Nigel find it "a bit worrying"? Does it worry you that some of our peers think of themselves as exempt from the rules and norms that the rest of us follow?

    A7. A "Super-Human", it supports self interests. Nope!

    Q8. How did Nietzsche differ from Kant but anticipate Freud? Is rationality less available to us than we think?

    A8. Reason vs Emotions. He indirectly empowered Freud. Yes and No.

    Q9. What were the three great revolutions in thought, according to Freud? Was he overrating his own contributions?

    A9. The Copemican revolution, the theory of evolution (natural selection), and the unconscious mind. No.

    Q10. The "talking cure" gave birth to what? Have you had any direct experience with it, or any other form of "talking cure"?

    A10. Therapy. Yes.

    Q11. Why did Freud think people believe in God? Was he right, about some people at least?

    A11. They seek the feeling of protection. Yes.

    Q12. What was Karl Popper's criticism of Freudian psychoanalysis? Do you agree?

    A12. You couldn't prove that it was false. Yes and no.

    ReplyDelete
  7. #11
    1. It shows the "cash value" of thoughts and his pragmaticism. I have been involved in a "metaphysical dispute" but i forgot how it was resolved.

    2. Peirce. Purse. He thought Abstract theories was nonsense.

    3. Made fun of his theory of truth being it meant he had to believe in "Santa Clause". Yes in a sense.

    4. Richard Rorty. Words are tool rather than symbols that mirror the world. Words allow people to cope and truth allows your contemporaries let you get away with. As well as this is the best time period to live in. Yes in a way

    5. God has stopped being reasonable. Cheeky. Yes

    6. It came from envy. It makes sense.

    7. Superman. He finds it worrying because people would see themselves as heroic and people having their way without consideration for people interests. Yes because no one is above anybody.

    8. He said, "emotions and irrational forces play their part in shaping human values." Yes and no

    9. The Copernican revolution, theory of evolution, and the unconscious. No.

    10. Talk therapy. From a professional, no.

    11. A person a can feel protection like that people felt as a child. Yes in a way.

    12. It was ‘unfalsifiable.' its a yes and no question.

    ReplyDelete
  8. 1. What's the point of James's squirrel story? Have you ever been involved in a "metaphysical dispute" of this sort? How was it resolved?
    To show that pragmatism is concerned with practical consequences the cash value of thought. Yes, but the dispute always ends after a mutual understanding.
    2. Who said truth is what we would end up with if we could run all the experiments and investigations we'd like to? (And what's a word his name rhymes with?) What does it imply about the present status of what we now consider true?
    C.S. Peirce it rhymes with purse. That its not all true, its only true if its been proven through experiments.
    3. What did Bertrand Russell say about James's theory of truth? Was he being fair?
    That according to his theory Santa clause must also be real, I mean he was being fair due to the openness of James theory since it did make children happy just how the thought of god made people happy.
    4. What 20th century philosopher carried on the pragmatist tradition? What did he say about the way words work? Does his approach seem reasonable to you?
    Richard Rorty, he thought words were tools we worked with that helped us coupe with the world, I think his approach is pretty reasonable.
    5. What did Nietzsche mean by "God is dead"? (And what's a word his name rhymes with?) Does that statement seem nihilistic to you?
    Nietzsche meant that the belief of god had started to become unreasonable. His name rhymes with cheeky, I don't think its a nihilistic view.
    6. Where did Nietzsche think Christian values come from? What do you think about that?
    Envy, pity, and kindness, I think it makes sense.
    7. What is an Ubermensch, and why does Nigel find it "a bit worrying"? Does it worry you that some of our peers think of themselves as exempt from the rules and norms that the rest of us follow?
    An Übermensch (super-man) is imagined person of the future who is not held back by conventional moral codes, its a bit worrying because it supports the idea that some are above others and their is no consideration. It is worrying because people need to respect others and not trample over them.
    8. How did Nietzsche differ from Kant but anticipate Freud? Is rationality less available to us than we think?
    They differ because Nietzsche believes emotions and irrational forces play their part in shaping human values while Kant believed reason. Rationality is way less available than we all think.
    9. What were the three great revolutions in thought, according to Freud? Was he overrating his own contributions?
    The three great revolutions according to Freud are the Copernican Revolution, Theory of Evolution, and the unconscious. He was just a little overrating his contributions.
    10. The "talking cure" gave birth to what? Have you had any direct experience with it, or any other form of "talking cure"?
    Therapy, I have not.
    11. Why did Freud think people believe in God? Was he right, about some people at least?
    He thought people believed in god because they have hidden emotions from a child of not feeling protected, so by believing in god they have an almost father figure to be protected by.
    12. What was Karl Popper's criticism of Freudian psychoanalysis? Do you agree? That it is unfalsifiable, I think it's a yes and no question.

