"Its a scientific fact." This is a phrase that rolls off the tongues of millions. For many this gives validity to any statement. When scientists come out with a new conclusion, the masses cling to it and take it as a fact. There is little scepticism among the majority when "they" say something is a fact. The term they is used everyday. "They say gravity is an attraction between two objects." "They say this is the best new wieghtloss program." These are both facts that have come from a type of scientist. The media puts these out as correct so people cling to them as truth. When did this absolute belief in science come about? This is something that is somewhat addressed in Embracing Mind. Although I don't agree with the majority of the book, I agree with the author's interpretation of history in respect to science and religion; for the most part.
As anyone that reads this blog can tell, I relate almost everything to history. Well, this is no different. I think there are a variety of reasons that science has taken over the everyday lives of most people today. Multiple steps have been taken to make this the "religion" for many. There was a time when people realized that they could benefit from knowing more about the natural world and its set principles. Understanding that wood will float in water ended up changing the world. Boats littered the oceans for hundreds of years. This was the first way that global commerce could get a foothold in th lives of people. Cultures were able to clash and combine. Continents were discovered. This was all a result of someone using science to better their life. Observation is a key component to the scientific method. Even the Bible sets high priority on the seeing-is-believing idea. Science is built off this principle. Observation is the key of any experiment. People have grown to rely soley on what their senses say is "real". There is speculation for anything that can not be seen or felt.
If it is not visible or palpible then it must not be real. This statement has validity in many respects, even to religion. Dictionary.com defines religion as "a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs." This definiton is a combination of the tradition thought of religion and the new emergence of science as a religion. Most people equate religion with faith. This is the, sometimes, unjustified belief in events or facts. To the faithful, there may be plenty of justification. Most of this justification comes from the belief in a higher power that can make the seemingly impossible, possible. This belief and the testimony of others has been enough for the majority of the world to believe in different religions. The three most prominent religions in the world-Christianity, Judaism, and Islam-are all guided by the belief of a supreme creator and a book that gives the foundations of how to live. More people have died for their religious beliefs than for any other cause. This is because of a passionate and strong belief in something that can not be seen or felt. Science, on the other hand, relies on the ability to physically confirm a theory. It acts in the same way as a religion. It seeks to find the answers to the questions that are not obvious on the surface. Durnig the Enlightenment, there was a new belief that the scientific method could be used in the observations of social life. I think this is the point where science made the jump to be classified as a religion. Now it could be used in all aspects of life by anyone that choose to use it. Justification in science comes from the observation of the physical world instead of the ideas created by the affirmation of people that lived thousand of years ago. There have been no holy wars in the name of science, but science has led to the death of those whos technology was less supreme at the time. Its a sad thought, but it seems the beliefs that people around the world possess will only lead to the death of others that dont possess the same beliefs.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Moral Action
"Doing the right things starts with knowing the right things." The "right things" can be defined differently for each individual. This can go further to encompass what a whole culture considers to be the "right thing". Morals vary from person to person, but there are common grounds. Virtually every culture in the world views murder as morally wrong. This comes down to an individual consensus that killing is wrong. Why then, are there murders all over the world every day? When is it ok to go against your moral judgement and take action that could be interpreted as the "wrong" thing? This does not just apply to murder. This can be any individual choice that is in opposition to that person's personal beliefs. One would tend to believe that this would require some strong reasoning. This reasoning would vary of course, but there would have to be some strong base whether it be ethical, emotional, or logical. The steps that an individual takes to create their idea of what is right and wrong can be a life long journey. The big question is what you decide to do with these morals. Morals are virtually meaningless until someone acts on them.
