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Post by asdfjaiilee on May 7, 2015 7:14:37 GMT
Film Test 8
CodeL 97ddddd
Question: Provide a critical review of Sam Harris' viewpoint. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer.
Sam Harris brings up a number of interesting ideas in his TED Talks, but I think I understand that his main argument is that there is a science side to morality- that this idea of human progression which he calls "human-flourishing" is driven by the human desire to reduce suffering and promote life. This goes back to Lane's neuroethical argument for veganism- which argues that humans should widen their circle of compassion for and not eat living things with a central nervous system that have the capacity to feel pain. Another point that Sam Harris brought up that I found interesting was where he argues that it was possible for "individuals and even for cultures to care about the wrong things". He continues by defining the wrong things as things that cause needless human suffering. I agree with Sam Harris's view of the issue, as I also believe that there is a lot of war and violence right now in the world where it should not be necessary.
Another point that Sam Harris brought up that I found explicitly interesting was where he argued that since the human experience is all a reality that is actually constructed from your brain and that since culture changes the way the brain thinks and accepts things as natural and important, then that is why there are different human experiences. Harris argues that this "cultural variation", or how Harris calls it, of human interactions of well-being can then be understood as a growing science of the mind. If these varied cultural values are the facts of this science and these facts are of the conscious well-being of individuals, then Harris envisions a spectral landscape of states of well-being where each individual can feel a content sense of well-being no matter what state they are in.
Sam Harris wants to argue that the issue of morality is not one which people have long (and wrongly) regarded as subjective and spectral- that it is an issue that definitely has black and white to it. He further pushes the argument that this definitiveness of morality exists because moral-rightfulness works in favor of human-flourishing. Thus, morality is guided by the human psychological and biological instinct to survive.
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Post by jvillegasct15 on May 7, 2015 23:25:25 GMT
5/6/2015 Code: 97ddddd
“Moral Landscape”
1. Sam Harris believes in the concept of Moral Landscape, where he argues that science can explain the way a person perceive the world of moralities and values. Harris believes that science can explain the good or bad, and the right and wrong in any aspect of life. Every moral or immoral values, decisions and actions can be explained with science. He believes that through science, our actions of believing a value can be finally be explained. DO I agree or do I disagree, this is a difficult topic to discuss but I believe our moral values can be explained and can be influenced in ways, for example, religion and facts. Our moral values can be changed with the help of outer knowledge and inner knowledge that we learn from where we kids. Our moral values comes from where we are most influenced and how we are introduced to these values, so I guess I disagree with Harris’s argument of science explaining our moral values, actions and decisions. But I do see his arguments that science can affect how we think, for example, our emotions can be truly be influenced when we are feeling vulnerable to situations that we are currently in. Adrenaline rushes that happens where we are in a situation of a problem, do we fight it or do we ignore it, flee from that situations? Does our body wants to run from the situation or fight from it? These are some of the situations where we can rely in science for our moral values. But when it comes to religious belief, I do not think science can be used to explain what one religion believes or not. We are all brought up from believing one thing to another, we all live in an area where the way of thinking is influenced with sciences or influenced with religions.
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Post by vgamboamejia on May 10, 2015 6:16:29 GMT
97ddd
1. Our brain itself is a simulator making the world we live in today just the best reconfigured version of our surrounding environment. That being said, it seems than that if we were living in a virtual simulator than we would either be living in a simulation within a simulation, or that the only simulation were living in is the ones we unknowingly create with our brains.
2. I believe that our generation does not read. However statistically speaking we do read more but what we read I believe is not intellectual information. We read more social media post than ever before but we no longer read books, this is because we now have apps such as Audible, which allows you to listen to an entire book. The advantages of living in technologically advanced era is that it allows us much more information as an easier access that we can watch or listen to compared to reading. Personally I enjoy reading books there is something much more satisfying because you’re holding in your hand the paperback book the author intended you to have and hold.
3. The technology that I use the most is my phone. The reason that I do is because it has such easy access to everything that a computer or a television or a radio can provide for you, and it all available in your hand which makes it a lot easier to use compared to a laptop or a television.
