The Gimme-Now Culture

It is just so apparently clear to me after reading several news feeds over the past few days of how obsessed we are as a culture with instant gratification. Now I know this is not a new concept {at least maybe not to most of my readers}. But it goes way beyond the faster, newer, cooler techno-gadgets and gizmos. It is how generations are being "wired". Whatever happened to saving to buy what you want? Now it’s plastic to the rescue. Or waiting until marriage? No need, that's an "archaic" rule-based-system. Or wait your turn. Why should I, I am more important then that woman behind me. Or, the good will conquer in the end {add the old saying; good things come to those who wait}. Well, who said anything about evil or good? That's some kind of moral-mumbo-jumbo. Everyone knows that it’s all relative.

But how is it that one day, not so long ago, morality was not relative, people believed in good and evil and a being greater than themselves. But who is right, our forefathers or us? Are we more "enlightened" then they were?

So many of the modern "philosophers" would say yes. We have been loosed from the shackles of rigidity and objective truth. We are now free. Free from what, or to do what? The answer follows: "Whatever you want. Just be a good person." To which the response would be, "Whatever I want? Oh, my goodness... that is fabulous! No restrictions. I am going to go and do just that. But you mentioned that I should be good. I thought you said there is no such thing. What does that mean?" "Well, you know, just don't kill anyone." "But isn't that a restriction, I thought you said we were free?" "We are." "Then I'm confused."

Might I posit, at the risk of sounding slightly-looney to the contemporary culture, that our forefathers actually had it right? There is objective truth, good and evil and no matter how much one may like to deny it, a Supreme Being who is the reason we {and this whole world} are even here.

Stay tuned for the coming posts... as I will try to illumine some of the major defects in the new millennial "thinking".

Christmas and Relationships

While sitting at dinner on Sunday evening, my sister, husband and I were perusing the newspaper. Not a typical occurence, but I like to flip through and see if there are good recipes or sales. This past Sunday's paper boasted that they knew what gifts to get your "sweetie". Always up for unique ideas, we started reading. They had 12 ideas, none of them all to unique: watch, cashmere sweater, bracelets, cufflinks, books, blah, blah. In addition to this, there was an article that caught our eye, entitled "Holiday Gift Guide: You like her, she likes you, and that gift better be good". Read here.
Now, what caught my attention, other than it being rather poorly written, was the sheer ridiculousness of it. While I realize that it might be tricky to navigate the waters of what to get your significant other, especially in the beginning phases of the relationship... but I have always been of the opinion that gifts a) come from the heart; b) convey that the other person is treasured; c) are not given to entice a gift in return.
To sum up the article, I feel this line is a true zinger: "I had a really hard time thinking about gift ideas for him. That's when I kind of had to start brainstorming and listening to what he was saying." So, only at Christmas is it important to listen to the man you are dating or married to? Otherwise he is merely around for convenience? The article gets much worse. One man is interviewed, gives his name and confesses that he is casually dating two women, and is not sure if he will get gifts, but might just keep " 'a neutral emergency gift' on hand in case one of them gifts him and he needs to reciprocate." Really? He wrote this in the paper? I am guessing that he is currently not dating anyone and won't need to worry about that "emergency" gift; as I am guessing those women read the article.
As I sat in disbelief as I continued to read, it started to hit me, no wonder our culture is plagued with divorce, affairs, etc. Think about it, if one cannot manage to give a Christmas gift (or birthday gift for that matter) sincerely and honestly, how can one manage to give themself sincerely and honestly? Something to think about and consider...

The Human Experience

On Tuesday night, I had the fortunate experience to watch "The Human
Experience". A movie about two brothers and their friends, who live in a "half-way" house in Brooklyn... and who travel the world in search of the meaning of life. It was one of the most moving films I have ever seen. It brilliantly answered the fundamental questions of human existence: who am I, how did I get here, why am I here, what is the meaning of life, is there anything after this life? These questions are not answered in the expected "documentary" manner; but rather are answered through the movie which evokes a simple experience common to us all - the experience of human life. This film took an in-depth look at our humanity and the human spirit, through the lens of hope and what was produced was a not only an amazingly influential film but also a wake-up call. A call to realize the sanctity of every life... because each life is an irreplaceable and unrepeatable occurence.
I highly recommend seeing this movie. It is only showing in select theatres right now, but they are hoping for wider distribution. For more informtion, check out their website here.

In light of yesterday...

Although, this blog is particularly devoted to the study of Philosophy and Metaphysics, I felt the need to post something truly hopeful. With the election results still ringing in the ears and hearts of Americans, there was a providential message in the daily readings of the Catholic Mass today.

The first reading was taken from the Letter of Paul to the Philipians (2:12-18)
"My beloved, obedient as you have always been, not only when I am present but all the more now when I am absent, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work. Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life, so that my boast for the day of Christ may be that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. But, even if I am poured out as a libation upon the sacrificial service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with all of you. In the same way you also should rejoice and share your joy with me."

