Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Phi 2010 TR, 9:50am
49 comments:
Paulin.gotrace001
said...
As Humans, we perceive things differently. I believe in destiny, and I think that fate has a big impact in our life. Most things do not happen accidentally; they were meant to happen the way they happen. However, i do believe that our choices in life can sometimes change our destiny. I do care if I have justification, and also care if my belief is true. I believe that destiny is true, but it could turn that my believing doesn’t make it true. I think it s true for many reasons. This is the story of a friend of my family. That guy didn’t have any degree and was working minimum wage. He said that he went to sleep one night and he had a dream in which he saw his father telling him what numbers to play in the lotto. When he waked up in the morning, he saw the same number written in a sheet of paper next to his pillow. He played the lotto, and wrote the numbers as they appeared on the sheet of paper, and miraculously he won $ 5 million. That guy never thought that he’d be rich one day. I believe he was destined to be rich. Destiny does exist, but that doesn’t mean we should sit back and not make any effort waiting for our destiny.
Ok. Paulin. I get it, but the story is told in hindsight (after the fact). Meaning, there's a fortunate person that won the lotto and he tells the story. How about the tens of thousands of people that dream the same thing but don't win it. You'd probably say that it isn't their destiny to win the lotto. So, if you win it you were destined, if you don't you weren't. All told after the fact. Are you cool with that solution?
I would like to start my argument by supporting my belief (x). If i belief x and it is very important for me, then of course i want to have a valid justification for it. Moreover, i would like that x is true. For instance, let's say i belief in education (which i do)and i want to justify my belief. I can add that i belief in education because exposes individuals to new experiences, cultures, points of view and fullfils their dreams. I also want my belief to be true so if not completly convienced, you can always proved what i mentioned before by interviewing someone that has no education and another person with a certain level of education. You will realize that the educater individual has a better reasoning and view of the world in general, while the non-educated one is very limited on his/her perspectives.
To me, it's critical to find truth and justification in a belief. How can I determine what is real and what is a hoax if there was no truth behind the subject nor anything to justify its existence? I find myself as a truth seeker. A person who looks for evidence that backs a claim or just a subject. If I believed (x) to be important, there must valid arguments to support its authenticity making it justified and true equally.
Take the blind man for instance. He doesn't know that the sky is blue because he's seen it. He knows its blue because someone tells him it's blue. There is no justification in his believing the person; he wouldn't even know if the person was lying or not until he asked someone else. The blind man lives his life with no justification to anything visually appealing, he simply puts his trust into others for it.
I believe that we all are born innocent. I do care if I have a justification. I strongly believe that society’s conditions (our parents, relatives, dysfunctional environment, and experiences) are responsible to build our personality. I am very devoted to Freud’s ideas. According to him, personality is developed by the person's childhood experiences.
We are born innocent…without knowing the labels of good of bad. At that age we don’t have negative thoughts: We don’ hate, kill, or fight. Later, our mind naturally goes to negative thinking, but that’s what we learn from the world. I know that children have those authentic moments of kicking and screaming as they develop, but that’s the only way they express any sort of discomfort.
As far as I know, Freud has been one of the most acclaimed psychologists because most of his knowledge seems to be an undefeated justified true believe.
Have you ever heard of a “baby” serial killer? I haven’t.
The blind man lives his life with no justification to anything visually appealing, he simply puts his trust into others for it.
Marco: Don't you think you're underestimating the blind a bit? He can find consensus in what people say (just like we do) and learn to distinguish between that and his own experiences of the world. Sight is not the only sense after all. I've seen them going about their lives. They read Braille and get independent views. They marry and live happy lives.
Professor Triff. I understand what you say, but I believe if a person dreams the same thing but doesn't win it; he/she wasn't destined, if she/he does she was.Yes, I am cool with that solution.
Hello, even though I am not one of your student, I would like to tell my belief and its justification and hear your response:
I firmly believe that there is no sense of asking "Why we are here, what is going to happen after we die, why is there so much suffering on life, is there a god"
All those fundamentals phylosophical problems everyone encounters once in his life will find their answer (hopefully because it is not even certain)at our death. Trying to know before is just a source of headache, because you think on something out of nothing. Therefore, I totally agree to a french expression "Heureux les simples d'esprits". People who don't put their time in asking why will have more time to enjoy their lifetime. I will therefore more likely tend to understand the "HOW" of the science since it has made so many improvements for our daily lives.
I've heard it many times: "what's meant to be is meant to be." But what does that mean? It pretty circular and boring. It's pretty easy to say (after the events) that they were meant to happen. Don't you think so? I'll wait until tomorrow to tell you what was meant to happen to me later tonight?
I believe death penalty is a cruel sentence to oppose upon a human being. I do care if I have a justification and my beliefs are true over this subject matter. Who are we to decide what lives and what dies? Take for example a criminal killed someone and thus the family is hurting for the loss of a loved one and wants this criminal sentenced death penalty. Isn't sentencing him for life in prison long enough to make him repent his sins? He won't be able to step outside the prison walls and spend time with his family aside from the short visits he will received. I'm not saying that he should walk free, but if you sentence this criminal to the death penalty and he dies, wouldn't his family mourn his loss too? Ofcourse they will, just like any other family would because we are human and make mistakes.
Our life is driven by our beliefs. We do all we do because we believe we must do it. As for me, all of these beliefs are more important when we try to find their justifications and whether they are true or not. By doing this, it’s how we, humans, differentiate from animals. We gain a sense of where we come from, where we are, and where we are heading. However, it’s at defining if something is true where we have the biggest challenge. For me, a true belief is one that would produce the desire output if we acted on it. In other words, the practical consequences define the true value of a belief. For example, I might find a certain wine, let’s say “Conde de Siruela Roble”, Spanish DO “Ribera del Duero”, 2000, to be most delectable wine, regardless of what “expert” sommeliers might say. This belief will hold true for me in real life since this is the wine which I found that best adapts to my palate, that doesn’t attach my senses, and that provides me with the most remarkable sensations. However, what it’s true now can be false later; all it takes is a counterexample: I find a wine that tastes better. But that doesn’t necessarily contradict my previous belief, I just have now a belief that is more general and holds true in a wider spectrum of situations. An excellent example to support this occurred when the General and Special Theories of Relativity replaced the Newtonian Laws of Physics. Until we were able to able to notice that Newton’s Laws of Mechanics didn’t hold in some fields of electromagnetism and optics, these Laws were believed true and they worked in all our known situations. But after these contradictory phenomena was observed, a more general theory, or belief, was developed, Einstein’s theory of relativity. It’s in this way, by expanding what w consider our true believes, how we get closer and closer to the absolute truth ( if it really exists. But that is something to discuss in another paragraph).
Gay marriage has and will always be a controversial topic; personally I don’t like to touch upon the subject because my opinion isn’t popular. However I do believe a couple of the same sex should not marry because it’s not beneficial to our population. Let’s hypothetically say everyone living this very day become a homosexual, where would the multiplication of a future generation come from? It can’t because the couple won’t be able to reproduce within the relationship. Therefore, it would decrease the population, it may not seem that bad at first but it will definitely throw a misbalance around the world. The big picture of why homosexuality is controversial is because of this very reason. Of course it’s important to bring out an example as the one above because it is possible.
Belief is “The conviction of the TRUTH of some statement or the reality of some being or phenomenon when based on EXAMINATION OF EVIDENCE. So, in my opinion and based on this definition, in order to believe in “x”, “x” has to be true and justifiable. For me to believe is to trust, so how can I trust in something that I don’t know it’s true? For example, I strongly believe that the life of illegal immigrants of the United States is extremely difficult. I have many justifications to believe this is true:
• Before entering the United States, illegal immigrants have to leave their families and everything behind. Many of them have to cross deserts and seas facing assaults, violations and dead. • Once Illegal immigrants are in the U.S. things don’t get easier. They are not able to get a licence. They get the worst jobs, with minimum wage and no benefits at all. Also, students that are illegal paid 3 times more tuition in college than residents. They cannot receive financial aid or any scholarship. If they are able to pay for school and graduate, they are not able to work in their field of study. • In addition to this illegal immigrants have to live with the constant fear of being deported. If they are deported, they have to leave everything behind again, including the money they earned by working so hard; and even worst: their children, no matter the age that they have.
