Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Consciousness

Consciousness, what an elusive concept to study! At this time, consciousness still poses more questions than the scientific community has answers for. We can never know with any certainty what is going on in another person's mind. Is my consciousness similar to yours? Do the perceptions of others differ from my own? Do other people experience the physical world in the same way that I do? Does the physical world that we perceive even exist outside of our minds? In other words, is there a mind-independent realm in which the physical objects that our minds perceive actually exist or is "reality" simply a product of the human mind? How can I even be sure that you are conscious in the same manner that I am conscious? Maybe I'm the only conscious being in the universe. Would someone please convince me that my perceptions match some mind-independent reality? Is anybody out there?

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Technology and Social Interaction

Is technology eliminating the need for traditional social interaction or is it simply giving us new ways of interacting, thus strengthening our social connections with others? Critics are quick to point out the numerous ways in which technology is leading to the atrophy of our social lives (Eitzen, 2004) and increasing our isolation from others (at least in terms of face-to-face interaction). We no longer need to go in and make small talk with a cashier at the bank, we can use the ATM. We can shop for things online. We can text someone instead of having to talk to them and the answering machine and caller ID allow us to screen our calls. We don't have to drop in on an old friend because we can reconnect with them on Facebook. In his article, The Atrophy of Social Life (2004) D.Stanley Eitzen points out the social impact of many technological advancements, including ones that have been with us for a long time. He points out that before the invention of the electric refrigerator people had to shop every couple of days and thus developed a social connection with the neighborhood grocer. He also points out that in the days before air conditioning people would congregate at local swimming holes or the shade of a neighbor's porch instead of isolating themselves inside their air-conditioned homes. Technology isolates us within our own homes as well. In the early days of television, if a family had TV at all they only had one and the entire family would congregate around the set. Today, mom might be watching a show in the living room while her husband is in the den on the computer and the children are watching other programs in their room on their own TV set. Or they may be isolated from the rest of the family while they surf the internet or listen to their Ipods. Given the current rate of technological advancement in America, we can only speculate on what will be the next big thing and what impact it will have on our social lives. The real question is, does technology enhance our social lives and provide us with alternative avenues of social interaction or are its isolating effects going to eventually lead to a society with little or no face-to-face human interaction? I'd love to hear everyone's opinion on this issue.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Welcome

Hello and welcome to Life Examined:
First and foremost I should let you all know that this site's primary use will be as an educational tool for myself and my students. That being said, we welcome all visitors who would like to contribute to our education. It is a work in progress, as I have not yet formalized my plans as to its specific usage. Ideally, this will serve as a supplement to our classroom discussions and another means by which students can respond to questions, news items, etc. Students will be encouraged to voice their opinions here and develop their views on numerous topics. Hopefully, the topics that are discussed on this site will appeal to others from all walks of life and they will also choose to contribute their views. Unfortunately, as much as I detest censorship, it is my responsibility as a public school teacher to make sure that the content is appropriate for my students. The scope of inquiry and discussion on this site will be broad; anything that applies to the human condition will be considered. Obviously, given the courses that I teach (U.S. History, Intro. to Psychology, and Intro. to Sociology), any of the various academic disciplines that fall under the umbrella of the "social studies" will receive a lot of attention. However, any topic that I believe has educational value and might be of interest to students will also be considered. Philosophy, as it played a significant role in the birth of both psychology and sociology, will be discussed often as well. Truth be told, I find philosophy to be the most intellectually stimulating subject matter and an integral part of all other intellectual pursuits. Unfortunately, it is given short thrift in too many public schools today. I consider myself a philosopher, or "seeker of wisdom" and encourage my students to be critical thinkers who pursue the truth. I hope that all of you will join us in our pursuit of enlightenment.