Dream Theory

By Julia Nielsen

    Dreams have fascinated humanity for as long as we've been having them. Do they foretell the future? Are they windows into hidden desires? What do the patterns and contents of our dreams mean?

    Some people remember their dreams and others don't. Some people dream in colour and others in black and white. But everyone dreams. When our bodies enter the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage of sleep we experience highly charged sensations, images, and emotions. But due to the unique nature of dreams these experiences are impossible to control and difficult to remember. To be classified as a dream the experience must have five basic components: intense emotions, illogical content/organization, bizarre and vivid sensations, uncritical acceptance of the unusual, and difficulty remembering the dream. The reason for these experiences lies in the physiology of the dreamer. REM sleep is called paradoxical sleep because the body is temporarily paralyzed, called atonia, but the brain is highly active. The brain is soaked in neurotransmitters during REM sleep and neurons are firing rapidly. This causes intense emotions and sensations, but the parts of our brain responsible for recording memories are less active, as are the parts responsible for higher logic. This results in the sensation of dreaming. If we begin to lucid dream (which means we become aware that we are dreaming and are able to control the dream) this is because we are exiting REM sleep and this is no longer considered a true dream. (There is also a debate about the existence and classification of lucid dreaming that we can discuss if you'd like).

     There are many theories that seek to explain why humans dream. I will address four of these in my presentation: the psychoanalytic theories of desire manifestation and wish fulfillment, the theory of memory consolidation, and the activation synthesis theory. I will explain each of these theories and we will look at what our dreams would mean according to each. It will be up to you to decide why you believe humans dream as the science is still inconclusive. Many things about humans and the brain is still unknown, including why we dream and why we sleep. This is best summed up by the co-discoverer of REM sleep, William Demen, who said "The only reason we need to sleep that is really, really solid is because we get sleepy." Maybe philosophy will help get us closer to an answer.

Hanukkah Games

By Julia Nielsen

"All right, it's time for the story of Hanukkah. Years and years ago, there were these people called the Maccabees." - The Hanukkah Armadillo

Hanukkah is often seen as the Jewish counterpart to Christmas. While both events are winter holidays, Hanukkah is less important within Judaism than Christmas is within Christianity. Christmas marks the birth of Jesus Christ, who Christians accept as their savior; Hanukkah is the celebration of the re-dedication of the Holy Temple. This event is far less significant than Christmas but unfortunately the two have been equated due to their calendar proximity. This has led to many secular cultural practices being associated with Hanukkah that traditionally are not part of the celebration. This includes the giving of gifts (though I won’t complain about presents). The true nature and story of Hanukkah is that it is a commemorative celebration of a miracle in which a single night’s worth of sacred oil burned for eight nights. Hanukkah is an incredibly misunderstood holiday in America. Many believe that the holiday is of great importance. The holiday is incredibly obscure and actually has no mention within the Jewish religious texts. The festival of light is not mentioned in recognized Jewish scripture and the story of the miracle is only told within the Book of Maccabees, which is not accepted as scripture. The only actual observance is to light a menorah, which is an eight limbed candelabra, with a candle being added to the menorah each night of the festival. The consumption of food cooked with oil and playing of the game dreidel are also associated with this holiday and are often enjoyed by children observing Hanukkah. I hope to share more of the festival and observance with you at our meeting.

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10/3/2014 Ethics of Killing

By Julia Nielsen

Why is it wrong to kill? Ask any person and they would agree that it is fundamentally wrong to kill a person outright. But ask them why, and few can give satisfactory answers. Given a Socratic (and annoying) stream of questions it is often easy to find inconsistencies with any argument for the inherent wrongness of killing. While there are outside factors which would affect the morality of an action like killing, most people would accept that killing is prima facie wrong. This means that when judged in a vacuum there is an inherent wrongness associated with killing. Such an inherent wrongness, or prima facie wrong, is tied to other actions such as rape and torture. But why? In my discussion. I hope to look at why it is ethically wrong to kill. If we are able to determine a satisfactory outline (or merely a workable one) I hope to apply this field of normative ethics to such topics as consuming meat and abortion. I shall invoke the theories of philosophers such as Kant and Mill to explore morality in relation to life. The discussion will likely branch into other realms of normative ethics which seek to outline how one should act, but hopefully will at least give you a stronger basis of reason for not already being a serial killer. 

