Top o’ the mornin’ to ya! Another heightened emphasis of Philosophy Matters is critical thinking, and today I’m going to attempt to highlight that with some oldies and goodies such as education and ethics. I should first mention that critical thinking is one of the major cruxes of most branches of psychology. Some may wonder,… Continue reading Moral Monday: Kill Kindergarten or ‘Ssassinate Senior Year?
PSA for trampolines, puppies and symphonies
How do we know if we’re happy? How do we know if we’ve “made it”? We’ve been discussing happiness a lot over here at Philosophy Matters and to each of us it seems to mean something different. We can easily define what happiness isn’t (stress at work, loss of a job, debt, death in the family,… Continue reading PSA for trampolines, puppies and symphonies
Why Aren’t We Good At Predicting What Will Make Us Happy?
It’s easy to view happiness like it’s a quest that we’re on. We can see it lurking around the next corner: I’ll be happy once I get that promotion, once I pay off that debt, once I have kids, once I… you fill in the blank. But there’s always a new corner to turn. This… Continue reading Why Aren’t We Good At Predicting What Will Make Us Happy?
Word(l)y Wednesdays: Move Your Body
Pathos (Language and Emotion) Body language, while not exactly “language” in the strictest sense of the word, is definitely a tool we use along with language to communicate with others–and in a video I recently saw, we can even use it to communicate with ourselves. Language, like so many of the other topics we discuss… Continue reading Word(l)y Wednesdays: Move Your Body
Philosophy Book Club: Jonathan Livingston Seagull
I had previously read [amazon_link id=”0440343194″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Richard Bach’s Illusions[/amazon_link] and enjoyed it a great deal, to this day recalling some of the passages that really stood out to me. However, I never looked bothered to check whether Bach had written more, so I was pleasantly surprised when one of my coauthors introduced me… Continue reading Philosophy Book Club: Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Philosophy and Psychology: Kindred Disciplines
Well, hello there. For my first posting on Philosophy Matters, I want to emphasize the interrelatedness between philosophy and psychology. As Swalters can tell you, the Greek origins for the former indicate a “lover/friend of wisdom,” whereas those of the latter a “study of the soul.” Thus, even the mutual etymology suggests a special relationship. … Continue reading Philosophy and Psychology: Kindred Disciplines
10 Things All Girls Should Know How To Do Before Getting Their Driver License
Before getting my driver’s license it was important that I know how to do all of these things before setting off on my own. Having independence when driving is wonderful and freeing, but nothing stifles independence more than not knowing what to do when something unexpected happens. There is nothing worse than having to rely… Continue reading 10 Things All Girls Should Know How To Do Before Getting Their Driver License
5 Reasons Happiness Is Hard To Discuss
My last posted ended with the question: if we can choose to be happy no matter our circumstances, what motivation does that leave us to improve our lives? Personally, I have realized that I’ve been stuck on this question for several years now, and it has impacted decisions I have made in my life. I’m… Continue reading 5 Reasons Happiness Is Hard To Discuss
Word(l)y Wednesdays: We Didn’t Start the Fire
Ethos (Our language values) With language being such an unavoidable part of our lives, it gets very closely tied to our beliefs and values from other areas of our lives. In 1976, a series of fires in a Chicago neighborhood killed more than 20 Spanish-speaking residents. One of the problems was that when the fire… Continue reading Word(l)y Wednesdays: We Didn’t Start the Fire
Film & Philosophy: Mean Girls
L: After walking into a classroom of students that immediately silenced upon her entry, L decided it was time to do Mean Girls for a film friday discussion over here at Philosophy Matters. It’s a film that we can use to explore educational philosophies and feminism, so here goes. Cady Heron, played by Lindsay Lohan,… Continue reading Film & Philosophy: Mean Girls