An Answer
Whether it be one of the troubling medical cases or a comparison of philosophical viewpoints, it seems impossible to find any solid ground.
A few days ago, we began exploring utilitarianism in my philosophy course. At first, the proposition that we should make decisions to provide the highest amount of happiness or pleasure to the greatest number of people seemed wonderful. Finally a doctrine that was simple, useful, widely applicable and understandable. However, each class began exposing certain flaws and holes. The most obvious and troubling for me was quantifying a complex sensation like happiness. Even if we were to assume that everyone’s ‘happiness’ is equivalent, who would do the measuring. Every person has unique experiences in their lives – experiences that can drastically affect the amount of happiness they may feel from a particular activity.
We studied a variety of theories for a few days and would end by discounting each with at least a few catastrophic arguments.
After going through this cycle of finding hope in what seems to be an iron-clad proposition and seeing it melt before my eyes, I begin to wonder if there really is an answer. Are we doomed to spend our lives building theories only to see them shot down? Is there an answer to anything?
Christopher Bowns
Oct 8, 04:04 PM
There’s no answer to philosophical value systems. Utilitarianism seems great on paper, but leads to some very unsettling conclusions, like putting a monetary value on people’s lives.
I say, take the best theory you can find, learn it’s limitations and “boundary conditions”, and depend on your gut instead of theory when they occur.
Thame
Oct 8, 08:41 PM
Very true, very true. You can’t imagine how distressing the last few classes have been for me…again my naïveté shows itself.
What you suggested (relying on your gut feelings) seems to be what people do in most cases. I just finished reading an essay: “Withholding Nutrition from Seriously Ill Newborn Infants: A Parent’s Perspective” which contained a parent’s rational study of her own child’s situation. After going through various points and showing that witholding nutrition would be permissable and recommended in her case, she still decided to continue artificial feeding of her child.
Makes you wonder about the purpose of these theories…
Eric. I
Oct 9, 08:38 PM
“Are we doomed to spend our lives building theories only to see them shot down? Is there an answer to anything?”
I find that philosophy and science are more a practice of finding out what is not the case rather than ultimate truths (I believe i’ve heard this from somewhere aswell).
For example, Descartes theory that ventricle pressure in the brain caused that body to move has been disproved. Currently our model of how the brain works is based on cellular structures that communicate through chemicals and electricity. However, today’s theories do not account for how the vast array of human experience and behavior operates. We have come to a closer approximation of the truth, but not an ultimate truth.
Those closer approximations of the truth allow for practical applications; such as using drugs to help those with schizophrenia. Ultimately, it is not a fruitless expenditure.
Lastly, I will say that it is easier to arrive at truths through the avenue of science simply because the deterministic assumptions it makes about reality, and because it examines things that can be measured.
Philosophy is much more fickle. Assumptions are always scrutinized, and topics where there is possibly no “right” answer are considered. So I would say that philosophy looks at some problems that are not deterministic or cannot be measured and thus may not have ultimate truths for all enquiries. Although, it is still a employment that the human race ought to undertake for the tentative answers it may arrive at.
Thorsten
Oct 17, 08:46 PM
>Are we doomed to spend our lives building theories only to see them shot down? Is there an answer to anything?
When I read your question, I thought immideatly about Galileo Galilei. In my opinion, it has something to do that many people are not satisfied with their life. They are doing jobs that don´t want, living a life that don´t wan´t and so on. The only solution to stop this vicious circle is to make all people satisfy. But don´t ask me how to do that ;-)
app
Oct 26, 03:01 AM
Do not confuse happiness with pleasure…while they can be similar, they are very different.
You can’t make people happy. They have to do it themselves.
It comes from within…an attitude. The right attitude can make one a happy person no matter what the activity is….even if the activity brings discomfort.
Think about the guy that looks to his job, spouse, children, material things, money, power, etc. to bring himself happiness. He never finds it. He’s never satisfied. He is always chasing after more. He never realizes or understands that things can never make him happy…only he can make himself happy. And it will never happen until/unless he looks within himself and makes the conscious decision to be happy.
Once he does that, he will have everything he needs.
The boss calls Mr. Smith & Mr. Jones into his office and fires them both.
Mr. Smith’s thoughts are “Oh, my god! I have bills to pay, my wife is going to leave me, my kid will never forgive me for not being able to give him what he wants for his birthday.”
Mr. Jones thinks “Oh good…I don’t have to get up early tomorrow. I can be home tonight in time to eat dinner while it’s still fresh & hot. I can spend the day playing with my kids tomorrow. I won’t have to put up with gloomy Mr. Smith any more.”
What is the difference between Mr. Smith & Mr. Jones? Attitude….that’s all.
Dan
Oct 27, 04:51 PM
> “Are we doomed to spend our lives building theories only to see them shot down? Is there an answer to anything?”
This really bothered me when I took a Philosophy class in high school…but, on the other hand, the theory that all theories end up getting shot down, is itself a theory. To say I know for sure that no one can know anything for sure, is a contradiction.
So in high school, I determined to be the one to finally figure it out, but have since become less ambitious.