- Something from Why Grow Up (WGU) thru p.165. #H1 Karim
WGU -192
1. What hallmark of modernity reversed Plato's and Aristotle's judgment?
2. What gives life meaning, for Kant?
3. In a truly human society, according to Marx, how would our capacities to work develop?
4. Most jobs involve what, according to Paul Goodman?
5. People were certain, as late as 2008, that what?
6. What alternatives to consumerism have small groups begun to develop?
1. What hallmark of modernity reversed Plato's and Aristotle's judgment?
2. What gives life meaning, for Kant?
3. In a truly human society, according to Marx, how would our capacities to work develop?
4. Most jobs involve what, according to Paul Goodman?
5. People were certain, as late as 2008, that what?
6. What alternatives to consumerism have small groups begun to develop?
2. What is distinctive about "our age" that makes James particularly relevant?
3. What happened on Feb. 6, 2014 that prompted Kaag to write this book?
(See "Is Life Worth Living...)
5. Human history is "one long commentary on" what?
6. A "wider world... unseen by us" may exist, just as our world does for ___.
7. The "deepest thing in our nature," which deals with possibilities rather than finished facts, is a "dumb region of the heart" called (in German) ___.
For the past year, two philosophy professors have been calling around to prominent authors and public intellectuals with an unusual, perhaps heretical, proposal. They have been asking these thinkers if, for a handsome fee, they wouldn’t mind turning themselves into A.I. chatbots.
John Kaag, one of the academics, is a professor at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He is known for writing books, such as “Hiking With Nietzsche” and “American Philosophy: A Love Story,” that blend philosophy and memoir... (nyt, continues)
Discussion questions:
- Have you ever felt "pulled in too many directions"? 2 How did you respond?
- Do you approach philosophy as a "detached intellectual exercise," an "existential life preserver," or something else?
- Where would you place yourself on the spectrum between "sick soul" and "healthy-minded"? Does that change, over time?
- Can belief that life is worth living become self-fulfilling?
- Do you know any "sick souls"? 3 Or "healthy minds"? 4 Are they the same person?
- Do you agree that believing life to be worth living "will help create the fact"? 5
- Do you like WJ's answer to the question "Is life worth living?" 9
- Is suicide always "the wrong way to exit life"? 10
- Have you ever visited the Harvard campus? What were your impressions?
- Is "maybe" a good answer to the eponymous question of James's essay below?
- Do you like Whitman's poetic expression of "the joy of living"?
- Have you ever been as happy as Rousseau at Annecy?
- Do you agree that nature cannot embody the ultimate "divine" spirit of the universe? What if you remove (or re-define) "divine"? 489
- Do you agree that "sufferings and hardships do not, as a rule, abate the love of life..."? 491
- Does the "purely naturalistic basis" suffice to make life worth living? 494
- Does life feel like a "real fight" to you? 502
*IS LIFE WORTH LIVING? (see the Library of America's terrific William James : Writings 1878-1899... vol.2 is William James : Writings 1902-1910).
When Mr. Mallock's book with this title appeared some fifteen years ago, the jocose answer that "it depends on the liver" had great currency in the newspapers. The answer which I propose to give to-night cannot be jocose. In the words of one of Shakespeare's prologues,—
"I come no more to make you laugh; things now,
That bear a weighty and a serious brow,
Sad, high, and working, full of state and woe,"—
must be my theme. In the deepest heart of all of us there is a corner in which the ultimate mystery of things works sadly; and I know not what such an association as yours intends, nor what you ask of those whom you invite to address you, unless it be to lead you from the surface-glamour of existence, and for an hour at least to make you heedless to the buzzing and jigging and vibration of small interests and excitements that form the tissue of our ordinary consciousness. Without further explanation or apology, then, I ask you to join me in turning an attention, commonly too unwilling, to the profounder bass-note of life. Let us search the lonely depths for an hour together, and see what answers in the last folds and recesses of things our question may find... (continues)
- Why does anyone give Alex Jones any credibility at all?
- Why do people like Ayn Rand's message that selfishness is a virtue?
- Was Mencken right about the Scopes Trial? 375
Kieran Setiya's Five Questions podcast... Five questions for Setiya in TPM...
Map of William James's Cambridge...
