Nursery Example

In class we were talking about the various arguments for God's existence. We read one case on comparing a nursery to the world. It first went through a series of questions as to if this architect actually existed and was caring over then nursery. It stated if he knew about the damages then why didn't he do anything about it considering he was also powerful enough to fix it. It stated that he must either not be caring for the nursery or he is evil. What the article was trying to say is that if God is all-loving then why is there evil in the world. Then it went on to say if He is all-knowing and all-powerful then why doesn't He prevent this evil. Overall it was trying to disprove God's existence. I think that the reason why He doesn't step in is not because he doesn't care or exist. It is because He gave us free will to do what we want. I personally feel that if the world was perfect and we didn't have free will, it would be pretty boring. You would have nothing to work for. Everything would be mapped out to a plan and you wouldn't have any say over it.

Matthew Torok
http://matthewtorok.brandyourself.com/

Justifying Belief's in God

In my opinion, I do not believe that one can use philosophy to argue God's existence. Believing in God is a matter of faith. People believe in God not on physical evidence, but because it explains an emptiness to one's life. The foundation of believing in God is an issue that deals with what you feel in your heart. Evidence proving or disproving His existence will not sway the beliefs of true believers.

Matthew Torok
http://matthewtorok.brandyourself.com/

Branches of Philosophy

There are four distinct branches of philosophy: Logic, Epistemology, Metaphysics, and Theoretical Ethics. Logic is a study of the forms of correct reasoning. Epistemology is the study of the nature of knowledge and how we should justify our knowledge claims. Metaphysics is the study of the ultimate nature of features of reality that can't be studied by empirical science. The branch that I most identify with and find most interesting is Logic. I am a Finance major so I enjoy reasoning through numbers. I usually have to see factual evidence of something to believe it. I also enjoy Epistemology because it also deals with how we justify claims.

http://matthewtorok.brandyourself.com/

Wisdom

We begin the second half of the semester with a different professor, with a different philosophy on teaching. We are presented with the different forms of wisdom: Theoretical and Practical. Theoretical Wisdom is a true and justified understanding of the facts about reality. Practical Wisdom is having a correct and justified set of values for living with. I feel that it is important for people to have a balance between the two. It is important to know the facts when making a decision (Theoretical) but you shouldn't base your decision just on the facts. You also have to take into account the ethics and morals behind your decision. (Practical) As a result, to live a meaningful life one should be both theoretically and practically wise.
Matthew Torok

Allegory of the Cave

Plato's Allegory of the Cave begins with prisoners chained to a cave. They are controlled by puppet masters who lead them to believe that shadows of figures cast by the fire represent reality. One day a prisoner escapes the cave. The prisoner experiences actual reality and returns back to the cave to describe reality outside of the cave. The other prisoners respond angrily. Even though this allegory was written almost 2000 years ago, I feel that it still applies to society today. We, the people, represent the prisoners and the government or others in power are the puppet masters. Our chains are the lies and propaganda we are told. The escaped prisoner represents someone who stands up against this propaganda and tells of what is wrong with it. Even in today's society, people who stand up against these lies are usually looked down upon because they are going against the societal norm.

Mind vs Body

One case we we're asked to debate on was whether or not we'd travel to Mars by having our minds transferred from Earth to a new, identical body on Mars. I personally believe that what makes a person is their soul, mind, cogito, or whatever you choose to call it. I think the quote "I think therefore I am" helps to explain my view. You exist as a person because you can think freely. Your body does not do the thinking. It is your mind and soul, which determine who you are as a person. So going back to the original case about teleporting, I would definitely have to say go for it. Even though you'd be getting a new body, you would still have your original soul and mind and as mentioned earlier these are your most important parts.

The Ship of Theseus

“The ship wherein Theseus and the youth of Athens returned had thirty oars, and was preserved by the Athenians down even to the time of Demetrius Phalereus, for they took away the old planks as they decayed, putting in new and stronger timber in their place, insomuch that this ship became a standing example among the philosophers, for the logical question of things that grow; one side holding that the ship remained the same, and the other contending that it was not the same.”
Plutarch (Vita Thesei, 22-23)

I find this argument to be a very interesting one. Some of the philosophers thought that the ships were the same when planks were replaced, while others thought they were different. Ships were used in this example, but the argument can be applied to anything that grows. I personally believe that when a object, such as a ship, is remodeled the thing itself has not changed. It has the same core. This applies to human's lives in that when we do things such as getting a haircut, putting on make-up, or getting cosmetic surgery, we are still the same person underneath. You're soul (core) can never change, but if it did you would be a completely different person.

Being Stubborn vs Logical

Over the last couple of classes we talked about how certain people guard there beliefs. I believe that there are two types of people in the world: those who are stubborn vs. those who are more passive, logical arguers. Stubborn people will present there argument in whichever way they feel is right. Logical people will take the time to figure out which is the most reasonable part of an argument. Unfortunately I feel that in most arguments, logic does not win out. I think that more times than not the person who is the most stubborn and holds there belief to be 100% true will win the argument.

Sanitizing of History

I read over the "Lies my Teacher Told Me" article on Blackboard. I personally agree with the points made in the document. The first point mentioned in the article was that society's view of Christopher Columbus is distorted through the teaching of the American schooling system. We celebrate Columbus Day every year because we believe that he discovered the New World. In reality the Americas had been occupied by indigenous cultures for hundreds of years. The Vikings had discovered the Western world and these cultures way before Columbus had. The other "fact" we learn about Columbus was that he was the first to envision the world as round. The true fact is that since ancient times people have known the world was round and the way the Columbus view entered society is largely attributed to the 1828 fantasy "The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus" by Washington Irving. The third fact that is failed to be taught to society about Columbus is that he was brutal towards the Natives using slave trading and genocide. If society had been taught the true facts about Columbus, I believe we wouldn't be so quick to celebrate his life and dedicate a holiday to him. The other people mentioned in the article (Woodrow Wilson, Helen Keller, and Alice Paul) all have examples on how history is a chronicle of what the power elite decide to record.