Wisconsin College of the Air; Introduction to the human enterprise; 8; Philosophy and the human enterprise

Lower pay for those examination papers I will die sometime next week and get them done. Now I'd like to have loyal members of the class who want to do so cared to soft write another paper. But I'm not assigning at all of what you're running that you write in the paper I hope that in the case you're interested in doing a lot of talk about the back of the thing I'd like to thank those friends. Right in the area with them. We've been studying first principles in the book and then you're right I read that and write up some of your own or pick out four or five or think very here and say those are the ones I agree with or disagree with and these are my reasons not you making my paper out of that

look too long you know what you're getting. But remember don't do it if you don't want to do it then I don't want to read it. If you do I do wonder if you know this is try to lure and discuss some of the things we've done. I don't feel very gay about doing it up and have had on the water. Everything went wrong. Tried to do something about my head right. Hard drive that. I find myself to the baggage borne everything went wrong all morning that the state of mind in the

frame of mind in which I am here and consequently shorter than during the one on one going there for a time. Maybe you don't have variable like that but for a time my sense of humor was OK but it didn't last through here these quite versed in making a remark which you didn't make about what you know. You're just very dark. Don't you believe in the value of scholarship. Well look at this interesting connection. My whole life certainly I believe in dollars. I believe in God. That's so simple but the connection here between footnotes and scholarship. I'm supposed to read or

disparaging. And I guess I did what no to what I'm going to do what I'm saying I'm going on with a minute in a minute but now I want to make a footnote to that. You never it's very nice of you to. But you take everything seriously than I was in charge of a blast. You don't play a part when you don't think that maybe the control of the process of all of the time either. Sometimes something all the time and he wishes very much he hadn't found it. But then you take that right down and if you're writing in your notebook you take that one down you'll be sure to get one if you don't get the other soul. When I made a slighting remark about footnotes I should like to have you telephone to heaven and say Be sure and record that and when I get there.

All right I made a sly remark about with no connection with this young man or young woman makes between footnotes and scholarship. I want to talk about him there in that I have to say about that for a time. I'm just now reading we're reading at home a very remarkable book in the scholarly book. And I've never seen one in my life and that crazy idea as Imam Now that man he seems to know more than half a dozen or even a dozen people should know if there is one walking in the United States of America. Look for the footnotes they're in there. What is going to make us laugh.

All right George. The UN has just written a book. Just published a new book dominations and part of that is a scholarly book. Then I might just as well keep still not sending more. Normal learning of that name. The intellectual inside of that man. He stands as the greatest artist. In the profession of Philosophy at the present time in the world. In my judgment and us of the forest rain look for the what now. You may find one or two. What if it's not a footnote of the book. Alfred North Whitehead his adventures of ideas certainly no one is ever for a moment thought that he was a scholar. Does he have two or three. If he had happened on your way out of that path. How about John do it. Of course they're good many people thinking in the scholar but I'm

not I'm not going along with all that. He's not a footnote are either. All right let's sum this all up. There are good reasons for a footnote. I wish I could remember things that I. Seems to me I always forget the things I I'm going to need later on which I remember. A view of a book I read in The New York Times of a man who'd written a book and he had footnotes and lots of them. And the reviewer said Be sure to read his notes. There in the back of the book. And there you get I think really is. Relaxed just talking as a human being that kind of a what could be more viable than that. And then there are other footnotes that we talk about in the you know want to take too much time. But there is one kind of footnote mama

kind of footnote which is I know. That's why the footnotes are there America showing off. He'll say you'll say something that is very debatable and then he'll say read key and Smith. Find him. OK but I'm just telling you. And that's the kind of footnoting I was thinking of. I get sick of that kind of powerful chord or naturalistic play speaking Why should a higher form of organic life evolve and if the law reform from which it evolved still exists. In other words there's a popular evolutionary assumption or belief that man evolved from a ape. Why. Either way