No, I dont care if X is true. Because, its how I perceive my belief that makes it true and to others it may not be the case. Sometimes are belief is just opinions and until we have evidence then we have the right to believe it, if it doesnt violates the law of nature and logic. As humans are belief is true, but then again we dismiss that idea or thought. I believe that it's true, therefore its true to me. Many people may share my belief but based on our perception, we may see it differently. I do care if I have a justification. Because I have a purpose for understanding my belief. My belief has to stand for something in order for it to be important to me. I believe in going to college/technical school of some sort. Attending college will help me grow into a mature individual and the probality and possibility of becoming sucessful increase more than someone who doesnt attend college/technical school. Also college prepares me for the near future and what I should be expecting.
Yes, I believe justification is necessary for any belief. Without it, you have nothing strong but rather futile. For example, lets say a suspect is being interrogated in a murder case and claims he wasn't at the scene of the crime, that he was at school in the math lab getting tutoring when the crime occured. At that moment, the detective interrogating asks," And why should I believe you?" The suspect replys," Because I'm innocent!" This isn't enough to help the suspect's claim. Instead, telling the detective to check the sign in log at the math lab and speak to witnesses who could vouch for him would've been justification for believing his claim.
I care that "x" is true b/c if it wasn't true, many innocent people on death row would be put to death. This is why people are proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. DNA evidence is a great example of proving ones innocense.
In all respect, some people have justifications and true beliefs for what they believe in and what they don’t. I believe that the death penalty is wrong no matter how you put it. Let’s say for instance, that a kidnapper hypothetically speaking, kidnapped, raped, and murdered your child, and the prosecution opted for the death penalty of that kidnapper and murderer, would you stand by it and let it happen? I wouldn’t because to me that is immoral. Two wrongs don’t make a right, why would you want to put the kidnappers’ mother in the same position that you were once in, knowing that your child was murdered, why would you want to cause the same heartache and pain to that mother, in which you felt once before. Killing the kidnapper is not going to give you justification for killing him, nor will it bring your child back. No matter what your true belief maybe, you’re committing the same crime in which he committed, “murder,” but you’re getting away with it, because you feel justified in your convictions. It doesn’t matter if “X” is true for you to believe that your true in your conviction for the death penalty, if you feel that the kidnapper and murderer killed your child. sch
Euthanasia, I believe is an extemely controversial subject in the sense that on one side people say that it is fine to take away human life, because it is sort of in a "merciful" manner, in order to detract pain on the person. On the other hand, people are against euthanasia because it devaules human life. I believe in some circumstances it can be used, such as when it is voluntary [suicide in a painless manner] however, I do not support euthanasia when the person has no consent of what is being done to his own life, even if you believe it is beneficial; it should not be the choice of the person performing this act because it is not your life to take away.
I believe that we all are born innocent. I do care if I have a justification. I strongly believe that society’s conditions (our parents, relatives, dysfunctional environment, and experiences) are responsible to build our personality. I am very devoted to Freud’s ideas. According to him, personality is developed by the person's childhood experiences.
We are born innocent…without knowing the labels of good of bad. At that age we don’t have negative thoughts: We don’ hate, kill, or fight. Later, our mind naturally goes to negative thinking, but that’s what we learn from the world. I know that children have those authentic moments of kicking and screaming as they develop, but that’s the only way they express any sort of discomfort.
As far as I know, Freud has been one of the most acclaimed psychologists because most of his knowledge seems to be an undefeated justified true believe.
Have you ever heard of a “baby” serial killer? I haven’t.
In my opinion, "x" can be very different for many different human beings in many different situations, therefore, i consider "x" to be a variable not a constant. If you ask me what i think about "x", i will tell you. For me, "x" is abortion. i do not agree with it. I am pro life, and i believe that life begins at conception. I believe that this is truth, however, i do not impose my belief on anyone else. I am a strong believer of freedom of will and of thought. Each man is his own being who is responsible for his actions, his thoughts, and his doings. Since every human being is different, then our thoughts and our will are also different. Yes, i believe that i should have a justification for my own personal opinion because i feel that i owe that to people if i am asked the question of why i believe in "x". Also, i do very much care for "x" to be true. In my mind, my "x" is true and i care very much that it is. So that being said, i pose another question, is truth relative?
I’m going to start of my statement by saying that a belief is a belief to ones opinion. What you hold in your heart to be true is what you recognize to be true. X might not be true to others but its how I perceive my belief that makes it true to me. For example, I believe the death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, and I believe it violates the right to life. I ask my self: “Is this a moral act?” What makes this act right or moral? Wouldn’t we be doing the same thing they did? Are we gods, or such divine perfect creatures that we can take this type of punishment in our hands? This punishment is unnecessary and inappropriate in our modern society. This act serves no positive social purpose and only denigrates life. While more countries are dropping the procedure as cruel the US still holds on. The idea of putting another human to death is hard to completely fathom. The physical mechanics involved in the act of execution are easy to grasp, but the emotions involved in carrying out a death sentence to another person, regardless of how much they deserve it, is beyond my understanding. Well, if this act is intended to make the person suffer, what punishment will they be receiving once they are dead? I think that the true suffering is here, being alive, not being able to be free, that’s a true punishment. Not being able to have your life in your hands and not being able to have free will. Many say: ‘If you do something wrong (or in moral), you will go to hell.’ But this is hell, what we live in is hell. What more hell could there be? All the sins going on on daily basis, and the horrific acts committed to one another, there can’t be anything worse then hell we live in already. Capital punishment -- the death penalty -- is supposed to select the worst criminals who committed the worst murders and punish them and protect society by taking their lives. In numbers far beyond our greatest fears, innocent people are being convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Nationally, more than 75 innocent people have been freed from death row in the last 20 years. And honestly is killing another person going to make me feel any better, would it bring my love one back to life? Would it ease my pain of losing my love one? In my opinion it wouldn’t make things any better for me. Two wrongs don’t make a right. My belief might not please others but it satisfies me. As long as what I believe in makes me happy and it doesn’t affect or hurt anyone in anyway, then I really do not care whether its not correct or true to others point of view.
I think that "x" does not have to be true because it all depends on how myself and others grasp the understanding of what we know may be true or not that adheres to our mental state of mind and our knowledge. We all recognize that the United States is the land of the free and the home of the brave, and therefore everyone is entitled to their own opinions and views of perception.In my opinion,the death penalty is certainly immoral and wrong. I really don't agree with it because where does one find in their right mind to kill another human being due to the fact the this particular person committed such hanious crimes. Yes, I know that it is wrong because the innocent victim's life was tragically taken away by some vicious and insane individual,but going the extra mile with the death penalty is totally uncalled for,why not just let the person rot in jail for eternity......
Maybe we can start discussing euthanasia by concent vs religious views on Euthanasia, since it is considered a "crime against life on several core principles of Catholic ethics for example. There is a great movie that can serve as a counter point. The Sea Inside (Spanish: Mar adentro) is a 2004 film by the Spanish/Chilean director Alejandro Amenábar. It is based on the real-life story of Ramón Sampedro (played by Javier Bardem), a Spanish ship mechanic left quadriplegic after a diving accident. Sampedro fought a 28-year campaign in support of euthanasia and his right to end his own life. He was not able to get the court to rule in his favor, but he did end his life(after drinking cyanide).
I think that any human being is responsible for their own acts. For instance a woman having sex without any protection, she most likely would get pregnant, and let’s say she does. However what if I tell you that she was sexually abused by a criminal and she doesn’t want to have a baby like that. That’s when I believe that abortion should be legal in any country around the world. I think that a woman have the right to decide her own future whether to have a bay or not. Now you are probably thinking what a terrible decision is to kill a baby, well yes is a terrible decision and I’m against it, but it was not her wish to get pregnant that way, so why would she keep the baby and suffer the rest of her life?
