science

For some people science is the supreme form of all knowledge. Is this view reasonable or does it involve a misunderstanding of science or of knowledge?

Science is most definitely is not the supreme form of all knowledge for me. Science is a subject in school that i do not even like. If it really were the supreme form of all knowledge then that would be the only thing that would be taught in school. Disagree with me if you like but, if you really take the time to think about it, science is just another part of knowledge or learning, that is why life is not based completely around science. To some people, science is very important, they think that without science, we would not be here.

Houston, we have a problem....

Unless your the type of person that constantly tries to understand how EVERYTHING works, you like to enjoy life. Otherwise, you waste your time because at the end of the day, you come across some piece of literature that tells you, after sixteen years of understanding and getting to know why things happen, you were all wrong, whatever they taught you in science is faulty, all because we cant see a electron or something bogus like that. Matter doesn't matter anymore, this keyboard I am typing on right now does not even exist, supposedly. Everything around us is non existing. Why, i have no idea, and neither does anybody else. So if you want to accept science as the supreme form of all knowledge, go ahead, waste your time.

Sure everything i have said here so far might seem negative towards science, but thats simply because i just don't like it. Back in elementary i loved science, i even thought i was going to become a scientist when i got older. But then when middle school and high school came around and my science classes started getting more in depth, the subjects changed from how things worked to how the world and the things in it were "created." Soon sciences became less and less interesting because i just stopped paying attention during my lessons, generally because, i just didn't care anymore.

Although there are some parts of science i do not like, i must admit that it has helped the human race leap forward greatly. Entertainment is even more entertaining then it was 30 years ago, medical discoveries have increased the average human lifespan by allowing many children to be immune to many diseases which could possibly take their lives at an early age, and more importantly scientist are always testing, to make sure our survival is ensured. For example, discoveries have noted that cell phone usage may have a link to cancer.

Critical Thinking

“Doing the right things starts with knowing the right things.” In what ways does responsible
action depend on sound, critical thinking?

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In my opinion, this blog topic has two different parts and they both have different answers. The first part, "doing the right things starts with knowing the right things" has the simplest answer, in MY opinion of course. So... in order to be able to do something right, you have to know what it is, or how to do it! Otherwise your wasting time. For example, if i need help on my math homework and one of my peers who is passing that class with only a D offers me help, I'm gonna look at him and laugh. The guy is worthless to me right now because he can't even do what he has to do to pass the class, so what good is he to me?
Responsible action depends on solid critical thinking. Which means you have to be sharp in a specific area in order to be responsible and do what needs to be done.

I feel as though i have explained as much as i can, so getting to seven hundred and fifty words by Friday is going to be a real challenge. You see, i do not really like having a large "discussion" on a question that i feel has a simple answer. All i do is just read the question, think about it for a minute, and finally write the answer. My answers usually do not have seven hundred and fifty words in them

Perception

“In order to find out how things really are, one must understand the filters through which one
perceives the world.” Discuss and evaluate this claim.

Perhaps this means that a person has to know all the ins and outs of something in order to fully understand it. All of the things that influence how we see or interpret something are considered filters. Perception can vary from person to person. As a person grows from a youngster to an adult they go through various experiences which guide them into different directions and alter the way they perceive different things that are "outside" of what they usually encounter. Like with cultural clashes, there are lots and lots of disagreements between both parties usually because one culture is accustomed to doing things one way, and the other culture is accustomed to doing it another. For example, in Ghana, Africa, it is very displeasing to eat food with the left hand because the right hand is clean and is okay to eat with and the left hand is used to perform dirty "deeds" such as wiping after yourself after using the restroom. Here in America, we live to eat and nobody really cares about which hand is okay and which hand is not okay to eat with.
I remember my mom telling me a story about when her best friend, who is a native to Ghana, gave birth to her second American son. Me and my best friend Sarpong (sappz) were only about four and five years of age when his mom Vida was nearing the time to give birth once again. It was summer time and i was visiting Sappz house like i did every day. We were probably snacking on some good ol' fashioned hot dogs and enjoying cartoons when Vida came out of her room and discreetly told us we needed to leave. We walked outside and followed Vida into the car where she buckled us up and drove off. Me and my "cousin" didn't know what was going on, we probably thought we were just making a quick trip to the store.

Truth

Different cultures have different truths.” “A truth is that which can be accepted universally.”
What are the implications for knowledge of agreeing with these opposing statements?

The idea of truth is just like that old garbage saying. "Ones mans trash, is another man's treasure". So, this means that, One person can believe in a certain truth while another either does not, or he believes in the total opposite.
So what I'm saying is the "truth" is very versatile. Truth ties into lots of things; religious beliefs, laws, and just basic personal views.
In my opinion truth can & will never be applied universally. There is always someone who will not agree with something regardless if the rest of the world does. For example, there are millions of people across the nation that do not believe in the heavenly father like i do. I do not hate these people, or look down upon them because of that. It is just a disagreement. Another example would be the politics, or government in the U.S. This is why we vote, because some people may not like the policies and/or views of one presidential candidate but they may just absolutely love every word that comes out of the other candidate's mouth. So one person might say John McCain would be a better president and others might believe Barack Obama would be better. These are both factual truths from that person's point of view.

too much temper can cloud reason

Evaluate the ways in which emotion might enhance and/or undermine reasoning as a Way of Knowing.

