After reading all of these different philosophers I can’t help but wonder how it will affect the decisions I make in the future. Especially when we bring up things like the trolley theorem in class, we all felt different about what actions were acceptable, then we would find ways to defend our actions. However, after that there would be a subtle change in the circumstances we would find ourselves having to completely re-evaluate our position on the topic because of that change.
It just authenticates the concept that nothing is certain to me, it seems that everything has some outside force that hinders our ability to make clear and important decisions. I have personally found myself thinking more and more about simple things that I once did without thinking. Thinking about how we treat people for example, while Kant speaks of using people as ends and not as means. It reminds me of Montaigne and Plato’s views regarding friendship, it makes me think about what relationships/friendships are, and why they are the way they are.
I was just wondering if anyone else was having these same thoughts, maybe not exactly in line with my own. Maybe, in just seeing how the things we learn in this class are slowly integrating themselves into our lives?
I agree that the readings thus far have made me observe certain characteristics about human behavior. It's so interesting to see how theories brought up by philosophers so many years ago, are still relevant today. After our discussion about Hegel's view on using a person simply as a means, I began to question my own motivations. These texts are interesting to read, because they have shed light on not only human nature as a whole, but also personal flaws.
ReplyDeleteSteven, I think I know how you feel. These philosophers ask us to consider inconvenient questions about ourselves.
ReplyDeleteOften, I think that the frustration I feel when reading Kant, for example, comes from the self-examination that he requires. It's not pleasant to consider whether I am actually as moral as I think I am, but I don't think that anyone could argue that it is not an invaluable process.
In a way, what you are describing and what I am experiencing is similar to Plato's allegory of the cave. That's not to say that we are anywhere near grasping the highest truth in itself, but perhaps we are gradually going through the painful process of tearing ourselves away from our old beliefs and ascending toward a higher self-realization. At least, that is what I would like to believe.
On the contrary, the further I continue in this class and philosophical learning in general, the more I'm encouraged to formulate my own philosophy and path in life. The only thing one can do when presented with all these varying moral systems and philosophies is to accept the subjectivity of it all and rely on your own Maxims. I don't worry about concerning myself with what Kant thinks I should do, or what Hobbes thinks about the nature of men. What they say is something to consider, to dote on, but at the end of the day they're just a set of words from another head. Your head is the one that matters.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad we've finally reached a point in search where this is happening. Kant in particular really changed my way of thinking. It is easy to, as Professor Johnson said in class, "student" one's way through things about the bible if one isn't particularly invested in it to begin with. (Not that the Bible isn't important). But things like morals and the question of our existence are impossible to overlook. It matters if my sense of right and wrong are flawed. I think that is why this class affects our daily lives, and I am glad that it does.
ReplyDeleteMore often than not, I find myself in disagreement with a portion of any given phisopher's teachings. However, given the logical nature of philosophical study, I also find myself in agreement with certain aspects of any given philosophy. In other words, despite the particularities of my opinions regarding epistemology, I am constantly gaining something simply through engaging in a sort of internal logical discourse. So, even if I find myself at odds with their ideas, they still find their way in to my life simply through their presence.
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