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University philosophy courses: a bucketful of ethical sh*t

maxlinger60

Full disclosure: I am a highly biased party that has no bearing on your individual positions. This is my rant, since I am about to fail 2 term papers.

I hate philosophy. I hate ethics. I hate the goddamn trolley problem, with all its false dilemmas and no real answers, and strutting along the moral high ground, when there are TWO EASY SOLUTIONS.

Oh no! a mysterious trolley is hurdling down a nonexistent track towards people I don't know. Solution number one: I AM NOT A TROLLEY CONDUCTOR. Solution number two: I SAVE THE PEOPLE I CARE ABOUT MORE.

But seriously, this might just be me, since I have autistic friends who study/love philosophy and plan on continuing on the philosophical path of higher education, could prattle on about Socrates or Kant or Hume or whoever forever and ever. But I SIMPLY. DON'T. GET IT. Why do philosophers use so many air-headed words to say so very little. Most of my books are just empty space taken up by aristocratic armchairs who liked pontificating over the simplest quandaries. I write what I think is the most obvious response to the essay prompts, and receive a subpar grade, unlike all of my other classes, where I receive high marks. When questioned, the teacher simply replies, "You didn't pull from the material." And when I reply that I, in fact, pulled directly from the material and his very own lectures, he sighs and tells me my arguments "had no base."

Um HELLO. I'm quoting YOU. Apparently there is a guide for people on which ethical rules are just assumed and which ones are brand new revelations, but I have more of a background in East Asian philosophy, which makes a hell of a lot more sense to me. So, I truly respect the field, I do, but I struggle so very, very much with understanding what the hell this man wants from me, why I should care, and HOW TO SURVIVE PHILOSOPHY AS AN AUTIST.

HELP. IT'S SO INCREDIBLY POINTLESS. I am tempted to drive my trolley right over the cliffs of remedial education. 

Love and confusion and JESUS CHRIST HOWWWW,

Max

Parents

  • If it bothers you that much, just lay down in front of the trolley & let nature take it's course.  I guess you can pray for a speedy solution.  What happens after it dispenses with you is immaterial because, lets face it - you did try to slow it down by placing yourself on the track !!

    I'm joking.  Don't try this out at home etc. 

    How are you doing Max? 

  • in reply to overwhelmed & underwhelmed ( O & U )

    I said that futher down in the thread!

    Try this Buddhist one, 'which is stronger the irristable force or the immovable object?' This one really vexes people and I've had some epic arguments with people about it, oddly enough people who've like the trolley problem, they say it's imppossible, but its really not, its as much about encounraging you to think outside the box and your own thought processes as having the "right" answer, because I don't think there is one.

    When I think about these moral questions, I always remember Capt Kirk, who when faced with a similar problem, reprogramed the computer, his tutors had a fit and failed him, but it still became and legend in Starfleet.

  • in reply to TheCatWoman
    TheCatWoman said:
    I said that futher down in the thread!

    I didn't go down that far.  I feared a CatWoman comment might be down there Wink

  • in reply to overwhelmed & underwhelmed ( O & U )

    To look or not to look, that is the question? Always look, otherwise you'll miss my blindingly brilliant answers and ideas. You have been warned!

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