PHILOSOPHY WORKSHOPS
Overview
In this series of workshops, I learn about different philosophies and the ideas and beliefs that make up those philosophies. In some I have made mindmaps discussing the different themes and ideas, and in others I have completed activities regarding each individual philosophy.​
Altruism Vs Objectivism
Altruism refers to the selfless concern with the well-being and happiness of others at the expense of oneself. Objectivism is the pursuit of one self's own happiness and some believe it to be the noblest pursuit in existence. I conducted research into Ayn Rand's Objectivist Ethics, which discusses the issues of altruism and how objectivism can be seen as the better alternative. My mindmap below goes into more detail, but a few ideas that I picked up on is the idea that if we are meant to be self-sacrificing without concern for ourselves, how are we meant to know when to stop giving. It would just be a continuous cycle of giving and giving.​
I also looked into Peter Singer's TED talk The Why and How of Effective Altruism, which goes into detail about a more realistic form of altruism. The video boils down to altruism under a voluntary act, that is, you should have an understanding of your own situation and circumstances, and donating and doing acts of kindness as and when you're able to. It should also be noted that one should not be made to feel nad for not being able to help as you can't always know a person's circumstances.
The Objectivist Ethics (aynrand.org)
Objectivism | philosophy | Britannica
Ayn Rand - Why Altruism is Evil - YouTube
Peter Singer: The why and how of effective altruism - YouTube
Stoicism
Stoicism’s origins can be traced back to its founder, Zeno of Citium, when he lost all of his possessions on his merchant ship which had sunk in the sea, and was subsequently stranded in Athens. Having lost everything, he took up reading on philosophies taught by Socrates, and sought out other philosophers in the city. Taking on his own students, Zeno came up with the foundations of Stoicism, which teach virtue, tolerance, and self-control. The name originates from the Stoa Poikile, the painting in front of which Zeno and his students would hold their discussions.
The Stoics believed that every occurrence in the world is part of a series of interconnected chains of cause and effect, which created a web-like structure, known as Logos. They believed that whilst we don’t always have control over the circumstances that affect us, we do have control over the approach we take when confronting them. Rather than trying to create an ideal society, the Stoics would try to deal with the world as it is, through considering the four values: Wisdom, Temperance, Justice, and Courage.
Wisdom: practical wisdom to solve problems in a logical manner
Temperance: practicing self-moderation and control
Justice: not just punishing evil, but treating each other with fairness, even those who have done wrong
Courage: facing daily challenges with clarity, and integrity
“Sometimes, even to live is an act of courage” -Seneca
However, Stoicism isn’t a self-centered philosophy. Seneca called for the fair treatment of slaves, claiming that we all share the same humanity. Only those who have achieved the four cardinal values and virtues in themselves are able to bring about positive change in others.
Marcus Aurelius’ journals would go on to guide Nelson Mandela through his wrongful imprisonment in South Africa. After his release, he would argue that whilst the injustices of the past cannot be undone, his people can go on to build a better future.
Authoritarianism Vs Anarchism
Authoritarianism refers to the absolute ruling over a body of people by a single (or sometimes group of) elite figure, with no room for individual thought or freedom of action. Regarding Machiavelli’s El Principe (1532, The Prince), he states that, if given the choice of either being loved or being feared, “it is much safer to be feared than loved”. Machiavelli says rather coldly: “as long as you succeed they are yours entirely; they will offer you their blood, property, life, and children”.
Anarchism is the belief that governments and systems of power are harmful and unnecessary for the development of society. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, the first person to willingly call himself an anarchist, wrote a study: Qu’est-ce que la propriété? (1840; What Is Property?). Proudhon argued that the real laws of society have nothing to do with authority but rather stem from the nature of society itself, and saw a future where authority was dissolved and a natural order among people was created. The philosophy of anarchy requires two critical points to consider:
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an analysis of the power relations underlying existing forms of political authority
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a vision of an alternative libertarian society based on cooperation, as opposed to competition and coercion
authoritarianism | Definition & Facts | Britannica
anarchism | Definition, Varieties, History, & Artistic Expression | Britannica
Existentialism and Anti-design
Existentialism is concerned with reality and meaning. All people are born into a meaningless world and must therefore give their life meaning through the actions they take and the choices they make. Human beings are presented with infinite choices and possibilities throughout their lives. However, the vast expanse of possibility, and the limitations of the human experience, can lead to existential dread or angst. Those who fall into the idea of nihilism, that life has no meaning, can find themselves dragged into absurdity, where an individual’s search for meaning clashes with the real world’s lack of meaning.
Anti-design revolves around the idea of taking an object, looking at its base functions, and then creating the antithesis of those, whilst still remaining functional. For example, removing the CPU from a computer would break it, which isn’t anti-design, but making the specifications terrible, whilst still being able to function, is an example of anti-design. Much of the anti-design art movement centered around bold colours, distorted scales, and the use of irony. Many anti-design artists used these methods as tools to get consumers to think about the object they bought, rather than just mindlessly consuming material.
