Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Philosophy Toolkit: Objective/Subjective Claims

In the 'Objective/Subjective Claims' paragraph in the Philosophy Toolkit, 'Murder is wrong' is given as an example of an objective claim.  I am unsure whether this is the best example, as the objectivity of the claim in this case depends heavily on whether 'wrong' and 'right' (or perhaps 'good' and 'evil') are objective terms as well, a claim that seems somewhat debatable to me.  While I do not necessarily disagree with the objectivity of the claim, I think that it might be easier for some to understand the terms presented if the example was a less contentious claim.

Introduction


Hello, fellow bloggers and readers.  My name is Avery, as you can see elsewhere on this blog.  I'm a freshman here at MCLA, and come from Groton, Massachusetts.  I have always been highly interested in philosophy, and as such have chosen to major in it.  Music is also a great interest of mine; I play the pedal harp, the electric guitar, the piano, and a number of other instruments, and enjoy listening to a wide variety of music, from classical to metal to Celtic folk.  I do compose some music, but am not as yet proficient enough at that to try presenting my compositions in a formal setting.  My one sibling, a younger sister, also plays and writes music.

I am an almost-vegetarian, for ethical reasons rather than for my health; the reason I cannot call myself a complete vegetarian is that I still do consume shellfish.  In regards to religion, I am an agnostic.  My literary taste, similarly to my musical taste, varies widely; I like many contemporary authors (Terry Pratchett, Meredith Ann Pierce, Garth Nix, etc.) and also older authors (Edgar Allen Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, Franz Kafka, etc.).  I like reading mythology, drawing, and attempting to psychoanalyse people, and am a black belt in Uechi-ryu karate.

That is all I can think of off the top of my head which might be of interest.  I look forward to being able to participate in this class and get to know all of you better through discussions in it!