An Introduction to Introduction of Philosophy- 046.01
"Because philosophy arises from awe, a philosopher is bound in his way to be a lover of myths and poetic fables. Poets and philosophers are alike in being big with wonder." - St. Thomas Aquinas
"A man's work is nothing but this slow trek to rediscover, through the detours of art, those two or three great and simple images in whose presence his heart first opened." - Albert Camus
"To feel much for others and little for ourselves; to restrain our selfishness and exercise our benevolent affections, constitute the perfection of human nature." - Adam Smith
Description
This
course is designed to introduce the student to the prominent figures and areas
of inquiry found in the study of philosophy. The course
has
two objectives for the student: (1) to provide the student with historical information
that presents philosophy in a chronological manner, paying close attention to
specific time periods and cultures; and (2) to provide the student with a broad
foundation of knowledge that allows him to engage in some of the more
fundamental questions found in philosophy. As a whole, the course will
emphasize both critical and analytical thinking skills as well as provide ample
opportunity for class discussions and debates. Woven throughout the entire
course, from the section on Plato to contemporary issues in philosophy, will be
the quest for the answer to the question, "What is Truth?"
Approach
This
class will be managed like a college course. Lectures, readings, discussions,
papers will all play a part in how we study each philosopher. If you do not
complete the assigned readings each night, you will fail this course. If you do
not enjoy writing, you will not enjoy this course. Your participation in discussions, performance on
larger assessments, completion of projects, and execution on writing assignments
will make up most of your grade.
Grading
Papers/Tests: 40%
Quizzes: 25%
Homework:
20%
Participation: 15%
Exemptions in effect for both Exams (based on policy in 2014-15 Student Handbook).
Participation: 15%
Exemptions in effect for both Exams (based on policy in 2014-15 Student Handbook).
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jcb- I think the passage and video are related in the fact that they both talk about wisdom.
ReplyDeleteKyle Mealey
ReplyDeleteCody Capino
ReplyDeleteFilippo Amodeo
ReplyDeleteJoshua Thorne
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ReplyDeletei found it Mr . Becker *Inserts Thumbs Up Emoji *
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ReplyDeleteOn page 7 the first question proposed is "Was it crazy of him to prefer death?" yes it would be considered crazy by most people to prefer death over silence but i believe that it was a crazy but also brave way to show his need to keep spreading his wisdom until his own death by suicide.
ReplyDeleteThe question on page 4 "Isn't it better to be insane than to let them kill the artist in you?" In reality insanity could be a very mild issue within how one's mind works, often mistaken for a flaw or slip in humanity. However it can always be a good thing in prospective with more of an imaginative attitude and unique input on life. If one is medicated to ease the symptoms of said diagnosis, it can dull the person and make them someone they aren't.
ReplyDelete"Is it possible to be completely sane or completely insane?"
ReplyDeleteIn regards to this question, no I don't believe anyone can be completely insane or sane. This question brings up a valid point in which it is something each person deals with in life. No person ever has never had an irrational or insane thought. People all the time do insane things all the time out of impulse, and at the same time they do sane things out of impulse as well. People and life aren't black and white; there are gray points in which we have to think both insanely and sanely.
"What are the big questions and what makes them so?"
ReplyDeleteAs intelligent beings, why do we value certain things over others? How can something mean so much and be so special to one man and mean absolutely nothing to the next? What I was able to understand from this quote is that perspective is what drives humanity. It is our nature to value our opinions over others' at times. Instead of looking at the size of the issue or thought we should look at it from a more open-minded perspective. But from what I was able to understand from the author is that the size of the question is more about the amount of people that care to find the solution. In no way does this make that certain question any more worth pondering than others.
"Is anyone who sacrifices his health for his art insane?"
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do not believe there is a solid answer for this question, I feel that it depends on how far you are willing to push your limits of your health. If you love what you do and you strive to perfect your art, then obviously you are willing to push your limits a little more in order to reach the goals that you set for yourself. However, the more you push your limits, the more consequences you may have to pay with your health. Obviously some people may find that no matter how good or bad they are with their art, their health is the most important thing in their life, so they will not push their limits as much. For example, an athlete pushes their body to extreme limits in workouts, practices, and games. An athlete knows the risks that come with their sport but most of the time they do not shy away. An athlete embraces the risk of injury because they know that if they train, practice, and play games scared that they will get hurt, there is no way that they will be able to perfect their art.
Thales was focused on ''one is matter" the thought that everything comes from one thing and his starting points are his own notion of "cause". "Whatever can be spoken or thought of necessarily is, since it is possible for it to be, but it is not possible for nothing to be." Parmenides is more focused on paths he mentions the path of persuasion and how it accompanies the objective of truth. Thales does not aim to discuss the completion of theories of former philosophers he just wants to see if their theory is relevant to his own.
ReplyDeleteParmenides is primarily talking about the fact that we cannot say or point out the things that we do not know. He is saying that it is impossible to state a fact that we know nothing about. Parmenides does not reference the past philosophers whereas Thales references how the past philosophers have played roles in creating his own theories. Parmenides also mentions different paths that we have as mortals. He talks about how we can go down a path where we are just going through the motions or we could go down the path where we ask questions and try to figure out the meanings of how things came to be.
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