Welcome Back 404 & 410!

Welcome back 404 and 410! It's the start of a new school term and the beginning of another phase in your learning journey! This term we will be doing the following to prepare you for the Block Tests:

1. attempt an SRQ based on the Serangoon Gardens foreign workers' domitory incident (2 lessons)
2. redraft your SRQ timed-trial "Why Chinese Mothers are Superior" (1 lesson)
3. error analyze SRQ timed-trial (1 lesson)
4. reflect on SRQ skills - with 2010 Block Test Paper (1 lesson)

We might do a comprehension in between if necessary (hopefully not). More on this later.

For today, we'll engage in a Learning Lab session. You will be divided into 3 large groups and you will attempt to THINK about the materials and questions below. I have 3 groundrules for you to abide by for this activity, and for the rest of this term:

1. SPEAK good english (try to minimize Singlish)
2. THINK critically in multiple perspectives (don't be lazy and comfortable with your beliefs and assumptions; ask yourself, "do I have good grounds to believe what I believe?")
3. EXPLAIN why you believe what you believe as clearly and coherently as possible (minimize one-sentence claims and pronouncements) 

Group 1

Read and think about the incident where a UCLA student posted a racist rant on YouTube.
Scroll down to view the video first, then read the newspaper article from Associated Press.

Think about the following questions:

1. Does the UCLA student, Alexandra Wallace, have good grounds to believe what she believes? Are her stereotypical views on Asians fair and grounded in legitimate and good evidence?
2. If they are, what are the implications? If they aren't, why and how do you think Westerners (and people in general) acquire prejudices and assumptions about Asians and persons of different races?
3. What does the incident tell you about online social responsibility? What does it tell you freedom of expression online? 
4. Do you think that in some way, the aftermath of the video posting (save for the death threats) was more constructive than destructive? (Think in terms of the democratic processes of public, rational discussion of issues and ideas and the notion of freedom of expression leading to more enlightened opinions)

Larger Thinking Point: It is undeniable that stereotypes exist. Inevitably, we form ideas and perceptions about people based on what we perceive we observe. Are stereotypes fair and based on good evidence? Or are they not? When and why are they fair or unfair?

Group 2

Due to video copyright, the video to be viewed can only be accessed from my Facebook wall. Watch and think about what Workers' Party member and NCMP Sylvia Lim has to say about ministerial wages in Singapore. Do you agree with her point of view? Think in terms of issues of equity and fairness, and the concept of being a public servant - serving the nation and people. Or do you think there is merit in the argument that ministers' pays should be comparable to private sector wages?

Larger Thinking Point: What is public service, fairness and equity?

Group 3

A mum forced her son to stand on the streets to impress upon him the importance of education. Undeniably, her method was unconventional, but her message is one that we can understand. Education -- in all its aspects and forms -- is undeniably important. Have a look at the " New York Times' recent article - "Let Kids Rule the School", and tell me whether you endorse and like what the school in Massachusetts allowed its students to do. Do you think that the same can obtain in Singapore?

If you have time, have a look at Apple co-founder, Steve Job's commencement speech delivered at Stanford University. Re-think your beliefs and concept of education.

Larger Thinking Point: What is education and what does it mean to educated?

What's Wrong Here???

Attention Philosophers of 414!

Remember! Making SENSE of an argument and SEEING what's wrong or right with it takes TIME! STARE at your arguments, identify the CONCLUSION, THINK about how the various premises fit and link together to FLOW to the conclusion. I asked you to examine the following argument and think about what's problematic with it. Use this space to write down what you identify as the flaws in this argument!

"When prisoners under sentence of death are given the choice between life in prison and execution, 99% of them choose life imprisonment. 

This shows that they fear death more than they fear life imprisonment. 

Since one is most deterred by what one most fears,

it is evident that the threat of the death penalty is more likely to deter most potential murderers than is the threat of life imprisonment."

What say you? What's wrong here?

What is life? What is death? Is there such a thing as life after death? Or does death not mean the end of life?

Attention Philosophers of 314!

We set off on a little learning quest to think about the various ways to construe the above questions. We set off on different learning journeys to examine what various faiths have to say about these questions. Use this space to record your findings - what do Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity have to say?

Is it possible to have a concept of X, without knowing the opposing concept not-X?

Attention Philosophers of 314!

Today, we examined this question:
"Is it possible to have a concept of X, without knowing the opposing concept, not-X? For example, is it possible to know happiness without knowing what unhappiness is?"

We had a very fruitful discussion - many issues and ideas were thrown up. Use this space to consolidate your thoughts and opinions, state any issues or ideas that continue to to plague you. If you have possible answers to your fellow philosopher's queries, do feel free to help resolve them :)

Have fun!

Thomas Hobbes on why we need or created government and law ...

Attention Secondary Two Philosophers!

English Philosopher, Thomas Hobbes (1588--1679) once said:

"All human beings’ actions are selfishly motivated. So, for purely selfish reasons, a person is better off living in a world with moral rules than one without moral rules.
For without moral rules, we are subject to the whims of other people's selfish interests. Our property, our families, and even our lives are at continual risk.
Selfishness alone will therefore motivate each person to adopt a basic set of rules which will allow for a civilized community.
Not surprisingly, these rules would include prohibitions against lying, stealing and killing.
However, these rules will ensure safety for persons only if the rules are enforced.
As selfish creatures, each of us would plunder our neighbors' property once their guards were down. Each person would then be at risk from his neighbor.
Therefore, for selfish reasons alone, we devise a means of enforcing these rules: we create a policing agency which punishes us if we violate these rules—the government, the law."

What is Hobbes trying to say?
Do you agree with his point of view?

I think ...

Attention 404 and 410

Dear 404ers and 410ers, 

Behold the REVIVAL of the BLOG!!! *evil laugh*
For your 2-week assignment, pick ONE piece of news from TODAYonline. READ the article, ANALYZE the issue(s), WRITE:
a RESPONSE to the writer (~ a SRQ response) OR
a COMMENTARY on the issue(s) (~ an exposition).
Do make sure that you POST your comment on TODAYonline ITSELF, like so:

After you have posted your comment(s), PRINT out a copy of your post with the URL (either you print straight from the website or you copy and paste your comment along with the URL in a Word document).
Submit your printed post to your LA Rep.

Due date: 25th Feb, Friday, Before 2pm.

Have fun! Please use your real names and email addresses but be careful to exercise cyberwellness caution.

** DO NOT post silly, undesirable, disrespectful, inappropriate comments. It is a public forum and we must exercise due decorum. People might read and comment on your comments, so think before you write.
** DO post insightful, critical analyses or comments. Be measured, fair, objective in evaluation. Remember to think about the issue(s) critically and in different perspectives.

What does it mean to be Chinese?

There are various ways to go about this question.
What does it mean to be Chinese?
What is Chinese-ness?
Is there such a thing as Chinese-ness?
Is there such a thing as race?

Post your thoughts and comments here. Either offer a new idea, or respond to a friend's idea. The minimum word count (I hate having to place rules like this) is 350 words and your posts will be judged on two criteria:

1. Whether you have subjected your thoughts to rigourous scrutiny; and
2. Whether you have worded your ideas accurately and precisely (such that correct meaning is conveyed).

Have fun with it :)