Ethics

Can ethical questions be quantified?  Describe an example or counterexample.

I do not think ethical questions can be quantified because it is not a matter of amount but rather a matter of one’s moral principles as an individual. You cannot measure how ethical or unethical a quesiton is because as human beings, we all have our own set of beliefs therefore, what may seem right to others may seem wrong to us and vice versa. Though ethics is generally considered as the “basic rule of conduct” for all people, we may not believe in certain things as strongly as others. An example is the idea of stem cell research. I guess in this case, it is a matter of emotions. Many feel that is it against the rule of life because stem cell is a lifeform whereas others may think so too but are willing to carry on with it because they see it as a solution to save others.

Human Science

Is religion a human science?  Explain.

From my opinion, i do belive that religion is a human science because it is the science that explains who we are, what we represent and our vlaues and beliefs. Though there may be different religions, it does not matter because every religion has their own guideline. It is the science of our morals and ethics. It helps build a foundation in which we are expected to build upon and follow. Religion is the study of the spiritual beliefs of certain types of people and helps explain to others why they are the way they are.

Emotion

2 Options – Choose to write on one

Option 1: Describe an example of when fear caused you to reason irrationally.

Option 2: Describe an example of when fear affected your sensory perception. Describe how it was affected.

An example of when fear caused me to reason irrationally was when I encountered a mouse. I had been sitting down at work when all of a sudden i heard scratching noise from the closest. Being the chicken that i am, the first thing that came to my head was that it was a ghost. Because i had never heard mice before, i had no idea that was what it was and so of course it led me to the assuption that it was something out of this world. I was so scared because i had no idea what it was nor what it was capable of doing to me. For the first few seconds, i actually screamed at it…the closest, hoping that whatever it was would go away. I guess my boss heard me screaming and he came running. He took one look at me and started laughing.  He grabbed a broom and opened the closest door and out came a small, gray mouse. I could not believe how freaked out i was. This is why you should not let fear take the best of you, at least know what it is that you’re going against before you start screaming.

Reason

Describe a personal story of when you have used reason without using language. Describe a personal example of when you have used reason with language.

A personal example of when I used reason without language was when I was about to have an argument with my mom. Even though i knew she was wrong in her way of thinking, I also knew that by saying anything else would only just infuriate her even more. Because i know how she is and i know the way things usually turn out, i realized that it would be better to keep my mouth close in oder to prevent the situation from escalating to something worse. This i believe is a way of using reason without language. Because i was trying to be logical, i did not argue back with her.

Natural Sciences

Describe an example of where you would use the scientific method without using math.

An example of where I can use the scientific method without using math would be finding solutions to simple problemsin nature such as “how does the sun affect the growth of plants?”. Simple questions like this can be answer without the use of math because the solution is already there, you just have to find it versus a physics question where questions are just made up and the answers vary. When i think about natural sciences I think about things that are obvious or not man made but rather, naturally occurring.

Sensory Perception

As humans, which sense do we use most?  Why? If you had to, which sense would you give up?  Why?

I think that as humans, the sense that we tend to use the most is vision. I find it so because we are quick to jump to conclusions at first sight. We don’t really allow time for any explanations. If we see something, our mind will quickly register it and provide us information that may or may not be necessary. Therefore, people often say that you must not judge others base on first impressions. Personally, for me, the sense that I would give up if i had to would be my sense of smell. I figured smelling is not that important compared to the other senses because it does not have any affiliation with my personal and mental status. I think i can live without having the ability to smell every little thing, besides, not everything smells pleasant anyway.

Phantom Limbs

A phantom limb is a reality in an amputees mind. Evaluate a different situation where a reality only exists in a persons mind. Have you every experienced a reality that only existed in your mind?

An example of an experience that I think I have had that is like the phantom limb would be an optical illusion of my grandfather’s spirit. Maybe it was that his death was so hard to take in and it happened so fast that no one really believed that he wasn’t there anymore. I guess maybe i was thinking too much and thought I saw someone or something when i really didnt. It happened on the day before my grandfather’s funeral when my brother and I were supposedly cleaning up the house. He had been mopping while I did the dishes. After my brother finished up, he left to grab something from the bathroom. I could have sworn that I saw something or a figure of someone move from the corner of my right eye. The strange thing was that it happened right where my grandfather usually sits to eat his meals. What made it even eerier was the fact that when I turned to look around, there were muddy footprints around our dinner table which could not have been possible because no one had been in the kitchen except my brother and I and neither one of us could have made those footprints. Though my brother did not see the flicker of movement, he was stumped when he saw the footprints. To this day we still have no explanantion of who’s footprints those were or who had come into the kitchen unnoticed. Although my experience might differ from an amputee and his/her phantom limb, I would say that they are similiar in the fact that mine probably only existed in my mind as well. I think it was because I missed him so much that I was willing to take anything as a sign that he was doing ok. I don’t know what it was that I thought I saw but I assume it must be grandpa, there is no other way to explain because no one was around.

If something lies outside our realm of perception, then how can we know it?

Choose one of the following and explain how you know it even though it lies outside your immediate realm of perception.

We’re all going to die someday.

How do I know this? Well, even though it lies outside my immediate realm of perception I think things like this are implied as soon as you are old enough to realize what life is. Though I don’t know much about death, I have come to this conclusion based on previous experiences such as the deaths of family members, friends and relatives. The fact that we’re all going to die someday does not seem as scary as it sounds. Maybe this is due to the fact that everyones knows and talks about it as if it is nothing. Things like this are not really taught to you but more like you learn to infer base on what you hear and see. I know that we are all going to die someday because I have seen people born and die. Aside from that, I do not think there has ever been any documentary of anyone who has lived forever.

Propaganda

Why does nearly all propaganda take the form of art?

I believe that nearly all propaganda take the form of art as an immediate way of attracting attention. People like colorful things so therefore, there is no doubt that they would not stop to stare at a piece of proganda hanging on the streets somewhere. Art is a very strong medium and it is usually the first thing that catches peoples eyes therefore it is an excellent way of expression and persuasion. As humans, we tend to prefer the more simple route so using art to promote propaganda would be more effective rather than writing for example. I think we can all agree that art is one of the most effective way of promoting propaganda. It just works on people better.

Knowledge Issue Associated with North Korea

Identify a knowledge issue associated with North Korea? Justify it as a TOK knowledge issue.

Two knowledge issues associated with North Korea are history and the arts.  They are justified through the use of language. In North Korea, the citizens live and progress through everyday life under the rule of the government. They use language to reword history so that children will grow up thinking that their country is the best. It’s so melodramatic because teachers are even taught to teach history in a specific way using specific tones or words.  Not only that but everyone is also expected to look and pay respect to the huge portraits of Kim Jong-il hanging all over the city. I guess these portraits and stories of him are suppose to make the people believe how great he is as a leader and a normal person. I also think that they are there as a reminder to people as to why they should not rebel like in 1984 “big brother is watching you”. In a sense, I feel as if those people in North Korea are still living their history and because of that their lack of advance technology really shows. North Korea is just a replicate of 1984 except that it is real and happening in the 21st century.