MIDTERM

MIDTERM EXAMINATION FOR INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY

ONLINE COURSE

Professor David Christopher Lane

Directions:  Place all of your answers on your personal website. Then send a link to your midterm to your teacher at dlane@mtsac.edu. Best to write them in essay format and feel most free to add embedded pictures, links, charts, graphs, or anything that you feel augments your answers.

TEST IS DUE: JANUARY 30^TH by 11 p.m.

ESSAY QUESTIONS

As you write your responses, make sure that they are well crafted. Take time
with them and add whatever visuals you think may help the flow of your arguments
or narratives. The length for each answer can vary from 2 pages (minimum) to
hundreds of pages….. The sky is the limit.

YOUR NAME: Domonique Brown

YOUR USERNAME (if you use one): http://mcdomo.blogspot.com/

9.       LIST ANY EXTRA CREDIT YOU MAY HAVE DONE.


EXTRA CREDIT: THE FAITH OF PHYSICAL CAUSES
Mutations exist. For example, bacterial infections are from tiny organisms mutating into virulent forms.There is evidence of evolution by natural selection.One evidence of evolution is the extinction of the short neck giraffes. The long neck giraffes survived through natural selection because they were advantaged .
If you reject evolution, you do not fully understand what is going on in this world. As the text states you might as well suggest that "there is no evidence for gravity existing or that our planet doesn't orbit the sun."

10.   Do you have any questions for your professor?

1. Can you give the students individual feedback on how we are doing so far in the class, so we can improve before the final? I been having trouble knowing if I am actually doing my assignments correctly. 

8. Evolutionary Theory Connects with Quantum Mechanics

8.       How does evolutionary theory connect with quantum mechanics? Feel free to do a google search to buttress your answers here. Clue: Think of Brian Greene meeting Charles Darwin.

  If Briane Greene and Darwin had a conversation. They would argue. Darwin would state, "matter is composed of indivisible, solid atoms, until Rutherford proved otherwise." Greene would oppose his thought by stating, "atom is not solid, it has an internal structure consisting of a small, dense nucleus." Darwin established all species are from common ancestry; evolution occurs fom natural selection. Greene established the string theory; it explains "different particle species of the standard model of particle physics as different aspects of a single type of one-dimensional, vibrating string" (wikipedia). 

The evolutionary theory connects with quantum mechanics because they explain mutation. The Quantum theory explains the properties of matter. The theory explains "subatomic" particles. The theory states it is impossible to predict the fate of an idividual particle or the exact position of it. The Evolutionary theory explains there is a "change in the gene pool of a population from generation to generation by such processes as mutation, natural selection, and genetic drift" (dictionary). The Darwinian model of the evolution of cells states when cells individually undergo mutation, they remove the mutations that are a disadvantage to the organism. The Quantum theory is an attempt to explain why mutations occure to help the cell be advantaged. Mutations occur by quantum events; Events like a shift of s single proton from one site to another results in mutations. 

Related Site: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10400270

2. Mysterium Tremendum

In the magazine MYSTERIUM TREMENDUM (and in the film feature), it is argued that the reason many individuals have a problem with a purely scientific exploration in philosophy and religion is because of a misunderstanding of the term “matter.” Explain his argument and feel free to either support it with additional material or critique it.


Many individuals have a problem with a purely scientific exploration in philosophy and religion is because of a misunderstanding of term "matter." film that helps: eliminative materialism

