(no subject)
my philosophy professor is really engaging. he gave a lecture today about...well, making sense of life. he said that you dont really understand philosophy unless you can explain it. so im gonna write what i can about what i heard.
Basically, in order to live ethically you have to reflect on your life as a whole. You have to be intune with yourself, you have to know yourself. However, he said, most people are really bad at knowing themselves. Of course, at 18 we think we know ourselves. But then, years later when you see a pattern of mistakes that you have made...you realize you didnt know yourself at all.
This part sort of scared me. Because I like to think that I know myself now. I think I know who I am and what is good for me and where I want to be in 15 years. But in acutality...this could turn completely upside down in 15 years. And I'll look back and think...what was I thinking.
Anyway, Aristole said that all actions are goal directed and aimed at good. So no matter what action we do, its always aimed at some good, but a subjective good. Even if its for the sake of revenge or self indulgence, in our mind, at that time, some good will come from teh action we deccide to take. Also, actions are stringed together throughout life. For example, I want to do well on an exam for the sake of getting a good grade. I want to get a good grade for the sake of graduating with a high gpa. I want a high gpa for the sake of starting a career...and so on. However, here we come to a divergance. Either the string of "for the sake of" continues infinetly OR there is an end to the end...a final end. It must be a final end because otherwise our actions would ultimately be a pointless regress.
The final end is interpreted as "happiness". Heres where another debate begins...what is "happiness"?
and with that I end, bc i have work to do...for the sake of good grades...for the sake of graduating...for the sake of a career....
Basically, in order to live ethically you have to reflect on your life as a whole. You have to be intune with yourself, you have to know yourself. However, he said, most people are really bad at knowing themselves. Of course, at 18 we think we know ourselves. But then, years later when you see a pattern of mistakes that you have made...you realize you didnt know yourself at all.
This part sort of scared me. Because I like to think that I know myself now. I think I know who I am and what is good for me and where I want to be in 15 years. But in acutality...this could turn completely upside down in 15 years. And I'll look back and think...what was I thinking.
Anyway, Aristole said that all actions are goal directed and aimed at good. So no matter what action we do, its always aimed at some good, but a subjective good. Even if its for the sake of revenge or self indulgence, in our mind, at that time, some good will come from teh action we deccide to take. Also, actions are stringed together throughout life. For example, I want to do well on an exam for the sake of getting a good grade. I want to get a good grade for the sake of graduating with a high gpa. I want a high gpa for the sake of starting a career...and so on. However, here we come to a divergance. Either the string of "for the sake of" continues infinetly OR there is an end to the end...a final end. It must be a final end because otherwise our actions would ultimately be a pointless regress.
The final end is interpreted as "happiness". Heres where another debate begins...what is "happiness"?
and with that I end, bc i have work to do...for the sake of good grades...for the sake of graduating...for the sake of a career....