Week 1-2 Flashcards
Value and subjective
No true or false way to feel about something;
there is no set, factual value of good or bad part of anything;
saying you feel a particular way about something is merely an opinion and can only say something about what you feel.
It doesn’t say anything about the object itself and does not describe the world in any way.
C.S. Lewis - The Abolition of Man
“Predicates of Value” and examples
express a positive or negative attitude that is something to be pursued/avoided.
Is hard to define exactly because you lean towards subjective or objective rationale in doing so, and that is not ideal.
Ex: sublime, noble, generous, base, embarrassing, poignant…
C.S. Lewis - The Abolition of Man
Reason
the ability to know the truth
Our emotions are based off of intuitive reason, which we have obtained from our education. This implies that our emotions intuitively know the “truth” about the value of something.
C.S. Lewis - The Abolition of Man
C.S. Lewis -
Fact/value distinction
Value: the good/bad connotation associated with something,
whether it be something we recognize each individually with the use of our emotions,
or is something that is factual about an object/situation/etc due to the mass accordance of emotions of a population
Fact: what is and what isn’t;
in objectivism, things have a factual value, in subjectivism nothing has a factual value of good/bad
C.S. Lewis - The Abolition of Man
Objective Value
An emotional evaluation that can get the world right or wrong
Everything has some degree of good/bad value, and we can recognize that correctly/incorrectly through the intuitive reasoning of our emotions.
C.S. Lewis - The Abolition of Man
Emotions
Our evaluation of how good/bad a situation is dependent on our intuitive reasoning
Our “intuitive reasoning” is gained by how we are trained/educated; if we are all raised with the same moral values, then we all nearly perceive the good/bad in things similarly, thus feel relatively similar about the events that happen; this sets a factual value for something
C.S. Lewis - The Abolition of Man
“The Tao”
The doctrine of “objective value”
“the belief that certain attitudes are true and others false
and tell us about the universe and who we are”
Everything has a set way of being, a set value of good/bad
the Way that all men should tread in imitation of that cosmic and supercosmic progression, conforming all activities to that great exemplar.
It is a Chinese belief/Way of the world
C.S. Lewis - The Abolition of Man
Propaganda
Something that induces a person to feel a particular way
it is the goal of the propaganda to make an individual feel such a way, & thus is tailored with the particular predicates that arouse such emotions
C.S. Lewis - The Abolition of Man
Cultural Anthropology
Shame and Necessity - Bernard Williams
Studying of a different culture by keeping these things in mind:
- make the culture strange; accentuate the fact that it is indeed a different culture
- Don’t compare the culture in study with your own. Just study the culture for the sake of studying it.
- Do not evaluate the studied culture as more or less good/bad.
Cultural Relativism
Shame and Necessity by Bernard Williams
A form of subjectivism about value
An individual’s cultural conception of a good life can only be evaluated from within that culture
Two cultures cannot be judged using the same concepts
-A Cultural Anthropologist doesn’t commit to this but follows this rule regardless
Basic Ethical Concepts
Shame and Necessity - Bernard Williams
-ideas of responsible action, justice, and motivations of people to do things that are admired and respectable
Objects of study of a culture because these concepts show by means of which one understands what it is to live well.
Structure the experience of those who possess these concepts.
Progressivism
Shame and Necessity - Bernard Williams
-A rejected alternative to studying cultures/history by Williams
Comparison of an ancient culture with a modern one
Believes that modern cultures deploy ethical notions that are more sophisticated and ethically superior
Nostalgia
Shame and Necessity - Bernard Williams
Yet another rejected method by Bernard Williams
Acknowledges differences between our culture and the Greeks, but feels the Greeks were superior
Believes we should return to the ethical concepts of the Greeks
The study of history as a means to self understanding and transformation
Shame and Necessity - Bernard Williams
We may be able to enlighten some of our illusions about society and ourselves
We rely on same conceptions as Greeks, so studying them can help uncover their unrecognized influence.
We don’t always realize how their ethical concepts play into our modern ones
Three Ambitions
The Roots of Ayurveda by Dominik Wijastyk
1) The will for life
2) the drive for prosperity
3) The aspiration for the world beyond
A ma of robust character, intelligence, manliness & courage & who is interested in discovering what’s good for him should develop the three ambitions.
Rebirth
The Roots of Ayurveda by Dominik Wijastyk
Can be proven through some extent by using the ways of knowing
A concept that goes beyond the senses and so is rejected by those who can only trust what they see.
A wise man should put aside the views of the nonbelievers because there is much that is true that cannot be directly perceived, so why should this be any different?
The very senses by which we percept visible things goes beyond perception.
Four Ways of Knowing
The Roots of Ayurveda Dominik Wijastyk
1) Precept of Authority
2) Perception
3) Reason
4) Inference
Everything has two aspects: the true and the false. These can be investigated by using the four ways of knowing.
An authority is one who is very cultured, knowledgeable, and austere; everything they say is inconvertibly true.
Three sources of disease
The Roots of Ayurveda by Dominik Wijastyk
Overuse, underuse, and abuse of sense-objects, actions, and/or time
An imbalance of these things causes disease, but if one is capable of balancing them out, then they achieve the natural body.
An imbalance causes the inappropriate conjunction of objects and senses, violation of good judgement, and transformation.
Natural State
When senses, actions, and time are used correctly, the natural state results.
There is no imbalance in these three concepts, so there is no disease on the horizon.
One should seek to balance these things so disease can be avoided by modulating his/her behavior or environment. This will maintain the natural body.
Croesus
Herodutus - “The History”
Showed Solon all of his treasures and asked him who the most blessed man was
Thought Solon was a stupid man when he did not state Croesus as one of the most blessed men
Realized that Solon was right in belittling his blessings when he is taken captive
Solon
Herodutus - The History
Questioned by Croesus who the most blessed man of all was
Says that blessedness cannot be judged until you see the end of one’s life; that one may be very lucky with riches and wealth one instant, but may lose everything the next, in which he is not blessed. Blessedness essentially stems from the heart and from action.
Looking at the end and not just the present
Herodotus - The History
This is part of Solon’s answer to Croesus when asked who the most blessed man of all was
He belittled Croesus’s wealth because it was something that could be temporary, and blessedness can be measured when you see the end of one’s life, how they’ve been honored, and how they’ve acted throughout their life.
Cleobis & Biton
Herodutus - The history
The second most blessed men of all according to Solon when he is talking to Croesus
These two men were exceptional athletes, and took their mother by wagon to the temple, where they later died.
Argives made statues of them that were dedicated a Delphi.
No one of them that are living are blessed
Herodotus - “The History”
Part of Solon’s answer to Croesus about who was the most blessed man of all
No one can be absolutely, entirely blessed, because we are always lacking something. No one is absolutely perfect; we are all imperfect and blessed in some ways but lacking in others.