Some religious people feel the term "matter" contradicts the Bible nor insults their religion. They felt the term dehumanizes humans as just material. Mr. Lane asked undergraduate and graduate students, "how would you hypothetically feel if someone did indeed inform you that you were a body of pure unalloyed light?"  They agreed they would feel "boundless and happy." The thought we are all "beams of light" gives all a sense that we are all alike. The theory we are all "beams of light" makes us all equal. We may look different, however we are made of the same material. David Lanes asks another question, "how do we feel when we are told that we are just this stuff, just this body, just the re-composition of this world?" The students felt like they are basically nothing and feel depressed. If we are just stuff, we are truly not important as we are thought to be. We are just bodies, nothing more. 
Lane stated, "we tend to think that matter and spirit are opposites and that focusing on one discount the other and vice versa." The definitions of both are outdated and cause confusion. We need to find out the true meaning of matter and not associate with such a flat definition. Lane uses a tree to explain the term "matter." In the dictionary, a tree is described as, "a plant having a permanently woody main stem or trunk, ordinarily growing to a considerable height, and usually developing branches at some distance from the ground." In scientific sense, a tree is made up of millions of cells, which in themselves are made of molecules, which are comprised of atoms. Atoms give a better understanding of what matter actually is. All things are made of atoms. If you reconfigure atoms in a certain way, you will get another object. If your atoms were changed around, you would be the person next to you in class. Atoms are like Legos. When you move the Legos around, you get a different structure. 
Lane stated, "even when we get to the very core of matter, we find yet another layer and our understanding of what is actually going on turns indeterminate." We have not fully understood what is going on around us because there are a lot of hidden underpinnings. A lot of things are invisible to us; however, as time progresses as technology improves, the invisible turns visible.
The film, The Quantum Thinking,  asks what is real. When we observe objects you do not sufficiently define it because we do not fully understand it. As the film states, we are "invariably altering what we are examining." We form our own opinions that differs from others of what we are seeing because we have different perceptions. As time goes on, knowledge on matter will improve. "Nature reacts to our measuring devices." Our measuring devices alters what we see. So, this begs the question, "is what we are seeing real?"

3. Einstein/ Bohr Debate

In the famous Einstein/Bohr debate over the implications of quantum theory, who do you think won? Explain why and be sure to detail your answer with pertinent information related to quantum entanglement, the double-slit light experiment, and other strange factoids within physics. You don't have to side with either one, if you wish, and can present the pros and cons to each. However, you should really develop your essays and I would suggest including some new research that you can discover through a google search.


In a letter to Max Born, Einstein wrote, "you believe in the God who plays dice, and I in complete law and order in a world which objectively exists, and which I...am trying to capture."  Einsten did not believe the univserse was run on indeterminacy. Bohr counteracted by stating that God may play games in the dark, however he can find out what he is doing by shining light on it. By shining a light, you will know the outcome. However, our measuring devices alter the outcome. 
Einsten did various experiments in opposition of indeterminacy. He wanted to show uncertainty could be overcome with the double-slit light experiment. The double-slit light experiment demonstrated "that matter and energy can display characteristics of both waves and particles." In the experiment, a light source lightened a plate that had two parallel slits. As the light passes through the slits, the results are displayed on a screen behind the plate.  The light waves passing through the slits interfere resulting in bands on the screen. Einstein's argument is that it would not happen if light was just made of just particles as stated in the Quantum theory. However, his experiment did not fully refute the theory. It is impossible to determine the precision of the light. The impossibilty supported the theory's indeterminacy. The experiment helped Bohr's case since he showed how Einsten's experiment was a fail.
In 1930, at the Solvay Conference, Einstein displayed a new experiment to refute the principle of uncertainty. The experiment, "Einstein's box," showed that matter is solidified energy and allows measurement of its weight. The box was supposed to opose uncertainty. The box was supposed to give a interpretation of particles. Bohr saw the error in "Einstein's Box." 
However, Bohr eventually saw the flaw in Einstein's Box, and through a crafty use of reasoning, which ironically employed using Einstein's own great discoveries against himself, he was able to show why the device wouldn't work as predicted. According to Ms. Lane, "the inevitable uncertainty of the position of the box translates into an uncertainty in the position of the pointer and of the determination of weight and therefore of energy." Einstein's experiment ended up supporting uncertainty again. 
Einstein and Bohr debated for years to come. Einstein could never successfully refute the Quantum theory. His experiments ended up supporting the theory. Einstein even accepted the Quantum theory of uncertainity at one point. However, both men presented ideas that could be possible. Their ideas did not have concrete evidence. The controversial debate does not have any winners. 