I used to have many beliefs, before I suffered through a life destroying event and took a closer look at my life. Now I have chosen to suspend most, ok nearly all, of my beliefs. The only belief I still hold onto is that love is never wrong. My justification for supporting gay marriage is because I truly 100% believe that love is free from conditions, boundaries, limits, and exceptions. I believe marriage is something that should be open to any kind of couple because love is beautiful even if the relationship is between two men or two women. I am a very blunt person, I say everything the way it is and the only arguments I’ve heard over and over again about denying gay couples the right to marry is ridiculous! In a democracy church and State are separate, yet the main argument is “gays are an abomination upon the lord”. Who gives a shit what a fictional book says? The State shouldn’t. But the voters are irrational and ignorant. They don’t understand that love, true love knows no boundaries and no limits, and so they deny gay couples the right to marry. I believe that love is never wrong and I have yet to be shown any other argument that makes sense to me. My brother is gay, and he has been in a relationship with my brother in law since 2004. That’s five years, and never once have they broken up, or come close to breaking up, not even when their relationship was long distance. They’ve never cheated on each other, and yes, they have had arguments like every other couple, but they love each other. So why can’t they get married? Straight couples can barely last a year without one of the partners cheating, and yet they get married and they get divorced like they’re drinking water. Why can’t my brothers do the same? Gay marriage should be legal globally. Love is never wrong.
Michelle Santos (I originally posted in the wrong one! Sorry.)
I think that "x" does not have to be true because it all depends on how myself and others grasp the understanding of what we know may be true or not that adheres to our mental state of mind and our knowledge.
With this long-winded sentence, you're sure not contradicting yourself?
I think it is very important to have a valid justification for our beliefs even though they might not always be true; but when they are, then it is more likely to have a better justification. In think, in order to have a belief, after I first doub it, I would need to prove it or experience it somehow, and also try to make sure it is true. For example, I believe in the preservation of the natural world, and I think it is very important to be aware of how our actions can affect the environment that we critically depend on. We have to be responsible, and think about the consequences everytime we do something that is affecting the Earth. If people don't suffer from some consequences or don't face at least some problems instantly, I'm sure not everybody will think about what can happen in the future, and they will continue ignoring the effects of human actions in the environment.
OK. Here's my case. I believe in marijuana usage. I don't really care for it to be legalized because marijuana itself makes it too broad of a challenge to try and get all the different opinions and answers from everyone as to how they feel about it and whether they think it's rather a good thing to smoke or a bad thing to do. I do care to have some sort of justification for it, in which it's just basically putting my two cents in as to why I smoke. My justification is simple. I'll start by saying that m.j.(marijuana) is more of a gateway drug for me to loosen up my weekly tension on what has been going on in my own personal life. It relaxes me. It makes me ignorant to such problems and worries that holds me in contempt and keeps me from being as calm as I'd like to be. Now, it doesn't necessarily mean that I smoke to forget such things, but in the meantime, it's just kept out of my thought process. When it comes time to approach my problems, worries, whatever it is I have to overcome, believe or not, I'm as calm as I ever want to be. I accept the loss, defeat, or any trouble it may be and handle it with the utmost pride and power to step over the speed bump and continue on to what's prioritized. Needlesstosay, it is a vice of mine. People think differently about m.j. They think it slows you down, or doesn't make you as sharp as you could be. I'd pretty much appoint them to all the scholars I know as friends and compare them to that statement who smoke just as I do. I, on the other hand, may not be as smart as I should be, aside my graduating classmates in high school, but that's just my nature. Not to say that I'm slow, but I am a bit lazy and procrastinating as I've ALWAYS been in life. I get everything that needs to be done in life, preferably school, work, and paying whatever bills you pay. My well-being is my only example as to how I believe what I say is and should be true. I believe that it's not as big of a deal anymore. I see many families and friends that don't mind marijuana usage because they understand its worth and they don't undermine it for what it isn't. Furthermore, I wouldn't like to be the one to preach about m.j. to the wrong person that'll just make a living just to smoke it, but if you've had a rough day, week, month, what have you, smoke a little weed and success will be ten times less stressful to reach.
My husband's oldest brother is gay and leaves in Brazil, where gay marriage is still much far from reality as many Brazilians still have great prejudice towards gay people. He had some relationships, but none has lasted much by straight standards (most, two to three years tops). Anyway, we know him, his friends and also his partners when he's in a relationship. Sometimes, we enjoy parties with them and we have received many of his friends as guests at our home in Miami. Generally, they are nice people and because of that I support gay marriage, which has become a great issue in the last months here in the US, some states endorsing it, some not.
I support it because any human being should have the same basic rights, including, the right to be with someone you care about. I think that we should always choose what is better for most people. And denying the marriage right to someone seems to me as something so unright that sometimes I don't understand why it's still an arguing point among politicians and citizens. At the same time, I wonder if gay marriage should be ruled just as straight marriage as my contact with gay people shows me that there are many different kinds of relationships they endorse: closed, open, semi-open, etc. In this aspect I think it is a difficult issue because I think the rights should be just the same to both straight and gay people. At the same time, there are differences which should be accounted for and not used as justification for denying it to them.
I do care if my beliefs are true because if I believe in anything without justifying it, I would live in one big lie. What if people start believing in things without carring if they are right. One may believe that if jumps down from the balcony on the 10th floor and nothing will happen to him so he can does it? Someone else decides to believe that giving drugs to his baby is good so he can do it? We need to be carreful with our beliefs and realistic. That means we need to justify our beliefs to be as close to the truth as possible.
I believe that adopting children by gay couples is a great oportunity for homeless children. Someone can say: "If a child is raised in the house by two 'fathers' he will become a gay too because that's where he learns his life." But is that true? So if a child is raised by straight parents that means that he will always be straight? I believe that it's already written in the person's nature that he or she is atracted to the same or to the oposite sex. So is it better to grow up in a huge house for homeless children who are not wanted by anyone and never feel 100% attention of the caregiver who has to take care of 20 other kids? Or grow up in a warm house with two people (let's call them uncles/aunts) who really love you, listen to you, you are the most important person in their life, have your own room and bed and toys and always favorite cereal for breakfast, etc. They wanted you so much, they really care about you and only you - because you are special for them, not because THEY JUST GET PAID FOR TAKING CARE OF YOU.
I believe Marijuana is a very important topic. Many people are arrested every year all over the United States for being in the possesion of a plant. The illegalization of this plant was ridiculous. It was not even for any health reasons, but to have a way to send illegal Mexican immigrants back home when they were caught with it. It has been found to have many uses. Its fibers are very strong which allow for rope making, and it is extremely important for medicinal purposes. Another reason for its illegalization is because Harry J, Anslinger wanted to make sure his new department (Bureau of Narcotics) would continue, but he felt opiates and cocaine would not be enough so he began to find ways to add Marijuana to this category. It has always been an issue of greed and not national security with this species. This plant definitely should not have the reputation it has, but unfortunately it is too late for Cannibis in the United States, maybe we should all just head to Europe before it is too late there.
True and real knowledge are always in constant change. However, you are the one in control of what you believe. There are people who just stay with what they have always believe, but I feel there is nothing wrong about reanalyzing and changing believes. The current problem is that most people believe on anything or everything and those how believe in everything usually do not identify the important of choosing the right believes. This is why society is been having so many problems like corruption, dead, and others that have been affecting our world. You shouldn’t be the one who don’t believe on anything but it is worst to believe in everything. It can cost you a lot of problems. Just think about believing like a gift, but a big responsibility to you and the other around you. Please, be careful about what you believe. If we were more careful, Society weren’t like it is now.
