Elizabeth Jimenez
Professor Jacobs
Philosophy 1305-6001
25 January 2011
Family Conversation Essay
There is no doubt that it is around the family and the home that all the greatest virtues, the most dominating virtues of human society, are created, strengthened and maintained. My family and I are very family oriented. We disagree on some things but on others we agree and our beliefs is one of them. My mother’s name is Maria and my father’s name is Valentin. I asked them both the same questions and both answers where very similar.
The first question I asked both my parents was, Like Aristotle’s teleology, do you each believe that everything that exists is here for a purpose, and that it is the happiest when it fulfills its purpose? What is the purpose of humans, or of you? Why do you each think so? My mother Maria does believe that everything is here for a reason and that everything has a purpose. She said we exist for a reason. We’re supposed to be happy. It doesn’t matter what religions you belong to, if any. Whether we are here by evolution or by divine power, we are here and we need to make the most of it and try to live a happy life. My mother truly believes that we are happiest when we fulfill our purpose. She also said they purpose of humans is to develop character and virtue. We are here to learn to love even during the times when that love gives us pain. We are here to learn patience and perseverance even during the times when we want our answers now. We are here to learn to forgive when so much of our culture demands vengeance. We are here to learn to seek justice tempered with mercy. We are here to search for peace and bring that peace into the world. The virtues go on and on and there is always another perspective to consider or another bad habit to relinquish.
The Essay on Larger Families Are Happier Families
Individuals from large families are well adjusted persons. Members of the expanded family are much more independent, and do not depend on other people . Related to this, they understand the real meaning of responsibility, that is, they grow in self-knowledge (their strengths and limitations) and realistic in self-confidence. They grow to be more mature more quickly. Most of out-going persons come ...
My father’s response to these questions was very similar as my mothers. He believes that everything that exists is here for a purpose. All of us and everything else in this world for that matter are only here to complete a work for which we were created. Each thing in existence is so in order to allow all the other things a comparative of form and a desire to change. Everything is in a process of development and until we realize this, we are only left to continue as we have with great misunderstanding and confusion about ourselves and the world we live in. There are so many purposes, some seem more vital, others more aesthetic, but all have purpose. The purpose of humans is for all of us to help one another .Our purpose is to love our god and be all around good human beings and live in peace with one another. We should live in harmony with other humans and all other species.
I believe everything that exists is here for a purpose. We were created for a reason. Everything is always better when it fulfills its purpose. Humans were created to serve god. God made us to discover new things and ways for us to do things we have in our power to do. He also made us so we can give him company.
Second question asked was, do you and your family member agree with Thomas Hobbes that ALL human actions are self-interested—even the noble, moral things we appear to do? Or, do you believe that some human actions are genuinely selfless? Why? Both my father and mother believe that there is no selfless act committed by human beings. All actions we commit we do so at some level to advance our personal self-interest. Human selfishness can determine if a person’s actions are motivated by long term or short term gain. An overtly selfish act is generally short-term beneficial but long term damaging to social human relations, but a “selfless” act is short term selfless only, the rewards pay off in the long term and the selfish motivation becomes apparent. I believe some human actions are genuinely selfless. Not everyone does self-interested actions. There are actually some good people out there that are still noble, and do generous actions.
The Term Paper on Dramatism and Meet the Parents
The theory of Burke’s dramatism provides another view of rhetoric analysis of symbolisms that have been utilized in the film. With this, the theory analyzes human relations, culture-usage, lingual properties, and the intentions and motives present within the act. The theory of dramatism by Kenneth Burke applies to the philosophical grounds of the movie, Meet the Parents. Hence, within this study, ...
Last question I asked was why do you believe in universals (realism or conceptualism) or not believe in universals (nominalism).
In other words, is there any such thing as Truth, Goodness, Beauty, Justice, and Dogness or are these just up to people and cultures to invent? I believe it all depends on your culture. It depends on how you were raised by your parents. There is a thing as truth that exists if you want it to exist. It’s pretty much up to a person. My mother truly believes that it is up to a person if they want to be good or truthful. She says it also somewhat depends on how that person was raised by their parents and in what culture they were brought up in. my father Valentin had the same thoughts as my mother. He said it depends on which culture you were brought up on and how your parents raised you.
After having this family conversation with both my parents I learned a lot from them. I learned about the views they got about something’s in life. Who would have thought my parents and I would agree on something, especially in our beliefs. I truly believe, there is no doubt that it is around the family and the home that all the greatest virtues, the most dominating virtues of human society, are created, strengthened and maintained.