5. Philosophy is...Philosophy

Your teacher argues that philosophy done well is science and philosophy done poorly is. . . well, philosophy. What advantage is there  with doing a philosophy predicated on science (Edward O. Wilson's Consilience) versus a more traditional route? What are the drawbacks to a purely scientific endeavor in this regard?

Related Website: http://www.2think.org/hii/wilson.shtml

Wilson's Consilience was made to give the idea that the world's thinking should be based on the laws of physics. The laws would evolve over time by the laws of evolution. Wilson stated, "[17th and 18th century Enlightenment thinkers] assumed a lawful, perfectible material world in which knowledge is unified across the sciences and the humanities." Wilson believes his method will explain everything in the world. 

Philosophy based on science has advantages of traditional philosophy. It shows humans are affected by taboo topics. Wilson stated, "if children are reared apart during the first 30 months or more of their lives and then brought back together again, they would have no barrrier to forming sexual bonds, except being told that this is prohibited by custom and law." The only reason humans do not participate in incest behavior because we are taught or prohibited not to. Philosophy based on science contradicts free will. The philosophy states social animals behave according to their D.N.A, not their mind. Traditional philosophy states free will affects your decisions, not D.N.A. You want to do something, you are not programmed to do so. The philosophy supports racist ideologies. The theory states some groups are biologically superior to others. Another drawback of philosophy based on science is that it is associated with bad results, such as the Holocaust. Wilson countered the argument stated, "it's not the science but the pseudoscience. In the 20th century, the most awful case of pseudoscience, of course, was Nazi eugenics. So what we need is not to avoid more scientific research and understanding." Wilson feels science allows history to not repeat itself and helps avoid disastrous results.  

6. Eliminative Materialism

What is eliminative materialism? Please elaborate.
Some scientists try to get a better understanding of consciousness with the process of eliminative materialism. If they can not understand a phenomenon with the use of mathematics, they use academic disciplines to explain it. If that does not work, they joke among each other stating, "God did it."
Eliminative Materialism explains why certain events occur in our body, mind, society, and world. The only negative about Eliminative Materialism is it changes our perception about everything except how perceive ourselves. We use motives-desire, motivation, anger, and free will- to describe ourselves.  We use psychological terminology not from neuroscientific understanding because we use mythology and religion to comprehend our consciousness.
Eliminative materialism is a better way to understand things than to blame why things happen on Gods and spirits. If the phenomenon can not be explained with math, scientists go through a list of other ways to explain before they simply state "God did it." If scientists did not not take that route, we would not have known about evolution. We would only have the theory that God created everything. And, we came from Adam and Eve.
  Eliminative Materialism eliminates the theory of mythology. When we scientifically advance, we replace outdated concepts from the past with new, more accurate terminology to reflect our new understanding of body and universe.We do not believe Thor, the thunder god, was the reason behind thunder and lightning anymore. We now know that electrical magnetic currents are the cause of it. Today, we understand why we get sick. We do not get sick because of spirits; we become ill from bacteria. We would still believe that little ghosts circulate through our body. In reality, the nervous system in our body causes sensations. Eliminative Materialism allows the world to have a better understand of why things are this or that way.

4. Theory Important to Philosophy

Why is the theory of evolution so important in doing philosophy? More pointedly, why is the theory of evolution key to understanding why human beings behave the way they do? Focus on evolutionary biology and evolutionary psychology when giving your answers. I also suggest being creative here and perhaps using your own life as a template to explain some aspects of evolution. Be sure to incorporate material from Darwin directly or other evolutionists when possible.