Let’s say i believe abortion is wrong and it should be prohibited. Then i thought to myself "Do i even care if i have justification for my belief?" Well of course i would, the only reason i would have this open attitude of sharing my belief is because I believe I am right. To not have any justification for my belief makes my opinion pointless. The same goes for that if I were to ask myself if I cared if my belief is true. Imagine the people that create rally’s in support or against abortion, the only reason why they stand up for their belief so much is because they believe it's true. So i would be concerned to see if my belief has any truth in it at all. Paul Rescaglio
I would like to argue in favor of the legalization of marijuana. After doing some research, there are not to many strong points as to why marijuana should be illegal and on the other hand hundreds of points towards approving its legalization. First of all, marijuana has been proven to be less damaging to the human body than alcohol or tobacco, thus is unfair to be treated equally. Removing the use of marijuana from the United States is a ridiculous fantasy, in fact, being illegal makes it easier for teenagers to buy because for them it's easy money. The price of production of a 0.5 gram of quality marijuana is approximately $3 while its street value is approximately $10. If it were legal teenagers would no longer make easy money because it would be sold by the government and this high value profit would be going straight to them. Additionally, billions of dollars are spent each year in police enforcement towards possession of marijuana, instead, this time and money can be going to more serious offenses. If marijuana were legal restrictions would still apply such as DUI and use in the workplace just as restrictions apply under the use of alcohol. Several movies are made that inaccurately represent marijuana use, making seem much worse than it really is but when compared to alcohol it is much safer. For example, alcohol can make a person violent and can extremely impair motor skills making public drinking very dangerous, while, in most cases marijuana calms people down and motor skills are much easier to control making violence much less likely to occur.
believing in something is best when its justifiable and even better when it can be proven to be true, but in the real world not all beliefs, in fact the majority of beliefs are lacking in either one of these or both. now when something that doesnt contain justification nor can it be proven true, but its not because it lacks those capabilities but because of some other belief that others might have that counter act with it, yet you still belief in it like the stem cell research in my case. what do you belief then? well then you have to think about which belief is more likely to prove itself. the stem cell research has not gotten the chance to prove its worth, so yes i do belief in it because of its capability in the future to be justified and true, unlike its antagonist religios beliefs who have yet to prove themselves in the now, instead of stories of the past, so what are religios beliefs to shut down other beliefs.
When I believe in something is because I’m pretty sure it’s exist so that’s why it’s important to me to be true, and I do care if I have a justification since is the way I can prove that my believe is real. My philosophy is that if I can feel or see something so I came probe it’s exist then I can believe in it. I’m studying because I believe that without a degree I cannot have the position I want to have moreover I see the progress I’m having and I’m getting where I want to be. I’m very careful with my belief since what I believe is what I’m. I always like to have a justification for it because it what is makes true to me.
I believe that the practice of euthanasia is not morally wrong. Of course, i do care if i have justification as well as if my belief is true. Euthanasia is the painless killing of a patient whom is suffering from an incurable and/or painful disease, or is in a coma. It is a way of giving mercy to those suffering from whatever illness or disease they may have. This practice also applies to animals, and is usually supported by shelters and animal clinics. When a patient is in a coma, the mind (active or not) is not showing any signs of function. Without our minds, we lose the very essence which makes living worthwhile. The mind might as well be dead, for it cannot interact with the world around it. When a patient is in this situation, it is creating a negative economic, and mostly emotional effect on the people who care about that patient, whom is being kept alive artificially. Keeping that patient alive is actually going against the natural processes which govern the world. As for the patients with an incurable and/or painful disease, euthanasia presents a controllable way of approaching the inevitable on one's own terms. That is why i believe euthanasia isn't morally wrong, and is sometimes the "best" choice for the situation presented.
Euthanasia while its use seems morally correct is open, as like anything else in life, for human abuse. This is putting power in the hands of people who don’t need this power. How can we honestly say that we have true knowledge (UJTD+BEJE), if we cannot truly assess another individuals pain. No one can honestly say that they feel another person’s pain. When you go to the doctor you say I hurt he doesn’t know then what you’re talking about, but after you say the feeling and location of the pain. He can then asses what you’re going through, the whole time never having felt your pain. He can’t even truly empathies with you, if he’s never gone through what you’re going through. And even then pain is measured differently by each person. What scale do we use to measure pain? Thus making the assertion that Euthanasia is morally correct because it takes someone out of there suffering is invalid.
The abuse we would see would be the use of this free kill card because a person is tired of having that person around and losing hope that they would never regain full consciousness. This could be a way to get back at someone for a life of unnecessary hardship. .People would now be killing there loves one for the sake of insurance money. And in this economic situation people are desperate. It is morally establish in society that premeditated murder is wrong. So, what make euthanasia any different?
I belive that the death penalty is too harsh a punishment for a human being. Capital punishment is unnecessary because what would happen if you are executing someone who is truly innocent. I find this punishment to be extremely excessive because you are demeaning the life of a human, by putting him to death. If a person commits a heinous crime like murder, shouldn't they be given an opportunity to change. In addition, this law has been around for over 30 years and yet we still have crime all over the world. This law has not stopped criminals from commiting crimes. The death penalty is strictly an act of revenge. If you do something illegal, do you really deserve to die for that wrongdoing? I believe that prisons do serve as a good enough punishment and that death penalty should be abolished.
All my life I was against the Death Penalty. I believed that it wasn't up to us to judge a man for his wrong doings or to end his life due to a death sentence because of his wrong doing. But my belief changed the day one of my loved ones was needlessly gunned down while he was out having fun with friends. "Someone" without regards to human life just decided to sentence him to the "Death Penalty" out of jealousy. All the pain my family and I endured that tragic day changed my perspective and because of it I am now for the death penalty but only if the crime committed calls for it. What I mean by that is that the death penalty should only be carried out if a life is taken in the way my loved ones' was or anyone's life for that matter. I know alot of people are against the death penalty but when an experience like mine hits closer to home your beliefs take a hit and it's possible your perspective can change just like mine did.
I believe in x though a legal standpoint of view. Therefore giving my stance on capital punishment a moral and ethical balance. The law in this country allows for the death penalty, but I believe it should not. Its very simple when I justify it to myself, as I put myself in as much of a position as possible of someone who lost a loved one to a reckless gun crime. The government should not be putting people to death. Point Blank, (no pun intended). There are all kinds of different arguments one can bring up to advocate capital punishment or tear it down. Back and forth between DNA, tax dollars, ethics, and on and on. When you get down to it, its about who wants to be apart, represent, love and care for a nation that instills and represents fear in that way. Governments have been executing people for ages, as well as mixing religion with politics. As the son of a defense attorney who's partner tried hundreds of Florida death penalty cases, and won most of them. I was brought up to keep it simple. It doesn't take a lot of explanation. It is wrong to take someones life prematurely, the government in which one lives under should not be exemplifying it to and for its subjects.
Dashna Compere September 20, 2009 I would love to sit and elaborate regarding “Religion”, but I am slowly learning that everyone has a different view of everything. In addition, no perception is right or wrong; because no one really knows the meaning of right and wrong. On the other hand, I can argue on a factor that I personally “believe” that is not amusing to me: ABORTION. My evaluation of this misdeed is composed of two parts: living and Christianity. Everyone deserves a chance to live. Yes, sometimes the reward of a simple choice is not desirable, but one choice has the power to define ones destiny. We live in a world full of options. One doesn’t necessarily have to kill an innocent soul. We have the option of adoption- which I strongly support. But I guess at the end of the day, we all worry of what people will think and say about us, rather that doing what we really want to do. Second, I am a Christian. Our mindset and perceptions are shape differently. Therefore, in order to please my creator, I must abide to his laws. And his laws are against killing. I do care if my justification and belief is true; because the two factors recently stated are a foundation of my reliability.
I believe that euthanasia is not murder and is in fact an act of mercy on an individual. I do care for justification of such an act, however, because there are different cases in which euthanasia is used and in some cases the individual cannot make the decision for themselves. This was the case with my boyfriend's grandmother. She had lived a relatively long life, but in her later years she fell victim to several strokes and seizures and eventually reached a vegetable-like state. Her daughter, who was her legal guardian, wanted to keep her alive but some of the other family members wanted to let her go because she was suffering greatly from pneumonia and as the result of her prior strokes. She could not breath, eat or perform any of the normal tasks that normal individuals could, so her children did eventually decide to remove her from the machines that where keeping her alive. I think this was the right thing to do because she was no longer living to the potential of an ordinary life. When your life depends on a machine and you become brain-dead, I think it is more than right to allow that person a peaceful, painless death to ease their suffering; I think it is a true act of mercy.