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niko
New Member
Posts: 11 
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Post by niko on May 11, 2015 4:58:44 GMT
Code:97ddddd
I both agree and disagree with Mr. Harris’ viewpoint. For example I agree with Harris that science offers the best solution for an objective universal morality but only the foundation when it comes to human happiness and fulfillment. Take for example rites of passage across the world which some are based on or are a combination of both tradition,culture, and religion. Some tribes use circumcision, others jump across cows backs and others earn their driver's license, while yes volunteering for such acts is crucial(where the scientific objective foundation comes in).Creating a universal morality would strip away what these cultures define as being an adult,ergo their individual happiness, happiness which in and of itself can be/is derived from group identity or religion. A hole in Harris’ argument is abortion. How would scientific objectivity deal with that? Does the mother’s health (if there is an issue) supersede that of the child who would be stripped of any chance to make their own choice? To reword it because Harris believes in scientific objectivity he believes in a dispassionate morality creating a dichotomy where answers are easily found and chosen. We know that by simply living this concept is anything but true. I believe Harris’ hope or belief is that human nature holds some type of concept where humans are absolutely rational, perfect, and objective. We know that to be human, is to be irrational, make mistakes, and be subjective; this is not so say humans can be otherwise. I believe Harris’ ideals would be like that of Communism: well meaning and good-looking on paper but when put into full practice would become corrupted and perverted by the very individuals who participate or enforce it. I also vehemently oppose Harris’ statement/insinuation that morality should not allow differences of opinion. Imagine if science would have evolved along this line. Differences of opinion allow for choice to be made. Without differences of opinion we are left with one perspective in which to view the world and we gain the ability fall into the logical fallacy of tradition.
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Post by dmartinez169 on May 11, 2015 4:59:15 GMT
Exam #7
Code: 97dddef
1. Why is understanding quantum mechanics and its implications important for understanding how life evolves?
It is important to understand the concept of quantum mechanics and its implications because it plays a big important part on the evolution of life. Quantum mechanics is the theory to understand everything that surrounds us. Quantum mechanics can explain how one thing develops into another one and how they occur. It is important to understand it because it can explain how our life evolutions into different stages, also just comprehending the method itself can help us understand many of the concepts that we come across our daily life and how things develop and work around us. Been able to understand how things are develop can open different ways of thinking and a how we see them as well.
2. What is the Kirpal Statistic?
Kirpal Statistic is a concept that comes from the guru, Kirpal Singh. It is the concept that people who meditate have the ability to see human figures in their subconscious. It is during the meditation that Kirpal Singh would instruct the group on the yoga techniques to reach their potential in meditation and be able to see the inner light, sound or human figures in their subconscious. These inner experiences are things we create, not supernatural experiences or spirits. The inner experiences that the people experience during their highest point in their meditation are things we create ourselves in our mind, there is different ways of explanation and interpretation to it.
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Post by MartinezPhil8 on May 11, 2015 5:13:30 GMT
Jessica Martinez
Phil 8
Code: 97dddef
1) Why is understanding quantum mechanics and its implications important for understanding how life evolves?
Understanding quantum mechanics and it's implications is important because it allowed to see the advancements that have been made throughout the years. Through quantum mechanics, many technological advancements were able to happen. Science and technology have both been changed because of the help that quantum mechanics provided. A major part of it is also understanding the behavior of subatomic particles that make up matter. Quantum mechanics helps us realize that life had evolved because of the improvements that came from it.
2) What is the Kirpal Statistic?
Kirpal Singh believed that he could direct a person and take them through a personal experience of inner light and sound. Kirpal statistics is the idea that a person can make another experience certain things during meditation. During meditation a person may experience things they felt they did not know anything about but somehow managed to come up. Kirpal Singh helped people go through all of this even though most people really experienced things because it was something they had gone through in their last or had been in their mind for a while.
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Post by vincentgalvan on May 11, 2015 6:06:46 GMT
Film Test 8
Question: Provide a critical review of Sam Harris' viewpoint. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer.
Sam Harris argues that morality can be explained and determined by science. He states that “values are facts about the well-being of conscious creatures” and that human morality and values are reducible to “a concern about conscious experience and its possible changes.” He also seems to go on to suggest that our brains largely influence how we interpret these facts, and thus form our values. Additionally, he argues that values are permutable and that universal morality can include exceptions without detracting from the overall system. Furthermore, he states that it is possible that there are certain viewpoints on morality that are counterintuitive to human flourishing, and thus there may be some opinions that are not worth considering. Because of the highly important nature and consequences of our moral values, a universal morality needs to be established to serve as an authoritative philosophy. Harris ends his argument by reiterating that in order to accomplish this goal of a universal morality, we need to admit that our moral questions have answers.
I mostly agree with the fundamentals of Sam Harris’s argument. I believe that many of our morals boil down to promoting the well-being of humans and animals, as they should. I also think that there should be a set of universal moral values that we can all agree on as a species. However, one point where I’m not clear if my view coincides with Harris’s philosophy is that I believe that religion can help to reinforce our moral values, mainly by giving us a higher purpose and consequences for living a certain way and making certain decisions, though I’m not sure that it completely dictates our choices. I think that overall, science can explaining the core reasoning behind many of our decisions, and can gives us reason enough to live a moral lifestyle.