Biological evolution allows us the ability to think or to imitate others. Dawkins stated, "biological evolution can help people understand cultural evolution better." Within cultural evolution is "memes." A term coined by Richard Dawkins. A meme is an idea, or behavior that transfers from person to person within a culture. A meme spreads from mind to mind through written, verbal, and physical communication. Within a culture, people imitate, create, or change memes of others. Our human thought is always focused to survive. In order to survive, we adapt causing our bodies and minds to change over time. Memes mimic the components of biological evolution. Like evolution, memes go through phases of variation, competition, and inheritance. If the memes recreate at a slower rate, they become extinct. Memes who recreate at a faster rate have a higher chance of survival, spreading, and mutating. Evolutionary Pschology explains which pschological traits evolved from adapting. Some of the traits that evolve over time is perception of beauty, intelligence, mate selection, and cooperation to work with others. For example, our perception of beauty changes over time. Decades ago, women with a more curvacious body was seen as beautiful. Today, being thin is beautiful, overweight women is seen in a negative light. 

Evolution is important to philosophy because it provides a explanation for consciousness. During my fall semester at Mount San Antonio, I was enrolled in a class, "Introduction to Criminology." One of the books explained the biological roots of criminal behavior. The theory of evolution was key to why criminals behave the way they do. Biological theorist, Cesare Lombroso, coined the term "atavism" to suggest that criminality was the result of primitive urges that had survived the evolutionary process. Lombroso stated an individual who possessed an undeveloped brain is incapable of conforming his or her behavior to the rules and expectations of modern complex society. From the studies of the bodies of executed offenders and deceased criminals, he noticed their brains were similar to those found in lower primates. He stated a variety of bodily features could predict criminal behavior. Some of the features were strong jawline, well developed canine teeth, and large lips. 

7. Socrates' Death and Was it Justified...

How did Socrates die? Do you think his death was justified? Explain your answer
Socrate's road to death started when the Oracle at Delphi stated no one was wiser than Socrates. Socrates felt the oracle was wrong and just a paradox. He questioned the "wise" men of Athens to prove his thinking was correct. Socrates realized the Oracle was right when he noticed the men were not wise at all. Socrates' wisdom backfired against him because the "wise" men turned against him. They made accusations of wrongdoing against him.
 Meletus accused Socrates of corrupting the youth. He supports his accusation by stating Socrates is a poet or maker of the gods, and "invent new gods and deny the existence of old ones." Socrates believes the  Meletus made the accusation because he is a wise man and Socrates is the opposite. And states he is corrupting Euthyphro's friends. He feels  Meletus sees him as threat and wants to remove him. Socrates states, "if he goes on as he has begun, he will be a very great public benefactor." Euthyphro, a friend of Socrates, says Meletus and the other "wise" men are simply jealous of Socrates' wisdom. That is why they are making accusations.
During his trial, the two charges against Socrates was that he did not believe in the gods recognized by the State and he had corrupted the Athenian youth by his teachings. Socrates does not put up a strong defense. So, he ends up being sentenced to die by drinking a poisonous hemlock. Socrates is not phased by the sentencing and is represented as expressing he believes he is passing to "a better and a happier life (Apologia)." He does not try to escape. Socrates felt two wrongs do not make a right. By being a citizen of Athens, he must follow whatever the State orders him to.
It is never right to kill anyone. Socrates was killed because he did not share the same beliefs as others. They killed him because they feared his intelligence. He was the "wisest" man in Athens according to the Oracle. His wisdom was a threat to Athens. The men of power used religion to have control of the citizens of Athens. Socrates was not a strong believer of religion and felt there was no concrete evidence that people should be religious.
The charge- did not believe in the gods recognized by the state- was an unjust charge. If he did not believe in the gods, he would have never asked them on their wisdom. He would have just believed the Oracle when it stated he was the wisest man. By asking the Gods about wisdom it proved he believed in them since it would be considered a religious act. The Gods of the state were simply threatened by Socrates. If the citizens found out that he was the wisest man, the Gods would lose power. By removing Socrates out of the picture, they would keep their power.