around the world and there's a little more about this. That's a nice complicated interesting question. Say just a word about it. I copied this out of Dar to support. This objection. This is what the Army says and maybe said that natural selection is daily and hourly scrutinizing throughout the world every variation even the slightest. Even the slightest rejecting that which is bad. Preserving it adding up that which is good silently and insensibly working wherever and whenever opportunity offers at the improvement of each organic being in relation to its organic and inorganic conditions of life. Then he goes on to say how we can live very well but nature has a very sharp eye and doesn't miss a trick

just eliminates them on on the ground of very slight differences were not that so. The kind I think of this question around the horn does seem to me. Remember I'm not an expert in this field but it always has seemed to me that Mr. Darwin overplaying this a little here. Here's his struggle was was to accuse to mind you and to insist and to incessant. What we ought to remember when we make an objection like that. That. Kinds of conditions operate. There aren't quite so acute as that. And who are three. I don't rightly know that two or three or four or five or six firelock of a generalized structure get away or take this illustration.

We once had camels in this country we have elephants would have had camels and whether some of them talk about it and they spread around. And some of them got down South America and then later on conditions in the country and you know women there the camels. But they remained in South America and developed in that simpler version of what I mean. Sometimes they get along for a time side by side and by and by their own image. In other words this whole thing is much more complicated than this. Then there's one final question then we can go on to what I want to talk about is it possible is it possible that there are people who are incapable of performing and now through its big act. There are two questions on this. I suppose you can answer that question is it possible that there are people

who can and were capable of performing. Maybe there are I don't know if so could they conceive of one in the abstract. I would say no or that some of you would say yes that no I think if they can do what they can think that isn't possible in a class in this that they were and is it possible that some in this class or the one in this class is capable of performing a kind of thinking out and out with the guy. I say no that's not. The moment in their life and not while there's at least one. All right. I hear my mouth

I really don't like it one of the things you then lay on my arm or say will quit on carry over with for that this morning. You either but maybe we can come back to it later on my dick. Will you please bring your other book and I'll begin to talk for the offer and I will talk to you critical about him as sympathetic and also as critical about him as I've tried to do about this other human enterprise than mine will begin and then if we have to go back to that we'll go back to it later on. But today we want to continue where they discussion that we've been having. And I must say when I fed you the first time I can't get anybody to grieve when the younger that would have been fine and have been I'm pretty much in earnest now.

I've certainly run into us go wrong worthless gone more because the stone wall you can move all the way. But you people who disagree with YOU ARE THE WAY YOU movie are the way you take your disagreement with you. So once more and since it's cold in here we can quit any time as I get through these things. I have one two three. I have 8 8 9 things to talk about on the first place. Justice Holmes said one time that the difficulty whether you want to think about that now we're talking about the wisdom of the good and the difficulty with us is not a difficulty to ideas. It's a difficulty as to language. You have your idea I have my referring to communicate with one another and our difficulty is not the idea. It's a language real.

Your language has your association or connections and mine have my associational connections and I hear you. I've already heard here for a bit telling me that I misinterpreted what you said. Of course you haven't thought of the possible chance that you misinterpreted what I answered. Yeah I was like just a Vorm to say Mr. HOLMES That's true but worse than that because we really don't know what our ideas are until we're sure of our words. And were often in the situation where we have to talk anyway as you were. And I call upon you and as you as I am when you ask me questions we're in a situation where we have to talk and we can't get our ideas and talk clear. So I start off with that Mr. Holmes says Your

idea may be clear in your mind and you're getting your words mixed up and communicating. And I'm saying it's worse than that. The idea isn't clear quite clear because you just can't get the words you can't have a clear idea without their work. I thought of course that the class that he thought the best in this vote out was in the legalism of this argument I was trying to make was quick hair flip. You know there's certain things certain things certain things in life in your life too. That all is as you say get your goat. That always gets my goat. Man says I'm quiver. He can say I'm line. I'm serious but I'm not irritated when he says that I'm quibbling for some reason. OK.

