5/22/2007

USU Graduation

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USU Graduation!
Although I didn’t find out this weekend, I much awaited the uncertain results as to my graduation on May 5th. A month later I have been informed, that after about 5 years at Utah State University, True Aggie, True Blue, Aggies All the Way!, and 1 to 1.5 years of classes at Salt Lake Community College, I have my Bachelor’s of Science degree with a Major in Philosophy. Now what to do with it is the next question. I’d like to teach, go abroad, or continue my education. We’ll soon see.

3,000 Movies Watched.
This weekend I passed the 3,000 mark on the number of movies I’ve seen. This is a ton, especially considering I’ve kept track of each and rated each of them. I’m behind on my own website by about 400-800, but am still keeping track on Netflix (who has a great selection, and has kept me very happy with their service by the way).

5/21/2007

Nietzsche and Kierkegaard: On the Becoming of the Ideal Self

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5/20/2007

Plato’s Disavowal of Democracy

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The main theory behind Plato’s disavowal of democracy is revealed in his utopia where philosophers are “kings”. He believes that the problem with rulers is that they make laws to benefit themselves; in his utopia philosophers write the laws, are provided for, but are unable to obtain property and riches (power or wealth in position, not both). Directly, the answer is that in a democracy the majority rule, and Plato believes the majority are not fit to rule, because they do not have the intellect as well as the proper education (philosophical, ethical, moral, logical and more) to rule. A speculative reason which makes a lot of sense is that his mentor and teacher, Socrates, was put on trial by a democratic court that had him executed on the unjust charge of impiety, and corrupting the youth.

5/19/2007

Heraclitus

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Heraclitus viewed the nature of the world as being in constant flux or motion characterized by “an ever-living fire, kindling itself by regular measures and going out by regular measures.” This fire is an example of as well as a metaphor for change. He stressed that stability is simply an illusion where one state is seen, but the flux from a variety of states back and forth, or one state to another is the reality of all things in motion through internal contradictions: “The harmonious structure of the world depends upon opposite tension like that of the bow and the lyre.” One translation of quote from Heraclitus is that “All things are in motion and nothing remains still.” Everything is always become something else, or always becoming itself as something else, for example: “By cosmic rule, as day yields night, so winter summer, war peace, plenty famine. All things change. Air penetrates the lump of myrrh, until the joining bodies die and rise again in smoke called incense.” Finally, the most memorable quote, often used in the antics of Zen Buddhism, even used in Hesse’s Siddhartha is that, “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.”

5/18/2007

Epicureans

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Epicureans stem from materialist and atomist, Epicurus, a student of Democritus. Their beliefs were hedonistic, based somewhat on pleasures. Pleasure is what they considered the good, as it is the absence and the opposite of pain, the bad. They disavowed the ideas of good an evil as divinely dictated, but believed that the greatest good was to gain knowledge to understand the workings of the world in order to experience the least amount of pain and fear in dealing with the world. The states of pleasure and pain are measured internally, and the mean between the two is what causes us to determine our choice or avoidance in deliberation. Happiness in its highest form was a state of tranquility, which perhaps mirrored the eastern thought of being desireless, as they believed their pleasures should be modest, and their desires be fulfilled in limitation in addition to indulgence. As their education increased, so did their understanding of degrees of happiness. Short term pleasures can be fleeting if one does not eventually strive for long term pleasures. They honored the educated and temperate life. This also introduces the sort of “Golden Mean” philosophy of moderation later taught by Aristotle. Overindulgence of the flesh or of food leads to great need, greater desire, and greater lack or want; less tranquility and less satisfaction. “Even on the rack the wise man is happy”, because he knows that the greater pleasures lie in his friendships, which is a greater long lasting happiness being than is the short lived pain of his immediate situation. The means and ends were both important, but the ends (or greater pleasures) usually meant a sacrifice of some lesser pleasures or means (which themselves may not have led to the greater pleasure).