- Do you feel more resentful or grateful to have been "thrown" into the world? 11
- Do you agree with Jennifer Michael Hecht? “None of us can truly know what we mean to other people, and none of us can know what our future self will experience. History and philosophy ask us to remember these mysteries, to look around at friends, family, humanity, at the surprises life brings — the endless possibilities that living offers — and to persevere. There is love and insight to live for, bright moments to cherish, and even the possibility of happiness, and the chance of helping someone else through his or her own troubles. Know that people, through history and today, understand how much courage it takes to stay. Bear witness to the night side of being human and the bravery it entails, and wait for the sun. If we meditate on the record of human wisdom we may find there reason enough to persist and find our way back to happiness. The first step is to consider the arguments and evidence and choose to stay. After that, anything may happen. First, choose to stay.” Stay: A History of Suicide and the Arguments Against It by Jennifer Michael Hecht
- Does Calvinism "set out an impossible task"? 13
- Do you agree with WJ's father about "the point of life"?
- Can there be a constructive, non-violent "moral equivalent of war"? 21
- Do you agree with James about "our national disease"? 22
- Would it be bad if all your wishes "were fulfilled as soon as they arose"? 23
- Was "Mark" right about the three parts of a person? 26
- If there's no "soul" is determinism true? 28
- If humans are animals, do we have no soul? 31
- Were Nietzsche and Buber right about suicide? 34-5
- Are you one of the lucky "once-born"? Does that make you "blind and shallow"? 40
- If we possess free will, would it be wrong to insist on a coercive demonstration that we do? DD 566
- Do you believe you regularly experience opportunities to really choose between alternative futures? Could you decide, for instance, to take an alternate route home from school today? 573
- Are some regrets appropriate and unavoidable? 577
- Does determinism define our universe as one in which it is impossible to close the gap between how things are and how they ought to be? 578
- Which is better, pessimism or subjectivism? 584f.
- Does life lose zest and excitement, if things were foredoomed and settled long ago? 594
LISTEN (11.4.21). The World Series may be over, but "radical evil gets its innings" still (wrote William James in the "Sick Soul" chapter of Varieties of Religious Experience). That's what's really at stake in the free will-determinism debate: whether we'll get ours, and have a shot at amelioration.
Sick Souls, Healthy Minds: How William James Can Save Your Life
by John Kaag (author of American Philosophy: A Love Story and Hiking with Nietzsche)
In 1895, William James, the father of American philosophy, delivered a lecture entitled "Is Life Worth Living?" It was no theoretical question for James, who had contemplated suicide during an existential crisis as a young man a quarter century earlier. Indeed, as John Kaag writes, "James's entire philosophy, from beginning to end, was geared to save a life, his life"--and that's why it just might be able to save yours, too. Sick Souls, Healthy Minds is a compelling introduction to James's life and thought that shows why the founder of pragmatism and empirical psychology--and an inspiration for Alcoholics Anonymous--can still speak so directly and profoundly to anyone struggling to make a life worth living.
Kaag tells how James's experiences as one of what he called the "sick-souled," those who think that life might be meaningless, drove him to articulate an ideal of "healthy-mindedness"--an attitude toward life that is open, active, and hopeful, but also realistic about its risks. In fact, all of James's pragmatism, resting on the idea that truth should be judged by its practical consequences for our lives, is a response to, and possible antidote for, crises of meaning that threaten to undo many of us at one time or another. Along the way, Kaag also movingly describes how his own life has been endlessly enriched by James.
Eloquent, inspiring, and filled with insight, Sick Souls, Healthy Minds may be the smartest and most important self-help book you'll ever read. g'r
==
By William James
A common opinion prevails that the juice has ages ago been pressed out of the free-will controversy, and that no new champion can do more than warm up stale arguments which everyone has heard. This is a radical mistake. I know of no subject less worn out, or in which inventive genius has a better chance of breaking open new ground--not, perhaps, of forcing a conclusion or of coercing assent, but of deepening our sense of what the issue between the two parties really is, of what the ideas of fate and of free will imply. At our very side almost, in the past few years, we have seen falling in rapid succession from the press works that present the alternative in entirely novel lights. Not to speak of the English disciples of Hegel, such as Green and Bradley; not to speak of Hinton and Hodgson, nor of Hazard here --we see in the writings of Renouvier, Fouillée, and Delbœuf how completely changed and refreshed is the form of all the old disputes. I cannot pretend to vie in originality with any of the masters I have named, and my ambition limits itself to just one little point. If I can make two of the necessarily implied corollaries of determinism clearer to you than they have been made before, I shall have made it possible for you to decide for or against that doctrine with a better understanding of what you are about. And if you prefer not to decide at all, but to remain doubters, you will at least see more plainly what the subject of your hesitation is. I thus disclaim openly on the threshold all pretension to prove to you that the freedom of the will is true. The most I hope is to induce some of you to follow my own example in assuming it true, and acting as if it were true. If it be true, it seems to me that this is involved in the strict logic of the case. Its truth ought not to be forced willy-nilly down our indifferent throats. It ought to be freely espoused by men who can equally well turn their backs upon it. In other words, our first act of freedom, if we are free, ought in all inward propriety to be to affirm that we are free. This should exclude, it seems to me, from the freewill side of the question all hope of a coercive demonstrations,-- a demonstration which I, for one, am perfectly contented to go without.
