1.
Your name
Qiuyue Yin
2.
How much of the required reading have you done?
I have read the required readings, with some of them skimming.
3.
How many of the required films did you watch?
I have watched most of the required films, all for week one, two and three, and parts for week four.
4.
Please copy and paste the essays you were required to write for the
first 3 weeks of this course.
- week one and two
Why was Socrates sentenced to death?
Socrates was sentenced to death because of two charges: the first one was that he was believed to be disrespect for the gods of Athens; the second one was that he was believed to be corrupting the thoughts of the youths. According to the reading, "How Socrates Died", "Socrates acts wickedly, and criminally curious in searching". Based on the rules of Athens, Socrates could have avoided his sentence. He could defend himself, or submit a large amount of money as punishment, or escape to another country. However, Socrates have chosen the first option, defending himself in front of the judges and the general public against the charges from Meletus, Anytus and Lycon. At last, he was voted to death, and then committed suicide using the poison. Fundamentally speaking, I think Socrates died from his pursuit of truth and democracy and his neglect of the feelings and pride of others. When Socrates would like to promote his opinions, he always did so by asking questions and denying the responses of others.
Why is there a conflict (for some) between science and religion?
There is a conflict between science and religion because fundamentally speaking, they were designed for different purposes. For science, scientists developed science to explore and to explain the physical world, and to use science to serve for some practical purposes. It is designed for truth. However, for religion, the major purpose of religion is to maintain the faith of its followers, to govern the thoughts of them and to keep the dominant status. Religious scholars also came up with many ways to explain the physical world, but they all linked to the existence of their gods. Besides, science and religion also have different ways to get to conclusions. For science, scientists would conduct experiments, do mathematical calculations and deductions, and then test the results in order to get the conclusion, connecting the past experiences and the new world. For religion, the scholars developed the theory based on the previous texts, which were all from the old world.
- week three
Why is understanding physics and the general rules of the universe so important in doing philosophy?
Firstly, in terms of the concept of philosophy, according to the video for this week, “philosophy include an area of thoughts including natural science, mathematics, ethics, morality…” That is to say, physics and the general rules of the universe is included in the study topics of philosophers. Secondly, in terms of the studying method, understanding physics and the general rules of the universe could help in doing philosophy. For example, in terms of the debate over the priority of mind and material, the breakthroughs in physics could greatly influence the opinions of the philosophers. The scientific finding that sun is the center of the solar system, instead of the earth, also brought discussions in the philosophical world that we are not the center of the universe. What’s more, many philosophical thoughts, like determinism, casual relationship, the origin of the universe, etc., are all originated from the physics and the general rules of the universe. Thirdly, the exterior universe could help us to reflect upon ourselves, and to focus on the interior mental worlds and even the social rules. For example, as introduced in the Quantum Weirdness, the “Plato’s allegory of the cave” was describing principles about knowledge with the help of natural phenomenon.
What is eliminative materialism? Provide three examples of it.
According to the reading, eliminative materialism refers to that “we eliminated god and spirits in favor of more precise and accurate physiological explanation, hence the eliminative materialism”. In my own words, eliminative materialism means that during the development of science and during the work of the scientists, the original spiritual explanations of the world have gradually been replaced by the more scientific explanations by introducing more accurate concepts and terminologies. For example, previously, human beings believed that some bad spirits might influence human beings, so they get sick, but now they understand that these illness was caused by bacteria and other factors. In the Chinese mythology, the ancient people described the rain, snow, sunset glow as the behaviors of different gods, but now we know these are only natural phenomenon produced by certain conditions. The ancient people also believed that there were little ghosts around us so we could move our body, but now we know the structures of muscles and how they control our behaviors.
- week four
Why is the theory of evolution so important in understanding how human beings behave?