49 comments:
As Humans, we perceive things differently. I believe in destiny, and I think that fate has a big impact in our life. Most things do not happen accidentally; they were meant to happen the way they happen. However, i do believe that our choices in life can sometimes change our destiny. I do care if I have justification, and also care if my belief is true. I believe that destiny is true, but it could turn that my believing doesn’t make it true. I think it s true for many reasons. This is the story of a friend of my family. That guy didn’t have any degree and was working minimum wage. He said that he went to sleep one night and he had a dream in which he saw his father telling him what numbers to play in the lotto. When he waked up in the morning, he saw the same number written in a sheet of paper next to his pillow. He played the lotto, and wrote the numbers as they appeared on the sheet of paper, and miraculously he won $ 5 million. That guy never thought that he’d be rich one day. I believe he was destined to be rich. Destiny does exist, but that doesn’t mean we should sit back and not make any effort waiting for our destiny.
Ok. Paulin. I get it, but the story is told in hindsight (after the fact). Meaning, there's a fortunate person that won the lotto and he tells the story. How about the tens of thousands of people that dream the same thing but don't win it. You'd probably say that it isn't their destiny to win the lotto. So, if you win it you were destined, if you don't you weren't. All told after the fact. Are you cool with that solution?
I would like to start my argument by supporting my belief (x).
If i belief x and it is very important for me, then of course i want to have a valid justification for it. Moreover, i would like that x is true.
For instance, let's say i belief in education (which i do)and i want to justify my belief. I can add that i belief in education because exposes individuals to new experiences, cultures, points of view and fullfils their dreams.
I also want my belief to be true so if not completly convienced, you can always proved what i mentioned before by interviewing someone that has no education and another person with a certain level of education. You will realize that the educater individual has a better reasoning and view of the world in general, while the non-educated one is very limited on his/her perspectives.
Jane Valdes
T R 9:50AM
To me, it's critical to find truth and justification in a belief. How can I determine what is real and what is a hoax if there was no truth behind the subject nor anything to justify its existence? I find myself as a truth seeker. A person who looks for evidence that backs a claim or just a subject. If I believed (x) to be important, there must valid arguments to support its authenticity making it justified and true equally.
Take the blind man for instance. He doesn't know that the sky is blue because he's seen it. He knows its blue because someone tells him it's blue. There is no justification in his believing the person; he wouldn't even know if the person was lying or not until he asked someone else. The blind man lives his life with no justification to anything visually appealing, he simply puts his trust into others for it.
Marco Muscillo
T R 9:50AM
I believe that we all are born innocent. I do care if I have a justification. I strongly believe that society’s conditions (our parents, relatives, dysfunctional environment, and experiences) are responsible to build our personality. I am very devoted to Freud’s ideas. According to him, personality is developed by the person's childhood experiences.
We are born innocent…without knowing the labels of good of bad. At that age we don’t have negative thoughts: We don’ hate, kill, or fight. Later, our mind naturally goes to negative thinking, but that’s what we learn from the world. I know that children have those authentic moments of kicking and screaming as they develop, but that’s the only way they express any sort of discomfort.
As far as I know, Freud has been one of the most acclaimed psychologists because most of his knowledge seems to be an undefeated justified true believe.
Have you ever heard of a “baby” serial killer? I haven’t.
Olivia Braidot
The blind man lives his life with no justification to anything visually appealing, he simply puts his trust into others for it.
Marco: Don't you think you're underestimating the blind a bit? He can find consensus in what people say (just like we do) and learn to distinguish between that and his own experiences of the world. Sight is not the only sense after all. I've seen them going about their lives. They read Braille and get independent views. They marry and live happy lives.
Professor Triff. I understand what you say, but I believe if a person dreams the same thing but doesn't win it; he/she wasn't destined, if she/he does she was.Yes, I am cool with that solution.
Hello, even though I am not one of your student, I would like to tell my belief and its justification and hear your response:
I firmly believe that there is no sense of asking "Why we are here, what is going to happen after we die, why is there so much suffering on life, is there a god"
All those fundamentals phylosophical problems everyone encounters once in his life will find their answer (hopefully because it is not even certain)at our death. Trying to know before is just a source of headache, because you think on something out of nothing. Therefore, I totally agree to a french expression "Heureux les simples d'esprits".
People who don't put their time in asking why will have more time to enjoy their lifetime.
I will therefore more likely tend to understand the "HOW" of the science since it has made so many improvements for our daily lives.
What's destiny anyway?
I've heard it many times: "what's meant to be is meant to be." But what does that mean? It pretty circular and boring. It's pretty easy to say (after the events) that they were meant to happen. Don't you think so? I'll wait until tomorrow to tell you what was meant to happen to me later tonight?
How about important stuff like death penalty, euthanasia, marijuana use, torture, stem cell research, etc?
I believe death penalty is a cruel sentence to oppose upon a human being. I do care if I have a justification and my beliefs are true over this subject matter. Who are we to decide what lives and what dies? Take for example a criminal killed someone and thus the family is hurting for the loss of a loved one and wants this criminal sentenced death penalty. Isn't sentencing him for life in prison long enough to make him repent his sins? He won't be able to step outside the prison walls and spend time with his family aside from the short visits he will received. I'm not saying that he should walk free, but if you sentence this criminal to the death penalty and he dies, wouldn't his family mourn his loss too? Ofcourse they will, just like any other family would because we are human and make mistakes.
Carlos Hernandez
TR 9:50 AM
Our life is driven by our beliefs. We do all we do because we believe we must do it. As for me, all of these beliefs are more important when we try to find their justifications and whether they are true or not. By doing this, it’s how we, humans, differentiate from animals. We gain a sense of where we come from, where we are, and where we are heading. However, it’s at defining if something is true where we have the biggest challenge. For me, a true belief is one that would produce the desire output if we acted on it. In other words, the practical consequences define the true value of a belief. For example, I might find a certain wine, let’s say “Conde de Siruela Roble”, Spanish DO “Ribera del Duero”, 2000, to be most delectable wine, regardless of what “expert” sommeliers might say. This belief will hold true for me in real life since this is the wine which I found that best adapts to my palate, that doesn’t attach my senses, and that provides me with the most remarkable sensations. However, what it’s true now can be false later; all it takes is a counterexample: I find a wine that tastes better. But that doesn’t necessarily contradict my previous belief, I just have now a belief that is more general and holds true in a wider spectrum of situations. An excellent example to support this occurred when the General and Special Theories of Relativity replaced the Newtonian Laws of Physics. Until we were able to able to notice that Newton’s Laws of Mechanics didn’t hold in some fields of electromagnetism and optics, these Laws were believed true and they worked in all our known situations. But after these contradictory phenomena was observed, a more general theory, or belief, was developed, Einstein’s theory of relativity. It’s in this way, by expanding what w consider our true believes, how we get closer and closer to the absolute truth ( if it really exists. But that is something to discuss in another paragraph).
Gay marriage has and will always be a controversial topic; personally I don’t like to touch upon the subject because my opinion isn’t popular. However I do believe a couple of the same sex should not marry because it’s not beneficial to our population. Let’s hypothetically say everyone living this very day become a homosexual, where would the multiplication of a future generation come from? It can’t because the couple won’t be able to reproduce within the relationship. Therefore, it would decrease the population, it may not seem that bad at first but it will definitely throw a misbalance around the world. The big picture of why homosexuality is controversial is because of this very reason. Of course it’s important to bring out an example as the one above because it is possible.
Belief is “The conviction of the TRUTH of some statement or the reality of some being or phenomenon when based on EXAMINATION OF EVIDENCE. So, in my opinion and based on this definition, in order to believe in “x”, “x” has to be true and justifiable. For me to believe is to trust, so how can I trust in something that I don’t know it’s true?
For example, I strongly believe that the life of illegal immigrants of the United States is extremely difficult. I have many justifications to believe this is true:
• Before entering the United States, illegal immigrants have to leave their families and everything behind. Many of them have to cross deserts and seas facing assaults, violations and dead.
• Once Illegal immigrants are in the U.S. things don’t get easier. They are not able to get a licence. They get the worst jobs, with minimum wage and no benefits at all. Also, students that are illegal paid 3 times more tuition in college than residents. They cannot receive financial aid or any scholarship. If they are able to pay for school and graduate, they are not able to work in their field of study.
• In addition to this illegal immigrants have to live with the constant fear of being deported. If they are deported, they have to leave everything behind again, including the money they earned by working so hard; and even worst: their children, no matter the age that they have.
