Today we continued to work on our essays and projects. I've finished my group presentation for Political Science course on democratization in Russia, and so now I have more time for doing my assignments... and studying for PWT.
I've been doing my research on food and I'm surprised by the number of issues related to the topic. Food is a really interesting topic because it is something we all need but we do not know much about it. I wonder what people from 100 years from now will be eating ... will eating still be a pleasure? or would people just choose to take all the necessary nutrition by taking shots or pills? It is always fun to think about changes in the future.
It would be the best if I can finish writing my essay by the end of this week and go on to my project and other assignments, so that I can concentrate on my finals...
This term I have political science and public policy and both classes are quite fun.
Both classes require student's involvement and teachers are very interactive with students.
I also really enjoy taking PE because I love working out and I'm happy that for the PE in the winter term, we are finally allowed to choose a sport by our own.
I'm thinking of taking weight training or running... but I also wanna try on a some kind of marshal-arts... like Kendo or Aikido.
2010年10月27日水曜日
ELP journal
Today Rab gave us time to work on our projects and I really appreciated it. Now I'm constantly lacked with time... I've got my papars due on next week and this week end we have ICU festival !! Now I'm organizing time schedule and contents for my club, which is Japan-Israel-Palestinian Student Conference and because this is my first job for the club, I think I've been quite careful about it. Oh and I also have to remember that we have our last PWT this friday...
It is amazing how time passes so fast.
We will soon be having final exams, then autumn brake and the winter term will start...
I'm thinking of another ELP(?)class because I really want to develop my english... I wish we can have more info. about each English classes because I think many people don't have time to see each teacher of English classes.
It is amazing how time passes so fast.
We will soon be having final exams, then autumn brake and the winter term will start...
I'm thinking of another ELP(?)class because I really want to develop my english... I wish we can have more info. about each English classes because I think many people don't have time to see each teacher of English classes.
2010年10月22日金曜日
ELP journal
Today we learned the ways to create i Movie and I was amazed how cool it was !!!
If I can handle it well, my group presentation will look so nice and professional.
However, I am worried about the coming two weeks.... We will be so busy writing essays, making presentations and also preparing for final exams !!!!
I've also got group presentation for other classes....and I just think this is too much.
But I also know that complaining won't make my life easier.... The best thing I can do is just to sit and work. And after all this, we will have autumn brake !!!
I hope that everything will be all right.
2010年10月20日水曜日
ELP journal
Today we watched a video on a misinterpretation that happens between political stances taken by politicians and what they actually do. The answer which was given by the speaker in the video was that politicians give very vague explanations about their policies so that their policies sound good and therefore they can get vote. Also, there was an interesting statistic which showed a relationship between a gov'ts spending on military expence and on education(was it?). Countries which spend larger amount of money on military spend less money on its educational programs and I was shocked to know that Japan usualy is at 3rd or 4th place for its military expence. I do not think the Japanese self-defence force as an military because it can not attack other countries in first place in other words, it cannot attack someone for its own benefit. However, it is true that Japan has the strongest military force in its region and it certainly does have certain impacts on other countries, like China and Korea. We also have couple of American military bases in our country and that also have considerable impacts and that I think is another reason why it is not right to say that Japan has a peace-loving country without any arm force. We are relying on the U.S., which probably has the most powerful military force in the world and, what else do we need ?
There has been certain amount of progress in abolishing nuclear weapon and I am grateful about it. However, I also think that we have to think about the weapons that we have today. Not as much as nuclear weapon, but other things such as missles and tanks are also very dangerous. There are also ongoing progress on these arms. I have been watching a NHK TV program series about American military force and its weapons. In the program it was said that now the U.S. military force uses less and less numbers of soldiers because they are replaced by machines. These machines are such as military planes and robots, that can be operated by computers and in consequence, no one has to get hurt.
It scares me when I hear about these things because I do not think that many Americans do not know that their country is developing such technology and actually using it to kill people in far away country. I have learned here in ICU that the media has the power to hide that it doesn't want people to know, and I think it is very frightening that people are voting politicians without knowing what thery are plannnig to do in the future...