The Responsorial Psalm was from Psalm 127: "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? "

The Gospel was taken from Luke (14:25-33)
"Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
Which of you wishing to construct a tower
does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down
and decide whether with ten thousand troops
he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away,
he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way,
everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple.”

The Breakdown:
As St. Paul says: in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, hold on to the Word of LIFE! We are not citizens of this Earth but citizens of the true Kingdom, the one that has no end. As long as you cling to what is truly important, which is the True Messiah, there is nothing to fear.

Is it a coincidence that these are the readings today, I think not!

John Paul II said it throughout his papacy and I feel that it should again be the battlecry: Be Not Afraid! Go out and proclaim the Truth from the Rooftops!

More videos

The Truth is Black and White

My father found these on YouTube and found it thought provoking and rather comical... read it. And take a stand for the Truth.

For a Special Friend

I would like to take this opportunity to wish a beloved friend a very Happy Birthday. I know that this will come across her Google Reader and I wanted to shower her with Birthday wishes. I cannot walk into her office with a bouquet of flowers, or bring her a Starbucks Passion tea, go out all dressed up with her on a Progressive dinner around our favorite town... but I can send her my thoughts and prayers in thanksgiving for one of my dearest friends. She has been there at some of my worst moments and saw me through, she was my cheerleader when it seemed like there was nothing to cheer about; she is a constant in my life and it seems so surreal that we have only known each other for two years, it seems as though we have always been friends. But even though we have not always been friends, I know that we always will be.

This dear friend is for you.

Single Issue Voting...

As I mentioned yesterday, I have been thinking a lot about the comments like "you cannot be a single issue voter" or "everything needs to be weighed, not just one issue". Well, I would agree with this if all things were equal but they aren't.


Lesson: Objective Truth and Hierarchy of Goods

What is Truth? How do we know it? Truth is that which corresponds to reality. But what is objective truth?

Objective Truth means that a specific truth remains true everywhere, independently of human thought or feelings. For instance, it is true always and everywhere that '2 plus 2 equals 4'. No matter where you decide to practice your arithmetic {be it in the classroom or Mars}, you will always get 4. But what else can fall into this category of Objective Truth? Here in America, the land of subjective rationalism, it may be hard to swallow that there are Truths that exist independently of our "feelings", thoughts or the American consensus. More on this to follow in the coming posts.

Hierarchy of Goods:
Hierarchy {defined by dictionary.com} is any system of persons or things ranked one above another. Though this may be another unpopular concept, it is an important one when discussing "single issue voting". In some way or another, everything has a value - whether it be monetary, aesthetic, or intrinsic. Because of this value, in some way everything fits into a Hierarchy of Goods. Let's try an exercise. Rank in Hierarchical order from 1 to 5 {with 5 being the greatest} the following items:
Your Mother
Tupperware
Your Puppy Fido
Your favorite CD
Love

Unless you have a strange obsession with Tupperware I am guessing that did not even make it past 3 on your list. Why was that easy? Why? Because each of these items have value but their values are not all equal.

So, if there is objective truth (certain things are non-negotiable no matter if you are a republican, democrat, libertarian or just a regular John Smith) and there is a Hierarchy of goods, that would make certain items or proposals on a ballot more important than others, say for instance Life vs. money. What would you vote to protect to save?

Breaking News: Bishops speak out

I was writing a post today regarding "single issue voting" after reading a critical post from a friend of mine on the matter. But before I could get it finished, this came across my desk from a fellow Blogger: "Legal Protection for Unborn, Support for Mothers Both Needed, Say Cardinal Rigali and Bishop Murphy"

The Bishops have issued a statement {full text here} which I think would be good for conversation (which will have to happen tomorrow as I am pressed for time).

As the article states, the Bishops issued "the joint statement in response to arguments that the Church should accept the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision on abortion as a "permanent fixture of constitutional law"... At the same time the two bishops also responded to those who argue that the Church's efforts against abortion should focus solely on restoring recognition for unborn children's human rights and that proposals to provide social and economic support for pregnant women distract from that effort."

My two favorite quotes from the statement follow:

"The law is a teacher, and Roe taught many women, physicians and others that abortion is an acceptable answer to a wide range of problems."

"Providing support for pregnant women so they choose to have their babies is a necessary but not sufficient response to abortion. Similarly, reversal of Roe is a necessary but not sufficient condition for restoring an order of justice in our society's treatment of defenseless human life," they said.

Get a full treatment of this and why it is great news here.

More on this tomorrow.

Hope

Many of you may have seen this Obama ad {although the real one has the word Hope - I could not bring myself to post the real one}... I first saw this a couple of weeks ago, but recently have been seeing more and more of them. However, one of my neighbors just added it to the back of her car and as I was driving away this morning, I had to comment...

As a philosophy major, senior year brought with it a thesis requirement. I decided to delve into the subject of Hope as I set out to prove that there was in fact a human virtue of hope. I used "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl as my main source.