The theory of evolution is used by Darwin to explain the origin of human beings, and it has also been applied in many other fields of study. The major content of evolution is that in a group of individuals, there are many variations. However, with the passage of time, individual with the better suitable traits could live on and give birth to children, while those with unwelcomed traits would have fewer chances to pass down their DNA, including the basic structures, the physical characteristics as well as all kinds of behaviors. According to the ideas presented in the short video, “The Magic of Evolution: Daniel Dennett's Card Trick Analogy”, “by hiding mistakes you create a miracle”. That is to say, the process of evolution is similar that “all the dumb mistakes tend to be invisible”. The theory of evolution is important in understand human beings’ behavior because it could tell us which behaviors are successful so they still exist till today, while some behaviors have been hided in the process of evolution.
Which questions do you think evolutionary theory cannot answer?
Firstly, the theory of evolution is a scientific hypothesis introduced by Darwin. It is based on lots of observations and experiences, but it could not be directly proved to be right or wrong. Secondly, Darwin only covered the process from the common ancestors to the current status, but fundamentally, it failed to answer the question about the origin of organic life. He failed to explain the basic difference between the life entity and other physical materials. Thirdly, it only covered our experiences and our behaviors, but it cannot answer questions in the intelligence level, such as how we think about things, the development of mental activities, and the motivation level, how we control things, etc., the feelings. We are not simply “a bundle of neurons and nerve endings tied to together in a huge neural complex that gives rises to consciousness”, (The DNA of Consciousness) but Darwin failed to explain the nature of human beings in a deep way.
5.
Describe Socrates’ method for understanding another person’s truth
claims. Why was it so effective and why did it get him into so much trouble?
Socrates’ method for understanding another
person’s truth claims is that he would constantly asking questions. After others
have answered his question, he would try to find the contradictions in others’
arguments, and then ask questions again about these contradictions. To put it
simply, the process of understanding others of Socrates is constantly asking
and then denying, and then asking again, until the others could not answer his
question. This was very effective, because the others would realize their
mistakes and the truths would leave huge impression on their minds. According to "How Socrates Died", he was "criminally curious in searching". This method
brought lots of awkward, embarrassment and even humiliation for others, so
Socrates have offended almost everyone he has asked, which at last got him into
so much trouble.
6.
Why is the conflict between science and religion (according to the
required reading) a linguistic conundrum? Be sure to back up your answer with
pertinent details from the readings/films.
Science and religion have many similarities
and many conflicts. The conflicts between science and religion are often from
the linguistic conundrums because when they are discussing the same words, they
might actually refer to different things. According to our readings, in "The
Great Mystery", it was said that “the conflict between science and spirituality
primarily stems from a linguistic confusion over what the term matter means and
what it ultimately implies.”
7.
Who do you think won the Einstein-Bohr debate? Back up your answer. You
are free to do further research on this topic as well.
I do not think in the Einstein-Bohr debate,
there is a winner or a loser. Firstly, on one hand, Einstein was dead before
they have reached an agreement. After the death of Einstein, the school of quantum
mechanics developed very fast and exerted huge influence on the development of
physics. However, on the other hand, till today, the relativity theory of
Einstein was still very important. Secondly, I do not think it is necessary to
judge which one wins the debate because these two scientists are both very
important. It is said that in the morning, Einstein would throw a thought
experiment to Bohr, and in the evening, Bohr would come up with ways to answer the
question. Their way of finding truth, debating with each other, as well as
using analogies to express deep meanings, etc., all of these methods could help
human beings in finding truths in both fields of science and philosophy.
8.
Why is understanding physics elemental in doing philosophy well?
Similar question has been answered in week
four. Firstly, in terms of the concept of philosophy, according to the video
for this week, “philosophy include an area of thoughts including natural
science, mathematics, ethics, morality…” That is to say, physics and the
general rules of the universe is included in the study topics of philosophers.