There has been certain amount of progress in abolishing nuclear weapon and I am grateful about it. However, I also think that we have to think about the weapons that we have today. Not as much as nuclear weapon, but other things such as missles and tanks are also very dangerous. There are also ongoing progress on these arms. I have been watching a NHK TV program series about American military force and its weapons. In the program it was said that now the U.S. military force uses less and less numbers of soldiers because they are replaced by machines. These machines are such as military planes and robots, that can be operated by computers and in consequence, no one has to get hurt.
It scares me when I hear about these things because I do not think that many Americans do not know that their country is developing such technology and actually using it to kill people in far away country. I have learned here in ICU that the media has the power to hide that it doesn't want people to know, and I think it is very frightening that people are voting politicians without knowing what thery are plannnig to do in the future...
2010年10月18日月曜日
ELP journal
Today we started to discuss about Fukuyama reading.
At the beginning Rab mentioned that Fukuyama have changed his political stance twice and according to the researches done by my class mates, he was once a neo-conservative but after experiencing 9.11 in 2002, he became non-conservative. I am not sure what his current political stance is, but the important thing is that when the book was written he was still a conservative. A conservative usually is against applying science technology on any form of life, mostly because of his or her religious beliefs. Therefore, I assume that Fukuyama is also against the scientific technologies which he mentions in the book, such as designer babies and abortion. However, I couldn't really find out his biases in his writing. I think he is just stating facts and never really shows his personal opinions about any of the issues. However, if I had certain amount of knowledge on science or biotechnology, I assume that I could have found out some of his biases.
Rab also gave us a discussion topic on abortion and asked as to share our oppinion about from when the baby inside mother's stomach becomes a person. It is a very controvercial topic and I knew that countries have different laws to determine from when a baby becomes a person. I think in Japan, a baby is considered to be a person when it becomes three month old (in mother's stomatch). I personally disagree with the idea and I think that a baby becomes a person when it comes out. I am not saying that I don't consider a baby in mother's stomach as human and therefore we can do whatever we want to do with it. I just think that it is impossible for a baby to have human rights until it comes out. For example, if a mother who has, lets say, 5 month old baby in her stomach falls down and the baby dies. If we consider the baby as a human, it means that the mother, even if it was accidentally, killed the baby. However, she will not be punished and no one is going to blame her for killing her baby. There are also times when we have to kille baby in order to save life of mother and that case, also, is recognized as legal operation. Again, I am not saying that we should not kill babies in order to save mothers, but I think that it is important to keep it in our minds the fact that we have to kill babies at certain situations and under these special circumstances, the act of killing baby is justified.
At the beginning Rab mentioned that Fukuyama have changed his political stance twice and according to the researches done by my class mates, he was once a neo-conservative but after experiencing 9.11 in 2002, he became non-conservative. I am not sure what his current political stance is, but the important thing is that when the book was written he was still a conservative. A conservative usually is against applying science technology on any form of life, mostly because of his or her religious beliefs. Therefore, I assume that Fukuyama is also against the scientific technologies which he mentions in the book, such as designer babies and abortion. However, I couldn't really find out his biases in his writing. I think he is just stating facts and never really shows his personal opinions about any of the issues. However, if I had certain amount of knowledge on science or biotechnology, I assume that I could have found out some of his biases.
Rab also gave us a discussion topic on abortion and asked as to share our oppinion about from when the baby inside mother's stomach becomes a person. It is a very controvercial topic and I knew that countries have different laws to determine from when a baby becomes a person. I think in Japan, a baby is considered to be a person when it becomes three month old (in mother's stomatch). I personally disagree with the idea and I think that a baby becomes a person when it comes out. I am not saying that I don't consider a baby in mother's stomach as human and therefore we can do whatever we want to do with it. I just think that it is impossible for a baby to have human rights until it comes out. For example, if a mother who has, lets say, 5 month old baby in her stomach falls down and the baby dies. If we consider the baby as a human, it means that the mother, even if it was accidentally, killed the baby. However, she will not be punished and no one is going to blame her for killing her baby. There are also times when we have to kille baby in order to save life of mother and that case, also, is recognized as legal operation. Again, I am not saying that we should not kill babies in order to save mothers, but I think that it is important to keep it in our minds the fact that we have to kill babies at certain situations and under these special circumstances, the act of killing baby is justified.
