Philosophy Midterm

Link to the book:

The Twilight Zone and Philosophy

My portion of the project is over chapter 14: The Science of Alternate Realities, not including the last section on "Quantum Mechanics and Parallel Realities".

Summary: 

We experience reality in three-dimensions, but shows like The Twilight Zone often present us with scenarios in which we must consider a different way of interpreting reality. These alterations can be anything from the fourth dimension, to time travel, and can force us to consider that there are multiple ways of interacting with our environment. Time travel is an especially interesting topic to discuss for philosophers and physicists alike. Because some people argue that time is a fourth dimension and as such should theoretically be able to be explored in a multidimensional plane as all the other dimension of length, width, and depth are. But then, why do we only experience time in one direction? What would be the consequences of time travel? How would time travel affect our perception of reality? These questions, and more, are something The Twilight Zone provides many different answers to. The possibility of the "Grandfather Paradox" is explored in episodes "Walking Distance" and "The Odyssey of Flight 33" where the characters encounter their former selves. The possibility of being unable to change the past, supporting the notion that we do fall on a set, unalterable timeline is explored in "No Time Like the Past". Even the possibility of multiple parallel universes is explored in "The Eye of the Beholder", where beauty standards are dramatically different from our own. The point being that all of these possibilities are just theoretical ways of explaining why we experience the universe the way that we do. These episodes are more than enough to make you scratch your head, and consider the notion of reality in which you believe.

Quiz Questions:

1. What is a dimension mathematically?

2. As far as we can tell from our senses, how many dimensions is our universe?

3. How many dimensions does a "hypercube" exist in?

4. What do some people consider the fourth dimension?

5. What question interests both philosophers and physicists?

6. What is the most discussed philosophical issue with time travel?

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you believe in alternate dimensions? Why or why not?

2. What do you think the fourth dimension is and why?

3. Do you believe in the infinite parallel universe theory, and how does what you believe limit your perception of time? 

Final Presentation: Abortion

Article: Abortion

Quiz Questions

1. What percentage of women will end a pregnancy by abortion at some time in their reproductive lives?2. What are five characteristics of the "typical woman" who ends her pregnancy early?
3. T/F The US Supreme Court legalized abortion in the well-known Roe v Wade decision in 1973.
4. How many abortions are performed each year in the United States?
5. T/F Illegal abortions are unsafe and account for 13% of all deaths of women because of serious complications.
6. Some states require the woman planning on getting an abortion to notify their ________ if they are under aged, or their _________ if they have one.
7. What state started the enactment of a series of laws restricting abortion, punishing providers, and, in some cases, punishing the woman who was seeking the abortion?
8. What was the first US federal law on the subject?
9. When were abortions were prohibited by law?
10. In 1973, the Roe v Wade law, in the opinion written by US Supreme Court justice Harry Blackmun, the court ruled that a woman had a right to an abortion during what part of the pregnancy?
11. Define viability.
12. What three clauses made the Planned Parenthood v Casey decision controversial?
13. What percentage of young women (younger than 18 years) involve their parents in their decision to abort?
14. What definition broadly includes all methods of second-trimester abortion (done after the first three months of pregnancy)?
15. What Supreme Court decision states that the act of termination of fetal life cannot occur in a partially extracted fetus?

Discussion Questions

1. Should spouses or parents be notified?

2. Should there be mandatory waiting periods before an abortion can take place?

3. Should public funds be used for abortions?

4. What regulations if any should apply to abortion providers?

5. What provisions might be made against specific abortion techniques?

6. Should emergency contraception be allowed?

7. Should the rules be different in cases of sexual assault and rape?

Prezi: Presentation

First Impressions Really Aren't Everything

Going in to this class I was hopeful for the intellectual satisfaction of having deep, controversial discussions with my peers in order to explore the views of others, as well as shape my own, regarding the sensitive topics of bioethics. I had not yet realized how much bioethics was already impacting my life. I was under the impression I would be diving in to a new world, one I had not yet encountered, but quickly realized I was wrong. I was also swiftly acquainted to the fact that the subject runs much deeper than I had originally anticipated. I didn't know that I had already formulated opinions about many of the topics, but never really philosophized over them. A key example being Anna's story found in the second chapter of Bioethics: The Basics. When it began I thought I could clearly see where it was going: Was it right to let her die? Was everyone involved acting ethically? What do you think? Only to be surprised when they began discussing the duties of those involved. Was it the doctor's duty, as a healthcare professional, to encourage her to go on living even though she was unhappy? This one hit me particularly hard because I believe Anna had the right to die, as I would want to in this situation, but as someone perusing a career in medicine, I had to ask myself what I would do as the doctor. This provoked an internal moral struggle because as I said before I believe she has the right to die, but on the other hand is it my role as a healthcare professional to tell someone the implications of what they're doing? Furthermore, do I have any right to encourage or discourage her decision? What if instead I had a patient who was barely alive, had no friends or family, and no ability to care for them self, can I bring up the option of dying to them? These and several other provocative questions began flooding my mind, proving to me that this is a class I should not and will not ever underestimate again.