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122 Cards in this Set
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Definition of Harm |
SHOULD include: Acts that explicitly “set back” someone’s interestActs that undermine someone’s human dignityWrongful acts that may not explicitly cause harm, such as trespass SHOULD NOT include: Unhappy or unwanted physical or mental statesActs that offend, annoy, or hurt one’s feelingsActs that shock, anger, or embarrass someone |
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Kant on Harm (Means/Ends) |
As moral agents, we are duty-bound to give all the respect to others that the idea of human dignity demands for everyone Treating others as “ends” in themselves (and never as a “means”) Minimizing harm is only the beginning in determining tenants of moral personhood |
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Mill on Harm (Theory of Utility) |
The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any community members against his or her will is to prevent harm to others |
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Mill on Harm (Mill’s Harm Principle) |
Concerned with building a governmental framework to limit someone’s freedom only for the protection of harm to othersCritique: Careful in using the term “harm” too loosely; doing so invites paternalistic thinking and unreasonable restrictions on liberty |
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W.D. Ross on Harm (Prima facie duties) |
“Nonmaleficence” – Avoiding harm to other is one of the central duties we are obligated to honor Other “Prima facie duties”: promise keeping, justice, gratitude, and self-improvementDuty Conflict: We must reason our way to why one duty should “override” others in a particular case |
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W.D. Ross on Harm (forward-looking) |
Avoiding Harm = “looking forward”; unlike the other duties that get their “moral weight” from previous actsSo any moral theory that only considers consequences to have moral value is inadequate |
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Smiley (1992) on Harm |
What constitutes harm in ethical dilemmas? Closely ties to our “valuation of personal integrity” .How we define goodness in ourselves and others through the relative weight we place on values such as autonomy and self-sacrifice |
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“Setting Back” vs. “Wronging” Others |
Unhappy Mental States:
Transitory disappointments & disillusionmentsWounded pride, hurt feelingsAroused anger, shocked sensibility, alarmDisgust, frustration, impatient restlessnessAcute boredom, irritation, embarrassmentFelling of guilt & shame, bodily discomfort, and many more… How one “Wrongs”: When his indefensible (unjustifiable and inexcusable) conduct violates the other’s right, and in all but certain very special cases such conduct will also invade the other’s interest and thus be harmful in the [second] sense (ex: harmless trespass) – (Feinberg in Plaisance, p. 112) |
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Harm as a Culturally Bound Concept |
Harm is often equated with being offended and our laws reflect this Measures to enforce norms or standards in one society are different in othersWestern Enlightenment concepts emphasize autonomy of individual and on scientific empirical discovery and testabilityOther cultures emphasize social order, public reputation and/or “saving face” These can be considered genuine harms even if they may not explicitly “set back” anyone, thing, etc. |
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Harm in the Media (Production) |
The specific harm can be hard to grasp, since it often involves assumptions about possible effects of media content on unseen audience memberswhether it be a racy ad, graphic photo, coverage of a controversial issue “Harming” a client, or the public interest, someone’s reputation, or a firm’s credibility, “harms” readers/viewers by offending them, etc. |
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Freedom First/Western Enlightenment |
For many, freedom is the highest good, the first value from which all others flowWestern Enlightenment –> freedom is what makes life worth living We don’t enjoy absolute freedom. . .Governmental laws and social customs help civil societies keep order |
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Definition of Freedom |
Freedom –> a state of being that is reasonable unconstrained from external forces and that allows us to pursue our own interests, life plans, and visions of happiness |
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John Stuart Mill on Freedom |
Unless individuals are allowed to live autonomously and unless each of us is allowed to pursue “our own good in our own way” (Cahn, 2002, p. 933), civilization as we know it will likely not advance; Our search for truth will be thwarted for lack of a viable “marketplace of ideas”;And there would be little hope for the development of spontaneity, genius, originality, or even moral change |
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John Locke “Laws of Reason” |
“Laws of Reason” invited us to accept a “social contract” that gave some institutions the power to impose restrictions We are willing to give up some of our liberty to make the conditions of our lives less dangerous and more predictable |
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Jean-Jacques Rousseau on Freedom |
Cautioned against the temptations of unrestrained freedomWarned that humanity would surely “perish” unless we bound ourselves together; People “have no other means of self-preservation than to form by aggregation a sum of forces…and to make them work in concert” (Cahn, 2002, p. 534). |
