Does culture, society, tradition have the ability to change or are they passed down throughout generations without modification?
How then does all of that impact our biological nature?
This is a huge topic -- try to narrow down the focus in order to give a non-vague answer.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Reproduction -- a fundamental right?
Do people have a fundamental right to reproduce? Are there limits? (prisoners? the severely mentally ill and/or disabled and/or institutionalized?)
Monday, March 17, 2014
Aging & Wisdom
NYTimes: The Science of Older and Wiser The definition of wisdom may be hard to pin down
precisely, but for those who have it, aging will be a pleasure. http://nyti.ms/1kjo625
Monday, March 10, 2014
Suicide
FRONTLINE's The Suicide Plan. Aired: 11/13/2012 running time: 01:23:41
http://video.pbs.org/video/2304058290/
This directly pertains to our class discussions. Does anyone want to watch it and perhaps summarize for class?
* ^ * ^ * ^
Can anyone rationally choose suicide? Don't we have a self-preservation instinct? How should we account for cultural variation in types and rates of suicide?
* ^ * ^ *
Suicides Mounting, Golden Gate Looks to Add a Safety Net - NYTimes.com
* ^ * ^ *
Suicidal Tendencies Are Evident Before Deployment, Study Finds - NYTimes.com
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/03/04/science/suicidal-tendencies-are-evident-before-deployment-study-finds.html?referrer=
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Confucianism (due 19 Mar)
Answer at least one question (identify by # in your response), respond to at least one other post:
Q1: Is it possible to do something for the right reason(s) rather than benefit to self, pressure from others, etc.
Q2: What's the Confucian prescription?
Q3: What similarities do you see between Confucian beliefs and one other tradition we've studied earlier in this class (e.g., Buddhism, the Abrahamic traditions, Hinduism, existentialism)
Q4: What's the Confucian diagnosis?
Q5: Is human nature good, evil, mostly good, conflicted, tending toward bad. . . ?
Q1: Is it possible to do something for the right reason(s) rather than benefit to self, pressure from others, etc.
Q2: What's the Confucian prescription?
Q3: What similarities do you see between Confucian beliefs and one other tradition we've studied earlier in this class (e.g., Buddhism, the Abrahamic traditions, Hinduism, existentialism)
Q4: What's the Confucian diagnosis?
Q5: Is human nature good, evil, mostly good, conflicted, tending toward bad. . . ?
Hinduism
You might be interested in my friend, Kanniks Kannikeswaran, who is from India and a Hindu, and among other endeavors is a composer and director.
He's conducting a mixed choir (Indian and Western) in Cincinnati this April 5th -- perhaps a group would like to go (full disclosure: I'm volunteering for him to work on some PR and to greet guest on the day of the performance). Here's a link to the Shanti choir website.
Address at least one below (note that more questions will be posted after today's presentation); respond to at least one other post.
Q1: What are some of the major tenets or practices of Hinduism? What's the diagnosis of human nature?
Q2: What's the prescription of human nature according to the Hindu tradition?
Q3: What metaphors were most helpful in understanding more about the tradition?
He's conducting a mixed choir (Indian and Western) in Cincinnati this April 5th -- perhaps a group would like to go (full disclosure: I'm volunteering for him to work on some PR and to greet guest on the day of the performance). Here's a link to the Shanti choir website.
Address at least one below (note that more questions will be posted after today's presentation); respond to at least one other post.
Q1: What are some of the major tenets or practices of Hinduism? What's the diagnosis of human nature?
Q2: What's the prescription of human nature according to the Hindu tradition?
Q3: What metaphors were most helpful in understanding more about the tradition?
Christianity, Lent, God (due by 19 March)
10Mar14 What does it mean to be Catholic?
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/10/opinion/what-it-means-to-be-catholic-now.html?emc=edit_th_20140310&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=25414714&_r=0
These questions are combining concepts from our discussion on chpt 6 The Bible, our "clergy" guests against the backdrop of the Christian season of Lent, which begins today with Ash Wednesday.
Answer 1-2 questions (identify which # in your response), and respond to 1-2 other posts.
Q1: What exactly does "salvation" mean? Is it a restoration of our relationship with God or the return to a moral life? Is it doing "the next right thing" or does it have more to do with being baptized or knowing/believing in God?
Q2: What does the word "Christian" mean today? What criteria does someone have to satisfy to count as a Christian? Why is it important to know who is and who isn't a Christian? Does this emphasis arise out of the need for the earlier peoples to distinguish themselves from the nations around them?
Q3: What (if anything) makes Jesus different from other spiritual leaders? What does "Son of God" mean? Does one have to believe in the incarnation of God within Jesus to be Christian, or is it simply enough to be inspired by his life and teachings?
Q4: Jesus is said to have proclaimed the coming of "the kingdom of Heaven" and the phrase "Eternal life" is used in the Gospel of John. Does this mean that there is an afterlife, or can it perchance mean that there is a new and better way of living in this life--a way that relates properly to eternal truths and values?
Q5: In order to be saved, does one have to believe in the claim that Jesus is the Son of God, and that his death atones for the sins of the world? Or can one just see him as a "guru", a guide, one who reveals God, a source of spiritual life, an example of selfless living?
Q6: What is Lent? Why do Christians participate in certain practices or disciplines during Lent? Are those practices valuable outside of a Christian framework?
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/10/opinion/what-it-means-to-be-catholic-now.html?emc=edit_th_20140310&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=25414714&_r=0
These questions are combining concepts from our discussion on chpt 6 The Bible, our "clergy" guests against the backdrop of the Christian season of Lent, which begins today with Ash Wednesday.
Answer 1-2 questions (identify which # in your response), and respond to 1-2 other posts.
Q1: What exactly does "salvation" mean? Is it a restoration of our relationship with God or the return to a moral life? Is it doing "the next right thing" or does it have more to do with being baptized or knowing/believing in God?
Q2: What does the word "Christian" mean today? What criteria does someone have to satisfy to count as a Christian? Why is it important to know who is and who isn't a Christian? Does this emphasis arise out of the need for the earlier peoples to distinguish themselves from the nations around them?
Q3: What (if anything) makes Jesus different from other spiritual leaders? What does "Son of God" mean? Does one have to believe in the incarnation of God within Jesus to be Christian, or is it simply enough to be inspired by his life and teachings?
Q4: Jesus is said to have proclaimed the coming of "the kingdom of Heaven" and the phrase "Eternal life" is used in the Gospel of John. Does this mean that there is an afterlife, or can it perchance mean that there is a new and better way of living in this life--a way that relates properly to eternal truths and values?
Q5: In order to be saved, does one have to believe in the claim that Jesus is the Son of God, and that his death atones for the sins of the world? Or can one just see him as a "guru", a guide, one who reveals God, a source of spiritual life, an example of selfless living?
Q6: What is Lent? Why do Christians participate in certain practices or disciplines during Lent? Are those practices valuable outside of a Christian framework?
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