2010年10月12日火曜日
ELP journal
From yesterday, we have been discussing about the Shipman reading, which talks about the theory of eugenics and ethical issues on race.
In the reading, the author discusses that the theory of eugenics was originally from the famous theory of Darwin, the evolutionary theory. The theory was brought to the U.S. and Germany and in these two countries, it developed in different ways. In the case of Germany, the theory was used by German (especially Nazis) to discriminate a certain group of people; the Jews.
It was surprising to know how much effort was put by Nazis to make Jews as their enemies, and I found some of the reasoning German gave were rather stupid. For example, Ernst Haeckle, a German scientist who brought Darwinism to Germany, argued that Jesus was not completely Jewish because his father was actually a Roman officer...
I laughed when I read about this but I also thought that I can laugh at such thing because I live in 21st century and also in a democratic country, where every person is given human rights.
In class, Rab posed a question that is the discriminatory act taken by German justifiable because they believed that their action was right.
I would not say it was justifiable, but I do not think that we can ask German to pay compensation for what they did in the past. It is because in the past, not only Germany but also every country has taken inhumane act to some other countries or certain group of people and I think that the reason why we could such cruel action to other people was because we did not know much about each other due to the lack of sufficient information technology or other communicating tools.
I think the best thing a country can do is to admit what it has done in the past and teach its people a true history, so that its people will not make a same mistake in the future.
In the reading, the author discusses that the theory of eugenics was originally from the famous theory of Darwin, the evolutionary theory. The theory was brought to the U.S. and Germany and in these two countries, it developed in different ways. In the case of Germany, the theory was used by German (especially Nazis) to discriminate a certain group of people; the Jews.
It was surprising to know how much effort was put by Nazis to make Jews as their enemies, and I found some of the reasoning German gave were rather stupid. For example, Ernst Haeckle, a German scientist who brought Darwinism to Germany, argued that Jesus was not completely Jewish because his father was actually a Roman officer...
I laughed when I read about this but I also thought that I can laugh at such thing because I live in 21st century and also in a democratic country, where every person is given human rights.
In class, Rab posed a question that is the discriminatory act taken by German justifiable because they believed that their action was right.
I would not say it was justifiable, but I do not think that we can ask German to pay compensation for what they did in the past. It is because in the past, not only Germany but also every country has taken inhumane act to some other countries or certain group of people and I think that the reason why we could such cruel action to other people was because we did not know much about each other due to the lack of sufficient information technology or other communicating tools.
I think the best thing a country can do is to admit what it has done in the past and teach its people a true history, so that its people will not make a same mistake in the future.
2010年10月6日水曜日
ELP journal
Today we continued discussing about ethical theories, mainly about teleological theory and deontological theory. We also talked about affirmative action.
I searched about affirmative action few days ago because the term was on one of my research papers for my essay and I learned that affirmative action is also called as "Positive discrimination". I think the word has a point of using the term discrimination because it is actually a discrimination toward those of who are considered to be privileged.
I personally do not support affirmative action because it discriminates certain groups of people and thus, what it does to these groups of people is essentially the same as the discrimination toward people who are considered to have weaker social status, for example, the poor.
After having couple of discussion in class, I reached to a conclusion that teleological theory does not solve issues on gender and ethnic discrimination because there will always be some people who must suffer for the sake of achieving happiness of someone else.
I would like to learn about other ethical theories to see if they are better suited to solve these issues than the theories which we have studied in class.
I searched about affirmative action few days ago because the term was on one of my research papers for my essay and I learned that affirmative action is also called as "Positive discrimination". I think the word has a point of using the term discrimination because it is actually a discrimination toward those of who are considered to be privileged.
I personally do not support affirmative action because it discriminates certain groups of people and thus, what it does to these groups of people is essentially the same as the discrimination toward people who are considered to have weaker social status, for example, the poor.