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Libertarian view of freedom |
theorists insist that it is humans’ nature to live as free as we please, and we inevitably lose much more than we might gain in restricting that freedom |
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Anarchist view of freedom |
some argue, are the only ones among us that appreciate the sobering implications and true meaning of absolute freedom |
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Definition of Autonomy |
Concerned with the moral implications of what we do Has to do with consciously, and freely, limiting oneself to upholding moral principles and doing “the right thing” |
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Kant’s moral autonomy |
He was explicit in claiming that “freedom” is the source of all value in his moral philosophy moral autonomy:Not the notion of freedom to do whatever we want,but our ability to exercise our free will to fully realize our existence as rational beings with moral duties |
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Joel Feinberg on Autonomy |
Four closely related meanings: The “capacity to govern oneself” The “actual conditions” of self-government The ideal of virtue stemming from that state The “sovereign authority” to govern oneself (p. 98). |
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Stanley Benn on Autonomy |
Autonomy needs two things to be possible: “Requires that the subject’s beliefs be coherent and consistent. . Their coherence must be the outcome of a continuing process of critical adjustment within a system of beliefs in which it is possible to appraise one sector by canons drawn from another” (p. 182) |
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Gerald Dworkin on Autonomy |
Includes “some ability both to alter one’s preferences and to make them effective in one’s actions and, indeed, to make them effective because one has reflected upon them and adopted them as one’s own” (p. 17). Referring to our singular capacity in the animal world to live and act as moral agents Questions of ethics: We are moving beyond talk about what we have the right to do to what we ought to do Autonomy cannot be identical to liberty |
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John Cristman Freedom vs. Autonomy |
Autonomy “…[M]ore properly seen as a property of preference or desire formation than a property of whole persons or of persons’ lives…” Freedom “…a property of human action – a characteristic of the relation among desires, bodily movements, and restraints that may be facing the agent…To be free…means there is an absence of restraints” (p. 13). |
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Substantive Independence |
The truly autonomous person is one who always retains control over her decisions and actions.Thomas M. Scanlon (1972), Robert Paul Wolff (1970) & Others |
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Autonomy vs. Commitment & Loyalty (Dworkin & Royce) |
Josiah Royce (1908) The “loyal man…does not merely follow his own impulses” but that he also “looks to his cause for guidance” (p. 21). He is loyal and yet simultaneously acting autonomously because he already has decided on both the importance of his cause and his commitment to it Gerald Dworkin (1988) We shouldn’t’ assume that simply “retaining control” of one’s actions is a key part of autonomy, since there are all sorts of cases in which we freely give up control in the interests of other values. |
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Plato/Aristotle on Free Will |
Does free will exist? |
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Hallet on Free Will |
“People experience free will. They have the sense they are free” (Neurological specialist)“Free will does exist, but it’s a perception” |
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Kant’s Moral/Categorical Imperative |
Human’s capacity for reason and our right to exercise our free will provides the justification for his entire moral system |
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Hume: free will as myth |
Our capacity for reason rules our passionate & emotional selvesDesire or repulsion, not reason, drive our conduct |
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Feminist critique on freedom (Benhabib) |
Feminists subscribe to a similar argument; claim culture places premium on freedom, this stems from our privileging the “public” domain (male) over the domestic (female) sphere |
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Autonomy as Negative Freedom |
According to Berlin (1969) it's the common understanding of liberty as being free of undue restrictions or interference; Constraint that might unreasonably limit our movement Locke, as well as Mill’s theory of utility provide justification for limiting such restrictions Autonomy as inalienable right unless harmful/protection of others |
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Kant: Autonomy as Moral Duty |
Autonomy exists to reflect our moral being“Moral Law” simply reflects what’s in our nature That humans, having a rational will and considered “ends” in themselves and never to be uses as a mere means by others, are indeed obligated only to obey their own willsA rational will has absolute value – it is an end in itself rejects any suggestion that such freedom frees us from duties to act in certain ways The enjoyment for its own sake, oblivious to any sense of moral duty, is no freedom at all. |