But what has that to do with I want to make this point that with with next word you're quibbling. Not when you're making a distinction fine distinction I was making this drink and he said that's quibbling. The making of a distinction is not quibbling no matter how fine it is splitting a hair and splitting it again and then splitting and again and letting out a dozen times and not living where what. You're doing it for. If you're doing it because to do it gives you a player inside then that's not clear. If you're doing it to cause the other men trouble or to save yourself the trouble. Stalling then women and the argument I made was not quibbling.

And any any distinction that lead you to be sharper in your insight the cyro is by the way the other way things are. Gar what a scholar who doesn't know he has to say that any distinction which which sharpens your insight is worth your making. All right from metal door now to lease these are earth nice and short. I want to do it. And I talk about them and then go home. I lost. The argument I've been making that human never motivated by some of what I thought I thought that human being is motivated by

love making. I'm simply not used for that term was used in the book. That's so full of is not the main motivation there is that's what I'm arguing. And if you say it's more often not there I don't know I have no I'm just saying that there is such a thing as fact without being motivated by self love. The other day you're young maybe and I'm right by there. I was tremendously impressed. I was ready and it was a little girl. Four five maybe five every day waiting for somebody. They're all tense looking wait

all of a sudden he saw somebody and she plays with their friends warm happiness right all over and done and wonder and that anticipation. What I want and why I got a shock when the person that. I supposed he was the one I might meet that night. Because it will make me happy. And. If you would watch I think you would have been oppressed by the fact there was just war on thing that was ruining her the person she was going to meet. That's our if she had had thought of her happiness. She must have thought of afterwards she didn't think of it at the time it was so impressive that I thought when I get back to those guys care part of a good player idea

was presented to them. I'll tell him the story which impressed we so much line only. Not only are people not always moved by self love but they are unmoved by love of any kind. They're moved by the presence of them. In this case the person I've talked to I hope I've convinced by that. All right you answer that if you can't write a paper about that. Second I have contended that people are stimulated by the happiness of others. So he she wasn't he was just simulated by the individual she was to me. I have kind of the people are stimulated by the happiness of others in the same way as they are stimulated by their own happen. And I knew enough when we had time enough for you that we have plenty of time but I simply don't know my love.

I'd like to stop here and consider this for all the news now after lots of thinking about this for many years. I'm beginning to doubt whether people. Very often aim of happiness at all. If they do worry to be deceived. I used to hear people say that happiness is not the thing to aim at unless until it was me happiness is the great object of life. I'm beginning to believe they're right. Happiness is a byproduct but the aim of happiness is to aim at either nothing at all or that which is going to deceive you. I say I've gotten of that I haven't said any of that at all. I just sat if I had time. That's what I would say get that.

I haven't said that's the way I like to go out and stop all this and think about that. Is happiness a possible are proper if possible or proper object of life. That's a second birth. What you meant what I'm saying now that the happiness of another person or the interest of another person the joy of another person is or I just think I'm I'm just thinking something all of a sudden I think of a thing I read before you were born and impressed me very much at the time. By Robert Louis Stevenson. For a long time I was you know was not considered very much of a thinker and rising above the horizon again and perhaps in the next 10 years he will be quite a thinker again he said. Then I farm in the sun. Are you

ready. You have your we're not suppose to make yourself. You. Know the people all the time making other people good. There was just one person you were to make good yourself and everybody else that you came in with. You were to make happy. Were you good. That's the thing I've been arguing about. You can aim at the happiness of another person I can. If happiness is there's an object at all. Good. Perhaps this all hangs on the question of whether one and I'd like to make this clear. I try to make it clear in myself and once or twice I got it wrong again. Perhaps this thing I'm arguing about this point I'm arguing about this

arm this where you are happy in doing a thing. Is that a sign that you're doing it in order to be happy or to do it. You're I'm the one you're the one doing. That's proof that you're doing it in order to be happy. I'm raising the question whether that follows along and I question it very much. You may be happy and doing a thing yet not do it to be happy. But the door. For. I'm not arguing that everybody is alike in this regard. I'm arguing that everybody is equally moved by the happiness of

