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56 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What are bad arguments for thinkin life absurd? by Nagel
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1. nothin do now will matter in million years
2. we are tiny specks in grand scheme of things 3. we are all goin to die |
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Nagel's response to nothing we do now will matter in a million years
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if nothing you do now will matter in a mil years then it doesn't matter what we do because we cant know whether or not it will matter
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Nagel's response to tiny specks
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This cant be what makes our life absurd. suppose we live forever; if short life absurb then an infinite life is infinitly absurd
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Nagel's response to we are all going to die
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since all reasons come to an end, they are insufficient. If this was true then there would never be a reason for anything
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How does the sense of absurdity enter out our lives according to Nagel?
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Unavoidability of Seriousness and Inescapability of Doubt
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Unavoidability of Seriousness
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- we persue our lives
- we spend a great deal of time and energy deciding who 2 marry, what 2 wear, what career to follow |
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Inescapable doubt
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-human ability to view ourselves
- step back and question the things we do and reasons why we do them -ability arises because we are conscious - self consciousness and self awareneess |
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Why wont it help us escape the absurd to dedicate our lives to a higher cause?
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our ability to questioning. but why care about that...what is that so important. it is something in us it is not going to be cured by something we do
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Can we escape absurdity?
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No. - develop broader concerns like maybe we could think about the perspective of other intelligent beings
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What does Nagel think we should do about the absurdity in our lives?
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-Never have conciousness or lose it
-abandon earthy life as much as possible |
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Why does nagel think suicide, defiance or scorn is not good solutions to absurdity?
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-one of the most human things about us: manifestation of our most advanced and interesting characteristics.
- we are self concious - embrace that we can transcend ourselves in thought and understanding and the limitations of our existance |
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What 2 mistakes lead one to think philosophy is trifling and useless?
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- wrong conception of the ends of life (ends of goal)
-wrong conception of the goods philosophy strives to achieve (what trying to do) |
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what are the ends of philosophy?
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aims at knowledge: to learn the truth!
Russel concentrates on : unity and methodology of sciences, beliefs, |
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What are the ends of life?
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material and non material (food, body, mind)
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What is the value of philosophy?
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the greatness of objects (universe, mind)
bring back narrow |
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How is sisyphus life the model for absurdity and how is sis life analogous to every humans life?
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Life is suppose to be continual pointless labor with no greater pointless. He tired less never ending path with pushing the rock is similar to ours. it is exaggeration of our own.
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How does Kirilov give us the recipe for the absurd victory?
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Kirilov claims it that we are bound to this life by fear. To truly free, we must not be afraid of anything, not even death. be true to yourself then you cant be afraid of anything.
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Why does Kirilov think that we are gods?
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if god doesn't exist then we are all gods. if god exist then we would listen to him but if he doesn't then we are free. Free from fear
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Why does Kirilov commit suicide?
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to show everyone that we are free and that there is nothing to be afraid of.
cant be afraid to be yourself, defiant, b/c this will limit options. |
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in what way is sisyphus an absurd hero?
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because he lives free of fear and free from despair
(walks up and down mtn. and is not broken from gods |
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Does sisyphus life have meaning according to camus?
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yes, bring to own life
- use freedom to live authentically and that is what sisyphus did. |
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What is the lesson about how to live in the face of the absurdity that we are to learn from sisyphus?
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lesson that if you use freedom you can live authentically
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What were the old charges against socrates?
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- Old charges
- Socrates is a nuisance and a sophist |
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What were the new charges against socrates?
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- New charges
- corrupts the youth - does not worship the gods of the city - Not believing in the athenian gods - this is the second new charge - is it not believing in the city gods or not believing in any gods? - Meletus says socrates believes in no gods |
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Why does Socrates go around asking ppl questions?
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The oracle at delphi and the fate of socrates
- the oracle proclaims "there is no one wiser than socrates" - Socrates sets out to see if the oracle is right - by asking people what they know about justice, virtue, courage, etc |
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What is socrates argument for his claim that he does not corrupt the youth intentionally
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Corrupting the youth
- socrates claims that he does not corrupt the youth - if you hurt those around you, you end up hurting yourself - since no one wants to hurt himself, no one should hurt those around them |
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What are the possible problems with Socrates argument?
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1.- If I corrupt the youth, I either do it intentionally or unintentionally
2.- If I corrupt the youth intentionally, then I must want to be harmed 3.- No one wants to be harmed 4.- Therefore, if I corrupt the youth, i do it unintentionally |
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what is the point of Socrates argument?
