We got to 2 of my 3 questions today during the session, but I’ll post all 3 in case someone who wasn’t there wants to chime in (or someone who was there but has thought of something else!)
1. Can you think of any modern examples of claims or arguments where reason is undercut, to the detriment of self-esteem?
2. Have you ever used a value hierarchy to help you make a decision? If so, how? If not, how might one be useful to you in the future?
3. Context-dropping is a common error in politics and discussions more generally. Can you think of an example where someone was ignoring context, and how that context was important to the situation?
For next week, we’ll be reading 5 essays:
1. Isn’t Everyone Selfish? (pp. 66-70)
2. The Psychology of Pleasure (pp. 71-78)
3. Doesn’t Life Require Compromise? (pp. 79-81)
4. How Does One Lead A Rational Life in an Irrational Society? (pp. 82-86)
5. The Cult of Moral Grayness (pp. 87-92)
Optional additional reading is The Fable of the Bees, which can be accessed here: https://www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/mandeville1732_1.pdf
Handout will be out tomorrow. Have a great week!
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