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Rawls on Autonomy |
Autonomous action refers to people “acting from principles that they would acknowledge under conditions that best express their nature as free and equal rational beings” (p. 452). |
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Autonomy & Natural Law |
Is there such a thing as a legitimate “moral law”? If autonomy is the core of “moral personality” then morality itself requires respect for autonomyFailure here reduces humans and violates human essence Good laws aspire to make people safe, but that they also should help make them virtuous – that laws and politics are “rightly concerned with the moral well-being of political communities” (George, 1993, p. 20). Aristotle: The law of the polis cannot limit itself merely “a guarantor of men’s rights against one another,” but must “devote itself to the end of encouraging goodness” |
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Autonomy as Positive Freedom |
Aspirations of being our best Free to define ourselves (not just free from things…) Macallum (1967) says this philosophy has been hijacked by tyrannical despots to use a single definition of goodness that say all citizens should aspire to |
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True Autonomy |
To be truly autonomous, a person must see himself as sovereign in deciding what to believe and in weighing competing reasons for action…An autonomous person cannot accept without independent consideration the judgment of others as to what he should believe or what he should doScanlon (1972, p. 215, 216) |
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Feminist critique on freedom (Habermas) |
refers to our “dual” moral imperatives of “justice” and “solidarity”Every morality has to serve TWO purposes at once; meaning…We must honor the ideas of equal treatment and give due respect to every individual; while recognizing our dependence on our relation with others as a central value |
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Rosen’s (2000) notion of the erosion of our sense of privacy |
Controlling the information about individuals that is made public Cheapens the “public sphere” that the journalistic enterprise out to be cultivating If public & private spheres are blurred, useful social divisions will make it harder to cultivate a more participatory democracy |
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Rosen (2000) on effects on community participation |
Maintenance of a clearly defined sense of privacy is essential to preserving the value of community participation Individuals who feel they have little control over their public identities because of an overbearing media system are less likely to attach themselves to such a community or to participate in it if that means potentially unlimited and unrestrained media exposure |
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The Private Society |
Plato, Hegel, etc Individuals all have their own private ends, and that they participate in society and engage in relationships solely as a means to accomplish those ends, and not out of a belief that such social engagement is a good in itself The hard reality: “…no one takes account of the good of others, or of what they possess; rather, everyone prefers the most efficient scheme that gives him the largest share of assets” (Rawls, 1971). |
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Rawls on Privacy |
Argues against viewing this private society as an ideal to which we should aspire, because it fails to take into account the true value of social engagement Privacy is an “end” that should be maximized for its own sake, we should understand it as a “means” to the successful realization of our social nature The real value of privacy lies in what it allows us to accomplish “We need one another as partners in ways of life that are engaged in for their own sake, and the successes and enjoyments of others are necessary for and complementary to our own good” (p. 458/Plaisance, p. 169). Privacy should be understood as a means to realize our personal strengths, which we then contribute to society The value of privacy is that it helps us realize the unique potential for excellence in ourselves and in others “Only in social union is the individual complete” |
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Thomas Hobbes on Privacy |
The “private world” served to protect individual security |
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John Locke on Privacy |
The “private world” helped ensure autonomy by protecting anything an individual “hath mixed his labour with” (cited in Swanson, 1992, p. 5). Public vs. Private spheres were mutually exclusiveWith anything “public” able to intrude on the peoples privacy |
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Privacy Related Cultural Features |
1. Individuals tend to rely on an idea of social distance as part of their social interaction 2. People believe they are never fully alone, which most likely stems from a primal fear of isolation 3. Individuals will tend to invade others’ privacy for a perceived social benefit or to prevent antisocial conduct 4. As a society becomes more complex, the opportunities for physical and psychological privacy tend to increase (Westin, 1984) |
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Hannah Ardent (1958) on Privacy (Public Life vs. Private Realm) |
Where people managed their “material dependencies” but not their creative, rational, and other higher-level activities, which were considered part of one’s “public life” |