With thus much understood at the outset, we can advance. But not without one more point understood as well. The arguments I am about to urge all proceed on two suppositions: first, when we make theories about the world and discuss them with one another, we do so in order to attain a conception of things which shall give us subjective satisfaction; and, second, if there be two conceptions, and the one seems to us, on the whole, more rational than the other, we are entitled to suppose that the more rational one is the truer of the two. I hope that you are all willing to make these suppositions with me; for I am afraid that if there be any of you here who are not, they will find little edification in the rest of what I have to say. I cannot stop to argue the point; but I myself believe that all the magnificent achievements of mathematical and physical science--our doctrines of evolution, of uniformity of law, and the rest--proceed from our indomitable desire to cast the world into a more rational shape in our minds than the shape into which it is thrown there by the crude order of our experience. The world has shown itself, to a great extent, plastic to this demand of ours for rationality. How much farther it will show itself plastic no one can say. Our only means of finding out is to try; and I, for one, feel as free to try conceptions of moral as of mechanical or of logical rationality. If a certain formula for expressing the nature of the world violates my moral demand, I shall feel as free to throw it overboard, or at least to doubt it, as if it disappointed my demand for uniformity of sequence, for example; the one demand being, so far as I can see, quite as subjective and emotional as the other is. The principle of causality, for example--what is it but a postulate, an empty name covering simply a demand that the sequence of events shall some day manifest a deeper kind of belonging of one thing with another than the mere arbitrary juxtaposition which now phenomenally appears? It is as much an altar to an unknown god as the one that Saint Paul found at Athens. All our scientific and philosophic ideals are altars to unknown gods. Uniformity is as much so as is free will. If this be admitted, we can debate on even terms. But if anyone pretends that while freedom and variety are, in the first instance, subjective demands, necessity and uniformity are something altogether different, I do not see how we can debate at all...
...determinism leads us to call our judgments of regret wrong, because they are pessimistic in implying that what is impossible yet ought to be. But how then about the judgments of regret themselves? If they are wrong, other judgments, judgments of approval presumably, ought to be in their place. But as they are necessitated, nothing else can be in their place; and the universe is just what it was before,--namely, a place in which what ought to be appears impossible. We have got one foot out of the pessimistic bog, but the other one sinks all the deeper. We have rescued our actions from the bonds of evil, but our judgments are now held fast. When murders and treacheries cease to be sins, regrets are theoretic absurdities and errors. The theoretic and the active life thus play a kind of see-saw with each other on the ground of evil. The rise of either sends the other down. Murder and treachery cannot be good without regret being bad: regret cannot be good without treachery and murder being bad. Both, however, are supposed to have been foredoomed; so something must be fatally unreasonable, absurd, and wrong in the world. It must be a place of which either sin or error forms a necessary part. From this dilemma there seems at first sight no escape. Are we then so soon to fall back into the pessimism from which we thought we had emerged? And is there no possible way by which we may, with good intellectual consciences, call the cruelties and treacheries, the reluctances and the regrets, all good together?
...
The dilemma of this determinism is one whose left horn is pessimism and whose right horn is subjectivism. In other words, if determinism is to escape pessimism, it must leave off looking at the goods and ills of life in a simple objective way, and regard them as materials, indifferent in themselves, for the production of consciousness, scientific and ethical, in us... (continues)
ReplyDeleteRoman Phillips H#03
SSHM Prologue
1. Young William James's problem, as he felt "pulled in too many directions" and worried that we might be nothing but cogs in a machine, was meaningless and it nearly drove him to suicide.
2. James wrote "for our age: one that eschews tradition and superstition but desperately craves existential meaning; one that is defined by affluence but also depression and anxiety; one that valorizes icons who ultimately decide that the life of fame is one that really ought to be cut short prematurely." James urged us to not be afraid of life because we should believe life is worth living.
3. On February 6, 2014, a Harvard alumnus, Steven Rose, at the age of 29 took his life by jumping from the roof of William James Hall joining more than 40,000 people who committed suicide that year. This event prompted Kaag to write his book.
