I2E21 Kevin

[I2E21 Kevin @i2e21Ke]

And that's what I love about the allegory of the cave. Besides being a great metaphor for the importance of teachers and knowledge, it also brings up additional questions about the meaning of existence as a whole. #I2E21

[I2E21 Kevin @i2e21Ke]

I really love Plato's allegory of the cave. With such a simple story, he was able to convey a multitude of complex philosophical topics, as well as commenting on the philosopher's role in society. #I2e21

[I2E21 Kevin @i2e21Ke]

What's more self-destructive than eating a bunch of desiccants, anyway? Like the prisoners who were being freed, you would probably fight against someone who tried to stuff silica gel packs down your throat, claiming they'll help you see reality better. #I2E21

[I2E21 Kevin @i2e21Ke]

Even on a more subjective level, Amy realizes that there would be potential downsides to stealing the medicine, which Jake does not recognize in his argument, that seem to signal that Amy has more developed rational capacities in general. #I2E21

[I2E21 Kevin @i2e21Ke]

I must say that I absolutely disagree with Kohlberg's interpretation of Jake and Amy's responses to Heinz's dilemma. Amy's response demonstrates that she is more developed than Jake, even when using Kohlberg's own metrics. #I2E21

[I2E21 Kevin @i2e21Ke]

Amy's argument, however, sits closer to level 3 or 4, in that she wants to balance the needs of Heinz's wife with Heinz's duty in society to obey the law and not steal, both abiding by the rules of Heinz's society as well caring for the welfare of everyone. #I2E21

[I2E21 Kevin @i2e21Ke]

I know Kant was a stoic and believes that our feelings should be divorced from our decision making, but why should that mean a complete rejection of your feelings? Is there really something immoral about being happy if you don't intend to break the moral law? #I2E21

[I2E21 Kevin @i2e21Ke]

So if Kant says that happiness is a conditional good, what role does he think happiness should serve in our lives? If we are prohibited in acting to fulfill our happiness even if it aligns with our duties, can we ever be happy? #I2E21

[I2E21 Kevin @i2e21Ke]

But what if you do your duty because it is your duty AND it makes you happy? In this case, if your duty stops making you happy in the future, you're still doing your duty because it is your duty. Would this be considered immoral under a Kantian system? #I2E21

[I2E21 Kevin @i2e21Ke]

I don't pretend to be an expert on deontology, but from what we've learned in class, it seems that any ambiguity that arises from rights claims are totally superficial. As long as you make a choice in a question deontology poses, there really is no wrong answer. #I2E21

[I2E21 Kevin @i2e21Ke]

When it comes to rights claims, we've been told that the whole concept is "horribly ambiguous", but I really don't believe that this needs to be the case. #I2E21

[I2E21 Kevin @i2e21Ke]

...to make a value judgement on who needs to enforce someone's rights. So according to deontology, there's really no wrong answer! As long as they enforce the rights they need to, it's moral to trust them with the job. #I2E21