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Privacy as facilitating association (Shoeman, 1992) |
“Privacy is important largely because of how it facilitates association with people, not independence from people [emphasis added]. This approach suggests that the identification of the right to privacy with the right to be left alone is an incomplete and misleading characterization” (p. 8/Plaisance, p. 172). |
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The Value of Privacy (Shoeman) |
Is “a system of nuanced social norms [that] modulates the effectiveness of social control over an individual” |
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The Value of Privacy(Rosen) |
Gives us the “ability to protect ourselves from being judged out of context” |
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The Value of Privacy(Aristotle) |
Is critical to allow the development of the self and the pursuit of a virtuous life |
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The Value of Privacy(Nagel) |
Allows us to maintain social relationships and serve multiple social roles |
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The History of Privacy |
Plato dismissed the idea of privacy, citing no political psychological, or physical need for it. Since the Enlightenment, the right to privacy in our personal affairs has been regarded as central to the individual in a democratic free state. |
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Aristotle on Privacy |
Distinguished between two ideals of self; “polis” or our personas within the public/political community, and “oikos” our selves within our personal realms Philosophically privacy is important not just for its own sake…but for what it enable us to do Privacy is not an absolute value, but an instrumental valueIt’s important b/c it enables us to be fully moral and social beings For Aristotle: Privacy was essential for individuals to pursue virtue by “turning away” from the masses “privacy is not a right to do as one pleases, but an opportunity to do as one ought,” (Swanson, 1992, p. 207/Plaisance, p. 172) |
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Privacy & Accountability |
“each in their own way render us more fit for values forms of social participation (Allen, 2005, p. 399/ Plaisance, p. 172). Both serve as ways to protect not just our freedoms, but our moral lives “Accountability dignifies” (Allen, 2005, p. 410/ Plaisance, p. 172). |
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John Stuart Mill on Privacy |
“The individual is not accountable to society for his actions, insofar as these concern the interests of no person but himself” (On Liberty). The “right to control information about oneself”…has never been among the “foundations of our moral universe” in the same way that concepts such as justice, utility, rationality, and respect have Privacy should be considered a “secondary” rightThat can be invoked only in the service of a larger, more compelling “primary” right |
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Privacy as a Secondary/Instrumental Right (Rosenblum vs. Metromedia) |
Limited the extent to which people could be shielded against media attention by claiming privacy rights Justice William Brennan said, “Exposure of the self to others in varying degrees is a concomitant of life in a civilized country…a function of the external understanding – the social construction of the world they and we inhabit” The concept itself is socially and culturally constructed1971 Supreme Court Case; |
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Privacy & Freedom |
Exercising our right to privacy is an important way to express our freedom But, from a philosophical perspective, freedom per se has little to do with the justifications for valuing privacy Most theorist agree that privacy is critical both for the development of the self and for social cohesion We develop our own sense of self through privacy |
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Privacy & the development of self |
Rather than seeing privacy simply as a “right” to evade accountability for our semipublic actions, it is considered a means to full personhood It is through privacy that we recognized and develop our own sense of self Jeffery Rosen (2000) defined privacy as “the ability to protect ourselves from being judged out of context” (p. 210) |
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Ayn Rand (1968) : Maintenance of the Social Fabric |
“Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage’s whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of his tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men” (The Fountainhead, p. 715) |
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George Herbert Mead (1964/1967): Maintenance of the Social Fabric |
We cannot fully exercise our rationality until we can get beyond seeing ourselves as “subjects” and can instead impersonally examine ourselves as “objects” and see ourselves as others do (p. 138), |
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Erving Goffman (1973) Informal Backstage Spaces |
Areas in which we can bond through more relaxed – even a bit raucous or lewd – backstage conduct that would be considered unacceptable on the frontstage“…allows minor acts which might easily be taken as symbolic of intimacy and disrespect for others present…” (p. 128)We experience stress when we have no backstage space that we can control |
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Thomas Nagel (1998) on Privacy |
