Chuang Tzu believed that how we perceive things are directly related to each of our separate pasts, or our “paths”. Also, that we need to realized that our conclusions and dispositions would be completely different had we experienced another past, even possibly just one single instance. Confucius believed that all things are naturally good. It is only if you haven’t pursued the way that you can turn out evil. He also believed that the most important characteristic of our personalities is created by how we treat others.
Destiny - In the Buddhist Worldview, our destiny is not controlled by God but, by us. Actions we take and decisions we make determine if we have good or bad karma. When we go through the cycle of reincarnation, it is karma that determines who we become when we are reborn. If Karma attaches itself to us, we are reborn as any living thing. If we have rid ourselves of all suffering, there will be nothing to attach to, and we will go into Nirvana at death, which is the ultimate goal of a Buddhist.
He means that if the venture needs you to be anyone else but yourself, it will lead to no good. This reveals to me that Thoreau believes strongly in the individual, being yourself, and seeking your own path. This quote is also applicable to modern life because many ventures nowadays require you to conform for some purpose. The second aphorism I remembered is “Our life is frittered away by detail...Simplicity, simplicity.” Thoreau means that our focus and attention to detail now in society and culture do nothing but to waste our lives away needlessly. He believes simplicity is the better choice.
This further reinforces that we have no choice or influence on our lives and the events that happen, so therefore God will know the ethical decisions we will make as he has already predestined them in our lives. Hard determinism is the teaching that denies humanity has free will and believes that all actions have a prior cause. It removes moral responsibility for our actions. Hard determinists would therefore agree with the statement above, and will believe that God does infact know what ethical decisions we will make as he has already perceived it. This idea links to predestination in the fact that it believes everything in the universe- even human action- has a cause which precedes it.
Appiah also asserts that both positivism and relativism cannot support the idea of cosmopolitanism because the definition of cosmopolitanism is that every humanity should belongs in to one community, in this community, people respect and communicate with each other in moral way. Everybody shares their thoughts and form a group. Although positivism dose respect each other, their ethics are only judge by right or wrong. As Appiah mentioned that “if relativism about ethics and morality were true, then, at the end of many discussions, we would each have to end up saying, from where I stand, I am right. From where you stand, you are right.”(26) But everyone has different feelings, different perspectives to view different things.
What is really being articulated is that ‘we are living in a time of change’ modern society is a society based on the freedom to choose our actions as they are no longer ordaned by a religon. Bell states that ‘God lives in silence.’ This is evoking of Nitzchian assumptiong that ‘God is dead and we killed him.’ However this is not a pessimistic view that society is heading for damnation,
But that will lead us back to the scenario where we each act only for ourselves, either by giving in to the temptation to freeride, or the fear of being made into a sucker. So, we need to have a counterbalance to discourage people from using the freerider strategy. In short, we need to know that our deals will be enforced so that we will all find it rational to keep them: so, there is justification for a strong government, police force, and legal system to prevent freeriders from enjoying the fruits of their
Still no matter how much one may argue, terrorism and child warriors are wrong and always will be. I agree with the issues that Lenn Goodman touched on in the “Some Moral Minima” article. I feel that the world should be on one accord no matter your race, gender, religion. These issues would change anyone’s view, especially if it was done to their family or friends. Sometimes it has to hit home for most to understand; but why wait until then, it should never happen because it was and will always be
Although speaking the truth can be difficult, Look Both Ways shows that people should be honest with one another. Discuss. Our modern society is swarming with a dishonesty that is only causing larger and uncontrollable problems. Whilst these problems of the past are irreversible, Look Both Ways suggests that honesty is vital to our society and essential when attempting to move on with life. Sarah Watt proves that dishonesty can affect others as well as yourself.
Differences between Epicureans and Stoics During the Hellenistic period there were two popular religions called Stoicism and Epicureanism. These two religions were drastically different. Stoicism is centered around the belief that all things are materialistic and we can know what truth really is because it all based on your state of mind whether something it real or not and that your virtue will be judged. Epicureanism is all about, in easier terms, following your heart. Basically this life is all you have so do what you want.