The charge- he had corrupted the Athenian youth- was another unjust charge. There is no proof he had any negative effect on the youth. Socrates  merely questioned the "gods" of the state. He was not feeding the youth any negativity during his quest to find out who the wisest man was. Socrates and Euthyphro felt the charge was made up just so they can just kill him.
Socrates stated he was a "gadfly." He felt he kept the democracy awake and helped make sure the citizens of Athens did not believe everything that was said. He questioned everything to get the truth. Socrates was a philosopher. Socrates could have lived, but chose to die. He did not try to escape or have a strong defense in court. He did not care about his death sentence because he did not want to live out life not doing the thing he loved- philosophy. He felt it was his time to go because he was not living in the right time period that allowed freedom of speech. The only good that came out of Socrates' death was that he made a strong point. He believed no one should change their beliefs because of the fear of death.

WEEK THREE: Biological Philosophy

TEXT: DARWIN'S DNA
Natural selection works because of variations among organic life. The variations allow humans to have advantages over others. For example, during flu season, thousands of people die from flu symptoms. However, thousands of others survive the season. It is not because of luck, it is because humans have "favorable traits...[and] have a built-in advantage over competitors that do not (page 8)." Natural selection rids of inferior humans.
We are all successes. Our ancestors survived to procreate. Many sperms and eggs never got the chance to create a baby. Many humans have lived, however died before transmitting their genetic code. Our ancestors beat the odds.


TEXT: EXPERIMENTS IN PLANT HYBRIDIZATION
The Hybrid plant experiment showed living things have dominant and recessive traits. When the hybrids were self-fertilized, they could be classified as either hybrids, dominant, or recessive. Hybrid means to have both dominant and recessive characters. Dominant means to only have dominant character. Recessive means to only have recessive character.
For instance, your mother has green eyes (recessive trait). Your father has brown eyes (dominant trait). So, more than likely you will be born with brown eyes because it is a dominant trait. You will have the recessive trait of green eyes. When you have offspring, there is a chance your child will have green eyes.



TEXT: ON THE TENDENCY OF VARIETIES TO DEPART INDEFINITELY FROM THE ORIGINAL TYPE
We all have strengths and weaknesses. For example, a man may be able to run faster than others. However, his weakness is that he is color blind. The text states "'a deficiency in one set of organs always being by an increased development of some others--powerful wings accompanying weak feet.
Variety allows the species to remain alive, not extinct. The giraffe species would have died out if there was no variation of longer neck giraffes. Longer neck giraffes can reach food in trees unlike shorter neck ones. The shorter neck giraffes died out when there was scarcity of food on the ground.

FILM: NOVA EVOLUTION
The film, "Lice and Human Evolution,"  head lice provide clues about human evolution. Clothes provide when humans started moving from Africa and into colder climates. They find out when humans started wearing clothes by studying lice. Clothing lice can only live off the clothing of humans. They studied when head lice split into clothing lice. 175,000 years ago, clothing lice was created. Which means humans started wearing clothing . When humans lost the fur on their torso, the head lice split into another species. Some of the lice resided on scalps while the others went down south and resided on pubic areas. The lice on the pubic region is called crab lice. The species split two million years ago, which shows the date humans stopped having fur. Lice debunks the Creationism theory since the species proves evolution.
Millions of years ago, our ancestors were apes. There were different types of humans living on earth. Over time, natural selection left only one species of humans to survive. Homo sapiens are the only type of humans alive. In my opinion, natural selection enabled humans to be the smartest living things on this planet.


FILM: EVOLUTION TRILOGY
The film stated, "deceiving oneself in others is how the job gets done." In other words,  people portray themselves in a certain way to fit into their environment. So, they can live and prosper happily. We are "edited," formed into oneself, by what is around us. Our peers made us into what we are now.
The film stated the Intelligent Design movement was created to allow God into biology. The evolution theory completely criticizes the Book of Genesis. The idea of Creationism is taught by those who could not think. In my opinion, evolution provides more understanding than Creationism. I believe in God, however I do not believe in the Bible. A higher power had to create this universe. I do not believe it just magically happened without a higher power. I believe God created the basis and evolution did the rest of the creating of what we have now.

