The Academy

The Academy is a place where the thinkers enrolled in Philosophy for Teenagers can share their thoughts, doubts, speculations and assertions. Each student must post at least 4 substantial comments by the end of the quarter; no one may post more than two comments in a single day. (A "substantial" comment is 125-200 words long.) Remember to be respectful of others--you can, of course, question, support or refute anything on the blog, but please do so in a respectful manner.

Sunday, April 22, 2018

My Fair Bentham

The Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw (whom you may know as the author of Pygmalion) was famous for his one-liners. (Any quotation dictionary will feature hundreds of Shavian remarks.) Here's one that relates to what we've been discussing in class:

"You have no more right to consume happiness without producing it than to consume wealth without producing it."

Consider the language of this remark and comment on its implications and applications to daily life.

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Philosophical Films

Our study of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance suggests that philosophers aren't the only people interested in philosophical issues. Can you think of another film that (upon a second or third viewing) explores some deeper philosophical issues? Identify the film and the issues it explores.