Happy Birthday, Mr. Darwin?

Today, February 12th, 2009, is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, whose theory of evolution is arguably the greatest scientific insight ever made, surpassing other contenders such as Newton and Einstein. However, as The Economist notes in "Unfinished business", people's acceptance of Darwin's theory and its consequences for human beings varies considerably, from over 80% in Iceland to less than 40% in the US (2009). 

The table of statistics on public acceptance for selected countries clearly suggests, as The Economist also notes, that there is a connection between religious conviction and belief in evolution. As belief in gods and religions goes down, belief in evolution tends to rise. 

Why is this? Do you think this is a cause for concern? 

What questions might this bring up about science? About religion? About theism? 

The author of The Economist's article also mentions the ideas of the researchers Gregory Paul and Phil Zuckerman, who argue that belief in god and religion are inversely related to the level of material prosperity in a nation, as they argue, along with their main contention, in "Why the gods are not winning" (2007). 

Do you think this is true of your culture? Do you think it is a good or bad thing? Why? Why not? 

What, if anything, should be done about the apparent decline in the importance that people attach to religion and gods? 

How does this relate to our reading of Plato's Euthyphro? 

References

Paul, G. & Zuckerman, P. (2007, May 1). Why the gods are not winning. Edge, 209. Retrieved February 11, 2009 from http://www.edge.org/documents/archive/edge209.html#gp 

Plato. (1999). Euthyphro. In D. Gallop (trans.), Defence of Socrates, Euthyphro, Crito (p. 1-23). Oxford Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press. 

Unfinished business (2009, February 5). The Economist. Retrieved February 11, 2009 from https://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13059028 

Krich's on lord of the flies

First, I don’t finish reading this novel, so there many part that I don’t understand.
In Lord of the flies, Golding gives many things to represent symbolic of politic; for example, Simon represents good man who sacrifice to other who weaker.
I think two last sentences show us that the man who came to help children is represent someone who solve the bad situation and it can not help so much if that help come so late.

P's on LoF

The officer, surrounded by these noises, was moved and a little embarrassed. He turned away to give them time to pull themselves together; and waited, allowing his eyes to rest on the trim cruiser in the distance (Golding & Epstein, p. 202).
From these two sentences, I think it is like our world society. The officer represents to adults and the boys represent to children. Adults often do not care about children's ideas. They do not listen what the children think, but they do care only their thought and think that it is better because they are mature. They do not concern that when they were children the world is not the same as the world in this time; something has changed and the solution for the similar situation also changed.
Sometimes children need help, but they just stay away and look at them from their point without giving their hands because they think that it is just a little things and ridiculous.

A

In the novel Lord of the Flies,Golding used many situations that the boys have to face with it to represent symbolic of other things such as when simon confronted with lord of the Flies that represent the immoral.Golding also uses the same technic to make reader can imply what he want to tranfer in these two sentences.In these the last two sentences he uses the officer as the people who come from civilization that cam imply that be a moral person.however when he face with the situation about the boy that had lived in the island.The writer can imply that what he has seen very different from the normal situation.He assumes that the boys are the boys,in contrast it different with what he expect to see from them.

Soojin's respons writing about Lord of the flies.

All people have some instincts which they would like to hide, such as angry, arrogance, greed, and desire to broke rules which we decided to keep. In Lord of the flies, writer revealed those instincts and described well. On small island, the boys have a part which they want to supporting. Jack want to be prosperous in his part, so show his power and insist on obey. To keep his own goal, he and his group kill someone and hate, but also forget the important purpose on the island, which they have to be rescued and get out the island. Jack's instincts reflect the human's instincts hided in deep mind. After officer come out the island and see the boys, the boys is embarrassed and surprised at what they did and what happened. Immediately, they realize that their behavior is emotional and funny thing. This is an end of the novel. Actually, those funny situation is normally happened in society. For example, in history, it was called hunting the witch that people killed the person who didn't keep religion's rules. The authorities used this rule, hunting the witch, to show and keep their power. In addition, most interesting thing is though people know that this rule was silly, people followed to kill and didn't hesitate to do.

Krich on Euthyphro

In my opinion, Euthyphro is a reliable friend because in this dialog show us about the conversation between Euthyphro and Socrates. In this conversation, we also find Socrates has problem in his life and he decides to talk about his problem with Euthyphro. In addition, Euthyphro does not ignore that problem he try to find the way to help his friend. Moreover, Socrates seem believe in Euthaphro ability to help him past this problem.

A on Euthyphro

Euthyphyphro is a man who believed in real life that come with real situation that mean he didn't concern about the principle of the rule of law as same as Socretes. As he talked to Socretes he warned him about what might happen if he insisted in his idea in the public.Euthyphyphro has ability to understand human nature very well.He used it when he has dicussing with S.

Soojin's respons writing about Euthyphro

Socrates is very famous person in the world. I haven't read the book, so though it is difficult to understand in English, I'm happy to receive it. In the introduction, the situation between Euthyphro and Socrates is very interesting. They met in the court and confronted different situation. Socrates are defending from other people and Euthyphro are prosecuting, which he accuse his father. In this part, situation catched my attention but also their argument is interesting. Euthyphro said that his bihavior which prosecute his father who is murderer is holy and Socrates asked that what is holy and unholy thing? Until page 7, I also consider about holy and unholy. Actually, my major is theology, so, in the field, my seniors and my friend aruge that what holy is and how we keep it. Whenever we argue the topics, the argument always hot.

Peter on Meletus

In the first pages of Plato's Euthyphro, he introduces Meletus. Meletus does not actually appear in the dialogue, but we can guess that he is important. Plato would not mention him so early, or repeat his name a couple of times, if he were not important. We learn that Meletus is a politician, and in fact Plato tells us, in Socrates description, which electoral district of ancient Athens Meletus is from and represents in Athenian politics. He is from the Pitthean deme, which would be something like a district of Bangkok, such as Bangrak or Pathumwan.
It sounds as though Meletus is also young because Socrates remarks on his young age. Like many modern politicians, Meletus is also very keen to protect the children of Athens from corrupting influences. We can imagine that Meletus would approve of cracking down on Internet cafes, late hours for pubs, short skirted girls and long haired boys, and things like that.
Meletus has decided that Socrates is a serious cause of corrupting the morals of the children and young people of Athens, and so he has bruoght a indictment against Socrates in the law courts of Athens.
Socrates seems a bit relaxed about it all - maybe he doesn't realise his life is at stake?

P's on Euthyphro

After I read Euthyphro, I'm interested in the point that Euthyphro will prosecute his father in the case of murder his servant He is very strict and concern about doing the right things. He does not care who did wrong things but he cares what did that person do. If I were him, I'm not sure that I would do the same thing as he did or not because it is difficult to make a decision. Although his father is a murderer, he is his father and raised him up. In addition, the situation is very long time ago and in that time this case is very strange because no one did like that maybe..