Thought and Thesis

In my last post, "The Moral Vote", I discussed briefly voting along moral lines. This post is, in a sense, a continuation of the same idea, albeit from a different point of view.  The topic of tacit consent is not a new one. Among others, Locke claims that one who continues to reside in a state has given tacit consent to the government for which oversees that state. While this claim is important to what I wish to talk about here, I would like to delve deeper into the ramifications of tacit consent in relation to my previous post. To begin I feel two definition are in order. Both can be found in the Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy. Tacit:  "A state of a person or a relation between people that is not expressed, or one of which the subjects may even be unaware, but which can be inferred from their other capacities and actives".  Consent:  "…The place of consent is the legitimation of social and political practices".  For the purpose here the...

Is it justifiable to vote on strictly moral grounds? Rather, is one justified in voting for someone in spite of immoral acts and beliefs because of that persons nonmoral policies? The labor to craft the right question alone has taken slow deliberance. As such it is clear that to answer it will be no small task.  At first blush it seems that the answer should be no. Resoundly no! But to explain why goes well beyond the first blush. It also requires an answer to the first question. Or, at best an answer to both jointly. First I will attempt to answer the first fully and concisely.  Clearly it seems there are times in which it is justifiable to vote on moral grounds. Should one individual be so morally corrupt it seems our duty toward the body politic to vote against that individual. (Admittedly a question is begged here as to what is moral. The answer should be too obvious for those clear minded. It is that which promotes and supports equality among the body politic). I...

In preparing my next post, 'The Moral Vote', it occurred to me that at the root of my conversations I will draw upon language that may not be universal. The philosophical language of ethics, political theory, epistemology, etc., may not be widely understood by all readers.  Wherefore, with a desire to remain as concise as possible, I have made the decision to not define, in brief or otherwise, the terms and language that will be used throughout these posts. To that end I will make the assumption the language is understood. In those instances where it is not, I take that it is for the reader to acquaint ones self with those terms that are not understood. Comment: It is often tempting to feel the deep passion of a news event and have the desire to comment on it as soon as possible. I am not immune to the pull of these passions. Assuredly, I have made many rants elsewhere concerning my joy or displeasure about an event. Here I will endeavor to avoid such comments.  ...

How does one begin to share ones thoughts onto the world? Moreover, how does one reengage where once one had done so for some time but halted? Slowly, it would seem. So too with deliberance. With slow deliberance then I shall begin once more to lay down my thoughts, beliefs, passions, and to do so as logically as I can.  This, the logical development of things, is the most important. It is also which requires slow deliberance. I could, as many do, simply rail against the misgivings of the world. Stream as one gone mad in desperate hope of finding sense of the world. No. Surely this will not, and should not, do. Least of all given the mad political world in which we find ourselves of late.  It is to that now I wish to only speak briefly. I do so as merely a preamble to what may come in future, slow, deliberate, posts: On 8 November 2016 this nations body politic placed into its presidency a man that possess all the hallmarks of a racist. All the trappings of a bigo...

*What follows is a write up that I did for one of my grad classes concerning a number of claims that Eduard C. Lindeman makes in his book "The Meaning of Adult Education". I don't claim for it to be authority, or exactly what Lindeman means by his claims, but I do believe that what I have written is a good explanation of some of the implications for the claims that he makes and doesn't defend.* While reading “The Meaning of Adult Education” I ran into a number of major claims made by the author that I believe needed to be clarified and expounded upon. In the first paragraph on page 17 Lindeman makes a number claims that need to be unpacked. These claims will go on to have a profound effect on the rest of the book. Although a few pages before Lindeman tell us what intelligence ‘is’, we don’t find out what makes an intelligent person until pages 16 and 17. It is to these points that I’d like to address. First, “The person who knows what he wants to do and why i...