9/12/2014 Consulting Your Inner Guru

By Kiriell Popienko

Last week I shared my belief that people are made up of many different conflicting parts.  Many of you agreed with the idea when I likened it to Freud's Id, Ego, and Super Ego.  However it is more complicated than that, there are parts of our consciousness that fear change and wish us to remain exactly as we are, stagnant; there are others that wish to help us and guide us.  This meeting will be an attempt to get in touch with those parts that wish to help us through meditation.  Most of the answers to your questions can be found by looking inward and discovering how much you really know.

4/18/2014 Final Discussion

by Manish Garg

As the year slowly comes to a close, I think it's a good thing for us all to have one last time that we come together and just talk our troubles (or joys, or llamas) away. Many of you know my usual deal: no particular subjects, no information to read or know beforehand, no weird or difficult philosophical texts (unless someone else brings them in), just all of us talking about whatever we want to talk about.

I went to Sicily once; did you know that they use donkeys for garbage collection? Is this sentence false? How was your day? I like purple! Wheeeeeeeee!

See you on Friday!

4/11/2014 The Image of Women: A Reflection or an Illusion?

by Julia McNiff (with Emily Dodge)

     The 60s and 70s witnessed some of the greatest social and political gains for women in the private and public sphere. Women can now divorce, have custody of children, have abortions, buy contraceptives, have better (although still unequal) wages, and have the same school and employment opportunities as men. But where does this leave female sexuality? The Sexual Revolution gave women the right to obtain contraceptives and the social approval to engage in recreational sex. Many great feminist writers like Anne Koedt began to investigate the mystique and uniqueness of female sexuality through a female viewpoint for the first time. In the Pornography Wars of the 80s, the sexuality of women came into question again for the feminists: is a sexually liberated, pornographic view of women freeing or constraining?

 To this day, many feminists debate over whether this hyped-up view of female sexuality is a form of freedom or objectification. Sex-positive feminists claim that this is liberating, allowing women to enjoy the same sexual privilege as men. Sex-negative feminists, however, believe that this is objectification by a still predominantly male business world that utilises the female body and sexuality to sell products and make profit. What we ponder this Friday is, what is the current social and philosophical state of female sexuality? Are women being sexually liberated or oppressed? Is female dignity being respected (both as itself and as the [equal] counterpart to male dignity) or demeaned?

4/4/2014 Hazing

by Gabrielle Crosby

I suppose you could say my topic is hazing though I am starting to think that the root of my confusion on the subject lies in a realm beyond simple bullying.  A growing concern in America due to the increasing extremity of college Greek life and sport team 'rituals', hazing is defined as the rite of passage imposed on incoming group members that involves varying degrees of harassment, humiliation, or psychological and physical abuse.  I find this definition unsettling on all levels and the continuation of such a system incomprehensible. From the perspective of both the dominating individuals and the willingly oppressed, it seems pretty lose-lose, and yet the cycle has continued for thousands of years.

Since I know next to nothing on the topic, this presentation will be 90% guided questions and 10% background history and exemplary articles.

3/28/14 Hitsuzendo: The Way of the Brush

by Kiriell Popienko

In the west it is said that the pen is mightier than the sword, often jokingly.  But the power of words is a central component of Asian culture.  Chinese is a pictograph language and thus the idea that writing bestows power based on the meaning of the characters is one of China's oldest traditions. Further along the line, the Japanese, having adopted and adapted Chinese writing, incorporated the importance of skillful and purposeful writing into their own culture.  Certain sects of the Zen tradition of Buddhism, having gained prominence in both China and Japan, use the practice of calligraphy as a method of meditation and thus a way of achieving enlightenment.    

Because this is philosophy club first and foremost, we will of course discuss the philosophical implications of eastern calligraphy.  But I will be primarily teaching the practice of calligraphy in Japanese Shodo itself.  I will also demonstrate the Zen Koan, which are riddles, often paradoxical in nature, that serve as a method to reach enlightenment by the act of contemplating them.  

3/7/2014 The Ethics of Contemporary Art

by Kyle VanderWerf

One of the most divisive topics in art today is so-called “contemporary art.” There is much debate over whether a signed urinal or a piece of canvas with a single haphazard paint stroke or a styrofoam cup stapled to a plank of wood with a ladybug in it can be considered “art.” I posit that there is another, equally-if-not-more important question to consider when discussing contemporary art, namely: is contemporary art unethical? Is it unethical to produce or display in a gallery or spend thousands/millions of taxpayer dollars on pieces that may be considered overly simplistic, dumb, or just plain ugly? This Friday, I will lead Philosophy and Open Thought through several anecdotes related to contemporary art so that we may try to determine its ethical status.