The right to conceal things about our lives from public does nothing less than prevent “constant social breakdown” and “interpersonal chaos” The time and space in our lives in which we interact with others, he said, is pretty limited – and thus we must continually make serious efforts to control the content of our interaction. We each have a system of moral beliefs that we have internalized and that we use to make judgments and decisions. Ethics by definition deals with relations – determining the best course of action by acknowledging almost everything we do affects others |
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Privacy in the Media |
The internet has closed the geographical gap and put information right at our fingertips but its also important for all users to remember that anything they put on the web, can be difficult to remove, and accessible by almost anyone. Any profile or account you create online can be searched by employers, potential spouses, friends, family and strangers which not only puts your reputation at risk, but also your safety. Sites like Facebook and Lava Life have varying degrees of privacy settings and its extremely important to be conscious of how much of your personal information is open to the public. As a user you need to be aware and beware of the digital crumbs you can leave behind. |
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Hannah Ardent (1958) on Privacy (Privatus) |
While we may view privacy as special, the Latin root suggests “withdrawn from public life” or “deprived of office” Stems from the verb privare, meaning “to deprive” or “bereave” Any claim of privacy as an absolute right to be left alone is based on a rather limited understanding of why humans, as social creatures, need privacy in the first place |
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Erving Goffman (1973) Frontstage Spaces |
Frontstage spaces refer to those in which we must “perform” publicly in various roles that require relatively formal presentation of ourselves – as students, techers, collegues, coworkers |
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One’s Primary Roles (Individual) |
Ambitions Where you came from Roles that define you |
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One’s Primary Roles (Relational) |
Identity is largely determined by the groups to which you belong Describe you as a point in a network of relations with our own destiny |
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Ubuntu (African Ideal) |
In African cultures, a concept know as “ubuntu” exists, which literally translated means “a person is a person through other persons” |
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Rousseau’s “chains of dependence” |
referred to community as “chains of dependence”He used his philosophy to justify these connections |
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Rousseau’s notion of community |
said committing to a community is the only way man can rise above his “savage” nature |
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Rousseau’s “general will” |
In On the Social Contract , he advocates “ the total alienation of each associate, his rights, to the whole community, or General Will we should act under the “supreme direction” of that general will…. So where can that General Will veer off to? |
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Defining communities |
Tend to be geographically defined Since creation of the internet/message boards/blogs new communities are constantly springing up with no geographical limits When we hear “community” we all think of different concepts; towns, villages, hippie-communes, social “scenes”, etc… |
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Values in communities |
Churches, Social Clubs, the Military, Political parties, are all examples of Communities predicated on a shared value(s) Being a member of these communities typically communicates a value you hold In many cases, a community as a whole will promote certain shared ideals |
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How does culture define our behavior? |
Men are told being a real man means being powerful and in control and it means drinking a lot. Alcohol ads create social norms that are conducive to sexual assault. |
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Kant & Advertizing Policies |
How are advertiser’s expected to act when a target audience is vulnerable, i.e. children, young people, ESL? Companies have long employed deceptive and manipulative tactics in advertising, with great risk… People have more value than commodities, and therefore ends do not justify means. |
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Community & Feminism (Steiner) |
Feminists have argued that communitiesthat hold individuals on pedestals, tend to favor a privileged masculine outlook “acknowledges the moral self as embedded in a web of family and communal relationships” Protest the masculinized public sphere and feminized domestic sphere categorically |
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Damico (1978) on the greater purpose of community |
described a “society which measures moral progress by the continual growth and development of the individual personality” Read as: “A rising tide lifts all ships” |
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John Dewey on community |
saw an “ethical ideal that called on everyone to help build communities with the aim of allowing every individual to blossom and develop his/her talents” |
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Deliberation |
Why Are You Asking the Question Encourage Opening Up Get Specific Info Clarify Show You Understand |