After having couple of discussion in class, I reached to a conclusion that teleological theory does not solve issues on gender and ethnic discrimination because there will always be some people who must suffer for the sake of achieving happiness of someone else.
I would like to learn about other ethical theories to see if they are better suited to solve these issues than the theories which we have studied in class.
2010年10月5日火曜日
ELP journal
Yesterday we talked about racial descrimination in class.
First we started to look at the U.S. consensus and its questions on race.
It was very interesting to see the changes in the varietion of racial types which are on the questuioneer, and one thing that I knoticed was although many of the races gradually varied in to smaller categories, such as Black became african american and negro, the white always stay as white. I thought the reason behind it was that white wants to stay to be the most superior race so that they do not want to create conflict among themselvs. We didn't think of the answer in the question, so if we get some time, I would like to hear other opinions about it.
I also didn't know that the U.S. government uses the sensus to detect possible threats to the country, such as cuban and arab terrorists and so forth.
I do not particullary think that the methoud is efficient, because people can easily lie about their race, but I also learned that in the past, there were peopel actually coming to you and determine your race... The fact that this kind of sysytem was invented by the government frightens me.
I do not know the purpose behind the national senses in Japan, which is held at this time, but I certainly think that there are some political reasons.
Through my 4 years of experiences abroad, I've been having chances to encounter people from different background and that really made me to get over with some of the stereotypic images that I had. For example, I did not have good impressions toward Koreans and Chinese before I made friends from these countries in my high school in Canada. I think by talking and becoming friends with them, I finally understood that there are no difference between me and them. We have emotions, feelings, thoughts, and above all, we are all human beings.
Therefore, I believe the best way to overcome stereotype and descrimination is communication.
Even if we learn everything about human rights and different cultures, without having real conversation with peole who are different from you, you cannot really understand and accept them.
First we started to look at the U.S. consensus and its questions on race.
It was very interesting to see the changes in the varietion of racial types which are on the questuioneer, and one thing that I knoticed was although many of the races gradually varied in to smaller categories, such as Black became african american and negro, the white always stay as white. I thought the reason behind it was that white wants to stay to be the most superior race so that they do not want to create conflict among themselvs. We didn't think of the answer in the question, so if we get some time, I would like to hear other opinions about it.
I also didn't know that the U.S. government uses the sensus to detect possible threats to the country, such as cuban and arab terrorists and so forth.
I do not particullary think that the methoud is efficient, because people can easily lie about their race, but I also learned that in the past, there were peopel actually coming to you and determine your race... The fact that this kind of sysytem was invented by the government frightens me.
I do not know the purpose behind the national senses in Japan, which is held at this time, but I certainly think that there are some political reasons.
Through my 4 years of experiences abroad, I've been having chances to encounter people from different background and that really made me to get over with some of the stereotypic images that I had. For example, I did not have good impressions toward Koreans and Chinese before I made friends from these countries in my high school in Canada. I think by talking and becoming friends with them, I finally understood that there are no difference between me and them. We have emotions, feelings, thoughts, and above all, we are all human beings.
Therefore, I believe the best way to overcome stereotype and descrimination is communication.
Even if we learn everything about human rights and different cultures, without having real conversation with peole who are different from you, you cannot really understand and accept them.
2010年10月1日金曜日
ELP journal
Today we watched a really funny video which illustrates racial stereotype of black man and white woman.
The stereotypes appeared in the video were that white women work out a lot and they sometimes go for jogging alone in the night. Other stereotype was that black man commit crime.
I have to admit that I had the stereotypic idea about black man and when I shared with my opinion with my group members, they also had same kind of ideas.
Then we learned how to make google presentation.
It is fun to correct good images and make original presentation to express ideas, but I really don't like the speaking part, which is, the most critical part.
I think I have to practice speaking part millions of times..
otherwise, I'm sure that will embarrass myself in front of my class mates next Friday !!!!
The stereotypes appeared in the video were that white women work out a lot and they sometimes go for jogging alone in the night. Other stereotype was that black man commit crime.