    ReplyDelete
  9.  1. What's the point of James's squirrel story? Have you ever been involved in a "metaphysical dispute" of this sort? How was it resolved?

    Pragmatism is concerned with practical consequences. I don’t think I’ve ever been involved in a metaphysical dispute. Maybe religion, but I never actually started believing in god.

    2. Who said truth is what we would end up with if we could run all the experiments and investigations we'd like to? (And what's a word his name rhymes with?) What does it imply about the present status of what we now consider true?

    C.S. Pierce (Purse) and for a theory to become law or proven, it must be investigated and the same result must happen each experiment.

    3. What did Bertrand Russell say about James's theory of truth? Was he being fair?

    The believer believing something so what differed between true or false, so he said Santa Claus doesn’t exist. I don’t think it makes too much sense and don’t fair as Santa Claus isn’t a serious thing.

    4. What 20th century philosopher carried on the pragmatist tradition? What did he say about the way words work? Does his approach seem reasonable to you?

    Richard Rorty and started that our words are tools. This kind of works as our “words” can be used as “tools” for others in the form of music or something.

    5. What did Nietzsche mean by "God is dead"? (And what's a word his name rhymes with?) Does that statement seem nihilistic to you?

    He meant believing in god is unreasonable. It is defiantly nihilistic.

    6. Where did Nietzsche think Christian values come from? What do you think about that?

    Treating everyone the same. I think it is valid and even if you are not Christian, I think it is still important. We should all respect and treat each other equally.

    7. What is an Ubermensch, and why does Nigel find it "a bit worrying"? Does it worry you that some of our peers think of themselves as exempt from the rules and norms that the rest of us follow?

    Someone who exceeds current moral codes and creates new ones. It is worrying because these people don’t care much for other peoples interests. It is worrying, and I don’t think it will benefit them in the end.

    8. How did Nietzsche differ from Kant but anticipate Freud? Is rationality less available to us than we think?

    Kant believed in reason, Nietzsche believed in emotions. Potentially, many don’t realize how much their emotions play a role.

    9. What were the three great revolutions in thought, according to Freud? Was he overrating his own contributions?

    The Earth was not the center of the solar system, evolution, and the unconscious. I think these three work.

    10. The "talking cure" gave birth to what? Have you had any direct experience with it, or any other form of "talking cure"?

    Psychoanalysis therapy, and no I have never had any experience with it.

    11. Why did Freud think people believe in God? Was he right, about some people at least?

    Protection. Maybe about some people, but I find in my life not for most.

    12. What was Karl Popper's criticism of Freudian psychoanalysis? Do you agree?

    There could be some observation to show something was false scientifically. I do not agree.

    ReplyDelete
  10. #13
    1.)The circle narrative aims to illustrate the practical focus of pragmatism, emphasizing its concern with tangible consequences. Personally, my metaphysical conflict revolved around my skepticism about God's existence, a journey that led me from doubt in middle school to rediscovering faith in high school. The overarching theme of religion, grappling with the creation of our reality, adds a layer of metaphysical depth.
    2.) C.S. Peirce, pronounced as "purse," posited that truth emerges from the culmination of ideal experiments and investigations. Scientific truths, in my view, align with Peirce's approach, as theories must undergo experimentation and scrutiny to ascend to the status of Law or proven truth.
    3.) Bertrand Russell critiqued James Williams' philosophy, asserting that truth's determination hinges on its impact on the believer. However, Russell's comparison of the existence of God to Santa Claus seems unfair, as the gravity of God's existence should not be equated with a whimsical figure.
    4.) Richard Rorty, inheriting the pragmatic tradition, viewed words as functional tools rather than mere mirrors of reality. I find merit in this perspective, recognizing the instrumental role of words, such as writing, music, and reading, in fostering learning, coping, and clarity. 5.)Friedrich Nietzsche's proclamation "God is dead" in "Joyful Wisdom" signifies the cessation of the rationality of belief in God. To me, this statement leans towards nihilism, suggesting a detachment from God's moral guidance. As a Christian, my faith serves as a guiding force, and discarding it would leave me at a standstill.
    6.) Nietzsche argued that our prevailing patterns of thought and feeling have a historical context, attributing Christian values to the moral principle of treating every individual equally. I strongly resonate with this value, believing that every individual, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, age, etc., possesses inherent and equal worth.