So this is a draft of a piece that I have been working on for a while now on and off. It's not complete yet, and it may not be complete for some time, but it is a view that I believe is the best explanation for ethical and moral views. Enjoy and any comments are welcome. If there is something in this piece that you would like to use feel free to do so, but please site it properly. Thank you.   Sociological Ethics by Larry N. Wagner Master of Adult and Post Secondary Education (on going), University of Wyoming Bachelor of Philosophy, University of Wyoming (draft 23 November 2013  ©2013) Contents Introduction 3 Theoretical Bases 3 Philosophical Bases 3 Sociological Bases 4 Social Contract 4 Ethics from Individual 5 Ethics from Society 6 Justice 7 Laws as Ethic 7 Education of the Social Ethic (Updated 23 Nov. 2013) Introduction Over the course of history there has been much discussion across the academic world about Sociolog...

The entrepreneurial spirit has lead to a world of wondrous creations. Great individuals with great minds have advanced the world to horizons hitherto unforeseen. When the individual puts ones life into a thing it takes on a quality and a value that enriches the individual. One should revel in ones creation. One should allow what is created to be a defining factor in life. When one allows that to happen, the individual is elevated and made greater then otherwise. Yet, there is a cancer that infects this relation. A loss of self creation. When one dominates the labor of another to create what is of ones own invention, that which is created is cheapened and worth less. It looses it power to make its maker greater. Worse yet the individual can no longer feel the joy of creation; one is alienated from the creation. When an individual no longer creates that which comes from ones own invention, that joy that was felt in creation is replaced by something of far less worth. Namely, the mere m...

Tomorrow is a big day for this nation. We all have a choice to make that will have major effects upon all of us. I'm sure we all know who we are voting for. But before you leave the house tomorrow I want you to ask yourself a few questions. 1. Do you believe that women should have the choice to do what they wish with their bodies? 2. Do you believe that as a society that we all must come together and put aside petty individualism and greed to become great? 3. Do you believe that men and women should be allowed to marry the one person that they love above all things? 4. Do believe that we all have a responsibility to contribute equally to the society? 5. And lastly, do you believe in a nation in which it doesn't matter what you race, sex, religion, creed, or orientation is, you will have equal rights under the law? If you said yes to the above questions then you choice must be clear and reason must drive you to vote for reelection. I know what my choice is, I ...

As a service member, I presume, that I have been give the right to chose to join the Army. I also assume that by doing so have a made the choice put myself in harms way and thusly run the risk of dying. In a sense I have chosen an act such that would, or could, end my life. Yet, if when I grow old, I find myself with a terminal illness, I do not have the same right to make the choice to put myself in the same situation. It seems to me, that at least for this case, that there is an inconsistency between the views.  So I have to ask, what is the origin of that  inconsistency, and why does it still exist?

So its been a really, really long time since I have posted anything. But, while writing this post for a class I decided to share it to a broader audience. So here it is.  While reading about race in chapter 10 I started thinking about the links in Marxism that lead to issues presented in the chapter.  It is my belief that racism, as well as sexism, has become inexorably linked to the market economy. I will prove this, in breif, in the following way, and then make the link toward education.  For the market economy of the nation to exist there is a need for there to be a percentage of the population to be under-employed or unemployed. By maintaing this percentage the market is able to keep wages down due to the competition between working age individuals. If the percentage gets to low the companies will be forced to pay more to attach workers, thus cutting profits. This maintaining of under and unemployed percentage plays a role in the alienation that occurs within th...

While laying in bed an interesting question came to me that I would like to put toward Christians: "Why would a all loving, all powerful, perfect being create such imperfect species? Why, too, would that being then require those imperfect creatures to worship it with unwaveringly devotion with the intention of then rewarding that devotion with a place in heaven? If that being we're truly all loving, then wouldn't it have just made created those beings in heaven? Heaven is meant to be a reward for faith. That reward is given by God. Yet it is also God that created the beings that will be rewarded for faith. To be rewarded for faith one must have the chance not to have faith. So God created imperfect beings. Yet what kind if reward is it when your own creator has made you flawed for the soul purpose of faith, and then to reward you for it? And does God take pity on his own creations? Yes, thusly giving the reward for faith. This is all very confusing. It seems insane t...

