Philosophy
It was Dr. Seuss' 100th birthday a little while ago, so to celebrate here is the first of several posts on the philosophy of Seuss.
The Cat in the Hat ends with a great question. Remember what happens in the book: on a cold, rainy day, a brother and sister sit bored in the house when the Cat in the Hat comes in and engages in the sorts of behavior that are unacceptable for a middle-class 1950's household. The house is completely trashed as a result of his playing...remember that the brother and sister did not partake in the activities and were shocked and appalled by them. Then as the mother is about to come home, the Cat in the Hat sweeps in and makes the house look exactly as it did before he came. The punchline of the story is that the mother walks in to find the siblings sitting at the window and asks, "What did you do?" The brother, who has been narrating, asks the reader, "What would you do if your mother asked you?"
So what should he do? If he tells the truth, the mother will either think he is lying or be angry at what happened in the house. If he lies, there will be no negative consequences...but it is a lie of convenience. He and his sister had nothing to do with the inappropriate behavior, so they should not be held responsible, yet there is good reason to think they would be. (This is what ethicists call moral luck.) Is it ok to lie to avoid being blamed for something you didn't do, but know you would be blamed for?
In a different direction, knowing what they know at the end of the book -- that the Cat could make all negative consequences dissapear -- would it have been ok to have played along and do things that were against the rules? "You shouldn't fly kites in a house, you should not." Why? Because of "the things they will bump, oh, the things they will hit." But given the Cat's ability, it wouldn't matter what they would bump or hit. The reason for the rule is the likely consequences of the act, but those consequences are no longer a worry. "No harm, no foul? or "A rule is a rule"?
- Prescription Drugs In Schools And The Ethics Of Shooting The Elephant
FBC sent me this link to a story about a young woman who faces expulsion from school for acting as a good Samaritan. Her friend was undergoing what seemed to be an asthma attack and she responded by using her inhaler. The school has a strict...
- The Moral Import Of Modern Conservatism
With the centenary of Ronald Reagan's birth this week, it is a good time to consider his intellectual legacy. Reagan launched his presidential bid with a full-throated endorsement of states' rights in Philadelphia, Mississippi, where three people...
- What Keeps The Peace?
What prevents people from bringing harm to their enemies? The choices we make in our lives dictate the kind of human being we are. Everyday we will are confronted with choices that have both just and unjust options. The unjust choice is often the one...
- What Keeps The Peace?
Travis Larkin Reflection #2 What prevents us from bringing harm to our enemies? The choices we make in our lives dictate the kind of human being we are. Everyday we will are confronted with choices that have both just and unjust options. The unjust choice...
- Halloween And Two Poe Silent Films
Basic plot: An unnamed narrator arrives at the home of reclusive basket case Roderick Usher and his sickly twin sister Madeline. Roderick suffers from extreme sensitivity to light and sound, anxiety and hypochondria. Madeline suffers from a wasting disease,...
Philosophy
Philosophy of Seuss
It was Dr. Seuss' 100th birthday a little while ago, so to celebrate here is the first of several posts on the philosophy of Seuss.
The Cat in the Hat ends with a great question. Remember what happens in the book: on a cold, rainy day, a brother and sister sit bored in the house when the Cat in the Hat comes in and engages in the sorts of behavior that are unacceptable for a middle-class 1950's household. The house is completely trashed as a result of his playing...remember that the brother and sister did not partake in the activities and were shocked and appalled by them. Then as the mother is about to come home, the Cat in the Hat sweeps in and makes the house look exactly as it did before he came. The punchline of the story is that the mother walks in to find the siblings sitting at the window and asks, "What did you do?" The brother, who has been narrating, asks the reader, "What would you do if your mother asked you?"
So what should he do? If he tells the truth, the mother will either think he is lying or be angry at what happened in the house. If he lies, there will be no negative consequences...but it is a lie of convenience. He and his sister had nothing to do with the inappropriate behavior, so they should not be held responsible, yet there is good reason to think they would be. (This is what ethicists call moral luck.) Is it ok to lie to avoid being blamed for something you didn't do, but know you would be blamed for?
In a different direction, knowing what they know at the end of the book -- that the Cat could make all negative consequences dissapear -- would it have been ok to have played along and do things that were against the rules? "You shouldn't fly kites in a house, you should not." Why? Because of "the things they will bump, oh, the things they will hit." But given the Cat's ability, it wouldn't matter what they would bump or hit. The reason for the rule is the likely consequences of the act, but those consequences are no longer a worry. "No harm, no foul? or "A rule is a rule"?
- Prescription Drugs In Schools And The Ethics Of Shooting The Elephant
FBC sent me this link to a story about a young woman who faces expulsion from school for acting as a good Samaritan. Her friend was undergoing what seemed to be an asthma attack and she responded by using her inhaler. The school has a strict...
- The Moral Import Of Modern Conservatism
With the centenary of Ronald Reagan's birth this week, it is a good time to consider his intellectual legacy. Reagan launched his presidential bid with a full-throated endorsement of states' rights in Philadelphia, Mississippi, where three people...
- What Keeps The Peace?
What prevents people from bringing harm to their enemies? The choices we make in our lives dictate the kind of human being we are. Everyday we will are confronted with choices that have both just and unjust options. The unjust choice is often the one...
- What Keeps The Peace?
Travis Larkin Reflection #2 What prevents us from bringing harm to our enemies? The choices we make in our lives dictate the kind of human being we are. Everyday we will are confronted with choices that have both just and unjust options. The unjust choice...
- Halloween And Two Poe Silent Films
Basic plot: An unnamed narrator arrives at the home of reclusive basket case Roderick Usher and his sickly twin sister Madeline. Roderick suffers from extreme sensitivity to light and sound, anxiety and hypochondria. Madeline suffers from a wasting disease,...