Journal #4

Train spur question 

The next article talks about the spur problem. An out of control trolley or train is headed for five people on a track, you as a bystander have the chance to flip a switch that would put the trail onto a spur. But there is a man stuck on conversation the spur track and by flipping the switch you would be killing him. I have actually had this before with my friend who believes in fate and her answer is not to pull the switch. She believes that if those five people were meant to die that day without her help then who is she to interfere and  kill someone else who wasn't supposed to die. Personally I think that leaves too many questions and loose ends, there are too many factors that go into fate that you can almost never be sure. What if you are the cause of the trolley? How do you know the reason you're even there isn't to pull the switch and save those five people? I don't really have an answer to the question, but instead more questions. Do I know them? How long have they been there? Is the man stuck on the spur sick? How did they all get here? I wouldn't be able to decide not knowing these things, I wouldn't be able to leave so many open questions. For all we know the five people could all be murderers and they were trying to kill the man on the spur before you came. The idea of killing someone blindly isn't the way I think. I always need to know the situation in these types of questions. Like what are you (the bystander) doing at the train tracks anyway? The outcome of this question doesn't really matter because in each one you put yourself at risk by choosing to kill someone. http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/ethics-trolley-problem#.Uo3jJYW-S-s 

Journal #3

Self

In the article it explained that self was plural and not just one thing. I agree the objective of self is through not only your mind but everything that makes you you. The self is in theory your body, mind and spirit or soul. Each of them when together create a human being. Though some believe that just your soul makes you you and that your body and of your body is damaged or gone it doesn't take away from you. That if you traded bodies it wouldn't matter as long as you had your mind. But that doesn't seem to be the case. Then the article goes on to talk about the difference between ‘person’ and ‘self’. Person being a physical representation, a body. From Anscombe “the person is a living human body”. Where the self is a task at least through Nietzschean philosophy. The task of self is almost the same as inner peace. Being in control and intune with all of you. Self is being able to conquer psychological problems of your own and or living with them. Another part of the article explained that self is not multiple ( at least not in a healthy one) but single. The fact that the mind goes through multiple conflicts almost trick the mind into believing there are multiple self(s). This is another theory that I don't really think would make sense. What of those who don't face psychological problems? Would it matter how many problems you had? The idea of self i think is you, balancing yourself in the best way. http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1773/a-nietzschean-interpretation-of-the-self-in-psychological-continuity

 Journal #2

Sophie's world. 

Darwin 

Darwin even though is mostly thought of as a biologist he also makes great philosophical points, at the time. All which i think make sense, natural selection to start. Natural selection or better known as survival of the fittest, species going through evolution to survive in an environment. This lives on now with everyone knowing and using the term for science. Natural selection before it was proven by science started off as a theory that Darwin stood behind. Natural though makes the most sense now. Before it seems like the most rational option too. If species did not evolve for their habitat they would go extinct leaving no species or for those that could only survive. Also the discovery of fossils would back up the theory of species evolving when seeing how different the fossils were. As for where life came from he was also right. This theory probably was most easy to believe since it was so sensible as well. All life had to have come from somewhere, the past seemed like the best option. Since that was proved as well it's known by now. But later in the chapter they discuss where life came and they all decided it was from a mass of atoms and matter in the universe. Which is right but as to actual life or what made things come to life was a bit different.  How was life created? Or more animals and human life. The life that rules the planet and has been at the top of it for milenia. 

Journal #1
 Sophie's world. 

Fate 

Fate is a tricky concept. A lot of people believe in fate but at the same time many also don't. Personally I don't believe exactly in the full concept of fate but i don't push it completely away either. I do believe some things are meant to happen but i don't believe people have no say in their lives. Everyone I've met that believed in fate had thought of it differently or came up of an interpretation of it. In the book Albert explains that some important world leaders seek fortune tellers before making an important decision. Sophie’s thoughts on the matter were more advanced than mine but she brought up the idea of superstitions,this is also a form of fatalism.  Believing something must happen or definitely will happen because of something else totally unrelated, its linking things together you wouldn't usually do. Such as an open umbrella inside and it bringing bad luck. A mirror shouldnt have anything to do with luck but with superstition it is now affiliated. Though many people don't believe in fate more people believe in superstition. But then does that mean fate isn't superstition? Fate seems to be different in different cultures, depending on where you explore the idea something could be added or taken away from our idea of fate. Fate being commercialized also helps spread its belief I think. Fate being in movies and tv shows make it seem easier to believe in. Since TV helps greatly impact younger generations, I believe younger people would believe more in fate while the older generations stick more to religion.