Dictionary.com gives one definition of hope: a person on whom one's expectations are centered. In my study Hope can be better defined as the movement of the appetite towards a future good, which though hard to attain is possible of attainment.

In either definition, one could see why the Obama campaign would want to use this as their "slogan". However, if one looks at his campaign and the "rights" he stands for, what future good are we to expect if he were to be our President? In combing through his website one can find catchy little sayings, like "I want to campaign the same way I govern, which is to respond directly and forcefully with the truth,"~ Barack Obama.

Truth, corresponds to reality. How can a man who does not want to respect the lives of unborn children promise to govern with truth or use hope as his endorsement? What higher good will this country ever attain if we continue to kill its future citizens? It seems to me that we should be asking Obama what are his first principles when it comes to governing. It seems to me that based on what he keeps talking about - the Economy seems to be one of them. Economy which by its very nature will constantly ebb and flo {isn't that part of econ101?}... so instead of a higher good {LIFE, liberty and the pursuit of happiness}, we have money?

American Papist has a good conclusion as well as an additional article. Read it here.

Bottom line: I disagree that the Obama campaign is "powered by hope" but is definitely powered by his first principle, money.

Squeezing orange juice from a rock?

As the Presidential Election draws very near, stem cell research is the daily buzzword in the media. Everyone bantering back and forth: "he" is for it, "she" isn't, "he" only supports some types of research, etc. It goes on and on. I decided to do some research on the topic {moving beyond what I studied in college}, because there were some questions that came to my mind. When federal funding of stem cell research is discussed, how much money are we talking about? What sort of benefits are we seeing from stem cell research? What about embryonic stem cell research - have there been any benefits from the research thus far? But I wanted real answers, not what the media is telling us.

Here are some of my findings: "Adult stem cells, such as blood-forming stem cells in bone marrow (called hematopoietic stem cells, or HSCs), are currently the only type of stem cell commonly used to treat human diseases."

The Numbers : $641 million is the amount to be spent by the National Institute of Health {NIH} on all stem cell research in FY2007 . New York State alone plans to spend $600 million on stem cell research. Read the report for more details on much goes into this.

My conclusion {of sorts}:

Why are we spending so much on embryonic stem cell research if little to no progress is being made? The moral issues that envelop this topic will be covered later; however if we know that adult stem cells are actually able to treat human diseases why not focus our attention on this. In that equation, the embryos would be left alone {therefore negating any bio-ethical debate regarding this} and we would still be able to treat diseases {which makes everyone happy}. It seems to me that in this quest to research how we can benefit from embryonic stem cells we are trying to squeeze orange juice from rocks... when we have an orange grove at our disposal. Why? Doesn't this seem a little nuts?

Additional thought: I am newly married and my husband and I are trying to set a household budget. As we are just starting out, we do not have a lot of money and life as we know it is expensive. So, we are trying to cut and save wherever possible. If we really are in such an economic crisis, wouldn't it be a wise decision to save a couple extra {million} bucks and cut back on research that isn't going anywhere?

definition of terms

When studying, it was drilled into the minds of my classmates and me, when you began a paper, you were to lay the terms upon which your argument would develop.


Thus, as we are at the beginnning, it would be wise to lay the framework from which we will continue our discussions.


We shall proceed on the basis that there is objective truth and man is a composite being made up of both a physical nature and a spiritual nature which informs the physical material. {if you are reading this and disagree with either point, stay tuned, there is evidence that shall be used to explain}

We shall also return to the roots of philosophy using as our foundation the three classic laws which are attributed to Aristotle and informed the scholastic tradition.

1) The Law of Identity which states that an object is the same as itself: A ≡ A.

2) The Principle of Non-Contradiction: contradictory statements cannot both at the same time be true, e.g.: "A is B and A is not B" are mutually exclusive.

3) Law of Excluded Middle: Everything must either be or not be.
We will use the following example: Sophia is married. The law of excluded middle would hold that either Sophia is married or Socrates is not married is true by virtue of its form alone. That is, the "middle" position, that Sophia is neither married nor unmarried, is excluded by logic, and therefore either the first possibility (Sophia is married) or its negation (Sophia is not married) must be true.

Additional favored principles:
4) Nemo dat quod non habet: Nothing can give that which it does not have.

5) Principle of Sufficient Reason: For everything that is, there is a reason why it should be as it is rather than otherwise.

More time shall be spent developing all of these themes as this blog is developed.

Metaphysics 101

As the first post to this blog, it would seem obvious to lay the framework, the why, the reason, for which this blog was made.

It has been a desire of mine for quite some time to have a space to put my passion for truth and wisdom and the study thereof into words. A creative outlet and also an educational space.

Why meta101? For a very simple reason. If every single man and woman were to take a basic metaphysics course that presented the basic human questions while imparting both answers and basic philosophical principles to these questions, the world would be a much different place. If you don't believe me, keep reading.