Discussion Questions
1. Yes, I have often felt pulled in many directions. Sometimes, it is easier to say yes, than saying no. As a young adult, I am still working on time management skills.
Fantasyland
1. Alex Jones is the (former fringe) freak and Sandy Hook "truther" who nonetheless draws the line at shape shifting reptilian humanoids.
4. Former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has stated that he grew up reading Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged is one of former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's favorite books.
5. According to Andersen, the GOP is not only a distinctly Christian party, but also America's self conscious white party.
6. Pennsylvania and Tennessee "require officeholders to believe in Heaven and Hell."
7. Scopes Monkey Trial reporter H.L. Menecken wrote in 1925, "Civilized Tennesseans had known for years what was going on in the hills. They knew what the country preachers were preaching - what degraded nonsense was being rammed and hammered into yokel skulls. But they were afraid to go out against the imposture while it was in the making."
WGU-1: The hallmark of modernity that reversed Plato's and Aristotle's judgment is the Enlightenment’s emphasis on autonomy and the idea that individuals should think for themselves rather than conform strictly to traditional authorities. This shift prioritized personal freedom and reason over conformity to societal roles or the pursuit of knowledge as defined by others.
ReplyDeleteWGU-2: For Kant, life’s meaning comes from the pursuit of moral goals and the exercise of autonomy. He believed that life gains meaning when individuals strive to act according to moral principles and seek to develop themselves as rational, ethical beings, rather than just pursuing personal happiness or external achievements.
WGU-3: In a truly human society, Marx believed that people would have the freedom to fully develop their capacities through meaningful work. Instead of being alienated by repetitive labor, individuals would be able to explore their abilities and interests in ways that contribute to their personal growth and society as a whole.
WGU-4: According to Paul Goodman, most jobs involve a significant degree of mindless or unfulfilling labor. He argued that many occupations are structured in ways that prevent people from engaging fully with their work, leading to feelings of lack of purpose. Goodman criticized the fact that work is often disconnected from individuals’ true talents and desires.
H01
ReplyDeleteWGU 1. Plato and Aristotle, along with other men of ancient societies, believed that a life devoted to contemplation, rather than labor, was the highest form of living. Their perspective changed when people started viewing life the opposite way: physical work being the most fundamental way of living.
WGU 2. Kant believed that action gives life meaning. He thought that action can become a duty, which can be our life purpose. He followed the more modern hallmark that changed Plato’s and Aristotle’s perspective on life.
SSHM 1. In his early years, James felt that he was pulled in so many directions and was philosophically stuck. He often wondered if his life was already planned for him and if he had any control over his life. These thoughts plagued him for years as he struggled with mental illness. James’ philosophy, Kaag wrote, was made to save his life.
#H02
ReplyDeleteWGU 1: The "hallmark of modernity" that reversed Plato and Aristotle's beliefs, is within the outlook society has on adulthood. Plato and Aristotle both viewed adulthood as a treasure which one should view as an achieved goal in life. Considering things like wisdom, virtue, and rationality to be the greatest gifts in life, Plato and Aristotle viewed adulthood as the achievement of one discovering their life purpose. The modern view of adulthood is one that society has made appear negative; as it values the benefits of youth over adulthood.
WGU 4: According to Paul Goodman, most jobs involve "stupid drudgery". Goodman believed one of the greatest failures in society was its inability to properly value the potential of each individual, as individuals tend to feel as though their work efforts are insignificant to the betterment of society. Goodman attributed this to the type of repetition based workforces that exist in society, as corporations often do not make most of their employees potential but has individuals serve with one intended purpose and no freedom.
WGU 5: Prior to 2008, the western world seemed certain that a liberal democratic institution was the best form of government, as it brought about freedom, equality, and economic prosperity. After the 2008 financial crisis struck, many people began to revaluate their core western beliefs, as they questioned if their system of government was truly as secure as it once seemed. This reevaluation has paved the way for the modern political landscape, as the role of government in society has harshly divided the country into the present day.
#H01
ReplyDeleteSSHM
1. James's problem as he felt "pulled in too many directions" and worried that we might be nothing but cogs in a machine was meaningless. This thought drove him to the edge of suicide.
3. On February 6th, 2014, a man named Steven rose jumped of the Williams James building. Kaag felt the need to write this book because he wanted to help find the value of life, even if it was small.
Discussion Questions
1. I feel like as a full time college student and working full time, I always feel like I am being pulling in different directions. Check lists help me to see what I need to do first or what I need to focus more on.