Alejandra Cartagena
No, I dont care if X is true. Because, its how I perceive my belief that makes it true and to others it may not be the case. Sometimes are belief is just opinions and until we have evidence then we have the right to believe it, if it doesnt violates the law of nature and logic. As humans are belief is true, but then again we dismiss that idea or thought. I believe that it's true, therefore its true to me. Many people may share my belief but based on our perception, we may see it differently. I do care if I have a justification. Because I have a purpose for understanding my belief. My belief has to stand for something in order for it to be important to me. I believe in going to college/technical school of some sort. Attending college will help me grow into a mature individual and the probality and possibility of becoming sucessful increase more than someone who doesnt attend college/technical school. Also college prepares me for the near future and what I should be expecting.
Yes, I believe justification is necessary for any belief. Without it, you have nothing strong but rather futile. For example, lets say a suspect is being interrogated in a murder case and claims he wasn't at the scene of the crime, that he was at school in the math lab getting tutoring when the crime occured. At that moment, the detective interrogating asks," And why should I believe you?" The suspect replys," Because I'm innocent!" This isn't enough to help the suspect's claim. Instead, telling the detective to check the sign in log at the math lab and speak to witnesses who could vouch for him would've been justification for believing his claim.
I care that "x" is true b/c if it wasn't true, many innocent people on death row would be put to death. This is why people are proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. DNA evidence is a great example of proving ones innocense.
In all respect, some people have justifications and true beliefs for what they believe in and what they don’t. I believe that the death penalty is wrong no matter how you put it. Let’s say for instance, that a kidnapper hypothetically speaking, kidnapped, raped, and murdered your child, and the prosecution opted for the death penalty of that kidnapper and murderer, would you stand by it and let it happen? I wouldn’t because to me that is immoral. Two wrongs don’t make a right, why would you want to put the kidnappers’ mother in the same position that you were once in, knowing that your child was murdered, why would you want to cause the same heartache and pain to that mother, in which you felt once before. Killing the kidnapper is not going to give you justification for killing him, nor will it bring your child back. No matter what your true belief maybe, you’re committing the same crime in which he committed, “murder,” but you’re getting away with it, because you feel justified in your convictions. It doesn’t matter if “X” is true for you to believe that your true in your conviction for the death penalty, if you feel that the kidnapper and murderer killed your child. sch
No, I don't care if X is true.
Are you really sure?
Euthanasia, I believe is an extemely controversial subject in the sense that on one side people say that it is fine to take away human life, because it is sort of in a "merciful" manner, in order to detract pain on the person. On the other hand, people are against euthanasia because it devaules human life. I believe in some circumstances it can be used, such as when it is voluntary [suicide in a painless manner] however, I do not support euthanasia when the person has no consent of what is being done to his own life, even if you believe it is beneficial; it should not be the choice of the person performing this act because it is not your life to take away.
I believe that we all are born innocent. I do care if I have a justification. I strongly believe that society’s conditions (our parents, relatives, dysfunctional environment, and experiences) are responsible to build our personality. I am very devoted to Freud’s ideas. According to him, personality is developed by the person's childhood experiences.
We are born innocent…without knowing the labels of good of bad. At that age we don’t have negative thoughts: We don’ hate, kill, or fight. Later, our mind naturally goes to negative thinking, but that’s what we learn from the world. I know that children have those authentic moments of kicking and screaming as they develop, but that’s the only way they express any sort of discomfort.
As far as I know, Freud has been one of the most acclaimed psychologists because most of his knowledge seems to be an undefeated justified true believe.
Have you ever heard of a “baby” serial killer? I haven’t.
Olivia Braidot
In my opinion, "x" can be very different for many different human beings in many different situations, therefore, i consider "x" to be a variable not a constant. If you ask me what i think about "x", i will tell you. For me, "x" is abortion. i do not agree with it. I am pro life, and i believe that life begins at conception. I believe that this is truth, however, i do not impose my belief on anyone else. I am a strong believer of freedom of will and of thought. Each man is his own being who is responsible for his actions, his thoughts, and his doings. Since every human being is different, then our thoughts and our will are also different. Yes, i believe that i should have a justification for my own personal opinion because i feel that i owe that to people if i am asked the question of why i believe in "x". Also, i do very much care for "x" to be true. In my mind, my "x" is true and i care very much that it is. So that being said, i pose another question, is truth relative?
I’m going to start of my statement by saying that a belief is a belief to ones opinion. What you hold in your heart to be true is what you recognize to be true. X might not be true to others but its how I perceive my belief that makes it true to me. For example, I believe the death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, and I believe it violates the right to life. I ask my self: “Is this a moral act?” What makes this act right or moral? Wouldn’t we be doing the same thing they did? Are we gods, or such divine perfect creatures that we can take this type of punishment in our hands?
This punishment is unnecessary and inappropriate in our modern society. This act serves no positive social purpose and only denigrates life. While more countries are dropping the procedure as cruel the US still holds on. The idea of putting another human to death is hard to completely fathom. The physical mechanics involved in the act of execution are easy to grasp, but the emotions involved in carrying out a death sentence to another person, regardless of how much they deserve it, is beyond my understanding. Well, if this act is intended to make the person suffer, what punishment will they be receiving once they are dead? I think that the true suffering is here, being alive, not being able to be free, that’s a true punishment. Not being able to have your life in your hands and not being able to have free will. Many say: ‘If you do something wrong (or in moral), you will go to hell.’ But this is hell, what we live in is hell. What more hell could there be? All the sins going on on daily basis, and the horrific acts committed to one another, there can’t be anything worse then hell we live in already. Capital punishment -- the death penalty -- is supposed to select the worst criminals who committed the worst murders and punish them and protect society by taking their lives. In numbers far beyond our greatest fears, innocent people are being convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Nationally, more than 75 innocent people have been freed from death row in the last 20 years. And honestly is killing another person going to make me feel any better, would it bring my love one back to life? Would it ease my pain of losing my love one? In my opinion it wouldn’t make things any better for me. Two wrongs don’t make a right. My belief might not please others but it satisfies me. As long as what I believe in makes me happy and it doesn’t affect or hurt anyone in anyway, then I really do not care whether its not correct or true to others point of view.
Edmara Ramirez
I think that "x" does not have to be true because it all depends on how myself and others grasp the understanding of what we know may be true or not that adheres to our mental state of mind and our knowledge. We all recognize that the United States is the land of the free and the home of the brave, and therefore everyone is entitled to their own opinions and views of perception.In my opinion,the death penalty is certainly immoral and wrong. I really don't agree with it because where does one find in their right mind to kill another human being due to the fact the this particular person committed such hanious crimes. Yes, I know that it is wrong because the innocent victim's life was tragically taken away by some vicious and insane individual,but going the extra mile with the death penalty is totally uncalled for,why not just let the person rot in jail for eternity......
Maybe we can start discussing euthanasia by concent vs religious views on Euthanasia, since it is considered a "crime against life on several core principles of Catholic ethics for example.
There is a great movie that can serve as a counter point. The Sea Inside (Spanish: Mar adentro) is a 2004 film by the Spanish/Chilean director Alejandro Amenábar. It is based on the real-life story of Ramón Sampedro (played by Javier Bardem), a Spanish ship mechanic left quadriplegic after a diving accident. Sampedro fought a 28-year campaign in support of euthanasia and his right to end his own life. He was not able to get the court to rule in his favor, but he did end his life(after drinking cyanide).
Aurora T R 9:50
I think that any human being is responsible for their own acts. For instance a woman having sex without any protection, she most likely would get pregnant, and let’s say she does. However what if I tell you that she was sexually abused by a criminal and she doesn’t want to have a baby like that. That’s when I believe that abortion should be legal in any country around the world. I think that a woman have the right to decide her own future whether to have a bay or not. Now you are probably thinking what a terrible decision is to kill a baby, well yes is a terrible decision and I’m against it, but it was not her wish to get pregnant that way, so why would she keep the baby and suffer the rest of her life?
Luis Velarde
Well, it does matter if "X" is true if you feel that you have conviction of wanting the death penalty for the kidnapper who murdered your child.