As an American kid, I was taught with my peers that America is the supreme power of the world. Social studies in school teach us about a glorified country that has led the world for almost a century. We are subconsciously taught to become "good Americans". Military service is advocated n almost every high school across the country. JROTC is in most public high schools. Along with that, recruiting officers can be seen traveling from school to school. Should everyone serve for their country? Many believe that this is essential to become a good American. There was a time in American history when people were prosecuted for their refusal to join their fellow Americans in arms. These were the Quakers. Their non-violent ideals made them turn the other cheek away from way they believed was morally wrong. So who was Right? Those that stood up for their country or those that held there religious beliefs close? If they both acted on what they truly believed to be morally right, than they both did the right thing. Each side will look at the other differently, but when it comes down to it the conscience of both are at ease. With this being said, its evident that doing the right thing is, among other things, simply a point of view.
I am the millennial generation. I am just one of the 95 million that echo the baby boomers. The Generation We video made me open my eyes to the huge issues that have been left behind by the generations before me. My generation is inheriting a country that is going in the wrong direction as a result of the bad choices made by those in power now. Our country is declining not because of outside influences, but because of the problems that have arose and been ignored inside. Sitting on the sidelines watching my country go into decline is morally wrong to me. The right thing is to make an effort in aiding my country's revival. Now that I've defined what the right thing is, the next step is answering the call to action that has been sent. At the moment, all I can do is wait for the first chance I have to excersize my inalienable right of voting. Voting is the best way for the majority to get out what they want to say. The millennial generation is in the best position to prove this point in a way that it has never been affirmed before. Once everyone in my generation has the power of a vote, we will be the biggest demographic of voters. We can literally determine the national elections. This is the best way for the masses to affect the direction of the country, but I'm aiming for something more. There is a limited number of people that make the laws for our country. They are the 535 men and women elected into Congress. 100 of these make up the Senate leaving 435 in the House of Representatives. To me, serving in one of these seats is the most supreme way to do good for my country. These are the elite in the American system of government. To me its not the military action that changes the world, its the legislative moves that our country takes. A seat in Congress is the "Right" thing to do for the progress of my country and generation.
As an American kid, I was taught with my peers that America is the supreme power of the world. Social studies in school teach us about a glorified country that has led the world for almost a century. We are subconsciously taught to become "good Americans". Military service is advocated n almost every high school across the country. JROTC is in most public high schools. Along with that, recruiting officers can be seen traveling from school to school. Should everyone serve for their country? Many believe that this is essential to become a good American. There was a time in American history when people were prosecuted for their refusal to join their fellow Americans in arms. These were the Quakers. Their non-violent ideals made them turn the other cheek away from way they believed was morally wrong. So who was Right? Those that stood up for their country or those that held there religious beliefs close? If they both acted on what they truly believed to be morally right, than they both did the right thing. Each side will look at the other differently, but when it comes down to it the conscience of both are at ease. With this being said, its evident that doing the right thing is, among other things, simply a point of view.
I am the millennial generation. I am just one of the 95 million that echo the baby boomers. The Generation We video made me open my eyes to the huge issues that have been left behind by the generations before me. My generation is inheriting a country that is going in the wrong direction as a result of the bad choices made by those in power now. Our country is declining not because of outside influences, but because of the problems that have arose and been ignored inside. Sitting on the sidelines watching my country go into decline is morally wrong to me. The right thing is to make an effort in aiding my country's revival. Now that I've defined what the right thing is, the next step is answering the call to action that has been sent. At the moment, all I can do is wait for the first chance I have to excersize my inalienable right of voting. Voting is the best way for the majority to get out what they want to say. The millennial generation is in the best position to prove this point in a way that it has never been affirmed before. Once everyone in my generation has the power of a vote, we will be the biggest demographic of voters. We can literally determine the national elections. This is the best way for the masses to affect the direction of the country, but I'm aiming for something more. There is a limited number of people that make the laws for our country. They are the 535 men and women elected into Congress. 100 of these make up the Senate leaving 435 in the House of Representatives. To me, serving in one of these seats is the most supreme way to do good for my country. These are the elite in the American system of government. To me its not the military action that changes the world, its the legislative moves that our country takes. A seat in Congress is the "Right" thing to do for the progress of my country and generation.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Rose Colored Glases
"In order to find out how things really are, one must understand the filters through which one perceives the world."
