@olivia
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Would you want to be released from the cave? Why or why not?
I think that the majority of the population wouldn’t want to be released from the cave, and I think the same way. Unless you are a pliable person, you wouldn’t want to be released from the cave; you would be open to new views which challenged your own opinions. They only believe what they have seen and they are afraid that they can’t adapt to the new world. They would rather stay in their own comfort zone.
However, some people may want to be released from the cave to get a better understanding of the world, even by going by their own judgements. They may want to know what animate or inanimate creatures were making the different sounds. In addition, those people may be avid about discovering the new world.
Still, I think that most people will not go out of the cave. When people say that aliens are out there in space, other people may not believe them as they haven’t seen them in person. This is the same scenario with being released from the cave. People do not want to take their chances with their uncertainties. So, if I was a prisoner, I would think the same way.
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Is the mind the same thing as the brain? Why or why not?
I don’t think that the mind is the same thing as the brain. The brain is a physical organ in the human body which controls our actions and reactions and enables us to feel our surroundings. When we walk in the biting cold, the body immediately sends information the brain that it is cold. However, the mind is a set of human thoughts: imagination, ideas and memories. The mind produces all the things you imagine and think of.
On the other hand, we know that the mind is undeniably not even visible. Yet, Descartes wanted to prove that the brain was separate from the mind. We have no physical evidence of this. In addition, if you didn’t have a brain, you wouldn’t even be able to remember anything or think! As said in the first paragraph, the brain controls our actions and reactions, so this tells us that the brain technically controls what the mind thinks.
In response, I still believe that the mind and brain are two separate components. For example, animals have a brain, like humans, but they can’t think for themselves and they can’t make their own judgement. This tells us that the brain and mind are different.
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The Egoist prism asks: “What course of action will most effectively ensure that my personal goals are reached?”
I prefer the Egoist Prism over the other prisms. Egoism means the ethical theory of self-interest. In class, we were given a dilemma. It told us that I was with a friend. Later on, another group of friends stopped by and asked if I wanted to go to the cinema. However, I was not allowed to bring my other friend along. By looking at it from the view of the Egoist Prism, I would go to the cinema and gain much more personal benefit (in this case, fun).
In addition, I believe that most people would agree with me because you wouldn’t be able to achieve your goals without acknowledging it. For example, in a piano audition, everyone will do their best to secure that spot as their own. They won’t just give up that space for their friends, who might also be auditioning. This doesn’t prove that they are selfish, but egoists just prioritise what is more important to them. In this scenario, it is the piano auditioning spot.
I think the majority of the population would consider this prism in a real-life ethical dilemma as it would help them gain what they want. People who choose to be egoistic may not be morally bad. Sometimes you have to sacrifice things in order to be successful.
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Please write a short essay (about three paragraphs) addressing any one of these questions. Remember that it is always a good idea to structure your argument in the following way. Begin by laying out your thesis and argument. Then consider a counterargument. Then respond to the counterargument.
What is the purpose of the law?
The purpose of the law is to establish standard, resolve disputes and protect human rights. Laws are being used as a guideline to inform people what they can and cannot do. The punishments that are imposed by not following the law deter most people from committing crimes. Let’s take stealing for instance. The law that makes this illegal imposes a punishment of seven years in prison. By inflicting this, many people have restrained themselves from doing something unlawful.
However, the law is sometimes unjust or being ignored. People who are affluent or powerful always attempt to do something against the law to get what they want. For example, Felicity Huffman paid $15000 to fabricate the test results in order to get her daughter into a good college. Some people even use money to escape from punishments!
Despite that the law may be ignored by some people, but their wrongdoing always gets caught in the end. As proof, Felicity Huffman was sentenced 14 days in prison for her daughter’s college admissions scandal. Laws are important to us because they are benchmarks used globally to maintain harmony.
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How do we determine the morality of an action? Are the consequences of the action all that matter, or something else? Structure your argument in the format we have been practicing. Start by arguing your position. Then consider an objection. Then respond to the objection.
We determine the morality of an action by looking at the impacts of a decision. For example, we discussed the Trolley Problem that presented us with two choices: pull the lever and kill one person or leave it and kill five people. To solve this, we decided that we should pull the lever and kill one person as it would cause less casualties and save more lives. However, if we didn’t pull the lever, we wouldn’t be part of the situation and would not be blamed for the deaths of five people.
On the other hand, even if a situation which is deemed bad in this way, there still may be good to it. It depends on which angle you are looking at the situation. An example of this is the tale of Robin Hood. Robin Hood is an outlaw who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. To the rich, they may think that Robin Hood is a bad person because he steals from them and that he should be put in jail. However, Robin Hood is still a morally good person to the poor because of his benevolence.
To sum this up, I think that the majority of people always evaluate the pros and cons before making their actions. I believe that the consequences are more important than morality in most decision-making.
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