I used to have many beliefs, before I suffered through a life destroying event and took a closer look at my life. Now I have chosen to suspend most, ok nearly all, of my beliefs. The only belief I still hold onto is that love is never wrong. My justification for supporting gay marriage is because I truly 100% believe that love is free from conditions, boundaries, limits, and exceptions. I believe marriage is something that should be open to any kind of couple because love is beautiful even if the relationship is between two men or two women. I am a very blunt person, I say everything the way it is and the only arguments I’ve heard over and over again about denying gay couples the right to marry is ridiculous! In a democracy church and State are separate, yet the main argument is “gays are an abomination upon the lord”. Who gives a shit what a fictional book says? The State shouldn’t. But the voters are irrational and ignorant. They don’t understand that love, true love knows no boundaries and no limits, and so they deny gay couples the right to marry. I believe that love is never wrong and I have yet to be shown any other argument that makes sense to me. My brother is gay, and he has been in a relationship with my brother in law since 2004. That’s five years, and never once have they broken up, or come close to breaking up, not even when their relationship was long distance. They’ve never cheated on each other, and yes, they have had arguments like every other couple, but they love each other. So why can’t they get married? Straight couples can barely last a year without one of the partners cheating, and yet they get married and they get divorced like they’re drinking water. Why can’t my brothers do the same? Gay marriage should be legal globally. Love is never wrong.
Michelle Santos
(I originally posted in the wrong one! Sorry.)
I think that "x" does not have to be true because it all depends on how myself and others grasp the understanding of what we know may be true or not that adheres to our mental state of mind and our knowledge.
With this long-winded sentence, you're sure not contradicting yourself?
Nice point, Edmara.
I think it is very important to have a valid justification for our beliefs even though they might not always be true; but when they are, then it is more likely to have a better justification. In think, in order to have a belief, after I first doub it, I would need to prove it or experience it somehow, and also try to make sure it is true. For example, I believe in the preservation of the natural world, and I think it is very important to be aware of how our actions can affect the environment that we critically depend on. We have to be responsible, and think about the consequences everytime we do something that is affecting the Earth. If people don't suffer from some consequences or don't face at least some problems instantly, I'm sure not everybody will think about what can happen in the future, and they will continue ignoring the effects of human actions in the environment.
OK. Here's my case. I believe in marijuana usage. I don't really care for it to be legalized because marijuana itself makes it too broad of a challenge to try and get all the different opinions and answers from everyone as to how they feel about it and whether they think it's rather a good thing to smoke or a bad thing to do. I do care to have some sort of justification for it, in which it's just basically putting my two cents in as to why I smoke. My justification is simple. I'll start by saying that m.j.(marijuana) is more of a gateway drug for me to loosen up my weekly tension on what has been going on in my own personal life. It relaxes me. It makes me ignorant to such problems and worries that holds me in contempt and keeps me from being as calm as I'd like to be. Now, it doesn't necessarily mean that I smoke to forget such things, but in the meantime, it's just kept out of my thought process. When it comes time to approach my problems, worries, whatever it is I have to overcome, believe or not, I'm as calm as I ever want to be. I accept the loss, defeat, or any trouble it may be and handle it with the utmost pride and power to step over the speed bump and continue on to what's prioritized. Needlesstosay, it is a vice of mine. People think differently about m.j. They think it slows you down, or doesn't make you as sharp as you could be. I'd pretty much appoint them to all the scholars I know as friends and compare them to that statement who smoke just as I do. I, on the other hand, may not be as smart as I should be, aside my graduating classmates in high school, but that's just my nature. Not to say that I'm slow, but I am a bit lazy and procrastinating as I've ALWAYS been in life. I get everything that needs to be done in life, preferably school, work, and paying whatever bills you pay. My well-being is my only example as to how I believe what I say is and should be true. I believe that it's not as big of a deal anymore. I see many families and friends that don't mind marijuana usage because they understand its worth and they don't undermine it for what it isn't. Furthermore, I wouldn't like to be the one to preach about m.j. to the wrong person that'll just make a living just to smoke it, but if you've had a rough day, week, month, what have you, smoke a little weed and success will be ten times less stressful to reach.
Josh Castillo
My husband's oldest brother is gay and leaves in Brazil, where gay marriage is still much far from reality as many Brazilians still have great prejudice towards gay people. He had some relationships, but none has lasted much by straight standards (most, two to three years tops). Anyway, we know him, his friends and also his partners when he's in a relationship. Sometimes, we enjoy parties with them and we have received many of his friends as guests at our home in Miami. Generally, they are nice people and because of that I support gay marriage, which has become a great issue in the last months here in the US, some states endorsing it, some not.
I support it because any human being should have the same basic rights, including, the right to be with someone you care about. I think that we should always choose what is better for most people. And denying the marriage right to someone seems to me as something so unright that sometimes I don't understand why it's still an arguing point among politicians and citizens. At the same time, I wonder if gay marriage should be ruled just as straight marriage as my contact with gay people shows me that there are many different kinds of relationships they endorse: closed, open, semi-open, etc. In this aspect I think it is a difficult issue because I think the rights should be just the same to both straight and gay people. At the same time, there are differences which should be accounted for and not used as justification for denying it to them.
Posted by Daniela Silva
Marlena Dziechciarska:
I do care if my beliefs are true because if I believe in anything without justifying it, I would live in one big lie. What if people start believing in things without carring if they are right. One may believe that if jumps down from the balcony on the 10th floor and nothing will happen to him so he can does it? Someone else decides to believe that giving drugs to his baby is good so he can do it? We need to be carreful with our beliefs and realistic. That means we need to justify our beliefs to be as close to the truth as possible.
I believe that adopting children by gay couples is a great oportunity for homeless children. Someone can say: "If a child is raised in the house by two 'fathers' he will become a gay too because that's where he learns his life." But is that true? So if a child is raised by straight parents that means that he will always be straight? I believe that it's already written in the person's nature that he or she is atracted to the same or to the oposite sex. So is it better to grow up in a huge house for homeless children who are not wanted by anyone and never feel 100% attention of the caregiver who has to take care of 20 other kids? Or grow up in a warm house with two people (let's call them uncles/aunts) who really love you, listen to you, you are the most important person in their life, have your own room and bed and toys and always favorite cereal for breakfast, etc. They wanted you so much, they really care about you and only you - because you are special for them, not because THEY JUST GET PAID FOR TAKING CARE OF YOU.
I believe Marijuana is a very important topic. Many people are arrested every year all over the United States for being in the possesion of a plant. The illegalization of this plant was ridiculous. It was not even for any health reasons, but to have a way to send illegal Mexican immigrants back home when they were caught with it. It has been found to have many uses. Its fibers are very strong which allow for rope making, and it is extremely important for medicinal purposes. Another reason for its illegalization is because Harry J, Anslinger wanted to make sure his new department (Bureau of Narcotics) would continue, but he felt opiates and cocaine would not be enough so he began to find ways to add Marijuana to this category. It has always been an issue of greed and not national security with this species. This plant definitely should not have the reputation it has, but unfortunately it is too late for Cannibis in the United States, maybe we should all just head to Europe before it is too late there.
True and real knowledge are always in constant change. However, you are the one in control of what you believe. There are people who just stay with what they have always believe, but I feel there is nothing wrong about reanalyzing and changing believes. The current problem is that most people believe on anything or everything and those how believe in everything usually do not identify the important of choosing the right believes. This is why society is been having so many problems like corruption, dead, and others that have been affecting our world. You shouldn’t be the one who don’t believe on anything but it is worst to believe in everything. It can cost you a lot of problems. Just think about believing like a gift, but a big responsibility to you and the other around you. Please, be careful about what you believe. If we were more careful, Society weren’t like it is now.
Josh, Daniela, Marlena, Elizabeth, Rangel, Ok.
Let’s say i believe abortion is wrong and it should be prohibited. Then i thought to myself "Do i even care if i have justification for my belief?"
Well of course i would, the only reason i would have this open attitude of sharing my belief is because I believe I am right. To not have any justification for my belief makes my opinion pointless.
The same goes for that if I were to ask myself if I cared if my belief is true.
Imagine the people that create rally’s in support or against abortion, the only reason why they stand up for their belief so much is because they believe it's true. So i would be concerned to see if my belief has any truth in it at all.
