Bulacan State University City of Malolos

Midterm in Logic

In partial fulfillment of the requirements of the subject Philo 213

Submitted by: Philosopher Moises Noe D. Frias Submitted to: Sir Armand Gonzales

Date of Submission: 08.08.12

The Problem of Stupidity By: Claudia Miclaus We use terms like "idiot", "imbecile", and moron" and so on, very often in our daily lives. We give the impression that we truly know what it means to be stupid, yet is that so? The focus on the problem of stupidity is brought up by the social and cultural troubles of modern society. We live in an age when we have access to huge amount of information. We, theoretically, have the possibility to be more intelligent than ever. However, more and more people tend to behave in a very bizarre way. Stupidity is generally perceived as something negative, yet despite this in nowadays there is almost a kind of celebration of stupid acts, especially on television. There appears to be some attraction towards viewing people acting stupid. An explanation for this aspect can be the fact that stupidity and humor are generally linked. It is funnier to observe an imbecile than an intelligent person because the latter tends, by definition, to avoid embarrassing situations. Another explanation why stupidity is seen as more appealing to people is the fact that it is so much easier to behave moronic. You only struggle and put effort into your actions when you try to choose the best option. In the modern world there is also an unhealthy tendency to avoid intelligent conversation or subjects. Maybe an example is needed: in the past only wealthy people had access to proper education; however many of them went through universities without actually learning the information they received, apart from certain basic things. Of course, that did not stop them from bragging and thinking they are superior to other fellow humans. They used sophisticated words only to try to underline that they have a very profound soul, when in fact they were very shallow. Society eventually caught up with them and slowly people marginalized those who only wanted to brag about what knowledge they have. However, if in the past people with a basic culture made fun of people who lack certain information, now the situation, instead of being balanced, is reversed in the extreme. In certain circles you almost cannot use "big" words or talk about classic books because you will be considered pretentious and you will be marginalized. People tend to dislike a person that has a rich culture because a comparison between them and that person is not a very flattering one. This almost begs the question: why even go to school if people want you to be dumb?

Yet, school itself does not always propose the right methods of gaining knowledge and the proper information. Teachers tend to encourage obedience. But, there is another aspect, one that also shares a light on why, easy access to information is not sufficient for people to furnish their minds. If people use the internet to find research certain events they usually only go throw the data, but they do not process it. They take it as it comes and do not compare and contrast. According to some experts, stupidity is celebrated by the modern society, because of the youth supremacy we experience. The vast majority of products being made nowadays, especially in the entertainment compartment (movies, TV-shows, music etc.), is designed for teenagers and people in the early twenties. However, up to the present, in every culture we have the society centered on the "elders", great people with gray beards. It was generally accepted that older people have more experience and are in consequence more intelligent. Yet, this social view seems to have been replaced with another which says that old people are incapable of changing, of adapting and they have dusty old ideas that are no longer valid. There is also a misunderstanding concerning knowledge. To many people, it comes as a surprise, but smart people are the first to admit that they do not know something. On the other hand, stupid people tend to do two things: 1- they do not admit that they do not have an answer to a question (they believe they have all the answers, that they know everything) and 2- they are quick to judge you when you do not know something. Despite all these aspects, it is not an easy task to try to define intelligence and stupidity. A personal definition of the latter is: a lack of intelligence which translates in an incapability to solve problems fact that generates acts that endanger the person who makes them or the people around him. Add to this the incapability or unwillingness to think about the consequences of actions and you has an acceptable definition of stupidity. An interesting thing is that from some point of view we are all stupid because all of us, at a certain point in our lives, made some pretty stupid mistakes and acted moronic. Only a truly stupid person would deny this. Reference: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/the-problem-of-stupidity.html

Reaction: Stupid love! Stupid family relationship! Stupid friendship! Stupid classmate! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! We always use that word, but do we really know the meaning of IT? I am stupid, I wont deny it. After reading the article The Problem of Stupidity, I even more accepted that I am stupid. Well infact, every one of us are stupid. Maybe you are good at a certain thing but for sure there is a field that you look stupid. There are people who are outstanding in academic performance but look likes a pee when it comes to sport, intelligent but stupid with love, and many more. Stupidity and humor are generally linked; this is based on the philosophical view of the author. I agree with that, because we laugh at people who look stupid without knowing that we are stupid too. Theres a lot of television shows wherein the main character or the supporting characters acts like a stupid, the producers use stupidity for entertainment purpose. We often want to see a stupid people than to spare a minute listening with an intelligent, because we find it boring talking with a humorless intelligent man. Stupid people tend to do two things: 1- they do not admit that they do not have an answer to a question (they believe they have all the answers, that they know everything) and 2- they are quick to judge you when you do not know something. This is the line that captures my attention most. For me, it means that stupid people acts like an all knowing, behind the fact that they do not know something. They want to be perfect even though nobody is perfect. Stupid people always pretend that they are intelligent; this is the reason why it is hard to differentiate stupidity and intelligence sometimes. The article (the problem of stupidity) really explains the problems of stupidity. We deny that we are stupid. We want to cure the stupidity of others even if we, ourselves, are stupid in our own pretty ways. Instead of pushing stupidity away, we pull it toward us. It is not bad to be stupid sometimes but make sure that this sometimes is not everytime.