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Kohlberg’s Ethic of Justice |
Harvard Psychologist 1981 Six Stages of Moral DevelopmentWe all develop through these stages, though not at the same pace, and very few reach the sixth stage. Concerned with how one’s conception of justice evolves as one maturesChildhood Self Gratification -> Adult Reciprocity |
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Gilligan’s Ethic of Care |
American ethicist and psychologist was a student of KohlbergDeveloped her moral theory in contrast to her mentor's theory offered a different feminist perspective: men and women have tendencies to view morality in different terms, with women tending to emphasize empathy and compassion over the notions of morality that are privileged by Kohlberg's scale. The ethics of care is a normative ethical theory; that is, a theory about what makes actions right or wrong While deontological ethical theories emphasize universal standards and impartiality, ethics of care emphasize the importance of response. The shift in moral perspective is manifest by a change in the moral question from "what is just?" to "how to respond? Ethics of care criticizes the applications of universal standards as "morally problematic, since it breeds moral blindness or indifference.” |
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A global ethic |
Making a global impact = a new sense of global responsibility |
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Nussbaum’s perspective regarding a global ethic |
Requires a cosmopolitan view of the worldTo regard all people as citizens of the world and not just members of a tribe, nation, etc |
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Greek Stoics & world citizens |
for everyone to aspire to be “world citizens” which are not limited to local, or national, interests |
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Advantages and/or Disadvantages of the Connected Life |
“The enormous room is a non-stop festival of human interaction… It has no walls, and people seeking you out can come in at any time… It’s getting exhausting, all this tapping. You crave some time away from all those other people, their needs and demands, and the strange pull that life in the room has on you” (Powers, 2010, p.xii). |
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Risks & Responsibilities of the Connected Life |
“Your options are clear. You can turn around and go back to your personal zone, or you can step through the arch [into the cosmos] and see what happens” (Powers, 2010, p. xiv). |
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Yearning & Needs in the Connected Life |
Quiet space where the mind can wander free Everyone is connected to everyone else all the time Living in a new ultra-connected way“Our room is the digital space, and we tap each other through our connected screens” (Powers, 2010, p. 1). |
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Two Mental Worlds in the Digital World (Inner) |
“…the digital sphere is all about differentiated oneself from others… the possibilities for self expression are endless... However, this expression takes place entirely within the digital crowd, which frames and defines it. This makes us more reactive, our thinking contingent on others” (Powers, 2010, p. 3). |
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Two Mental Worlds in the Digital World (Outer) |
Increasingly rules “The more connected we are, the more we depend on the world outside ourselves to tell us how to think and live” (Powers, 2010, p. 2) |
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Physical World & Inner Experience |
“It’s not our bodies that lie pinned beneath our busyness, it’s our inner selves, those mysterious beings that live in and through our bodies, perceiving, thinking, and feeling life as it happens, moment by moment… We tend to think of life in outward terms, as a series of events that unfold in the physical world we all inhabit, as perceived through the senses… However, we experience those events inwardly, in our thoughts and feelings, and it’s this interior version of the world…” (Powers, 2010, p. 10).Movie-in-the-brain, mind, spirit, soul, self, psyche, consciousness |
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Power’s (2010) new digital philosophy |
a way of thinking that takes into account the human need to connect outward, to answer the call of the crowd, as well as the opposite need for time and space apart” |
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Depth |
is what makes life fulfilling and meaningful, it’s astounding that we’re allowing this to happen” (Powers, 2010, p. 4). We train our perceptual and cognitive resources on one conversation, one fascinating idea, one task to the exclusion of all others. This is where it begins.” (Powers, 2010, p. 11). “Digital busyness is the enemy of it” (Powers, 2010, p. 17). |
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Digital Maximalism |
“(1) [C]onnecting via screens is good, and(2) the more you connect, the better” (Powers, 2010, p. 4). The goal is maximum screen time“Few of us have decided that is a wise approach to life, but let’s face it, this is how we’ve been living” (Powers, 2010, p. 4). |
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The problems with the connected life as presented by Power (2010) |