2. I think it helps believing in something to make it true. Having a good mind set will get you further and be more productive. Having a low/ sad mind set can steer you off the path a bit.
H01
ReplyDeleteSSHM 1- As a young man, William James had difficulty finding meaning in a life where humans only seemed to be "cogs in a machine" and he was being "pulled in too many directions". He was constantly worried that humans maybe didn't have free will and he was "fated to end tragically and meaninglessly".
2- James is made particularly relevant in "our age" because of the constant contradictions in how we think we should live versus how we actually do. "Defined by affluence but also depression and acute anxiety" is a good way to put it, I think. We want for so much are are physically, mentally, viscerally punished when we do not accomplish the impossible. James writes that you need to first "believe that life is worth living", which is getting harder for more people every day. But through his words, maybe some of us will embrace it.
3- John Kaag was prompted to write this book when he was witness to a student at Harvard taking their life. He wanted to provide words of encouragement through William James to people who were also struggling, as James did, as Kaag did. He wanted to be able to help people the way James saved him.
Discussion questions:
- I don't think I could ever approach philosophy as a "detached intellectual exercise" purely because I'm too self-centered. I want to consider philosophies in what they could offer me, on the topics of how they could better my life. Some of these philosophers are endlessly fascinating, but their philosophies I can never take seriously or consider purposefully because I don't believe they can apply to me. So to me philosophy is research towards the betterment of the self. Whatever that looks like individually.
H03
ReplyDeleteWGU
1. Labor reversed the judgement of Plato and Aristotle that contemplation was the greatest form of living.
2. Kant believed that action gave life meaning. For Kant action was to become duty since we all had to develop our own faculties.
4. Paul Goodman believed that most jobs were useless, and even had the capacity to do more harm than good. One particular example that stands out is how he believed teaching was noble but work their could be undermined by institutions that they serve. This sticks out ,because our education system is vastly flawed since it only really cares for making students into rule followers rather than allowing them to actually develop passions and intellectual interests.
Young William James's problem, as he felt "pulled in too many directions" and worried that we might be nothing but cogs in a machine, related to his feeling of meaningless and suicidal ideation. He felt we were fated to end tragically.
ReplyDeleteKaag says our age is distinct because everyone wants to be something but is plagued with depression and anxiety. We crave existential meaning.
Kaag was prompted to write this book on February 6, 2014, after a student committed suicide by jumping from the roof of the William James Hall. He wanted to know why it happened.
Discussion
"Is suicide always the wrong way to exit life?" This is quite a complicated question. To get personal, I have attempted my own life. It is hard to grapple with your own feelings of unworthy and disgust. But it is almost harder to live with it afterwards. I think suicide is the wrong way to exit life, but I do not think it is wrong. I think that maybe our lives are wrong to make us desire such a thing. To me, this question exists more in a circle. Life must be wrong for suicide to exist and then be wrong. I think if we can find ways to make life better, then maybe we would not deal with such a thing.
H03
ReplyDeleteSSHM
1. His polymathic abilities
3. Steven Rose took his life by jumping off the roof of the William James Hall.
4. "Too much questioning and too little active responsibility lead, almost as often as too much sensualism does, to the edge of the slope, at the bottom of which lie pessimism and the nightmare or suicidal view of life."
H01
ReplyDeleteHave you ever felt "pulled in too many directions"? How did you respond?:
Yes, the finals season of my senior year of high school was incredibly busy. If I remember correctly, I had three large projects and a final exam, as well as a graduation ceremony to prepare for all around the same time. It was a lot, and I really just responded to it by working really hard and staying up late. If I had managed my time better, I probably wouldn't have had to do that as much.
Do you approach philosophy as a "detached intellectual exercise," an "existential life preserver," or something else?:
I think it can be either of these things. When philosophizing over something that has essentially no consequence for your life, it falls more into the first category. This can still be a fun category though. And if you consider having hobbies to be of practical benefit, then it really isn't inconsequential at all if your hobby is asking questions that seem to not matter.
Is "maybe" a good answer to the eponymous question of James's essay below?:
Yes, I think it is an honest answer. There will always be doubt and uncertainty, so I think we can definitely say that it is not entirely clear whether life has meaning, but that does not mean that we should not try to know the truth. I believe that, objectively speaking, life either has meaning or it does not, so this should not be an excuse to simply make up your own meaning, because that wouldn't be very meaningful.
Do you agree that believing life to be worth living "will help create the fact"?:
I think that simply believing life has meaning does not necessarily give it meaning in any objective sense, but it can give it meaning to the person who believes it. We should still always try to find if life is objectively meaningful, but, again, there will always be doubts, so at some point we have to accept what may appear to be the case even if we cannot prove it.
