... has it still happened? Anyway, the BBC, bless 'em, has had philosopher David Bain pose four philosophical questions to mark the epistemologically problematic day:
1. Should we kill healthy people for their organs?
2. Are you the same person who started reading this article?
3. Is that really a computer screen in front of you?
4. Did you really choose to read this article?
Or in more traditional terms: Utilitarian ethics, personal identity, perception and illusion, and free will and determinism. Sneaky. Get 'em in with a condundrum and then pervert the minds of those who stay to consider. Classic Socratic corruption of the youth. Well played, that man.
Comments
Did a little round-up of a news article and some links - but then, Queenslanders are usually on the ball regarding Philosophy in Schools. :)
http://podblack.com/?p=1062
Posted by: Podblack | November 20, 2008 9:15 PM
Hmm...
1. No
2. Yes
3. Yes
4. Yes
And BTW, the number of angels that can dance on the head of a pin is 28. I counted.
Posted by: Romeo Vitelli | November 20, 2008 9:59 PM
Did you count the real angels, or just the integers? I make it 33.673991 angels.
Posted by: John S. Wilkins | November 20, 2008 10:12 PM
No
Yes and No
Who cares?
No.
Feel free to use these as your answer key.
Posted by: Anon | November 20, 2008 10:51 PM
1. It is an illusion to think that one can kill anybody
2. Do people really exist?
3. What's real?
4. See 3!
It is an illusion to believe that pins have heads!
Posted by: Thony C. | November 21, 2008 3:37 AM
Come,come, John! you make it approximately 33.673991 angels.
Posted by: Elliott Grasett | November 21, 2008 10:51 AM
What most people don't realize is that the number of angels that can dance on the head of a pin depends not on the angels but the style of dance the are doing. If they are doing dances that allow a large number to crowd into a small space like ballroom or line-dancing then you can get upwards of 40 on the head of a pin. On the other hand, there are dances that need a lot more space so you might only get 10 jitterbugging or breakdancing angels on the same pinhead.
The wings get in the way, too.
Posted by: Ian H Spedding FCD | November 21, 2008 10:54 PM
1. No, not for organs but yes for a Fender Stratocaster.
2. Define person
3. Is this a monitor which I see before me,
The mouse toward my hand? Come, let me click thee.
I link thee not, and yet I see thee still.
Art thou not, fatal Vista, sensible
To keyboard as to mouse? or art thou but
A Window of the mind, a false creation,
Proceeding from the pride-oppressed Gates?
I see thee yet, in form as palpable
As this which now I Corel draw.
4. No, I just pretended.
Posted by: Ian H Spedding FCD | November 21, 2008 11:13 PM