    ReplyDelete
  11. LHP
    #11
    1. It shows pragmaticism which are his "cash value" thoughts. I have been in a "metaphysical dispute" but we resolved it by talking through it.
    2. Peirce. His name rhymes with purse. He said abstract theories are a waste of time and logic is more reasonable.
    3. He said that James had to believe in Santa Clause. Which i think was rude to compare his theory to a child figure just because Russell did not agree with James.
    4. Richard Rorty. He thought words were tools that we accomplish things with. He said "truth is what your contemporaries let you get away with".
    5. Nietzsche believed that God was not reasonable anymore. His name rhymes with cheeky. This statement is very nihilistic.
    6. Nietzche thought that the christian values stemmed from envy. I disagree with his statement because it is far from the truth.
    7. A Ubermensch is a person who is above conventional morality. This is not the best idea because it supports "those who seem themselves as heroic and want to have their way without consideration of other people's interests". I think it is wrong for people to always assume the best in themselves without seeing the bad as well.
    8. Kant preferred reasons while Nietzsche was more influenced by emotions and human value. Freud wrote about the influence of the unconscious.
    9. Copemican revolution, theory of evolution, natural selection, and unconscious mind. We are finding out that not all of his teachings were correct.
    10. Talk Therapy. I think going to therapy can be very helpful to work through difficult times.
    11. He was looking for protection. I agree with him that it provides comfort.
    12. No one could prove that his theory was false. I agree with some asspects rather than others.

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  12. 13

    1. The squirrel story shows that there is an application of all truths.
    2. Pierce said truth is what we get if we do every method of investigation
    3. Russel said james's theory proved Santa Claus. I like this because it shows why his theory is a theory. Santa isn't true, but the criteria of James's theory "proves" him to be real
    4. Rorty was a pragmatist, saying words are coping mechanisms. This ideology is exceedingly important in today's world when many stressors cause mental overload and bad coping mechanisms.
    5. Nietzsche said since it isn't reasonable to believe in God, he is dead. I don't think this is a very good approach to any issue in life
    6. Nietzsche said all christian values are a result of jealousy and envy. He is wrong, they stem from gratitude of what Jesus did.
    7. Ubermensch means someone who isn't defined by plain morals. People need to consider the interests of others and make an ethical decision about what needs to be done with those factors in mind.
    8. Nietzsche was more emotional than Kant. He believes there are unseen forces at play in everyday life. I believe he is just part of the philosophical spectrum that depicts how people balance subjective and objective observations and ethics, leaning more towards ethics and emotions than objectivity.
    9. The 3 revolutions in thought are the Copernican Revolution, Theory of evolution, and the unconscious.
    10. Talking cure resulted in talk therapy. I find a lot of solace in conversation
    11. Freud says people believe in God because they need a supernatural paternal figure. I find this not dead on, but it does hold some truth. God is the father of all and the insurance of the afterlife.
    12. Popper said every part of Freud's thoughts can be explained through analysis of how people think. I think this is fairly accurate, because, even though emotions heavily influence how we act, it isn't like reason can't override many of these emotions. We know what is ethically, morally, and objectively correct in most cases.

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  13. You are so correct-- Freud was a nut job. Finally someone else said it

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  14. 13
    1. The Squirrel story shows how pragmaticism correlates with practical consequences. I have never been in a metaphysical dispute or at least not that I know of.

