Today was the first day of my philosophy: focus on critical thinking class, and the professor opened with a question,
"If the most significant person in your life believed Santa Claus existed, would it affect your feelings in the relationship to the point of ending the relationship?"
It was posed to argue that what other people believe should matter to us.
Ever the skeptic, I immediately thought, NO. Thinking of my father, and that he is entitled to believe what he wants, and also that my relationship with him would never end, and if it did certainly not over something so arbitrary.
Anyway, bc it was the first day, i kept my mouth shut, and he went on to declare that he "guarantees" it would end the relationship. No exceptions, no nothing.
A hypothetical situation paired with an absolute truth? What! In a critical thinking classroom? That seems so illogical to me.
I'm pretty sure it wasn't a trick, He seemed to sure of himself for it to be a ploy
2007-08-30 20:10:29 · 5 answers · asked by Devil's Advocette 5 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Perhaps I do not have a firm grasp on logic, and if so, please point it out to me, but it just seems so strange, based on my understanding of critical thinking.
(LOL if I am seeing a logical fallacy however, i can safely say it will affect my relationship with him as a professor!)
2007-08-30 20:12:37 · update #1
believe me I see the irony of the situation, however, it was the professor who indicated that we SHOULD let what other people believe affect us, so much so that relationships, not just should, but would (period, concretely) end.
2007-08-30 20:28:43 · update #2
Step ahead of you, he indicated that the relationship had to be one of personal value, not professional or educational.
2007-08-30 20:30:30 · update #3
Sometimes a professor will say something like that at the beginning of class to pique your interest. If that's the case, just suspend judgement and ride it out to the end to find out.
In the case that it's something else, try to suspend judgement anyway for your own best interests.
There's actually a philosophy about doing this called Pyrrhonism. Look it up, especially since it's in your own best interest right now.
2007-09-03 19:58:38 · answer #1 · answered by M O R P H E U S 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Are you reading your own question?
The most significant person in your life in that class is not your father but your instructor.
If he guarantees that if you don't agree with him your relationship will end, and I am thinking badly, then he is probably correct because he will fail you.
You need to read between the lines.
You also need to apply this wisdom when writing your answers for this guy so that you get A's and not B's.
So, did you ask him if he believed in Santa?
Not only would you have got a laugh, he would have enjoyed the compliment.
2007-08-31 03:25:03 · answer #2 · answered by LORD Z 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Well, if your dad believed in santa claus, wouldn't it drastically change the relationship? It would change the relationship because you would have all these doubts about your fathers intellect, and so on.
It would end the current relationship as it currently stood....and put it on a different level technically making it a different relationship and ending the old one.
2007-08-31 10:55:49 · answer #3 · answered by Alexis N 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
For me, people can believe in whatever they like, even Santa Claus or God, as long as they let ME believes of my own and don't invade my privacy with theirs.
So to answer your question: it does not matter.
2007-08-31 03:24:43 · answer #4 · answered by jacquesh2001 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think he has distracted you from the REAL question. That being what other people believe shouldn't matter to you. You have already judged him on his belief, therefore proving his "santa clause" theory. Are you sure you aren't the professor?
2007-08-31 03:24:05 · answer #5 · answered by linda 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