others. I don't happen that we're all equal in that regard. I wouldn't argue that everybody is interested on happiness in the same degree and to the same extent either but leave that aside I'm not saying that everybody has the same degree of sensitivity regarding other people the same degree of imagination regarding other people that he sees other people in the same way just passed by in the same way I'm not saying you're one of the kind. The other day I read your vocation of one member of the last shot. I read that terrible OK. All Region I want to kind of craft a few people. This one line right in there people are not much

by situation and other people in the same way not all people are saying why are some rich and some are Imagine coming up here and they said not long ago wrote of the letter. Now I don't mean on the Blackberry where they have a little letter but a big one on the front and then a very sad and West is West and never the twain shall meet that were taken for it. Then he goes on the life of our American boy is worth more to the future of America than a rag drives a godless one over there with their record of centuries of nation and MRO of us

gone. Let them fix their own war and leave them for long. Well now you see there is a saying right things wrong I'm just saying over there all the people over there and what they want. Is a matter of indifference. While he's more interested in one American voice than all of those. That's one type of course. Now Linda I wish I could I tried to find the exact quotation but I remember that she said and I remember arguing against her for she said that she was very anxious that not even the shadow of her interest should cross and disturb and make difficult the life of any other human being.

So very different. What they have in the room. Oh no nothing. The other person or something grammatically wrong with I want to give you a nice very very very.

I used to have a watch to bring it up here. And several members of the last wife left here. Nobody's going to pick it up or somebody's going to pick it up. We're going to be sensitive to you. That's not a member of this class but somebody afterwards. And is that the illustration of the thing you watched back when you were first you said to myself This is one juror to watch. What if I don't give it to him.

And so my watch the way you argue or thought. Watch live action. Gosh I don't. You have no legs. It's my impression that those are the one of course. Does something or someone else does it to please himself. All over simplify the situation. That's what's the matter with oversimplified. I'm supposed to keep your philosophy. I wouldn't simplify and I might over complicate it but I would talk it out with them. Let me tell you what I mean by that.

If you do something. The thing you do. Is say look put it this way if you do something and you get side of fact from doing it the thing you get the satisfaction from is in the satisfaction just as you are. You're over simplifying it and making the actions the same as all they're worth out of life. There isn't satisfaction as such it's always a certain kind of satisfaction and soul is not right. Right. No world in the world.

You know what the best thing in the world there is to be either one. Oh I don't mean I don't mean the kind of because I know very few places in the world where you can get so or maybe with me the thing in the world that one time when I had to get it was in your rare bear market in Norway where you and every other place the very best thing wonderful size fact did I decide to solo. That's all I'm talking about you. You're just the object is always there. And I'm I'm anxious to make that make that point. But I've got a law thing here I want to write on the board for you.

Origin player has personally idea the other being satisfied satisfaction. It's not my satisfaction it's the other being satisfied that if that's what you that's what you are. That's what's moving you to action. When you do something for somebody else just as when you eat something it's the eating that's the size. I'm trying just I'm trying to say but there's always something

that satisfy you. Size wise you're not that satisfaction is that thing you're in the satisfaction. No faction as the Germans say. That should take us still deeper into our an idea that's just beginning to dawn on me and I want to mention it to you backing up the whole business I'm talking about. That's all idea of causation. We have we have we we've always worked with a guy like this as we did in this last you have and then you have in the back of my mind where we look at what I'm trying to suggest to you that when you have a cause and effect and effect relation you have what.