We create a lot of our own busyness by taking on tasks that nobody requires us to do… We’ve adopted this way of life eagerly, both as individuals and as a society… The goal is no longer to be “in touch” but to erase the possibility of ever being out of touch ” (Powers, 2010, p, 13-15). “Part of the problem is that we don’t know from experience that busyness and depth are not mutually exclusive… “…although we think of our screens as productivity tools, they actually undermine the serial focus that’s the essence of true productivity… What about those who can’t afford technology; or those who can afford technology but choose to not to connect at all? |
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Technical leisure time |
How do you clear your head at the end of a hectic work day?Can this be done via screens? |
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Gaps in connected life |
Is there a difference in the way we experience through screens?iPod (listening) vs. YouTube (viewing & listening)
Is YouTube a collective experience? If so, does it disrupt one’s individual experience? |
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Jazzus Interruptus |
“I want to experience what that jazz-loving stranger gave me in the way it deserves to be experienced. I want to be in the moments the music and images are creating, to know them in all their richness” (Powers, 2010, p. 105). “YouTubing” it ultimately was unsatisfying = Vaguely unfulfilled state of consciousness“This effort to free my inner self of its burdens had landed me in a jail without bars, the restless, outward-leaning screen state of mind – …” (Powers, 2010, p. 105). |
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Connecting & Inner self happiness |
We are trying to teach, live, lead, govern, fight poverty, write, reflect, etc…. “…all that while simultaneously navigating the ubiquitous digital crowd” (Powers, 2010, p. 107). “Even in ancient societies, people found it hard to escape their own busyness. The burdens and distractions of the city had a way of following them everywhere….And back then, as now, there was a need for creative solutions” (Powers, 2010, p. 107). |
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Lucius Annaeus Seneca |
Rhetorician and Stoicism Philosopher from Caligula’s age in Rome, 41 A.D. Born in modern day Spain, educated in Rome, lived in Egypt, only to return to Rome and become a magistrate for the governor’s office |
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Nero |
After Caesar Caligula’s death, Seneca acted as Nero’s advisor |
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Roman Empire – Cost/Benefits of a Connected Life |
More Burdens/Busyness for the Individual “…the restless energy of a hunted mind.” (Seneca cited in Powers, 2010, p. 111). “The paradox of information: the more of it that’s available, the harder it is to be truly knowledgeable” (Powers, 2010, p. 111. Seneca thought people where beginning to read like they traveled – jumping from place to place with little to know time to develop intimate familiarity |
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Papyrus |
Written communication added to the busyness Legal and administrative written communication held the empire together via written laws, edicts, records, communiqués Postal delivery Books now central to education Literacy essential in both Greek and Latin to succeed to a high position in society |
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124 Letters to Lucilius |
A Greek school of thought that emphasized self-reliance and simple livingThe philosophy itself is positive and live embracing Seneca: a key theme: “…a danger of allowing others – not just friends/colleagues but the masses – to exert too much influence on one’s thinking” (Powers, 2010, p. 110). |
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Stoicism |
If you are unhappy it is your fault Everything is temporary Hedonism does not mean happiness social duty; fatalism Have nothing you are not prepared to lose Live in accordance with nature Negative visualization |
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Surrender to the Madness vs. Stepping Back |
“After running over a lot of different thoughts…pick out one to be digested thoroughly that day. This is what I do myself; out of the many bits I have been reading I lay hold of one” (Seneca tells Lucilius, cited in Powers, 2010, p. 113)/ |
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Seneca’s Suggestions for Inner Peace/Focus |
Choose one idea a day to think about more deeply Train the mind to tune out the chaos, through the art of concentration |
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Inward Detachment |
Letter writing allowed Seneca to go back inward and reclaim his autonomyCan writing help you focus? |
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Flow |
Set the mind free so it could do its best workMihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a modern psychologist, had identified this as “the best kind of human experience” (Powers, 2010, p. 115). What happens when one is so absorbed in an activity that the world seems to fall away “In flow, there is no sense of time or distraction, just complete immersion in the moment. According to Csikszentmihalyi, one achieved this happy state by learning to “control inner expereience” and find “order of consciousness” (cited in Powers, 2010, p. 116). Tends to have a sense of limits and boundedness; most are goal-oriented |
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Mihaly Csikszentmi |
Set the mind free so it could do its best work a modern psychologist, had identified this as “the best kind of human experience” (Powers, 2010, p. 115). |
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Inner Distance |