5/17/2007

Stoicism

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Stoicism became the rival school of thought to Epicureanism. The stoics believed in self control, detachment, and resolute strength (steadfastness). They attempted to deny pleasure and pain, mastering their passions and emotions (distortions of truth) to become more clear-headed and spiritually sound, so that they could better practice reason to determine truth and natural law; as Epictetus said, “Freedom is secured not by the fulfilling of one’s desires, but by the removal of desire.” They believed that internal harmony must be obtained before one can overcome the rancor of the external world. The fortitude of the stoic beliefs was greatly respected by Roman military leaders and officers; backed by quotes from Epictetus such as, “First, decide who you would be. Then, do what you must do.” I’ve formulated my own quote to sum up several of those about anxiety, will, and regret, which I believe is in accord with several of Epictetus’s, “Do all that you desire to do, which is in your power to obtain; all else is not in your power to obtain, so is not yours to desire or yours to obtain.” The stoics believed much in mind over matter as far as controlling that which can control, and not letting your will be affected by that which can disturb you independent of the will, or by that which you cannot control –echoing a sort of serenity prayer, but to one’s self. They are very introspective; believing that good and evil lie within the will, all outside of the will is nothing, or at least nothing to worry about as it cannot be controlled. They are very autonomous in their philosophy in their belief about being of right mindedness, “If, therefore, any be unhappy, let him remember that he is unhappy by reason of himself alone.” Finally, the epitome of the stoic ideal is from Epictetus saying, “No man is free who is not master of himself.” There philosophy seems far more based on focusing on the ends, rather than the means; yet, because they denounce pleasure, pain, and desire altogether, or at least to control them, perhaps a successful stoic as a leader (if he could achieve leadership without desire) might not desire such Alexandrian expansion.

5/16/2007

Aristotle’s Eudaimonia

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Aristotle’s happiness (or eudaimonia – the highest goodness or wellbeing to which all men aim) is attained by rational activity acting in accordance with virtue throughout one’s life. This is a day-to-day theory in practice, which manifests in the long-term as the final goal. Happiness (the highest kind) seems to be a state which you reach by the end of your life, or at the end, as a result of rational activity throughout one’s life. However, I get the sense that the focus is a properly conceived eudaimonia as the goal, which results in rational activity in the present. For my own understanding, I relate it to Christianity; if a man’s goal is to become a “man of God”, understands what that means, and keeps focused on that goal, then rational activity in pursuit of that goal comes naturally (becomes habitual). Aristotle believed this happiness must be desired for its own sake, which only a desire for well being would result in well being, rather than always opting merely for pleasure. The one stumbling block thrown in the mix in “Nicomachean Ethics” is luck or good fortune (and health). As the poets showed with Agamemnon, rational activity may sometimes be unclear, or not result in the desired well-being. From this problem stems many philosophies of duty.

5/15/2007

Aristotlean Political Life

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Political life was indeed a part of Aristotle’s theory. He believed that the good that can be done for one person can be done (and be better for it) for many, for the community and for the states. He believed that politics was the goal (noble pursuit) of ethics in action on a larger scale. He also claimed that politics involves the responsibility to know what things and activities are best for man and to find balance and goodness for the state; therefore, politics is the highest “good action” achievable by man. In fact, this seems only second to philosophical contemplation –which might not be called a “good action”. The political life is necessary for those inhabitants of the community to have the basic equipment and social supports and sustenance necessary for a well lived life.

5/13/2007

Aristotlean Posthumous Reflection

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Aristotle did believe that a person could be sure about the happiness of their life, at the end of their life. If they used good judgment to know the right rules, and consciously followed those rules throughout life (even if they did not fully understand the rule). He believed that even the morally weak know of the right rule, but lack the resolve to obey it (they choose the wrong). The two tools do develop are good character and good intellect –which involves theoretical and practical wisdom. The best way to know good acts from bad ones is to have balance and perform all things in moderation. This balances the soul, which naturally leads to goodness in our actions and desires. Leisure is spoken of as the goal of life, which is most likely the culmination of right actions. You can know you are happy, if you have worked and lived a life of contemplation, if it results in or includes pursuit in music, visual arts, performance arts, sciences, and literature. If you have lived a life which aims to achieve virtue through right reason, which itself aims toward balance and happiness, have had good fortune, and worked to achieve the leisure to pursue harmonious arts and education, then you can know at the end of your life that you have achieved eudaimonia (the leisure or relaxation is pointed out as necessary, but specifically sought in order to return to more important activities –I work so that I can pay my bills to have time to draw and paint until work is needed again). Happiness is the goal or end for which the happy person acts. If you have worked toward happiness throughout your life, you have done so by being happy and living balanced.