Is in that situation just as much as that you have an isolated saw and that gives rise to or results or produces an effect. They're together for the Nittany. Let's take let's take the work that we're doing in the University of Chicago

on what's now resulted in the atomic bombing work on that long time what the cause of the atomic bomb was of what they did wasn't Einstein's formula or was it the conditions under which that process or those processes took place. Wasn't there wasn't the potential atomic bomb and visions by the people who were working just as much in the causal production as the processes which produced the bomb. You understand what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the result of something being in it operating in it just as the activity is. And that's why I'm That's why I'm saying that when a person acts for

somebody else that somebody else is in there in the cause of the action as the act or yes. And if that isn't worthy of a footnote What is something that causes a revolution a man might not work for not support the dollar less and less receptor occult activity effect and cause. If I want to start of you know what I'd say I wouldn't talk this way about it. I think it would be interesting for somebody from one of you active mind to do what I'd like to do. Not nimble enough to take the doctrine. It isn't the cause produces the effect it's actually of the

fact that a car with a lot of the other. How about trying to see what you can do with it. I think it would be just as stark. As the way we've gone about it. Isolating the cause from the effect and moving in this way. I think moving away would be just because neither one of them and that is the whole story. That's just one of the representatives you know somebody will be able to explain to me someday. And that's certainly something that was important.

Much more important than the others I agree and their diagram like look for myself this morning and now I can understand it. Finally the time was finally forward on our own not finally 6 7 that was this this causal explanation to sex. I donated by the one who died and then it is said whatever may be the case now I say here whatever may be the case with our argument whether you're right or whether I'm right. We must have. A meaning for selfish and self. I claim I have. I don't see how you can that you keep saying some of that word.

Some of you don't use a word but you say it in other ways. That everything up person dies is selfish. It doesn't seem to me that you can stand up to that terminology even if you're right that nobody ever does anything except from some use. Still have some self lovers and other self lovers and they are divided as these days from the West and you've got to take care of that. You can't refuse that. Why do you put a statue of Abraham Lincoln on the campus and don't get somebody else up there. How would you like. I'm asking you seriously how would you like and would you think that would be OK to put Senator McCarthy up or stack you send him a card if you got me all right. Well if it wouldn't if you make a distinction if you say to allow a link

in the state where we don't want to put this on the menu all must have some reason for that. Because according to your argument Senator McCarthy does what he does from self-love. Abraham Lincoln did what he did from self-love the two. Therefore for your argument to come to the same thing they don't know where we are. I think that I don't want to make this argument since I have to make it brief later I don't know just exactly how to put it but we're trying. We've been trying in this country and we're still trying want to try and replicate and we've done it before. Do you have a form of government a way of life which is which move which which keeps away as well as it can from

domination by a small group of people. And on the other hand it keeps away from pure individual is the drive. That's what we've been trying to do. It seems to me that the very we've been talking about is the only way in which we can accomplish that if we can't account for it that way then we can only we can. I'm not saying we can. But I'm saying that the only way in which we can do it and I want finally to call your attention to in this book that we've been studying page 1 and 14 and Page and 41 and I'd like to have read it for yourself. I'll read you just to buy just at the very two sentences maybe only one of them are involved. To understand this world of which he is the highest expression is to talk about man to attempt to rule it to give it meaning.

There there is the human ideal which opposes the purely materialistic conception of life. I want you to fix one I thought up to this point we've been talking about the pure the material that was I mean by contrasting the human ideal with a materialistic guide and then he goes eloquently on those two pages to me. Very powerful statement of the thing that I think all of us might possibly adopt except those of us who believe in the supernatural religion. Those two greatest thing to me out of accord with the rest of the world but I'm probably mistaken about that after having made so many

mistakes this morning before I came to class and since I came here. It's nice to put on. You heard another in a selected number of lectures from the course philosophy and the human enterprise recorded during the first semester in the classroom of Professor Max Otto. Today's program was the second of two discussions of problems arising from the study of the materialistic philosophy. In the first course textbook man mind or matter by Charles Mayer on Thursday Professor Otto will turn to the second textbook in the course a presentation of naturalistic humanism. Join us again for philosophy and the human enterprise. Thursday at 3. This is the Wisconsin College of the air.