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- if socrates corrupts the youth at all, he does so unintentionally
- if he does it unintentionally, then he does not mean any harm and should not be punished - rather, he should be instructed |
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Does Socrates address the charges that Meletus makes against him?
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yes and no!
1.Socrates said he didn't intentionally corrupt youth 2. believing in gods...Asked meletus in trial about the gods and the charge changed. |
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why does scorates not beg for his life after being found guilty?
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- "the unexamined life is not worth living"
- friends of socrates are wealthy, they could have paid for his liberation - if sentence would have been not to philosophize, life is not worth living |
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What, according to socrates, is the meaning of life?
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The examination of our beliefs, values and desires
The search for knowledge and truth philosophical inquiry |
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What is socrates argument that death is not to be fear?
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1.- Either death is like a dreamless sleep or it is the transfer of the soul from one place to another
2.- If death is like a dreamless sleep, then it is good and not to be feared 3.- If death is the transfer of the soul from one place to another, then it is good and not to be feared 4.- Therefore, death is good and not to be feared |
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Which argument could be false?
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3.- If death is the transfer of the soul from one place to another, then it is good and not to be feared
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Why do you think 3.- If death is the transfer of the soul from one place to another, then it is good and not to be feared is false?
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What about hell? It is said that it is a place regarded in various religions as a spiritual realm of evil and suffering
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What is good about life?
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perception, desires, activity, the being and doing of experiences
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What is bad about death?
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Loss of the goods of life
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What facts show that we do not fear non existence?
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nobody cares about prenatal non existence
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What are the 3 problems with thinking that death is bad?
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1. Can something be bad for someone w/out being positively unpleasant
2. If death is misfortune, who suffers and why? 3. Assymmerty problem- if prenatal nonexist is bad then how is post humans non existence bad |
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What are the two kinds of goods and ills?
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Current experiential state - pain, hungry (how you feel right now)
Some not due to current states (man who communicated with asparagus) |
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What is the case that is supposed to show that something can be bad for you even if you are not aware of it?
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The deceived business man
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What are relational goods and ills?
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- Can suffer current joy and pain
- have hopes and possibilities that can be realized or not |
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How does Nagel account explain the asymmetry problem?
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You are essentially who you are because of where and when you were born. you would be a different person if you were born any other time. if you care about your existence then you wouldn't wanna change when born
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Why does Nagel think that death may always be harm?
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Because our existence seems without natural limit. Essentially open-ended and is full of possibilities.
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Wolf distinguishes between 2 questions about the meaning of life, what are they?
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1. What is a meaningful life
2. what makes a life meaningful |
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What are the cases of Blob?
What does it show? What tell us? |
Sits on couch day after day, drinks beer, doesnt achieve anything does nothing.
If this is all you ever do you are a passive specator on what is going on. Getting pleasure from food and drink should be actively engaged |
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What is Wolf's view on what makes life meaningful?
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Meaningful life is one that is actively and at least somewhat successfully engaged in a project of positive value
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What kind of projects help people achieve meaningful lives?
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-Hobbies, careers, specific tasks
- Not only goal -directed tasks but other sorts of activiities - relationships |
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What does Wold mean by engagement?
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Engagement in project means more than just an activity, must have a feeling of interest
- something you would happily chose as being part of your life |
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Is a project that has positive value one that is morally good?
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Vague
-not subjective value - cant valuable only to you - must have value that others can recognize -must be objectively valuable |
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Why does wolf think we should care about living meaningful lives?
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Because self interest. May not be morally good but it is good for who lives it
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What does the idea "we are tiny little specks in a vast and value filled universe" supposed to show?
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n
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How do things get objective value is there is no meaning to life, according to wolf?
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-not moral value- there ar elives that are valuable that are not morally good or bad
-musicians, athletes, scholars |
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Is it true that some things are jus more valuable than others?
(ex. person more value than plant, painting more value than compost) |
She doesn't say because it is obvious. Subjective value is by us but if true then there is no objective value.
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Does wolf give any reason for believing this?
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n
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What are the cases of Useless?
What does it show? What tell us? |
The idle rich who only shops, travels, eats, worksout, and parties. The corporate executive what works all the time to get more money
Meaningless because there is not a purpose Involved in a project of positive value |
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What are the cases of Bankrupt?
What does it show? What tell us? |
Scientist dedicated all time to project that ultimately fails. Dedication but fails b/c don't publish results
People who put all energy to a relationship that turns out to be fraud. something is not good about failure Want to be successful to some degree |
