Week4

pragmatism in my understanding is logical way of doing things or thinking about problems based on dealing with situations instead of on ideas and theories. Basically it is seem like in slag term "go with the flow". i believe it is a good way to solve things and able to move depend on situation however to be able to do that you have to have basic knowledge and idea. so you can't really think of knowledge as detached because you have to have experiences or ideas how to solve depend on situations. even if it is a new situations you never face before you will have basic fundamental elements  such as accessing the situation, available tools, identifying the problems.... and so on. so you can not say knowledge as detached. feminist epistemology is knowledge base on how women point of view compare and different from the male point of view. even though man and women are different in physical built and there might be some different views in they way women and men see or think, the knowledge is universal. Even if the gender different between the knowledge can be share and experience together. Aside from physically impossible experiences such as child birth, most experiences can be share and taught to both men and women, even to the emotional level. we can have empathy for both gender. so the knowledge is not really separate because of gender differences. 

week 3

Empiricism is the theory that the origin of all knowledge is sense experience. it is focus on the experiences and evidences, especially on the sense. It states formation of ideas and knowledge we have only based of the experiences we sensed. I do agree on Empiricism to majority of the time. Many ideas and knowledge we have are because our ancestors experienced and pass them down on us. They made discoveries and mistakes through their experiences. So most knowledge and ideas we gained are because we actually experienced them before. On the other hand, I believe human mind is very complex. i believe we can gain some knowledge or at least abilities without actually experiencing something before. for example - i once read about two babies who got isolated in their own chamber due to some health conditions. they didn't really communicate or had a lot of contact with other human. later that we found out the babies have developed a verbal language to communicate to each other. it is nothing like any known languages and can't communicate with others but to each other it is their communication language. they were never taught how to speak or communicate or experienced verbal communication yet they were able to develop their own language. I believe our minds have some build in knowledge or skill set to make sure survival of the body. So I believe Empiricism is true most of the time but also believe on the areas that empiricism don't apply, our natural instinct will kick in to give us ideas or knowledge what to do on the next step. 

WEEK 2

Methodological Skepticism is build up on a foundation of certainty. Descrates discovered that he has some false beliefs and he believe other things based on those beliefs. Kind of like a domino effect. Example in society people assume that children of alcoholic parents will turn out to become screw ups. People believe that based on a few sample in society but there are many cases that results in opposite way. Therefore, Descrates will only believe things that can not be doubted. In my opinion, it is good and bad at the same time. While it is good to live life without doubts when doing things but there are times you just have go with your guts. Example - World War 2 Norwegian heavy water sabotage plan, there are so many uncertainty that they will success, if you gonna use methodological Skepticism and wait you will miss the opportunity and Hitler might have acquire nukes and allies might have lose the war. The commanders and the soldiers go with "No guts , No glory"plan instead and get things done. Life is always fill with doubtful events, if you always have to make sure everything you do, then you won't get anywhere. Also the nature and everything around you is always changing. the road you walk for last 30 years safely can have a sinkhole tomorrow. So for me Methodological Skepticism is good on paper but not really great for your daily lives. ( i mean it's good if you can apply it but it will be hard to apply it all the time)

Week 1

Socrates suggests that, without philosophical education, we are all like the prisoners in the cave. I think he is right about it. In the Allegory of the Cave, I can relate to the prisoners, i have grown up in a country call Burma, which people were oppressed by military, the government was very close government. They made their own policy and control every part of people daily lives. From Media, Education to management the government control everything. They only allow people to see what they want the people to see and teach what they want people to learn. In other words, the people are like chained prisoners who are looking at the shadows in the cave. Because of the limited view and chained society a lot of parents and students thoughts were in similar views. Example - in Burmese old education system people believe Medical Degree would be held in highest level. students were forced and pushed to aim for to become a doctor even if they don't want to become one. My father would be an example of the prisoner in the cave. All his life his parents and the society keep telling him being a doctor is the best and taught him to become a doctor. he was good at math and science and really wanted to be an engineer. After he took university entrance exam,  he applied to engineering school but because he was qualify for medical school he was forced to joined medical school. it is prime example of a chained prisoner. even if he wanted to escape he was chained to the society and his society decide where he belong, which is to stay with them in prison and look at the shadow. i was brought up the same way as my father did, i hated my situation. when i was about 12 my dad had government exchange program and he get to attend university in the US for a year. After he came back, his idea and view changed. He said i can be whatever i want to be and choose any major or school i want. it is seem like he escaped to the sunlight and see things differently. it is seem like he liberated himself. Therefore, i agree that philosophical education is the way to escape from the cave. My father is educated and a brilliant doctor but all his education is book education. he was in a box, he never thought outside of the box until he had the opportunity to come and learn in the US. his mind was liberated and his thinking become more independent he is no longer chained. So from my own experiences if you study books and follow society, you will just become a book educated person but if you open your mind, think differently and see differently for yourself you will truly be free and truly educated. 

Week 0

Ok let's try this properly.....
What would you like to learn in philosophy? 
I don't actually know since i don't have any experiences with any philosophy. i don't have any experiences about the Philosophy classes. i only heard about philosophers and a little bit of their history but i never actually learn or heard of their thoughts and ideas. So in short it is not so as simple as  what i would like to learn but it will be more of what i could learn from this course. Anything from this course would be new and interesting for me. so i guess i would like to learn anything....
What would make this course a worthwhile and enriching experience for you? 
It would be a worthwhile and enriching experiences if i learn more about philosophy or perhaps if i can think or views differently than how i usually see. it will probably open my eyes and see different views and also open my mind to see things differently. i understand philosophy is deep subject so anything i can learn should be worthwhile.