Change in schedule

Former Schedule:

According to the syllabus:

Oct 6th, we will be talking about the Pratt essay on "Nihilism", and Khalil will be presenting.

New Schedule.

Because we have made a switch,

on Oct. 6th we will do in-class Peer Reviewing.

On Oct. 8th, Khalil will give his presentation on "Nihilism" and on Oct. 10th we will have a discussion about freedom.

Is Happiness Permanent or Temporary?

As we discussed Sosa a few classes back, a comment was made that really stuck with me and helped tie everything about happiness together. Someone said that if one is truly "happy" then one or a few bad experiences cannot alter their happiness. We talked about it in the context of a boy talking to a girl he thought was attractive and thinking it went great, when in reality the girl did not enjoy his company. This is a very minuscule experience, but I wanted to know if people thought that this perception of happiness has its limits or if that experiences cannot alter that state of happiness. So, is happiness, once achieved permanent or temporary. Will one experience like a loved one passing away change that state of happiness?

Freedom

One of the discussions from a previous class on freedom really intrigued me. According to Augustine, our virtues don't achieve happiness, its consistently a struggle with our desires. Our internal war is amplified by the concept of positive freedom. In positive freedom we are only free because our will is oriented to what truly is, whereas in negative freedom we are not constrained, yet only free when we turn toward god. This brings up the topic of tranquility in the order of succession. As our reason shapes our will which shapes our desires internally we are in order. In a state of disorder our desires overcome reason or our will overcomes reason. I'm not sure if I believe in this order, because sometimes our desires could be shaped by our faith which precedes reason as a transcended idea. Prompting, is turning to reason less significant to turning to faith?

Clarification About Peace

I am still a little confused about Augustine's concept of peace. It would seem that based on the description of Chapter 12 that his definition of peace extends beyond the notion of just a lack of conflict but rather a certain type of order that is established. I found the example of the man in his home that strives for peace yet may achieve that through being brutal while rebuking his children rather interesting. Augustine continues to discuss the peace of wild animals and of the creature in its cave that each live by their own desired order. Finally, he moved on to the idea of peace for mankind which seems to be the ability to live in a right relationship to God. I feel like I am still missing a piece of the explanation for the peace between God and man and I was hoping someone could clarify this for me.

Is it selfish to want eternal salvation?

One thing we discussed in class Wednesday which I found to be particularly thought provoking was the question of whether or not it is selfish to hope for eternal salvation. During our discussion of Augustinian theories and beliefs, Professor Vaught pointed out that the traditional views of “good” or “faithful” Christians suggest that acting selflessly for the benefit of others here on earth is most admirable. He pointed out that a figure of excellent moral standards like Mother Teresa might not even hope for eternal salvation because doing so would be selfish, and this perplexed me. This is a concept I had never considered. I would think that someone like Mother Teresa who so obviously did God’s work selflessly on earth would not only hope for eternal salvation, she would expect it. Aren’t we taught after all that if we adhere to a certain moral code or standard of living that we will be rewarded? If under our God the faithful cannot even hope for eternal life, why should we even serve such a God at all?

The Augustine Discussion

Today's class undoubtedly sparked many questions and ideas however left me with many questions. Looking at my notes I have many question marks all over the pages. Due to the numerous question marks I decided to make this post and hopefully reach some clarification. Augustine finds that virtues are bad because they lead to internal conflict, which is very much frowned upon. These virtues are also bad because we have endless desires.Vanity is as well frowned upon because wanting to be made happy by your own actions implies independence. I do not understand how this could be a bad thing? Why does Augustine not applaud the individual on not finding happiness from oneself? What if one finds happiness from doing service at their Church alone. This is in a way helping God and his Church but by his own actions. I feel as though this should be applauded enough to perhaps go to heaven. If God does not approve of independent actions while alive, will he then not grant the opportunity to go to heaven?

New Presentation Rule, in effect beginning Friday, Sept. 26th.

You cannot use more than 2 quotations in your presentation and neither can be more than 20 words.  You should try to explain these quotes when you use them.

You should still cite page numbers when paraphrasing.

Happiness as "natural"

If we do not have a concept of the soul like Aristotle's, can we have a similar concept of happiness?

Book in class policy

I sat in on a French class years ago at Villanova, back when I wanted to improve my French, and I remember the way that the professor spoke to the students amazed me.  He talked to the students like one might high school students.  Obviously, you are not terribly distant temporally from those days, but when you are in college, a certain difference is expected and I was disappointed that this professor couldn't treat the students the way that he would have liked them to have acted.  Instead, his  relation was adversarial and patronizing.

I do not want to ask people to leave the classroom who do not have the course text, although I have said that I will do that, because I dislike conflict and more strongly I dislike treating students like children.  However, I've made it clear that you must have the course text and yet people still do not have the course text.

So from this point, if I see that you do not have the course text in class, I will be counting you as absent.  That way you are not missing a class, because you should be there.

Question of Happiness

I am currently reading The Hit, a book written by David Baldacci. It is a thriller about a government agent gone rogue and the mission to bring her down before she can cause too much harm. Anyway, I came across a passage that interested me and ties into what we are talking about in class.

"She [a ranking official in the FBI] had clearly survived much. But the suffering never really left you. It became a part of you, like a second skin that you could never shed no matter how much you wanted to.
It was the shell one showed to the world every day, hardened, nearly puncture proof, yet nothing really could be. That was not how humans were built."

That message is the same as what Aristotle says about happiness, it is a state that, once lost, can never return. Personally, I can say that I have not suffered any major tragedy and so I can not speak from experience whether or not a person loses happiness forever once something bad happens. However, I do have friends who underwent extreme tragedy. Although I can say that these people have gone through the grieving period and learned to at least control the pain, it is impossible to say how it has affected them. Most were optimistic and continue to be so, and I would say that they are happy and that I have not detected any major changes in personality but maybe we, as humans, just learn to hide the sadness.

-Alex McMullen

Questions, 9/3

1. Why is cruelty unavoidable?

2. Is cruelty excessive in relation to being feared, or is it what makes one feared? 

3. What is our (ethical) task if we are Machiavellians?  Are we still Machiavellians (having now read more of Machiavelli)? 

Final Exam Date

The final exam for this section will be held on

Saturday, Dec. 13th, from 8:00 to 10:30 a.m.

Please make arrangements accordingly. Make up exams will not be offered.