    2. Pierce said this (his name rhymes with purse) and the theory of becoming law or proven. This implies that every time something happens it must have the same outcome for it to be proven

    3. He said that James must believe in Santa Claus which I see as rude because he is making fun of someone's effort.

    4. Richard Rorty carries on the pragmatic beliefs, he said that our words are tools. And this is reasonable to me because our words are able to do and accomplish so much

    5. Nietzsche believed it was no longer reasonable to follow god, this is not a completely nihilistic view but close.

    6. Nietzsche said that Christian values come from the emotions of jealousy and envy, he is wrong because the values come from appreciation and gratefulness

    7. Ubermensch means someone who is not confined by morals, this seems almost narcissistic to me because they only care about themselves and are completely disinterested in other views

    8. Nietzsche had more emotion than Kant, he believes that there are forces affecting everything in everyday life.

    9. The 3 revolutions are the Theory of evolution, the unconscious, and the Copernican Revolution

    10. Talk therapy came from talking cures. having conversations is always a nice thing.

    11. Freud believes people only believe in god because they want a supernatural paternal figure. This is close to true

    12. Popper said all parts of Freud's thoughts can be explained through analysis. No one proved his theory wrong.

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  15. 1. The point of James's squirrel story was to show that pragmatism is
    concerned with practical consequences. I have been involved in a "metaphysical dispute" of this sort, but we resolved it by talking about it in depth.
    2. Peirce (which rhymes with purse) said truth is what we would end up with if we could run all the experiments and investigations we'd like to.
    3. Bertrand Russell said by James's theory of truth that Santa must be real. I don't think this was fair because Santa can be real to some ages by not for everyone, and Russell used an example of something that we know not to be real.
    4. Richard Rorty carried on the pragmatist tradition. He said word are a tool we do things with rather than a symbol of the world. His approach does seem reasonable to me.
    5. Nietzsche meant by "God is dead" that a belief in Him is no longer reasonable. That statement seems nihilistic to me.
    6. Nietzsche thought Christian values come from envy. I disagree and think that they stem from the love and generosity of Jesus.

    7. An Ubermensch is a "Super-Man" who is not held back by conventional moral codes. Nigel finds it "a bit worrying" because it seems to support those who see themselves as heroic and want to have their waymwithout consideration of other people’s interests. It does worry me that some of our peers think of themselves as exempt from the rules and norms that the rest of us follow.
    8. Nietzsche differed from Kant in that Kant celebrated reason, but anticipate Freud because his views explored the nature and power of unconscious desires.
    9. The three great revolutions in thought, according to Freud, were the Copernican revolution, evolutionary theory, and the unconscious.
    10. The "talking cure" gave birth to psychoanalysis. I have had direct experience with it, and I think it has great benefits, but you don't necessarily need to go to a therapist for it.
    11. Freud thought people believe in God because you still feel the need for protection that you felt as a very small child. I think he could be right about some, but this is not the sole reason we all believe.
    12. Karl Popper's criticism of Freudian psychoanalysis was that if every
    possible observation is taken as further evidence that the theory
    is true, and no imaginable evidence could show that it was false, the theory couldn’t be scientific at all.

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  16. Q1: What's the point of James's squirrel story? Have you ever been involved in a "metaphysical dispute" of this sort? How was it resolved?
    A1: The showing of how pragmatism plays into practical consequences. A very recent metaphysical dispute I've had was with my brother regarding how "Up" and "the sky" are relative to one another.

    Q2: Who said truth is what we would end up with if we could run all the experiments and investigations we'd like to? (And what's a word his name rhymes with?) What does it imply about the present status of what we now consider true?
    A2: It was C.S. Peirce who said the truth is the result of investigation.

    Q3: What did Nietzsche mean by "God is dead"? (And what's a word his name rhymes with?) Does that statement seem nihilistic to you?
    A3: For Nietzsche, the phrase "God is Dead" is a metaphor for the abandonment of traditional beliefs by humanity. By this point in time, the abandonment of religion had been widespread, and a general shift in beliefs from spiritual to physical had occurred. This statement does seem quite nihilistic.