Long have philosophers taken great time to talk about the alienation of the laborer in their work, in their place of chosen labor. Long have we talked about an individual becoming, through the advancement of technology, merely a cog in the wheel. That over time the individual becomes alienated from what they are doing, what their labor is being put into. These great works often are directed toward the laborer that is employed in a profession that is of ones own choosing. A profession in which the workers skill is the labor. What is little talked about is the alienation of a worker who find employment outside the skill set that is held. Why have these people not been addressed? The answer is complicated and rooted in the history and changing face of labor. In the earliest days of the realization of alienation most people, it would seem, found their labor being put toward those things that they had skill in. Be it factory work, analyst, or shop keeper. The job that you worked in was v...

So I've started a new roleplaying blog, Thought and Thesis (the Roleplaying Edition). For anyone interested head on over. http://bit.ly/nR4H0p

Dangerous Paths  For many years this nation has be wandering down a dangerous path. It has bet against its future for the now. It has placed the few above the many. All in the name of holding to a weak and narrow minded point of view. The view that is founded on a philosophy that people will always do what is best for them and those around them. A philosophy that people are naturally good an will be just to their fellow man.  This view is one that is shared by many, sadly it is not the case in reality. The falsity of the view, and the philosophy behind it, is made all the more clear when it is combined with the economic principles that are held by those that tout the view. These people, with their high ideals of man and it goodness, want to also tout the principles of Capitalism. A system that flies in the face of the natural goodness that is the core of their social views. Capitalism does not support the philosophy that the touters try to claim it does. Rather, Capitalism p...

If you read before I had a hard choice to make. Do I start a new campaign and now invite a person, or play the old one amd try not to invite the person? Well, in somewhat of a lucky turn of events, not for the two people involed, but for me at least, I've been able to make the choice I've need to. That choice is to start a new campaign. In reality it has started. I'm almost done with the first session of writing and the group,, minus the problem person, is getting together oh Sunday the 3rd of July. Once it was clear that I now longer had to worry about the problem child and that persons inability to set a day and time to play, everything went smoothy. I text the people that I wanted to come. Asked able a date. And other then a small change, everyone was right on board. No hassle, no fuss. It felt damn good to be able to have a group of people again that wanted to play amd were all willing to set a date amd time. So now I'm back in the DM chair, or at least will be,...

Today I found out that my significant other was denied heath insurance by Blue Cross Blue Shield. Their reasoning about this was that she was to high of a risk. To high of a risk?!? What kind of risk? Are they afraid that she is going to come down with some kind of life threatening illness? Are they afraid that she will not be able to pay her premiums? That cannot be the case. She has had coverage for years and has never had anything major happen. She has always paid what she was expected to. So, again, what kind of risk? It is not as if she is going to break the bank. Yet, there it is isn't it. She may break the bank. Oh, I am sure that Blue Cross Blue Shield will say that she is to much of a health risk. But what they are really saying is this: "We don't what to pay what you may cost us", "We're afraid that you will cut into our profits". This is the reason that is underlying all the horrible problems that this country has in its healthcare system. W...

So, if you've read before, I've been trying to get my roleplaying group back together to finish the campaign that I started years ago. Part of the problem was mine and finding the time to write so we could get together. The other problem, and one that I rarely bring up, was the problem of getting all the players to agree to a time. Our group is pretty big, 7 in all, 6 player and me as DM. In the past, when the campaign started out it was a fairly easy thing to get everyone to agree to the next session. But now it's been a few years and it's nearly impossible. It's not that a majority can't agree, it just always ends up being one or two of the players that can't fond the ability to commit to a date and time. This has meant that even though I've said okay well the rest of us will play on that date and you can come if you want, the other players have ended up say no... we want the whole group together. Okay, that's fine, but then don't come to me ...

     A question has always vexed me concerning the ways in which we pick and choose the states we support in the Middle East. Outside of the clear self-serving economic reasons that lead us into support oppressive dictatorships and monarchs, while at the same time talking about spreading democracy, we seem to have at least one state that we support not only because it is a democracy, but also because of its religious affiliation. The state that I speak of is Israel.      Now let me come out right up front and say that I am not against the Israel being a state. Nor am I against the Israel people, or the Jewish people that make up a majority of the citizens of that state. In fact, of the being three western monotheistic religions, I think that Judaism is the most pure and natural of the three.      What I am against is the United States being in support of Israel as a Jewish state. This stance has for to long pitted us against other Middle Ea...