The Godfather once said, "too much temper can cloud reason." Which is exactly how i might have answered this question. Emotion is the key to reasoning or how someone learns and/or thinks. For example, a person with a bad temper would most likely avoid any type of contact with someone which means he would not have a chance to hear what the person has to say. If this is not making too much sense, maybe i should describe it better.
Here is a better example. Early Monday morning, Marcus wakes up from his sleep, he stretches and prepares for school. Thinking today is going to be a good day he wears his plain white tee shirt and some nice shoes. He gets to school and attends breakfast as usual in the cafeteria. He gets the pancakes and sits with his friends. He begins eating them and suddenly a piece of pancake falls onto his shirt. The syrup leaves a sticky stain he has to deal with for the entire day. Moments after that, someone ridicules him about the mess on his white tee and feeling humiliated he charges after him and a fight breaks out. A few periods later, he receives a text message from his girlfriend, "it's over". Marcus sits in his next class with his head down not paying attention to the valuable lesson that is being given during class because he is too busy thinking about all the events that occurred today.
The next day Marcus walks into class and the teacher gives the students a pop quiz! He fails miserably because he was too angry the previous day to completely register everything he was taught and did not have the opportunity to take notes.
Understand that Marcus is a student who participates actively in school and gets good grades. Imagine what the outcome would have been if the syrup, fight, and the break up would have never happened.
So when i say "too much temper can cloud reason" i mean all of the events which may have caused stress on an individual are still lingering around in ones mind leaving no room for the ability to reason.

Who Decides What I Should, and Shouldn't Learn?

How can you or your society decide ethically which knowledge should or should not be pursued?

I believe that the society, or community you live in has the right to choose whichever type of education is to be given to students in that area. Every community is cultured differently from the rest of the world, therefore, i expect the education to be tailored to what's going on around that specific community. For example, because i live in the United States, you better believe i am getting plenty of education about America. Its, past, future, and its involvements with other countries, are topics i have been "forced" to study since elementary school. This is not all we learn about, but it is knowledge which is thoroughly given to us daily.
On the other hand, i, myself makes the decision of what i want to learn. Just because the community i live in teaches something i don't wish to learn, doesn't mean i have to stay there and accept it. I can always move to a different location, and choose classes in a different educational facility. Its as simple as that.

That goes for everybody, especially students. Once they decide on what type of career path or what exactly they want to do with their life, the choice on what they learn is entirely up to them. For example, if one wants to be a actor, they would probably join some type of drama/performing arts school that involves acting. An up and coming scientist just might participate in higher level science classes. The list goes on. So you see, in my opinion, no one but yourself decides what type of studies we should pursue. Of course or decisions might be influenced but never chosen for us. Atleast they shouldn't be.
Back in the old days of America, when the puritans thrived on this land, many of the children had no other choice but to learn one subject in their education. And that was of course, their religion. But that was ok because there actually was nothing else they could do, and there most likely was no choosing of the career they wanted. They grew up exactly how their parents would raise them. But since i obviously do not know to much about the puritan way of life, or culture, i will stop talking about them, hoping i got my point across anyway.
To smooth everything i just said out so that it hopefully makes more sense, i will close with my conclusion.
Once a person decides how the rest of their life will be lived, it is their duty to prepare for it. To prepare for the future, you must be taught. No one is going to give you the information you need, you must find it, and by any means necessary, TAKE IT! Then you must wield it as best you can, to achieve your goals.

The Pursuit of Knowledge

Should a knower's personal point of view be considered an asset in the pursuit of knowledge, or an obstacle to overcome.

I believe this can work in two different ways. You see in class, many people were saying this the answer to this question depends on attitude. If a person has a negative point of view, then he will most likely view it as an obstacle. Seeing as how everything in this person's life might be a problem, this is no different. When they pursue something, even if it is knowledge, they probably think of only the bad things that might happen along the way. Whereas an optimist only sees his goal. But if you think about it, he has obstacles to overcome as well. Like with any search, there is a struggle, and to achieve your desired result, you must go through a series of events. Think of it like a test with a reward at the end. To gain six pack abs, one must work day in and day out, having a good diet plan and getting plenty of cardiovascular exercise. Its the same effect with knowledge in general. I view it as if a person wants to learn something knew, he/she must be taught, and depending on how he learns, this could be an interesting experience. Many people use knowledge as a tool to climb higher, and travel greater distances than their peers who view knowledge as nothing more than school work. Never failing a single class all throughout my school career I've never abused my PRIVILEGE to learn. There are many people who take school for granted by dropping out, or ditching class, or just not wanting to participate. These people view the pursuit of knowledge as an obstacle while i see it as an asset because i see nothing negative about education except the fact that its not given to everyone.
Right now i feel as though i explained my point on where i stand in terms of my person view of knowledge, but since MAYVILLE requires 500 words, i guess i might have to "elaborate". What comes next might not even make any sence because, im just going to throw random things out there.
Knowledge is defined as expertise, and skills acquired by a person through experience and education. You see, the key word there is ACQUIRED. In order to acquire something, you must first, "do something" to get it. Even if it is something fairly easy to get, you still have to do something. If its ice cream from an ice cream truck, you have to walk to the truck, pull out your money, and pay the man. And in return, he gives you ice cream. But to me, and probably to most of you, when i think of acquiring something, i think of a person, traveling on a long quest, or journey, facing many challenges, and at the end of the day, are rewarded with what they were searching for when they began their journey.
I believe knowledge is an acquired privledge which is available to anyone, but only a few understand how important it is.