#H1 - Zoe Kuhn
ReplyDeleteSSHM - #1
Young William James's problem, as he felt "pulled in too many directions" and worried that we might be nothing but cogs in a machine, was meaningless.
SSHM - #2
James said we shouldnt be afraid of life or our age because we should believe that our life is worth living.
SSHM - #3
On February 6, 2014, Steven rose committed suicide and it prompted Kaag to write his book.
H1
ReplyDeleteDiscussion Questions
I do think that if you believe life is worth living that it will start to feel more worth living. I think that trying to think positive can help you naturally think positively.
I think suicide is usually the wrong way to exit life but I can see how it can be acceptable in some scenarios, like someone who is terminaply ill and in a lot of pain. But as someone with a lot of mental health issues I understand the suicidal mindset. However, I've found ways to live with my problems and being okay with that.
I think life does feel like a real fight. Life has always been hard and it always will be. For me, I feel like I'm in a constant fight against depression and mental health issues.
H03:
ReplyDeleteWGU Q1: The hallmark of modernity reversed Plato's and Aristotle's judgement is maturity. The ideal life was meant to gain wisdom as you come of age. The skill to make rational logical decisions was a big aspect of becoming an adult. The creative and free spirit identity was defined with childhood as growing up was to become more mature and rational. The goal of human life was to put forth your contribution to society.
WGU Q3: In our lives, we are forced to work. Most people get jobs that are repetitive and unenjoyable, this leads to suppressed abilities. Adults are becoming narrow-minded and unable to achieve the full capabilities of their full potential. Suppressing human capabilities and forcing them to perform the same duties repeatedly becomes old and deters their view on life as they know it. This changes the attitude or energy of society and could be the cause for many violent and immoral actions we see today.
WGU Q4: According to Pual Goodman, most jobs involve make work. That leads to useless and unfulfilling lives. According to Neuman, Life should be lived as free will for self-benefit. Life should be choices that make you happy and everyone around you happy as well. Jobs that are repetitive and annoying lead to suppressed human experience. Human life should not be lived to make ends meet but to live to the fullest of our ability.
Brooke Hale section H03^
Delete#H02
ReplyDeleteSSHM
1. James thought being meaninglessness was the problem a this problem he struggled with his whole life. He thought that we were meaningless and the machine we have as our bodies was no use.
2.James wrote for our age: one that eschews tradition yet we desire meaning but idolize famous lives that end short. However, in a response to this, James says to live and not be afraid too because you living out your life is a testimony that your life is good.
3. On February 6th, 2014 a fellow Harvard student jumped off The Williams James Hall and killed themselves. The author was heartbroken about this and wondered if there was a maybe that could make people see if life was worth living and maybe there is a reason we should stay around.
SSHM-#1
ReplyDeleteYoung William James experienced a crisis of meaning. He felt stretch too thin, like too little butter spread over too much bread. He felt pulled in several directions and felt like he had lost purpose.
SSHM-#2 William Jame's philosophy represents a very relevant problem with our search for purpose. In the modern world there are so many titles one can hold and choices we can make that make it overwhelming to find a sense of purpose and individuality. We shouldn't be afraid of what life throws at us.
SSHM-#3- What prompted Kaag to write his book was the suicide of Steven Rose. He jumped off of the William James Hall building.
#H1
ReplyDeleteSSHM Discussion Q's- Quite frequently within school I feel pulled between many different directions. Trying to prioritize school, work and social life can be difficult. What helps me the most is understanding what really matters down the road with the idea that we are not promised tomorrow usually puts things in perspective.
SSHM Discussion Q's- I do think that believing life is worth living can somewhat be a "self fulfilling prophecy". Although it may not give anyone an innate purpose the idea that there must be some purpose of life will spark the interest to keep looking.
#H02-
ReplyDeleteFL-1
The person they’re talking about as the former fringe freak and Sandy Hook “truther” who doesn’t buy into the shape-shifting reptilian humanoids stuff is Alex Jones. He’s a well-known conspiracy theorist who’s pushed all sorts of false claims, including those about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. But interestingly, he’s publicly said he doesn’t believe in the whole shape-shifting reptilian aliens theory. This just goes to show how bizarre and contradictory conspiracy theories can be, and the people who spread them.
