PHIL 347 Week 7 Discussion and Responses; What Do I Value

Week 7 Discussion: What Do I Value Introduction At the very end of Chapter 13, there is a Group Exercise that asks: What ideals would you go to war to defend? We are not going to ask you to go to war, but we are going to ask you to think about what ideals or values you believe would be worth defending – even to the point of risking your life in their defense. When Nazi Germany overtook Europe in the early 20th Century, resistance movements sprung up in the occupied countries, and many civilians risked – and lost – their lives against Nazisim. Today, in Saudi Arabia, women who protested restrictions on the rights of women imposed by that country have been jailed, and remain jailed, even after some of the rights they asked for have been granted. Initial Post Instructions For the initial post, address the following: What core values would you risk your life for and freedom to defend? Could a nation going to war be appropriate in certain circumstances – or is war never an appropriate response? Does the argument pass the Test of Truthfulness? This is not a group exercise – post your thoughts, considering the scenarios proposed in the text or any others you find important. Be sure to give your reasons for your answer. Notice that this exercise requires deductive reasoning. You are stating a position and supporting it with "top down" reasoning. Be sure to review Three Features of Ideological Reasoning. Apply these concepts as you create your own arguments and evaluate those of your peers. Remember that you are using ideological reasoning here. Is your post structured like an ideological argument, beginning with a general idea (opinion, belief, or principle) and moving down from these abstractions to their specific applications? The text warns us that ideological arguments often fail the test of Truthfulness of the Premises. Have you tested the truth of your premises? What core values would you risk your life for and freedom to defend? I have several core values, but one of the most important of those values is the freedom of religion. In many people’s lives, religion is the most important thing about them. According to the Pew Research Center, about 84% of the world associate themselves with a specific religion. This is because they believe that religion will impact them in this life and the next. If freedom of religion were to be taken away, it would hurt the lives of so many people. Not being allowed to practice the religion one chooses, forces them to believe they will be punished in the afterlife (depending on what they believe). Additionally, religion often provides certain ways for a person to live their life. Taking away freedom of religion would give the government the ability to govern the way a person thinks and acts. In short, the government takes away a large part of a person’s conscience and conscience is an individual's most sacred right. Could a nation