Secondly, in terms of the studying method, understanding physics could help in
doing philosophy. For example, in terms of the debate over the priority of mind
and material, the breakthroughs in physics could greatly influence the opinions
of the philosophers. The scientific finding that sun is the center of the solar
system, instead of the earth, also brought discussions in the philosophical
world that we are not the center of the universe. What’s more, many
philosophical thoughts, like determinism, casual relationship, the origin of
the universe, etc., are all originated from the physics and the general rules
of the universe. Thirdly, the exterior universe could help us to reflect upon
ourselves, and to focus on the interior mental worlds and even the social
rules. For example, as introduced in the Quantum Weirdness, the “Plato’s
allegory of the cave” was describing principles about knowledge with the help
of natural phenomenon.
9.
What is string theory? How can such radical ideas potentially alter our
own philosophical outlooks on life in general?
According to the video named “Is The
Universe Really Made Out of Rubber Bands? A Kid's Exploration of String Theory”,
string theory believed that there are more dimensions than we could perceive,
as many as eleven. Everything, such as a golf ball, could be broken into small
components, like atoms, and then very small loops of matter. Such radical ideas could alter our own philosophical outlooks on life because it could change our views towards the world. What we have seen or could perceive might only be a small part of the real world. It motivates us to broaden the horizon and explore the world.
10.
Why is the theory of evolution considered to be the cornerstone of
modern biology? How does a deep understanding of natural selection help in
understanding human behavior?
The theory of evolution is considered to be
the cornerstone of modern biology. According to our reading, "The DNA of Consciousness", "nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution". In the late 19th century, the
European continent is covered by an atmosphere of pursuit for truth and
knowledge. Darwin has collected many samples and experiences, studied the
species in different continents, based on his observations and deductions, he
finally got to the conclusion of evolution theory. It is very important because
firstly, it denied the specific status of human beings. As any other creatures in
the world, we are the same, undergoing a series of variation and natural
selection, and we share the similar ancestors. Secondly, the scientific
research method is also very important for the following biological studies.
11.
What is the evolutionary reason behind why we ask why?
According to The DNA of Consciousness,
human beings are conscious creatures, and by asking questions and reflecting
upon our existences, human beings could better survive in this world.
12.
How does Plato’s allegory of the cave relate to our current
understanding of science?
Plato’s allegory of the cave means that for
those who have never got out of the cave, he might believe that the shadow he
saw was exact the truth. In our current understanding of science, maybe we are
still limited in the cave, and what we saw and what we studied were only the
appearances instead of the reality or the truth. It might only be “a false
sense of knowledge and certainty”.
13.
What is Nietzsche’s myth of eternal recurrence? How could such a concept
alter one’s life here and now?
Nietzsche’s myth of eternal recurrence refers
to that the things in the external world would be recur again and again. In the
video, for example, it is said that this life we are living now would have to
be lived again and again. These lives would be exact the same. That is to say,
for this life, we should be very careful and treat every decision with
importance.
14.
What did Darwin and Wallace agree and disagree on when it came to
evolution by natural selection? Be sure to elaborate.
On one hand, Darwin and Wallace were both
supporters of natural selection. However, they have differences in how a
species would survive in the natural selection. For Darwin, he believed that
there were competitions among different species that only the “fittest could
survive”. The individuals with the fittest gene would survive. However, Wallace
believed that the chance was equal, and the animals were trying to fit into the
outside environment.
15.
What is the “evolutionary” imperative? How does it work?
The evolutionary imperative means that
everyone is competing with each other. They all feel the huge pressure to pass
down their genes to the offsprings. There are only two ways facing by the
creatures, in the end it is death, and jumped out of the roller coaster, it is
death, too.
16.
Explain the quantum mechanical basis behind photosynthesis.
According to the course video, The Magical
Leaf: The Quantum Mechanics of Photosynthesis, the quantum mechanical basis
behind photosynthesis was that firstly, “an atom can be excited and not excited
at the same time”; secondly, “the particle could occupy multiple positions” at
the same time. With the long process of evolution and development, plants have
developed a system of quantum superposition, so that “the energy could simultaneously
travel along all possible path to the reaction center”.
17.
How can probability help explain “why bad things happen to good people?”