FL-2
The reptilian conspiracy theory, which says that shape-shifting reptilian aliens are secretly controlling Earth by pretending to be humans and taking over political power, was made famous by David Icke. But the idea actually goes back to the fiction of Robert E. Howard, the guy who created Conan the Barbarian. In his 1929 story “The Shadow Kingdom,” published in Weird Tales, Howard came up with the concept of “serpent men,” which are humanoids with snake heads that can mimic humans and sneak into society. This story was inspired by theosophical ideas about lost worlds like Atlantis and Lemuria. Over time, other writers built on these ideas, and eventually, they influenced Icke’s theories, which claim that many world leaders are actually reptilian beings in disguise.
FL-3
In the '90s, we started seeing a lot more “unhinged” folks getting attention, especially those pushing wild conspiracy theories and extreme ideas. This was the time when all sorts of fringe movements started popping up, and alternative media gave these people a bigger stage to share their crazy ideas. The internet was a game-changer, too, making it super easy to spread information quickly and build online communities around these out-there beliefs. People were also starting to trust mainstream institutions and authorities less and less, which made conspiracy theories and radical ideas even more appealing. So, the '90s ended up being a decade where these “unhinged” voices really started to stand out in public conversations.
Maheswari Ramesh (Maahi)
H02 Erick Martinez
ReplyDeleteSSHM
1. Young William James's problem, as he felt "pulled in too many directions" and worried that we might be nothing but cogs in a machine, was that he been too many things at once which made him feel like he couldn’t move forward. He also felt he was a philosopher who was plagued by thought of maybe lives are destined. Maybe we are aren’t allowed to change how we are destined from the start.
2. William James wrote for our age saying, “One that eschews tradition and superstition but desperately crave existential meaning; one that is defined by affluence but also depression and acute anxiety; one that valorizes icons who ultimately decide that the life of fame is one that really ought to be cut short prematurely.” Essentially saying that once we find that life is worth living is when we learn to let go of craving luxuries and fame and find meaning in our lives.
3. On February 6, 2014, Steven Rose who was a Harvard alumni jumped off the roof of the William James Hall. This shocked Kaag and had him asking, why it happened. Is life meaningless? Kaag wrote this book in order to plead that maybe life is worth living. To allow people who are thinking of ending this lifetime just to think about continuing to live in order to find that meaning and eventually hopefully find that life is worth living.
SSHM
ReplyDeleteQ1: William James feelings about us all just being parts of a cog was ultimately pointless and nearly pushed him to suicide.
Q2: The distinct part of “for our age” was its urging that we shouldn't be afraid of life because we should want to live and believe life is worth living.
Q3: Steven Rose took his own life jumping off the roof of William Hames Hall, becoming a part of the 40,000 people who had committed suicide that year. This prompted the writing of Kaags book.
Annlee Head H2
ReplyDeleteSSHM1: William James’ problem about being “pulled in too many directions” was about meaningless, and that problem drove him to the edge of suicide as a young man. He was worried that no matter how hard we tried, humans couldn’t act fully on their own behalves and are actually like “cogs in an unfortunately constructed machine.”
SSHM2: The distinctive thing about “our age” that makes William James relevant is that our age “eschews tradition and superstition but desperately craves existential meaning.” The current generations crave to have some sort of meaning to help them carry on, so William James’ teachings of keeping oneself alive through purpose and not being afraid of life can help us.
SSHM3: On Feburary 6, 2014, Kaag biked by the scene where a 2006 Harvard alumnus took his life by jumping off of the roof of William James Hall. As an event similar has happened at MTSU this past week, I find it hard to see motivation to take on a large project like a book at this moment. Although we needed to carry on from that moment, it has still been hard to get over the hill, but similar to Kaag I believe that as a community we can carry on.
SSHM Prologue
ReplyDelete1. Young William James's problem, as he felt "pulled in too many directions" and worried that we might be nothing but cogs in a machine, was that he was essentially "philosophically stuck". Due to his elaborate and extensive knowledge of both logic and rationalism, James could simply not find a path that suited him. This state of being may appear unwelcome, but I personally see too many paths as infinitely better than no paths at all.
2. James is particularly relevant due to the distinct nature of "our age". The time we find ourselves in is brimming with superstition, confusion, and the striving for an identity. James quells the anxiety brought with this lifestyle we have all taken up, saying: "Be not afraid of your life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact". This sentiment is one that i full-heartedly sympathize with, as I have certainly found my identity and purpose through meaningful exposure to the world around me, including the ideologies of William James, and I am better for it.