FILM: THE GENIUS OF CHARLES DARWIN
In the film, the Bible states the world was created 6,000 years ago; however, evolution proves the world was created billions of years ago. Richard Dawkins, the narrator of the film,  wants to teach others evolution explains our existence. He believes everything we know about life is explained in evolution.
In my opinion, evolution exists. Evolution contradicts they way we were brought up by our families. I was raised as a Christian. My Christian teachings oppose evolution. I take in account the theory of evolution. I still believe in God, however doubt the Bible because it contradicts evolution.

EXTRA CREDIT: THE FAITH OF PHYSICAL CAUSES
Mutations exist. For example, bacterial infections are from tiny organisms mutating into virulent forms.There is evidence of evolution by natural selection.One evidence of evolution is the extinction of the short neck giraffes. The long neck giraffes survived through natural selection because they were advantaged .
If you reject evolution, you do not fully understand what is going on in this world. As the text states you might as well suggest that "there is no evidence for gravity existing or that our planet doesn't orbit the sun."

WEEK TWO: Natural Philosophy

FILM: QUANTUM THINKING
The film asks what is real. When we observe objects you do not sufficiently define it because we do not fully understand it. As the film states, we are "invariably altering what we are examining." We form our own opinions that differs from others of what we are seeing because we have different perceptions.
As time goes on, knowledge on matter will improve. "Nature reacts to our measuring devices." Our measuring devices alters what we see. So, this begs the question, "is what we are seeing real?"

TEXT: SPOOKY PHYSICS
The quantum theory states that something can be in two states at once. When you make a measurement of the object, you find out the state. We do not know whats in a can of soup until it is opened. There might not be soup in it. You do not find out until you open it.
The text asks, "does the moon exist of nobody is looking at it?" The quantum theory states "there is no reality beyond what we observe, so in principle things don't exist unless they are being measured." So, do you exist if you are not being observed? The quantum theory makes you beg a lot of questions. Two questions no one can truly answer: "What is truly real? And how do we know?"

FILM: FABRIC OF THE COSMOS
According to the law of physics, the order of events can happen in reverse. Why does things unfold in one direction? That is a good question. How come we do not live life in reverse. Why does everything cause and effect, not the opposite? That is a question we may never know. According to the film, we can not ask why things happen this or that way, we just have to accept that is how the world works.
Brian Greene states in the film, we have all been deceived. The theory that our universe is the only universe that exists might be wrong. According to recent research, there is more evidence there are more than one universe. Space seems limitless. There has to be more universes out there. Why does our universe have to be the only one. Only time will tell if there is more than one universe.

Website that relates: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100112165249.htm

FILM: ELEGANT UNIVERSE
The string theory was created to combine all the laws into a theory of everything. The strings' vibrations create small particles such as electrons and photons. The string theory states there are at least ten dimensions. The extra dimensions, according to Greene, can be hidden in plain sight. To us, an electrical power cable looks like a one-dimensional line from a distance. To an ant crawling on the cable, it has a extra,circular dimension, which we can not see from a distance.
The theory still needs work. There should be only one version of the theory, not five. In my opinion, the theory has a strong point. It is true that things do not look as dimensional from a distance. However, there is no proof whether or not strings are real or not. When scientists prove there are strings, the theory will have more support.

FILM: ELIMINATIVE MATERIALISM
Eliminative materialism is a better way to understand things than to blame why things happen on Gods and spirits. If the phenomenon can not be explained with math, scientists go through a list of other ways to explain before they simply state "God did it." If scientists did not not take that route, we would not have known about evolution. We would only have the theory that God created everything. And, we came from Adam and Eve.
Eliminative Materialism eliminates the theory of mythology. Today, we understand why we get sick. We do not get sick because of spirits; we become ill from bacteria. We would still believe that little ghosts circulate through our body. In reality, the nervous system in our body causes sensations. Eliminative Materialism allows the world to have a better understand of why things are this or that way.