    Q4: What were the three great revolutions in thought, according to Freud? Was he overrating his own contributions?
    A4: Freud's three great revolutions of thought are Copernican, Darwinist, and spiritual revolutions.

    Q5: What was Karl Popper's criticism of Freudian psychoanalysis? Do you agree?
    A5: Popper criticized Freud's analysis as being unable to be falsified and that it lacked verifiable data. I agree that one must use empirical data to support any scientific claim.

    Q6: Why did Freud think people believe in God? Was he right, about some people at least?
    A6: For Freud, an individual's belief in God is rooted in the need for security. I do believe that some individuals believe in god to feel safe and ordered in a dangerous and chaotic universe.

    #13

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  17. #11
    1. What's the point of James's squirrel story? Have you ever been involved in a "metaphysical dispute" of this sort? How was it resolved? His point was that they were both but right but talking in different terms. Yes, eventually we realized there's no point arguing over it.
    2. Who said truth is what we would end up with if we could run all the experiments and investigations we'd like to? (And what's a word his name rhymes with?) What does it imply about the present status of what we now consider true? C.S. Pierce which sounded like purse who said investigation would result in truth. This implied that the same result would have to occur everyime for something to be proven true

    3. What did Bertrand Russell say about James's theory of truth? Was he being fair? He said according to James' theory Santa could be real, he was not being fair since he twisted what James was saying.

    4. What 20th century philosopher carried on the pragmatist tradition? What did he say about the way words work? Does his approach seem reasonable to you? Richard Rorty, he said words are tools rather than just symbols, yes.

    5. What did Nietzsche mean by "God is dead"? (And what's a word his name rhymes with?) Does that statement seem nihilistic to you?
    He meant that since it is not practical or reasonable to believe in God, He is dead, it doesn't sound nihilistic to me.
    6. Where did Nietzsche think Christian values come from? What do you think about that?
    He thought they came from envy and greed and I disagree.
    7. What is an Ubermensch, and why does Nigel find it "a bit worrying"? Does it worry you that some of our peers think of themselves as exempt from the rules and norms that the rest of us follow? Someone who doesn't have to follow the moral codes everyone else does, Nigel found it a bit worrying since someone like that might do what they please without thinking of the consequences on other people, yes.

    8. How did Nietzsche differ from Kant but anticipate Freud? Is rationality less available to us than we think?
    He believed that some impulses and behaviors have underlying desires not realized by people, According to him it might be since there are factors affecting our decisions we can't control.
    9. What were the three great revolutions in thought, according to Freud? Was he overrating his own contributions?
    Copernican revolution, evolutionary theory, and the unconscious, I think so.
    10. The "talking cure" gave birth to what? Have you had any direct experience with it, or any other form of "talking cure"?
    Talk therapy, no.
    11. Why did Freud think people believe in God? Was he right, about some people at least?
    He thought people believed in God because they needed a parent like figure to comfort them, this might be the case for some people.
    12. What was Karl Popper's criticism of Freudian psychoanalysis? Do you agree? He said Freud's theory could be proved by analysis but no one proved him wrong.

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  18. 1. The point was how pragmatism plays into practical consequences. I have not experienced it.

    2. C.S. Peirce (pronounced ‘purse’) and it implies that abstract theories are a waste of time.

    3. He said that James believed in Santa. I do not think he was being fair.

    4. Richard Rorty carried on this style of pragmatic thinking. He says that words are tools. I do think that this is reasonable because we use words for everything.

    5. Nietzsche means that it is unreasonable to believe in God. I do think it sounds a little nihilistic.

    6. He thought they came from things like kindness, envy, and pity. I think that it is true because they are very human emotions.

    7. An Ubermensch is a person who is not held back by morals. Nigel found it worrying because that means a person would do what they want without thinking about the consequences.

    8. Nietzsche differs from Kant because he values emotion but anticipates Freud’s theory of the unconscious mind.

    9. Copernican revolution, evolutionary theory, and the unconscious. I think he should have credited Nietzsche as well.

    10. It gave birth to psychoanalysis. I have not directly experienced it.

    11. Freud thought people believed in God because they needed paternal protection. I think he was right that some people feel that way.

    12. He said it was unfalsifiable. I do not agree with him.

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