Paul Rescaglio
I would like to argue in favor of the legalization of marijuana. After doing some research, there are not to many strong points as to why marijuana should be illegal and on the other hand hundreds of points towards approving its legalization. First of all, marijuana has been proven to be less damaging to the human body than alcohol or tobacco, thus is unfair to be treated equally. Removing the use of marijuana from the United States is a ridiculous fantasy, in fact, being illegal makes it easier for teenagers to buy because for them it's easy money. The price of production of a 0.5 gram of quality marijuana is approximately $3 while its street value is approximately $10. If it were legal teenagers would no longer make easy money because it would be sold by the government and this high value profit would be going straight to them. Additionally, billions of dollars are spent each year in police enforcement towards possession of marijuana, instead, this time and money can be going to more serious offenses. If marijuana were legal restrictions would still apply such as DUI and use in the workplace just as restrictions apply under the use of alcohol. Several movies are made that inaccurately represent marijuana use, making seem much worse than it really is but when compared to alcohol it is much safer. For example, alcohol can make a person violent and can extremely impair motor skills making public drinking very dangerous, while, in most cases marijuana calms people down and motor skills are much easier to control making violence much less likely to occur.
believing in something is best when its justifiable and even better when it can be proven to be true, but in the real world not all beliefs, in fact the majority of beliefs are lacking in either one of these or both. now when something that doesnt contain justification nor can it be proven true, but its not because it lacks those capabilities but because of some other belief that others might have that counter act with it, yet you still belief in it like the stem cell research in my case. what do you belief then? well then you have to think about which belief is more likely to prove itself. the stem cell research has not gotten the chance to prove its worth, so yes i do belief in it because of its capability in the future to be justified and true, unlike its antagonist religios beliefs who have yet to prove themselves in the now, instead of stories of the past, so what are religios beliefs to shut down other beliefs.
Marcos,Donnadio
When I believe in something is because I’m pretty sure it’s exist so that’s why it’s important to me to be true, and I do care if I have a justification since is the way I can prove that my believe is real. My philosophy is that if I can feel or see something so I came probe it’s exist then I can believe in it. I’m studying because I believe that without a degree I cannot have the position I want to have moreover I see the progress I’m having and I’m getting where I want to be. I’m very careful with my belief since what I believe is what I’m. I always like to have a justification for it because it what is makes true to me.
I believe that the practice of euthanasia is not morally wrong. Of course, i do care if i have justification as well as if my belief is true.
Euthanasia is the painless killing of a patient whom is suffering from an incurable and/or painful disease, or is in a coma. It is a way of giving mercy to those suffering from whatever illness or disease they may have. This practice also applies to animals, and is usually supported by shelters and animal clinics.
When a patient is in a coma, the mind (active or not) is not showing any signs of function. Without our minds, we lose the very essence which makes living worthwhile. The mind might as well be dead, for it cannot interact with the world around it. When a patient is in this situation, it is creating a negative economic, and mostly emotional effect on the people who care about that patient, whom is being kept alive artificially. Keeping that patient alive is actually going against the natural processes which govern the world.
As for the patients with an incurable and/or painful disease, euthanasia presents a controllable way of approaching the inevitable on one's own terms.
That is why i believe euthanasia isn't morally wrong, and is sometimes the "best" choice for the situation presented.
-Andrew Berestan
Euthanasia while its use seems morally correct is open, as like anything else in life, for human abuse. This is putting power in the hands of people who don’t need this power. How can we honestly say that we have true knowledge (UJTD+BEJE), if we cannot truly assess another individuals pain. No one can honestly say that they feel another person’s pain. When you go to the doctor you say I hurt he doesn’t know then what you’re talking about, but after you say the feeling and location of the pain. He can then asses what you’re going through, the whole time never having felt your pain. He can’t even truly empathies with you, if he’s never gone through what you’re going through. And even then pain is measured differently by each person. What scale do we use to measure pain? Thus making the assertion that Euthanasia is morally correct because it takes someone out of there suffering is invalid.
The abuse we would see would be the use of this free kill card because a person is tired of having that person around and losing hope that they would never regain full consciousness. This could be a way to get back at someone for a life of unnecessary hardship. .People would now be killing there loves one for the sake of insurance money. And in this economic situation people are desperate. It is morally establish in society that premeditated murder is wrong. So, what make euthanasia any different?
I belive that the death penalty is too harsh a punishment for a human being. Capital punishment is unnecessary because what would happen if you are executing someone who is truly innocent. I find this punishment to be extremely excessive because you are demeaning the life of a human, by putting him to death. If a person commits a heinous crime like murder, shouldn't they be given an opportunity to change. In addition, this law has been around for over 30 years and yet we still have crime all over the world. This law has not stopped criminals from commiting crimes. The death penalty is strictly an act of revenge. If you do something illegal, do you really deserve to die for that wrongdoing? I believe that prisons do serve as a good enough punishment and that death penalty should be abolished.
Isaac Saka
TR, 9:50 am
All my life I was against the Death Penalty. I believed that it wasn't up to us to judge a man for his wrong doings or to end his life due to a death sentence because of his wrong doing. But my belief changed the day one of my loved ones was needlessly gunned down while he was out having fun with friends. "Someone" without regards to human life just decided to sentence him to the "Death Penalty" out of jealousy. All the pain my family and I endured that tragic day changed my perspective and because of it I am now for the death penalty but only if the crime committed calls for it. What I mean by that is that the death penalty should only be carried out if a life is taken in the way my loved ones' was or anyone's life for that matter. I know alot of people are against the death penalty but when an experience like mine hits closer to home your beliefs take a hit and it's possible your perspective can change just like mine did.
I believe in x though a legal standpoint of view. Therefore giving my stance on capital punishment a moral and ethical balance. The law in this country allows for the death penalty, but I believe it should not. Its very simple when I justify it to myself, as I put myself in as much of a position as possible of someone who lost a loved one to a reckless gun crime. The government should not be putting people to death. Point Blank, (no pun intended).
There are all kinds of different arguments one can bring up to advocate capital punishment or tear it down. Back and forth between DNA, tax dollars, ethics, and on and on. When you get down to it, its about who wants to be apart, represent, love and care for a nation that instills and represents fear in that way. Governments have been executing people for ages, as well as mixing religion with politics.
As the son of a defense attorney who's partner tried hundreds of Florida death penalty cases, and won most of them. I was brought up to keep it simple. It doesn't take a lot of explanation. It is wrong to take someones life prematurely, the government in which one lives under should not be exemplifying it to and for its subjects.
- Sam Schindler
Dashna Compere
September 20, 2009
I would love to sit and elaborate regarding “Religion”, but I am slowly learning that everyone has a different view of everything. In addition, no perception is right or wrong; because no one really knows the meaning of right and wrong. On the other hand, I can argue on a factor that I personally “believe” that is not amusing to me: ABORTION. My evaluation of this misdeed is composed of two parts: living and Christianity. Everyone deserves a chance to live. Yes, sometimes the reward of a simple choice is not desirable, but one choice has the power to define ones destiny. We live in a world full of options. One doesn’t necessarily have to kill an innocent soul. We have the option of adoption- which I strongly support. But I guess at the end of the day, we all worry of what people will think and say about us, rather that doing what we really want to do. Second, I am a Christian. Our mindset and perceptions are shape differently. Therefore, in order to please my creator, I must abide to his laws. And his laws are against killing. I do care if my justification and belief is true; because the two factors recently stated are a foundation of my reliability.
I believe that euthanasia is not murder and is in fact an act of mercy on an individual. I do care for justification of such an act, however, because there are different cases in which euthanasia is used and in some cases the individual cannot make the decision for themselves. This was the case with my boyfriend's grandmother. She had lived a relatively long life, but in her later years she fell victim to several strokes and seizures and eventually reached a vegetable-like state. Her daughter, who was her legal guardian, wanted to keep her alive but some of the other family members wanted to let her go because she was suffering greatly from pneumonia and as the result of her prior strokes. She could not breath, eat or perform any of the normal tasks that normal individuals could, so her children did eventually decide to remove her from the machines that where keeping her alive. I think this was the right thing to do because she was no longer living to the potential of an ordinary life. When your life depends on a machine and you become brain-dead, I think it is more than right to allow that person a peaceful, painless death to ease their suffering; I think it is a true act of mercy.
~Mercedes Warren
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