Do you have rose-colored glasses on? Or do you see the smog that covers the skyline? Many people choose to overlook the reality of things. They view life through a filter that hides the truth. Others have an extreme cynicism towards anything. Everything we learn has a point of view from someone else attached to it. Every subject area is seen and taught in a different way. The way knowledge is passed down through different topics is also vastly different. Everything around us is a product of someone else's perception and, therefore, someone else's filter. This makes the things we learn unreliable. The only way to really know something is by looking at as many sides as possible. The more points of view you observe the more likely you are to get the real truth. The facts are skewed by every party that deals with them. Understanding each of these is probably one of the best assets a knowledge seeker can have.
History is one of the most biased subject areas. From ancient times we only have faded, yellowing paper that is written in languages that we can't fully understand. We may have an idea of the meaning but there are connotations that may only be relevant through the times. The Bible, for instance, is the most printed book in the world. People around the globe in almost every country use this book as a guide on how to be a good person. This book is accepted as the ultimate truth for millions of people yet the original book was written in a language so complex that nobody fully understands it today. Old Hebrew is literally a dead language, not because it is no longer used but because no one on the planet knows it anymore. From Old Hebrew the Bible was translated to Greek. This document is known as the Septuagint. People rarely think about this filter through time that the Bible has gone through, but it is there never the less. This causes the entire Christian following to look through the filter of translation. History is also a product of the winner's point of view on the event. The loser rarely gets a say-so in the matter that the story is told. The Civil War is a great example of this. The South is seen as the bad guy because the Northern victory is so glorified. No one really stops to think about the rights of the southern states to break off from the Union based on the same principles used for revolution only a century earlier. As someone learning history we see the event through the eyes of the winning team. All we know of the Persian Wars is the Greek account. This is because history is seen through the artifacts left behind. When a culture took over another they'd ruin records and decimate structures. We are taught about history through the remnants of what is left. This gives us a huge filter of the facts of our ancestors.
Do you have rose-colored glasses on? Or do you see the smog that covers the skyline? Many people choose to overlook the reality of things. They view life through a filter that hides the truth. Others have an extreme cynicism towards anything. Everything we learn has a point of view from someone else attached to it. Every subject area is seen and taught in a different way. The way knowledge is passed down through different topics is also vastly different. Everything around us is a product of someone else's perception and, therefore, someone else's filter. This makes the things we learn unreliable. The only way to really know something is by looking at as many sides as possible. The more points of view you observe the more likely you are to get the real truth. The facts are skewed by every party that deals with them. Understanding each of these is probably one of the best assets a knowledge seeker can have.
History is one of the most biased subject areas. From ancient times we only have faded, yellowing paper that is written in languages that we can't fully understand. We may have an idea of the meaning but there are connotations that may only be relevant through the times. The Bible, for instance, is the most printed book in the world. People around the globe in almost every country use this book as a guide on how to be a good person. This book is accepted as the ultimate truth for millions of people yet the original book was written in a language so complex that nobody fully understands it today. Old Hebrew is literally a dead language, not because it is no longer used but because no one on the planet knows it anymore. From Old Hebrew the Bible was translated to Greek. This document is known as the Septuagint. People rarely think about this filter through time that the Bible has gone through, but it is there never the less. This causes the entire Christian following to look through the filter of translation. History is also a product of the winner's point of view on the event. The loser rarely gets a say-so in the matter that the story is told. The Civil War is a great example of this. The South is seen as the bad guy because the Northern victory is so glorified. No one really stops to think about the rights of the southern states to break off from the Union based on the same principles used for revolution only a century earlier. As someone learning history we see the event through the eyes of the winning team. All we know of the Persian Wars is the Greek account. This is because history is seen through the artifacts left behind. When a culture took over another they'd ruin records and decimate structures. We are taught about history through the remnants of what is left. This gives us a huge filter of the facts of our ancestors.
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