“I cannot for the life of me see that quiet is as necessary to a person who has shut himself away to do some studying as it us usually thought to be,” [Seneca] begins, noting that he’s writing from a room directly above a public bathhouse or spa” (Powers, 2010, p. 114). I force my mind to become self-absorbed and not let outside things distract it. There can be absolute bedlam without so long as there is no commotion within” (Seneca cited in Powers, 2010, p. 114). The mind, Seneca writes, should be “…able at will to provide its own seclusion even in crowded moments” (cited in Powers, 2010, p. 115). |
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Shakespeare |
Born in April 1564 in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, on England’s Avon River Married Anne Hathaway at 18 & had 3 children Spent most of his time in the theater world of London, where he established himself professionally by the early 1590s. Sometime between 1610 and 1613, Shakespeare is thought to have retired from the stage and returned home to Stratford, where he died in 1616 |
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Renaissance England: Dangers of a Growing City |
London was a sprawling metropolis, the third largest city in Europe Population approaching 200,000 Dangers of a Growing City: Street crime Threat of plague Politically unstable time and place |
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Shakespeare’s works (Comedies, Tragedies, Histories) |
Comedies The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Histories King John, Henry IV Part 1, Part 2, Henry VTragedies Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet, King Lear |
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Shakespeare & the Human Condition |
We are constantly encountering our own prescripted identities, proclivities, beliefs, and behaviors Left behind clues about his life and the thinking that drove his work He lived in a rapidly changing world, and technology was a key force driving the change |
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The Printing Press |
Dramatically increased book production As more people learned to read and gained access to books, the opportunities for individual growth and advancement multiplied However, books were expensive and literacy was far from universal Print represented power English law at the time made a distinction between literate people accused of committing felonies and illiterate ones. |
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Shakespeare’s Philosophical & Artistic Influence (Marx, Freud, Saussure, Foucault, etc) |
Thinking through Shakespeare has been a mode of intellectual engagement and productive rivalry Marx, Freud, Saussure, Foucault, etc., invented a way of thinking, influenced language, consciousness, and how we act in the world Credit Shakespeare in leading the upheaval of how we understand human character, feeling, and expression |
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Information Overload in Renaissance England |
Books Pamphlets Advertising Placards Commercial & Public Documents The first newspapers were about to be launched |
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Shakespearean texts of Modern life |
Embedded in a network of text messaging, Internet connections, video clips, and file sharing Shakespeare in our culture is already disseminated, scattered, appropriated, part of the cultural language, high and low So we might say that Shakespeare is already not only modern but postmodern: a simulacrum, a replicant, a montage, a bricolage A collection of found objects, repurposed as art |
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Henry VI, Part 2 |
Crime to publish the written word “[T]hou hast caused printing to be used and…thou hast build a papermill. It will be used to they face and thou has men about thee that usually talk of a noun and a verb and such abominable words as no Christian ear can endure to hear” Written language was viewed as a tool of oppression |
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The Distracted “Globe” |
His head?Yes, he’s saying, of course I’ll remember your, because somewhere in this chaotic, unruly brain, I do still have a memoryThe GlobeThe whole world’s distracted The audience watching the play in the Globe Theatre might be having some mindfulness issues |
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Tables |
An innovative gadget First appeared in Europe in the late 15th century Pocket-sized almanacs or calendars that came with blank pages made of specially coated paper or parchment Those pages could be written on with a metal stylus and later erased with a sponge Tables were a new and improved version of wax tablets that had been around for centuries |
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Old vs. New Technologies |
When a new technology comes along, it automatically renders obsolete the older ones that performed roughly the same function Older technologies often survive the introduction of newer ones, when they perform useful tasks in ways the new devices can’t match |
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Handwriting |
With printed texts, this activity became less exclusive and more appealing Since most didn’t have access to a printing press, handwriting was the best way to join in became a very useful way to navigate the whirlwind of information loosed by print “Round hand” – new shorthand methods were invented for taking down words more efficiently The easy erasability of tables was central to their success Being committed permanently to the printed page – more than any one mind could handle – the erasable table worked exactly in the opposite direction |