2/28/2014 Collective Unconscious: A Philosophical Analysis of the Darkest Reaches of the Mind

by Kiriell Popienko

Carl Jung (pronounced Young) was a protegee of the famous Sigmund Freud, the man who pioneered the radical idea of that the subconscious is the principle force that drives a person.  Jung too was concerned with the subconscious, but he also took an avid interest in the fact that all mythology's across the world have similar themes and symbols.  He proposed the existence of a collective unconscious, an unconscious mind shared by all humans which has retained humanity's collective memories.  

Proceeding with the idea that philosophy is an activity, this week I will only briefly state Jung and his collective unconscious.  Jung like Freud was a proponent of psychoanalysis and dream interpretation, so with that in mind I have prepared a special activity that will allow us to actively analyze our subconscious.  Doing this will allow us to notice trends and patterns, more specifically Jung's famed Archetypes, in order to asses to possible of a collective unconscious.  I wish now mention that this activity has the potential to become highly personal, you are not required to share anything you do not want to share.  I will strongly encourage sharing in this discussion however, as to not only examine the idea of collective unconscious, but to show how similar people really are.    

2/21/2014 Change

by Manish Garg

 

If I had to call 2014 anything, I’d call it a year of change.  Good things have happened and bad things have happened.  The one thing we all seem to know about change is that it is difficult and, at times, terrifying.  Of course, this is not the case for all of us; change can also be a time for the end of a vicious cycle, the end of monotony, the beginning of something new, the opportunity to practice a side of us that we choose to forget about sometimes, and maybe strengthen it.  I thought I would take this opportunity to talk with the group about the idea of “change” in life, “change” in the world, “change” the color of one's shirt, change in anything really, big or small.

 

For those who weren't there for the last discussion I led, my format is generally very open and unstructured.  I will come and talk about my perception of change and then ask everyone about their perceptions of change, talk about the fear associated with it, how necessary it may or may not be, where it comes from, mythos associated with it, etc.  I may lead us into a stream-of-consciousness-like discussion that carries us through everything that has been on our minds, maybe a journey through change.  It is all very experimental, just like it was last time, and I hope it goes well.



2/14/2014 LGBTQ+ Valentine's Day

by Nat Duranceau

          This week brings one of America’s best recognized holidays: Valentine’s Day.  There are flowers, and chocolate, taking your special someone out to dinner or to a movie, and much more, but it’s all built around heterosexual couples.  So this Valentine’s Day, I want to challenge us as a club to think about how we can expand awareness of the LGBTQ+ community and how we can make it so that they are right alongside us in enjoying this holiday.  I want to address language, bias incidents that have been seen on campus, what we can do to make this campus a friendlier place, and what we can do to be allies to the LGBTQ+ community and what it means to be an ally.  There can also be general open discussion, if anyone has topics they would like to discuss or questions they would like to ask.  The space will be a safe space for open and comfortable discussion.  The meeting will go with what the group is feeling, and where people are at, so no real enforced structure.  

2/7/2014 Sho’ah: Holocaust and Covenant Theology

by Kiriell Popienko

“I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God.” –Exodus 6:7

The foundation of Judaism is God’s covenant with Israel, a promise from God that he will protect and cherish the Israelites as long as they obey his commands.  The horrors of the Holocaust however caused many Jews to lose both their faith in God and the covenant.  The theological implications of the holocaust are worthwhile to examine because they are specific to a singular faith.  Why was God not there when his people needed him most? Was it because God doesn't exist? Was it a test of faith? Or was it because the Israelites broke their covenant with God?

I will first break down the covenant into its necessary and sufficient conditions, both for God and for the Israelites. By translating the covenant into a logical form more suited for philosophical discussion, we will then hope to discover through inquiry the role God and subsequently his people played during the Holocaust.  There will also be a section of bible trivia which may or may not involve confectionery treats, but seriously don’t get your hopes up.  

“Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul.” –Elie Wiesel

1/31/2014 The Shape of a Life

by Brandon Sides

Recall the life of O.J. Simpson: a talented young boy grows up to dominate the American professional football scene. But allegations of murder soon ruin his reputation, and he’s sentenced to decades in prison for an unrelated charge. We’ll stipulate that Simpson rots behind bars and dies an unhappy person.

Now reverse such a life and meet J.O. Nospmis, a troublemaker who at first leads a life full of mischief. He shoplifts, lies, and commits various morally blameworthy acts. Soon he’s sentenced to a few decades in juvenile detention and, later, prison. But Nospmis finds God, works out every day, and plays football with his fellow inmates. Upon release he tries out for the National Football League (à la Mark Walhberg in “Invincible”) and is selected to play. Nospmis wins superbowls for his team, earns MVP awards, and later commentates for ESPN until he passes away as a happy person.