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Post by MartinezPhil8 on May 11, 2015 6:36:55 GMT
Jessica Martinez
Phil 8
Code: 97ddddd
Question: Provide a critical review of Sam Harris' viewpoint. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer.
One of Sam Harris' viewpoints is that science and the values that people have are not in relation to each other. Some decisions that people make cannot be answered through science because it does not apply to it. For the most part, values do not go interchangeably with science because one does not go with the other. However, in some cases, values are decided based on science because the situation happens to come about in that way. I agree with Sam Harris because if a person decides that something is worth living for they cannot really expect science to answer that question for them , the person must simply decide on their own. Values do not really seem to be a answered through science because it is based on a persons belief and not on something that is necessarily tested. People do not see a correlation between the two because they are each part of their own thing and in most cases, they do not answer each other's question.
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Post by jaredhamilton on May 13, 2015 0:03:55 GMT
Film Test #7
1. Why is understanding quantum mechanics and its implications important for understanding how life evolves?
Every thing in the universe is made of atoms and quantum mechanics can give answers and insight to how these atoms work. A plant can absorb energy packets known as photons and use this energy to sustain life but how did the plant evolve to do that? it is extremely impressive that an organism became so complex that it can use a natural abundance of light as a fuel source but also utilize quantum mechanics in order to use light for nourishment extremely successfully. If we were able to understand on a complex level quantum mechanics and the way atoms work then we as a race could use technology to utilize these insights in order to do incredible things. The more we learn about quantum mechanics, the more we can possibly do, the limits are unforeseeable.
2. What is the Kirpal Statistic?
The kirpal statistic is the chance that under the right guidance a person meditating will see or hear things. a group of people with no guidance on how to meditate will most likely sit in a dark room and soon fall asleep due to boredom. however, a room of people meditating that are instructed by someone who knows how to truly meditate will yield greater results in people hearing or seeing things. Under the right conditions the rate of visions or sounds can increase in a group that is meditating but the correct guidance is needed. This shows that the brain can access a strange function that is unknown to exist by the individual, why would something be seen or heard during a meditation without much provoking? the Kirpal Statistic not only shows a mathematical increase due to institutional factors but also uncovers a strange function of the human mind which is yet to be understood.
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Post by brandonterpstra on May 13, 2015 2:33:20 GMT
Week #8 #97dddef
1. Why is understanding quantum mechanics and its implications important for understanding how life evolves?
Quantum theory allows for two particles to be in one place at once, or two to move at the same time at once. We have learned that through quantum theory, particles can be in two places at once, literally existing in two seperate times simulaneously. The uncertainty principle that say it is impossible to extract an unlimited amount of information from a quantum system. There is always a limit in measurement. Time is not a fundamental part of the universe there for there will always be a limit when exposing its existence through relativity.
2. What is the Kirpal Statistic?
The probably outcome will hear and see something that they are told, believing that there is a "master" a person giving instructions upon them during meditation will hear or see something. If one was to take control of their own mind and concentrate on their own thinking, the possibility that they will see what they create or believe in is stronger than when instructed by another being. This video is proving that the visions you have during meditation are always self projected and not a special vision given to you by a guru or another being during a meditational phase. If one were to tell you to not think about pink elephants, chances are you will think of pink elephants, and if not the color pink, chances are you will think about different colors of elephants. The same can be said about any object or though placed in your attention span. If one is to focus on one thing for long enough, it will show itself.
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Post by EricOlivares on May 14, 2015 7:31:11 GMT
Video Test #8 97dddef
1.Why is understanding quantum mechanics and its implications important for understanding how life evolves?
understanding quantum mechanics and its implications is important to understand how life evolves and shows that the evolution of life is random. that we wont truly know what is going to evolve into what until it happens. just like Schrodinger cat experiment where he took a cat and put it in a box with a vial of poison and a hammer that would be triggered by a timer at a random time and closed the box. so if someone would ask the question if the cat is alive or dead and the answer would be both because the cat can be considered alive and dead you wont know until you open the box. this applies to the evolution of life too. you can assume everything is going to evolve and nothing is going to evolve until it happens and you see it for yourself with your own eyes.
2. What is the Kirpal Statistic?
The Kirpal Statistic is how visions are self projected. this Statistic was founded and named after Kirpal Singh he claimed that he could help make someone during their first time meditating to see a vision or a light. the Kirpal Statistic is defined as the probable outcome that the majority of meditators provided the necessary instructions in Shaba Ahnad yoga practice will hear and see something
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Post by asdfjaiilee on May 16, 2015 0:06:04 GMT
nikoI really enjoyed reading your response. You brought up a lot of interesting points that I felt pushed the Sam Harris' discussion further. For example, the issue of abortion is one that really cannot be argued for or against while being completely detached. This scientific objectivity that Sam Harris envisions is far from idealistic. We know that not all things can be determined to be black and white without considering the possibilities of a grey middle-ground; therefore, elements of humanity such as uncertainty, limits of wisdom, and subjectivity must not be discounted from the equation.
