Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Philosophy and ethics

1. What does Julia believe about the rocket bombs that has never occurred to Winston before? Julia believes the rocket bombs are deployed by the government of Oceania against its own citizens.

1. What does Winston argue about with Julia and eventually convince her of? Winston argues with Julia and eventually convinces her of the fact that Oceania was at war with Eastasia, not Eurasia, until four years ago.

1. What does Winston tell Julia that she thinks is “brilliantly witty”? Winston tells Julia that she is “only a rebel from the waist downwards.”

1. On whom does Winston think the Party is most successful in imposing its worldview? Winston thinks the Party is most successful in imposing its worldview on people who are unable to actually understand

Fetal Personhood and Abortion: A Comparative Analysis

Mary Anne Warren's Criteria for Personhood

Mary Anne Warren would likely argue that a six-week-old fetus does not meet the criteria for personhood. She outlines five conditions necessary for an entity to be considered a person:

1. Consciousness and the capacity to feel pain.
2. Reasoning ability.
3. Capacity for self-motivated activity.
4. Ability to communicate.
5. Self-awareness and self-concepts.

According to Warren, if a fetus does not fulfill all five conditions, it cannot be considered a person. Therefore, she would likely support the permissibility of abortion in this case.

George and Lee's Argument for Fetal Moral Status

In contrast, George and Lee would argue that abortion is morally wrong because it involves... Continue reading "Fetal Personhood and Abortion: A Comparative Analysis of Warren, George, and Lee" »

Chapter 1
What are some of the reasons the world is increasingly threatening, according to Paul and Elder? (p. 3)
A world in which national mass media gain more and more power over the minds of people.
A world in which increasing numbers of civilians find themselves trapped in the crossfire of warring groups and ideologies.
A world in which privacy is increasingly penetrated by multiple invasive technologies: face-recognition software, DNA testing, e-mail review systems, credit card tracking, and auto-tracking systems.
Why is a complex world a problem for critical thinking? (p. 6)
Much of our thinking, left to itself, is biased, distorted, partial, uninformed, or downright prejudiced. Critical thinking begins, then, when we start thinking about... Continue reading "Concepts of educations" »

Point 7: Evidence and Memory

"The only evidence is inside my own mind, and I don't know with any certainty that any other human being shares my memories."

Context: Winston is explaining to Julia about how there is no history and that there is no real evidence that anything happened.

Significance: Shows how the Party keeps everything in the present. Because they are always reinventing history, it ceases to exist since the evidence is falsified.

Point 8: The Proles vs. The Party

"The proles are human beings, he said. We are not humans."

Context: Winston is talking about the proles and explaining the contrast between his people (the Outer Party) and them. He perceives the proles to be human because they are loyal only to each other and not to the Party.... Continue reading "Key Passages and Analysis from 1984" »

The Role of Sympathy in Economics

Adam Smith's Perspective on Sympathy

Adam Smith described sympathy as an automatic reaction that influences our economic behavior. He observed that people tend to reflect the emotions of others, feeling happiness or pain in response to the emotions displayed by those around them. However, Smith noted that sympathy has its limits, as we tend to sympathize more with those closer to us, such as family and friends, than with strangers.

For example, Smith argued that a person would be more distressed by the loss of their own finger than by an earthquake in a distant country, simply because they lack a personal connection to the victims of the earthquake. This limitation of sympathy, according to Smith, influences our... Continue reading "Sympathy in Economics: From Personal Connections to Global Markets" »

Essential Vocabulary and Definitions

Victuals

Food or provisions.

Boughs

The main branch of a tree.

Whim

A sudden desire or change of mind, especially one that is unusual or unexplained.

Plunder

To steal goods from a place or person, typically using force and in a time of war or civil disorder.

Gorge

A narrow valley between hills or mountains, typically with steep rocky walls and a stream running through it.

Gloom

Partial or total darkness.

Petrels

A seabird related to the shearwaters, typically flying far from land.

Insidious

Proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects.

Cast Off

To set a boat or ship free from its moorings.

Mooring lines

A line that holds an object (especially a boat) in place.

Rowlocks

A holder attached to the gunwale of a boat

Common Words and Phrases

Pannikin: a small pan or cup made of metal and used for eating or drinking.

I dare say: used for saying something is probably true, although you do not know for certain.

Scores of: lots of.

Obsolete: no longer used because something newer has replaced it.

Pedant: someone who gives too much importance to details and formal rules, especially of grammar.

An afterthought: something that you think of and say after you have finished saying something.

Vapid: showing no sign of intelligence.

Eagerness: enthusiasm.

Flittered: appeared for a very short time.

Types of Houses

Detached House

Having no wall in common with another building.

Bungalow

A small house or summer cottage.

Loft

An upper room or storage area beneath a sloping roof; attic.... Continue reading "Vocabulary and Terminology for Everyday Life" »

Sanatana Dharma: The Eternal Truth

Sanatana Dharma consists of virtues such as honesty and refraining from injuring living beings. It is contrasted with svadharma, or one’s "own duty." This term has also more recently been used by Hindu leaders, reformers, and nationalists to refer to Hinduism as a unified world religion.

Totemism and Symbolic Identity

Totemism is a system of belief in which humans are said to have kinship or a mystical relationship with a spirit-being, such as an animal or plant. The entity, or totem, is thought to interact with a given kin group or an individual and to serve as their emblem or symbol, representing a symbolic identity between nature and the psyche.

Re-ligare: The Origin of Religion

Re-ligare is the Latin root... Continue reading "Essential Concepts of Hinduism and Spiritual Philosophy" »