The Value of Money By: Claudia Miclaus For the majority of people, money is the ultimate goal in life and the sign of success. For others it is the root of evil, the devil's eye. Either way, money plays an important role, almost decisive, in modern times and therefore it is necessary to investigate its true value. Throughout history, almost like a broken record, people kept saying that "money has no value", yet every move they made seemed to revolve around the very thing they proclaimed to Bethe source of human misery. This kind of hypocrisy was so well spread that it actually did not even raise any eyebrows. There did not seem to be anything suspicious or horribly misplaced for a man who had great fortunes to say "Money has no value to me". However this type of thinking did not apply only to the upper class but to the poor and miserable as well. They were always finding themselves in the pursuit of money, yet simultaneously they shouted the same words as their fellow rich man. Nowadays, thanks to freedom of speech and the spreading of the "I don't care what you think!" attitude, people are being more sincere both with others and themselves, and they are finally able to admit that they actually do want huge amounts of money. It is very important to understand this aspect: no matter what they say, as long as they are living, people want money. The second thing we need to grasp is that, like all objects, these "pieces of paper with faces on them" cannot be labeled moral or immoral because these are attributes of human actions. Therefore, if we would undergo a moral investigation into this matter we would need to concentrate on what people are willing to do in order to obtain money and on what they intend to spend it on. Money in itself has no value. Remember that age-old question: "if you were to be abandoned on a deserted island what three things would you take? It is certain that in this case very few people would even consider taking money. The true value of the dollar or euro lies in what you can buy with it. If you cannot use it to make a transaction then it is pretty much useless. However, this statement is the result of an economical view. So far we came to the conclusion that people want money but only if they can use it to obtain something else. Therefore, it is reasonable to say that money plays an important role by borrowing the value of other things. The best of these things is human dignity. It may sound strange, but from a specific point of view this kind of connection is legitimate. Every individual has needs that he wants to satisfy. At the very top of his priority list are the physical necessities:

water, food and shelter. If he cannot gratify these basic instincts, then he is closer in his actions and his way of life to animals that only live in the concrete moment. Only by having access to water, food and shelter he will then be able to address other higher necessities (of the mind, of the soul) that are superior on a moral scale to those of the body. Having money, in the majority of causes, offers you the assurance that you will always be able to satisfy your physical needs, and thus you have a sense of independence and liberty. However, the lack of proper finances will render you incapable of living a decent life. You will be forced to beg and implore someone else to give you water, food and shelter, which, in the final analysis, is a form of degradation. Money can also offer you the possibility to not only take care of yourself but also to look out for other fellow human beings, especially your children by allowing them to get the professional education they need. Talking strictly from this point of view, the dollar or euro does have value, but there are also some drawbacks. Money can never be a true value like goodness, beauty, courage, kindness etc and we all know the reasons why. First of all, having "dough" can help you keep your human dignity but it can also be the source of its demise. In this case, we need to take into account, on one hand, what some people are willing to do to get their hands on some cash (stealing, killing, kidnapping etc) and, on the other hand, on what do they intend to spend it for (weapons, vices, all sorts of objects they surround themselves with and tend to forget about others, etc.). Moreover, the saying "you can't have your cake and eat it too" applies very well to money. For example, if you take 100$ and give it to five people, two things happen: firstly, the 100$ is distributed by dividing it among five persons (which means the 100$ bill is gone) and secondly, that sum of money contributed to the satisfaction of a limited number of individuals. By contrast, a true value, like a truth or a song, keeps its unity in its distribution (a truth remains whole no matter to how many people you share it to) and it also has a beneficial effect on a much larger number of human beings. In conclusion, money will always play an important role in our lives. What really a matter is the way we use it and perceive it, whether we fully understand its advantages and limits. After all, man created and shaped money... or was it the other way round? Reference: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/the-value-of-money.html Reaction:

Pieces of paper with faces on them. We all want it. Our lives almost revolve here. We will do anything just to have it. But do we really know the true value of this? Do we know the value of money? Can you take it in heaven? Would you still want to have it if you cannot spend it? And how far can you do just to earn this? This generation is full of materialistic people. This is the reason why money plays a big role in our life. Its true that everyone of us cannot live without any money in our hands, especially when you are in the city. Everything we do has an equivalent cost. Theres no such thing as free nowadays. As long as you are breathing, still kicking, and alive, you need money. Money to buy foods, money for security, money for shelter, and so on. Money can give you all your needs, wants, and desires in life. With a handful of money, you can reach all your materialistic dreams. Man created and shaped money or was it the other way round? Many people in this world are pet of money. They can do anything (including killing, degrading theirselves, stepping other people and many more) just to earn money. People are aggressive to earn a lot of money, but the question is, Where are they going to spend it on? Are they eager to earn it for their vices, or are they collecting money for their future. If you are on a deserted island, money is just a paper that you may burn to start a fire that can give you warmth during the night, but when you are on a city, money is a paper that you can trade with a jacket that can give you warmth during the night. The truth is, Money is useless if you cannot trade it with something. The fact is we are on the reality where money is use in a lot of transactions. Money can buy many things, but not happiness, love and satisfaction. Money can tour you around the world, but can never bring you to heaven. Money can bring you to fame, may publish your name in the Forbes magazine. But always remember, money is a thing, and like other things, it is more enjoyable to use if you share it with others.