Probability means that bad things might
happen to any one in the universe. It could be bad people, or it could also be
good people. So everyone has the same probability to encounter the bad things,
so bad things happen to good people. Like the Quantum uncertainty, any particle
could be at two different positions in one time; any bad thing could happen to
good people or bad people in one time.
18.
Of the films you have watched so far, which one is your favorite? Why?
Of the films I have watched so far, my
favorite one is “Evolution Explained in Four Minutes”, which could be found https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lii2x6Nk8Bg.
I like this film because firstly, in terms of the visual design, it is very
well made. Secondly, this short film has used lots of analogies to explain the
evolution theory, such as comparing our genomes to a book with 46 chapters. Every
one is a book with the codes written by CATG. At last, the major points of
Darwin’s theory have been introduced, from the variation, to inheritance, to
natural selection, to including, time, equals, and design.
19.
Of the required readings so far, which one is your favorite? Why?
My favorite reading is The Socratic Quest, because
firstly, compared with the other readings about the complex theories, such as
Quantum Weirdness, eliminative materialism, string theory, and evolution
theory, etc., this book does not have so many professional terminologies, and
it is quite easy to read. Secondly, I liked to read the bibliographies of the
famous people. This reading helped me to know more about Socrates, especially the way he was searching truth, and the myth behind his death.
EXTRA CREDIT
21.
Have you responded to other students’ essay answers? If so, copy and
paste your responses here.
Yes, I have responded to other students' essay answers for each week.
- week one and two
This is a reply to brittanyjordan. The original post could be found:http://msacphilosophy101.freeforums.net/thread/70/week
Hi, Brittany, you have done a very good job, especially quoting the materials in the reading to demonstrate your own ideas. For the first question, I agree with you that Socrates was faced with these two charges. However, I would like to add that besides these two ambiguous reasons, Socrates was sentenced to death also because he pursued the truth in a very straightforward way. He was questioned and then questioned the opinions of many others, which had aroused the hatred and jealousy of other people. For the second question, I do not think there is a right or wrong in believing science or believing religion. People have the freedom to choose their own faith. Science could help us to know about the world and know many phenomenon, while religion could help to guide us be a stronger and better person.
- week three
The post I am reply to is written by Zahara Alrubai, which could be found:http://msacphilosophy101.freeforums.net/thread/121/week-3
Hi, Zahra. I think you have done a good job in explaining the relationship between physics and philosophy. You have also added relevant quotations from Quantum Weirdness to support argument. This is great. I agree with you that on one hand, physics helped the philosophers to understand the world, the natural phenomenon, and the relationship between things in the material world. On the other hand, I think the subject philosophy also helped the subjects of natural sciences, by providing analytical abilities, training the critical thinking patterns, etc.
- week four
The post I am replying to is written by Huamun, which could be found:
Hi, Huamun. You have provided a great analysis about the importance of evolution theory. I have neglected its significance in the area of religion and science. On one hand, it proved that we were created from a common ancestor. On the other hand, in a deeper social meaning, it proved that human beings or all the creatures are not created by God as described in the bible. Women are not produced from the ribs of men. What’s more, no matter the social status or the wealthy conditions of human beings, they are naturally the same.
22.
Compare and contrast the philosophy of Plato with Aristotle.
Plato is the teacher of Aristotle, but in
terms of philosophy ideas, they have many differences. Firstly, in terms of the
essence of the world, Plato was a follower of idealism, believing that ideas
could exist without the material, while Aristotle was a follower of
materialism, believing that the essence was embedded in the actual materials. His
ideas have exerted more influence than his teacher. Aristotle studied the world
by examining not only the exterior phenomenon, but also the fundamental
characteristics of the materials. He studied motion, lights, physics laws and
so forth, which became the foundation for the modern science. In terms of political
thoughts, for Plato, the people of the Republic should be divided into several
parts, and clear division of labor. While for Aristotle, he favored the type of
city-state. The slaves were not treated as equal human beings. Beside the
slaves, the rest people of an idea city-state should all enjoy the prosperity and
happiness.