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Post by brandonterpstra on May 18, 2015 0:49:22 GMT
97ddddd
1. Provide a critical view of Sam Harris' viewpoint. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer.
It is thought that science can get what we value but it is unable to tell us what we should value. Many people wonder if science can ever answer how to live our life morally. Sam Harris' view on a rock for example was interesting. Sam asked why do we not feel for a rock the way that we feel for a human being? Because a rock cannot feel. Everything bottles down to a conscious feeling.
There needs to be people here today to admit that there is a right and wrong when answering questions referring to human flourishing.
Sam Harris' presentation was beyond intelligent and by far in my opinion correct. Sam Harris argues that the way a person believes and acts is based off of the way that their brain is wired. That the wiring has something to do with possibly accessing your mind in other way that other people as to do with the way your mind was wired. Another example used was if it is wrong to lie, then it must always be wrong to lie. There are times I know where I feel it is good to lie in certain times whether the lie was big or small. The morality is thrown out of the window for me in the sense that Sam Harris is speaking about. Sam Harris argues on both sides of asking who are we to say that the proud denisens of an ancient culture are wrong in performing some discusting actions and then argues asking who are we to not say anything. The movement for change is a group act, not just one persons beliefs and actions.
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Post by jaredhamilton on May 18, 2015 19:34:38 GMT
Film test #8 97ddddd
Provide a critical review of Sam Harris' viewpoint. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer.
Sam Harris brings up a really good point that not one person can be right and that a collection of people who have a better knowledge will have a better answer rather than the world in general. his use of the example of him being in a physics club trying to give answers to something he knows nothing about gives a perfect description of how individual in america can view other cultures or vice versa. the fact that there are many ways to achieve an answer proves that everybody is different and can achieve goals for happiness in different ways but that doesn't mean it is correct or incorrect. to understand that not one person can give evidence and answers on every subject but rather they might be able to give all answers on one subject. to put it another way, don't try to answer all the worlds problems based of your moral belief but instead answer the questions that you know you have the answer to and admit when you don't have the answers for other questions. who is to say one culture is right and another one is wrong, personally i don't have the answers and neither does anyone else. everybody is bias to their own thoughts and it isn't something that should be hated because it is something no one can help. instead of going with our bias we should instead understand our bias and know that we don't have all the answers and agree that other people can be just as right as anyone else.
Film test #9 8763
How can the reasoning that Professor Greene demonstrates throughout his lecture help us to think more realistically about "improbable" events in our own day to day lives?
Professor Greene speaks of knowledge we can attain and knowledge we may never attain and some of the theories we have can either be answered or unanswered but it is impossible to tell what will happen. The probability that life can exist in our galaxy is incredible but if we look at a multiverse theory it is beyond incredible because the chances that those universe even exist or can flourish are exponentially incredible. There are so many questions, What conditions are necessary for life? how often do those conditions occur? Can there be other instances where they can exist? all these questions have no definite answer yet, hopefully. The fact that we have improbable events in our lives is not that improbable when you look at the mass of thing that are going on in just our universe alone. The fact that we EXIST is in itself nearly improbable simply because we don't know the chances that we could exist. Many people believe a single being determines our whole lives and that fact is indisputable yet as a race we don't even know what determines how a atom is made but we will believe in the man in the sky. There has to be physical evidence for how everything works and the sheer luck that we can exist should be hailed as improbable rather than a simple event in ones own life.
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Post by brandonterpstra on May 19, 2015 4:13:31 GMT
Test #10
Question: How can the reasoning that Professor Greene demonstrates throughout his lecture help us to think more realistically abut "improbable" events in our own day to day lives? Code: 8763
I think that the most important piece to take away from Professor Greene's demonstration at TED was that Earths distance from the Sun 93,000,000 miles is placed perfectly in that "it yields conditions vital to our form of life" - Professor Greene. I feel that this is important because it gives the opening go for being realistic about events that are improbable. Should our existence should be questioned as "improbable"? Professor Greene really opens your eyes about the possibilities throughout the universe about what can actually be out there. We need to be asking the "right question". We ascribe purpose along with the questions we ask. We must identify our hidden assumptions of the universe and its pieces and one by one asking these questions honestly. One day we may discover this multiverse, but only through honest inquiry.
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