I have to admit that I had the stereotypic idea about black man and when I shared with my opinion with my group members, they also had same kind of ideas.
Then we learned how to make google presentation.
It is fun to correct good images and make original presentation to express ideas, but I really don't like the speaking part, which is, the most critical part.
I think I have to practice speaking part millions of times..
otherwise, I'm sure that will embarrass myself in front of my class mates next Friday !!!!
Radical Revolution journal 3
I read chapter 4 and 5 of Radical Revolution.
There are many amazingly smart people in this book, and at this point, I think that Ray Kurzweil, who appears in chapter 4, is the smartest person.
I cannot imagine how these people's brains work. I just wonder how is it possible for one to imagine what is going to be happening in 50 years or a century later ??
These scientists who do such thing certainly knows a lot about things in their fields, and thus are able to think about future possibilities.
However, the predictions Kurzweil have become reality and that gives certain credibility to what Kurzweil predicts about the scientific development from 2019 and after.
The speed of scientific evolution is so fast and things that are expected to be developed sound just like things than we encounter in Science fiction movies, but I think all these can be possible.
With all these predictions, our future can be described as heaven in a way that almost every person will become a super-human. People will have super strength and their brains will be connected to devices to support them.
There will also be emergence of robots which can behave just as we do.
I think all these developments can bring us a lot, but also take a lot from us.
For example, if develop ourselves by taking man-made devices in to our body and also to brain,
can we still be able to have an identity as human? Or should we change the identity to an identity of super-human? How will the change affect us?
These questions, obviously have no answers until the predictions come to reality and actually make changes. However, I think that is too late and it is important to limit the speed of scientific development. Because once a thing comes to reality, we cannot make a clock going back even the thing was a very harmful one.
Therefore, I cannot be optimistic enough to believe in the Heaven scenario and by taking the human nature in to account, I believe that our future is likely to be a similar one to the Hell Scenario.
Without any future scientific development, I think that the current world has already been turning into a hell like place for plants, insects, animals, and even for some people.
We have also discovered that there are those of who suffer from actions that we take.
For example, we all know how devastating nuclear arms are and how harmful the emission of carbon dioxide and green house gases are to the earth.
Yet, we cannot agree on one single treaty to regulate our actions.
Thus I think that we will not be able to cope with issues that arises from future scientific development.
There are many amazingly smart people in this book, and at this point, I think that Ray Kurzweil, who appears in chapter 4, is the smartest person.
I cannot imagine how these people's brains work. I just wonder how is it possible for one to imagine what is going to be happening in 50 years or a century later ??
These scientists who do such thing certainly knows a lot about things in their fields, and thus are able to think about future possibilities.
However, the predictions Kurzweil have become reality and that gives certain credibility to what Kurzweil predicts about the scientific development from 2019 and after.
The speed of scientific evolution is so fast and things that are expected to be developed sound just like things than we encounter in Science fiction movies, but I think all these can be possible.
With all these predictions, our future can be described as heaven in a way that almost every person will become a super-human. People will have super strength and their brains will be connected to devices to support them.
There will also be emergence of robots which can behave just as we do.
I think all these developments can bring us a lot, but also take a lot from us.
For example, if develop ourselves by taking man-made devices in to our body and also to brain,
can we still be able to have an identity as human? Or should we change the identity to an identity of super-human? How will the change affect us?
These questions, obviously have no answers until the predictions come to reality and actually make changes. However, I think that is too late and it is important to limit the speed of scientific development. Because once a thing comes to reality, we cannot make a clock going back even the thing was a very harmful one.
Therefore, I cannot be optimistic enough to believe in the Heaven scenario and by taking the human nature in to account, I believe that our future is likely to be a similar one to the Hell Scenario.
Without any future scientific development, I think that the current world has already been turning into a hell like place for plants, insects, animals, and even for some people.
We have also discovered that there are those of who suffer from actions that we take.
For example, we all know how devastating nuclear arms are and how harmful the emission of carbon dioxide and green house gases are to the earth.
Yet, we cannot agree on one single treaty to regulate our actions.
Thus I think that we will not be able to cope with issues that arises from future scientific development.
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