A Just War?

Check out this article. First of all let me say that I am in no way endorsing the site on which this article is found. However, it does bring up a topic that we discussed in class last week. Was WWI a just war? What were we fighting for and what did we achieve? Were the individual and collective sacrifices that were made worth what was "won"? To make this argument more relevant to our lives lets extend it to the current War on Terror. The same questions apply: What are we fighting for? Is it a just war? Will the sacrifices being made by the men and women in uniform be worthwhile or in vain? What do we hope to achieve through our actions in Iraq and Afghanistan? The site that the above article is posted on is calling for the abolition of war. Is war always wrong or is it a necessary evil? What things in life are worth fighting for or is there nothing that warrants this course of action? What would you be willing to fight for, if anything? Finally, what about the premise of this website that is calling for the abolition of war? Is that a possibility or is that a Utopian dream that ignores the realities of life on this planet? Let the debate begin.

Genie

From the moment she was discovered nearly 40 years ago the girl that the world would come to know as "Genie" captivated the attention of many. The details of the abuse, neglect, and nearly total isolation that she had suffered at the hands of her own father were difficult to comprehend. Unfortunately for Genie her case also represented a once in a lifetime opportunity for neurologists, linguists, psychologists and others to test their theories of human development and socialization. Many in the academic and scientific communities hoped that the case could shed some light on the age-old nature vs. nurture debate. The concept that would eventually be known as tabula rasa, that humans are a "blank slate" at birth with no innate mental content and must gain all knowledge through experience, can be traced back to Aristotle. However, others believe that heredity (nature) plays a more important part in human development than environment (nurture). Genie's unfortunate upbringing, or lack thereof, provided a unique chance to investigate the influence of these forces on an individual's development. Of particular interest was the acquisition of language. Is the potential to develop language an innate aspect of the human brain, hardwired in at birth, or does the development of language rely solely on education received during one's formative years? Members of the Genie team, as the researchers working with her were often called, thought that Genie could either prove or disprove the critical period hypothesis, which had been popularized a few years before Genie's discovery by Eric Lenneberg's Biological Foundations of Language (1967). Unfortunately, many believe that in their zeal to perform groundbreaking research the Genie team lost sight of what was best for Genie. Her case leaves us with so many questions. Who deserves most of the blame for the condition that Genie is in today? Her father? Her mother? The Genie team? Does her brother deserve to share any of the blame? What can her case tell us about the importance of heredity and environment, or nature and nurture, on the development of a human being? Would Genie have been the way she is today regardless of her upbringing, as we can't rule out the possibility that she was in fact mentally retarded from birth (as her father was told and evidently believed)? Did her case prove the legitimacy of the critical period hypothesis or did the team give up on her too soon? Finally, and most importantly, how could this case have been handled differently and what could still be done for Genie today? What say you? I would love to hear your thoughts on this matter.

Secession?

Sould Vermont return to its former status as an independent republic? From 1777 until 1791 Vermont was known as The Vermont Republic. The Second Vermont Republic believes that a return to this status would solve a lot of our current problems. Check out this article and let me know what you think of this plan. What would be the positive and negative aspects of such a move for Vermont? Better yet, is such an action even possible? Would the federal government allow this to happen? I thought we answered this question back in 1865.

Economic Woes

Despite the best efforts of the Obama administration , the economic woes across the nation continue to grow. The news in Vermont is disturbing at best and other states are in dire straights as well. Check out this article and let me know what you think should be done to get the US economy back on track.

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?

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.

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.