Who has lived the better life? Here we’ll stipulate that both lives contain equal amounts of pleasure; their trajectories are simply exact opposites. The former begins well, turns for the worse, and concludes on a low note. The latter begins poorly, changes for the better, and ends with a bang. Does the fact that one life contains an upward trajectory render it better than its opposite?

Some philosophers propose that the trajectory of a life does matter. A few claim that an upward trajectory is intrinsically valuable. Others appeal to the value of a life’s narrative. They might prefer Nospmis’ life because the events of his life culminate in a desirable narrative arc.

I’ll address these views this Friday in the Campus Center. I hope you’ll walk away from the lecture believing that, all else being equal, different trajectories fail to change the value of lives. 

11/22/2013 Who Are You?

by Kyle VanderWerf

     What makes you the same person as you were yesterday? Pretty much everyone believes they have an identity, or self, which persists to some extent over time. Or if they don't believe it, they almost invariably will still act as though it's true. This Friday, we will discuss what it means to have an identity. I will present a criticism of the notion that a person has a consciousness or soul or kernel of being or anything that stays constant throughout their life, and from this we will try to reach a more reasonable definition of what determines a person's identity. I will also present evidence that, even though such a thing doesn't exist, a person believing that it does (emotionally, not necessarily intellectually) can help contribute greatly to their well-being, and make it easier to adapt to major changes in their life.

11/15/2013 The Repugnant Conclusion

by Brandon Sides

     Imagine there exists a world in which a near-infinite number of people scrape by with only muzak and potato chips. These lives are worth living, though only barely so. Such an undesirable world Derek Parfit dubs the Drab Eternity.

     When I compare to you several possible worlds that contain differing amounts of total utility, average utility, and distribution of utility, you'll eventually come to prefer this Drab Eternity over the rest.

     Such an endorsement, the aptly named Repugnant Conclusion, is the topic of my lecture this Friday.

11/1/2013 Plato and the Sophists

by Kiriell Popienko

     The Sophists were a group of teachers who claimed to teach virtue and proper governance, and would charge significant fees for these services. The Ancient Greeks practiced Democracy and believed that the people had the right and thus the proper knowledge to rule. Therefore, the Sophists claiming to teach the proper way to rule and that the common man did not know this posed a threat to Greek Democracy. Socrates was famously indicted on the charge of "corrupting the youth", but in fact he was brought up on three charges, one of them being Sophistry. 

     My goal in this discussion is to look at the distinctions Plato makes between a Philosopher and a Sophist in his dialogues.  By using this comparison, I hope increase everyone's overall understanding of what it means to be a Philosopher.  Many of Plato's definitions of a Philosopher come as response to or about Sophists; Plato did not want people to put Philosophy in the same category as Sophistry, because Sophistry had a bad reputation and Plato has problems with the idea of Sophistry in general.

10/25/2013 Zombies

by Nicholas Palladino

If you eat our brains, do we not die?

     Friday we're going to talk about zombies. Not the concept of "philosophical zombies," but good ol' fashioned brain eating zombies. First I'll set up background information on zombie mythology, and provide modern media examples.We will then confront how these entities are treated, and whether it is truly ethical.

     I'll be addressing questions about the nature of zombies. Are zombies people? If so, are they the same people as they were before undeath? And what is the moral status of zombies? After we've discussed these questions I'll provide specific examples in media that we can dissect for moral problems.

10/18/2013 Patterns

by Manish Garg

There are patterns; patterns in thoughts, patterns in emotions, patterns in actions.  That is what makes some behaviors and pieces of information stick out in our heads.  This is what the discipline of psychology (and other social sciences) is based on: finding patterns in the way humans think and feel and act and using the idea of repeatability and experience to create a model of human behavior so that we know what is going on when good things happen or when bad things happen (or something like that).

This week is kind of experimental, and I hope it will be fun.  I'm terrible at scholarly research but pretty ok at thinking and talking, and I care about people.  So I thought maybe we could all take some time to meditate together on patterns in the behaviors we see in ourselves and the people around us.  What I wish to do is a bit hard to explain; it is something that will either come naturally or fail completely, and I hope we can all at least have some fun with it.

Like I said, I'm no good at research, so I won't have any books to quote from or any fancy names or dates to quote.  This will be purely you, me, us, thinking and feeling together in a room.  I also wish to transcend the philosophy club tradition of a big group discussion followed by a small group discussion format and not necessarily follow any format; I want to see how the group feels and what seems best to do at the time.  I hope this makes your lives at least a bit better, and I hope we can have fun with it.