3. On February 6, 2014, 2006 alum Steven Rose of Harvard University committed suicide within the William James Hall, prompting a collection of questions within Kaag: "Why, why, why?" Attempting to understand the philosophy of those who simply cannot find a reason to continue living is something that ended up contributing to Kaag's inspiration for writing "Sick Souls, Healthy Minds"
H03
ReplyDeletesshm
1. James believed that the issue he struggled with throughout his life was a sense of meaninglessness. He felt that both people and their bodies lacked purpose.
2. James wrote for our contemporary era, which shuns tradition yet craves meaning and often idolizes the brief lives of famous individuals. In response, he encourages people to live boldly and embrace their lives, suggesting that doing so proves the value of existence.
3. On February 6, 2014, a fellow Harvard student tragically jumped from the Williams James Hall, taking their life. This event left the author heartbroken and prompted him to contemplate whether there might be ways to help others see that life is worth living and that there are reasons to persevere.
Maria lassiter H2
ReplyDelete1. Young William James's problem, as he felt "pulled in too many directions" and worried that we might be nothing but cogs in a machine, was that he couldn't focus he couldn't maintain a clear path
H03
ReplyDeleteWGU 4-
According to Paul Goodman, the problem with jobs for adolescents is that they can see no good jobs for growing up. He states that most jobs now involve useless tasks or are potentially harmful and are wasteful, demeaning, and overall just stupid. So, why would one grow up when the outlook for meaningful or decent jobs is terrible or out of interest for people of a certain age? Overall, most jobs involve mindless, busy-body work that wastes time.
SSHM 1 + Discussion-
Young William James's problem was meaninglessness, as he felt "pulled in too many directions" and worried that we might be nothing but cogs in a machine. He thought he could not hold himself together due to how far apart he was pulling himself. He also felt philosophically stuck and couldn’t figure out a meaning. + I have had multiple instances where I felt like I was being pulled in too many directions; it can be hard to deal with or even acknowledge how drawn thin I was. Sometimes, I would respond by quitting on specific projects that were not of importance but a hobby to focus on my classes, as they held a priority. Other times, I would ignore the feeling and continue with how I was doing.
SSHMs 3 + Discussion-
A Harvard alumnus, Steven Rose, committed suicide by jumping off the roof of the William James Hall. When he gathered around the scene, he and many others decided that they should ask why it happened instead of asking what happened. With his daily routine interrupted, he took this event and decided to write a book that shows why one should live and why life is meaningful. + WJ’s answer to “Is life worth living,” is “Maybe.” While I do not fully agree with this sentiment, I agree. Life can be meaningless, but it is overall meaningful, no matter how small the impact on others. So, yeah, “Maybe” might be a good answer overall, but it is too open and straightforward.
H2
ReplyDeleteSSHM
1. What was driving him to consider suicide.
2. We’re so focused on superficial activities while ignoring the essentials.
3. Steven Rose committed suicide.
H03
ReplyDeleteSSHM
1. James's problem was meaninglessness. He struggled to justify life and the effort he'd put into it. He wasn't particularly passionate about anything because he couldn't find a reason to be passionate about it. He was so crippled by this problem that he was driven nearly to suicide. James struggled to see a point in continuing living if life had no true purpose or value. Why suffer to continue living with the escape of death is an option?
2. Our age is distinct in its revelrous indulgence in luxury juxtaposed by our profound lack of security and desire for existential justification. James's philosophy is particularly relevant because it encourages us to slow down and actually enjoy life. Many people today seem to want to rush through life, whether is be to adulthood, to marriage, or to retirement, we all crave the next stage of our lives. Simultaneously, we fear the passage of time and cling to the lives we do have in the present. Although, we are not proficient in this, as instead of taking time to respect and appreciate our current stage of life, we try to "live it to the fullest," which seems to only provoke anxiety, as it pushes a narrative that happy times are fleeting and that, if we don't enjoy them now, then we'll never have the chance to feel happiness again. James's philosophy encourages a more refined and deliberate appreciation of life that doesn't limit itself to cheap thrills and novelty joy but rather sees thing from a broader perspective and has respect for every stage of life.
3. An alumnus of Harvard Uni jumped from the William James building, ending his life. After witnessing this event and taking some time to process it, Kaag decided to shift his questioning from "what happened" to "why did it happen?" Kaag put the deceased alumus's (Steven Rose) untimely passing into the perspective of William James and his philosophy and noticed the how punctuated depression and hopelessness emblematic of James's early years was reflected in Rose's choice to end his life. From there, Kaag decided to capture James's philosophy in writing in hopes of sharing with others how James helped him in his journey out of depression and how his perspective can assist his readers as well.