FILM: ELECTRICAL SURFING
The film gives the viewers a little chemistry lesson. It goes over electrons and protons. Opposites do attract. Protons are only attracted to electrons. And when the two connect, they create an atom. And, atoms are the basis of everything in this universe. Without protons and electrons, we would not exist.
Atoms are not mentioned in religion. The theory of atoms being the basis of everything goes against religion because God created everything, not protons and electrons.
Related Website: http://web.jjay.cuny.edu/~acarpi/NSC/3-atoms.htm
Related Videos: http://www.youtube.com/watcPublish Posth?v=HWPug5adkUA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi91qyjuknM

WEEK ONE: Traditional Philosophy

TEXT: THE LIFE OF PYTHAGORAS
Pythagoras once stated, "...the purest and most geniune character is that of the man who devotes himself to...beautiful things." He basically was talking about himself because he has left a lasting influence on this world. His Pythagorean Theorem, a2+b2 = c2, lead to more innovations math. Math has enabled us to understand life problems. Math would not have been as advanced with out Pythagoras.
He was a geniune character because he was well respected. He had many followers. Cenobites and Hearers ranked him with Pythagoras with the Gods. He was against greed. He rather help others before he helped himself; his work in mathematics and religion showed how he wanted to teach others new findings of his.

Related Websites: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pythagoras/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_theorem

TEXT: HOW DID SOCRATES DIE?
Socrates was wrongly put to death. The charges brought against Socrates were not about him murdering someone. They were lesser charges. They were ignorant charges. He had the right to express himself. In those times, You could not object against the State. He was killed for expressing his opinion.
There was evidence that the charges were outragious. For example, The first charge-he did not believe in the gods recognized by the State- was untrue. He conformed to religious customs and believed in God. However his defense did not work in his trial. He was sentenced to die by drinking poisonous hemlock. This man did not cry bout his death sentence. I praise him for his courage and faith. Socrates believed after death, he would pass to a better and happier life.

FILM: EITHER/OR
I agree with the idea of Existentialism. The philosophy that human life is not fully satisfying is true. Soren Kierkegaard stated "do it or do not do it--you will regret both." The statement means that no matter what you do, your decisions in life will always have something negative attached to it. Throughout life, you have to deal with suffering and loss. Nobody has the "perfect" life. Jean Paul Sartre stated "Everything has been figured out, except how to live." There is no right way to live life.
Existentialists believe that people do not have individualism because they become followers of people in power.This is true because people in society have to follow laws and rules. People can not be fully themselves because there is always a law or rule than dehumanizes.
Website of Related Interest: http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/existentialism.htm

FILM: Nietzsche's Myth of Eternal Recurrence
There are some pros and cons to eternal recurrence. I would like to live with eternal recurrence for the simple fact you get to relive the good moments you had during life. You dont remember the fact that you are reliving the same life over again when the recurrence happens. Your life can not get worse in the next recurrence is a positive.
The cons of eternal recurrence is the fact you have to relive the negative moments you had during life. I would hate to have to deal with the death of someone I love over and over again. I would hate to have to repeat my life all over again. I like change. Living the same life over and over again would irritate me. The fact you can not improve your life when you are reborn again is another negative.
Website of Related Interest: http://eternal-recurrence.com/

FILM: The Limits of Science: Illuminated Ideas in 56 seconds
"The limit of our skull is the limit of our understanding" stated by Neuralsurfer. We do not know anything, truthfully. Our ideas are based on theories. We place the blame for why things work this or that way on religion and, or science. We truly do not know what is out there in the universe. Our brains can only process and understand so much.
We will never know the entirety of everything around us. We can not 100% state why Earth and the universe was formed. All we can do is make educated guesses on why things are this way. We live in darkness just living day by day in mystery about life.

FILM: The Emergence of Rationality: Wisdom in 56 seconds
The narrator rejects rationality. He does not like the fact people use reason and science to understand life. He believed mythology was a better idea for how people should live life. Anaragozas began rationality with his thought that the Sun was not a sun but a hot stone. I am thankful for Anaragozas. Mythology is simply "make believe." It was misleading for people who lived in ancient times because they believed everything was a God.
Present technology does not reduce one to be a specimen. Technology gives us a better understanding of life and allows us to get a better fulfillment out of it. If we need to know an answer, we can just hop on the computer and found out in the minimum of seconds.