Sad But True: What Do We Rely On Most For Knowing What Is True?

Since the dawn of time, man has continually attempted to further his understanding of how he attains knowledge. There has always been a thirst for knowledge inside of every human being  ever since we were even in our most primitive states. After that, philosophers emerged and with them came new ideas. These ideas came into existence because of man's hunger for knowledge and for greater understanding of himself.  However, one major question has been asked since then; What does man rely on most for knowing what is true? There is definitely an answer to this question. However, we must understand that there are two sides to this argument: The Empiricist side and the Rationalist side. 

Empiricism is defined as the theory that states that knowledge appears from evidence gathered from experiencing something. This theory emphasizes the role of experience and evidence forming our perception of what is and what is not real. On the other side is Rationalism. This is a philosophical theory which states that what we perceive as real is not drawn from experience and evidence but rather from intellect and deduction. Rationalism bases its theories on the assertion that reason has the upper hand on other ways of understanding and believing knowledge such such as experiencing it first hand. Thereby splitting this argument into two sides.

Before debating which side is the right side, we must understand that both sides are extremely valid. I will state that I believe that I am much more of an Empiricist than a Rationalist. Usually, I grasp knowledge when I have done something myself rather than think about a certain thing. For example, one can read hours on how to drive a car. However, will they really be able to conduct the vehicle with ease and precision? I seriously doubt this. If one believes in god or a form of god simply through thinking of a god rather than witnessing or observing it, do we really know that it is real? Does believing and conjuring an idea of a higher power make it true? In my opinion, No. This idea makes us wonder what we are perceiving is real, whether it’s what we see and experience or what we believe and ponder is true. However, I will always know what I am going through is real due to the fact that I am the one experiencing this, which is why I am on the Empiricist side of this argument. 

In conclusion, although both sides have their own positives and negatives, my allegiance is pledged towards Empiricism due to the fact that through evidence and experience there is no doubt in my mind that something is tangible and real, not to deny that using reason and deduction will allow us to perceive that something is real. In fact, Plato’s allegory of The Cave can be used in this situation as just because you have not seen or experienced something, does not make it any less real. However, to reiterate, the fact something is real is implanted in your head once you have experienced it. 

More to come,

-Mason

The Internet: You Live It or Lie It

This is my first official blogpost and I am looking forward to it. I have been asked to answer the following question: Is the internet helping or hurting?

In the simplest terms, the internet is probably one of the single greatest inventions man has ever come up with. It allows us to view essentially any sort of information on anything we want in a matter of moments. Did I forget to mention that its also ALL available to you at anytime of the day and on demand?  The amount of information at your disposal is basically incalculable. However, there are some major problems with the internet that have us wondering, "Is the Internet Helping or Hurting?"

One might argue that the internet has helped us in many crucial ways. It has brought us loads of entertainment whether it comes from videos, images, video games, social networking and I could go on. However, recently there have been many aspects of the internet that have become extremely unappealing. For one, social networking sites such as Facebook or Myspace have left us wondering whether it is even safe to be members of these sites. False identities and Cyber Bullying are just some of the things that will assuredly not have you interested in being involved with these sites. Creating a false identity for oneself is both unintelligent and downright wrong. Although some may claim that they can be whoever they want online, how do they really know that? The fact of the matter is that you are who you are, and what you post online isn't really the truth. Cyber bullying is surely one  extremely dangerous aspect of the internet. It has caused some horrific things to happen to certain people. Suicides, deaths and the ruining of lives are just some things that can result from simply typing out a message to someone on a computer and sending it to them via the internet. 


Lastly, a complete lack of privacy is something that is truly immoral and unsafe. Imagine someone happened to post a photo of you that depicted you vomiting into a toilet because you had a few too many drinks. Then, you go and apply for a new job, and lets say that it's your dream job. The interview goes well and you think that you've nailed it. However, you are not hired because they went and did a background check on you and found this photo of you severely inebriated, which completely changed their mind about hiring you. 

In conclusion, I strongly believe the internet is hurting us. There are many good aspects of the world wide web. However, is it all truly worth it if most of our personal information is out in the open waiting for anyone to get their filthy hand on it? Absolutely not. Which is why we must realize that we all must be extremely careful with what we post online whether it be a Youtube video, a picture to Facebook, or your address on Myspace. I have seen some rather embarrassing things on some of my peers online that I would surely not want associated with my name. As Kurt Cobain Once Said: " I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not."We must realize that it is better to be oneself than to be someone who we are not. 

Hope you enjoyed this,

-Mason 

Hello me. meet the real me.

So, I have published blogs in the past but I stopped for a little. so now I guess you could say I am back in the saddle (again). Anyway, this is for my sociology class where ill be conducting some sort of music related sociological study.


Cheers,
Mason