Let Freedom Ring – Philosophy Discussion

These discussion
boards have been designed to explore controversial philosophical
topics. Some of the questions are designed to solicit very personal
responses and opinions, and these debates have the potential to become
heated. In the act of creating ideas, heat can be a good thing, but not
at the expense of hurt feelings or frustration. Remember that the
practical aspect pf philosophy asks us to examine and perhaps even
change something about ourselves. Hopefully, we will be challenged by
others with a different opinion, but we need to remember that a
challenge to our beliefs is not a threat. To the contrary, it should be
regarded as an opportunity to re-evaluate and understand why we hold
these beliefs.

Some important rules to follow:

1. There
   will be no Ad hominems (attacks against the person); not following this
   rule may result in failure of the assignment. You can disagree with a
   person’s opinions, but you may not attack other people. You may,
   however, disagree with the ideas of others, but do so in a constructive
   manner. For example, you can say, “I don’t agree with your post. I think
   instead that . . . ” But, you cannot say, “You’re an idiot” or even
   “That’s just plain stupid.” Academia requires a diversity of opinions
   but presented politely; after all, ethics is part of Philosophy.
2. Avoid
   making statements meant to be absolute (such as, “There is no other way
   to think about this”). Instead of asking closed-ended questions looking
   for a “yes” or “no” or the “right” answer, ask open-ended questions
   (such as, “Have you thought about . . . ?”)
3. Try to connect the
   current discussion to topics from other lessons. Remember that all of
   the Philosophers wrote about more than a single topic and the way they
   think about one area of Philosophy probably affects other areas as well.
   For example, it might be extremely useful to mention John Stuart Mill’s
   ethical theories from an earlier lesson during a later discussion of
   his support for women’s rights and equality.
4. Rather than simply
   reacting to the readings and the responses of your classmates, think
   about the arguments being made. Really consider the effectiveness of
   these arguments. “I agree” responses are not useful to the discussion
   and will not receive credit.

Give some serious
consideration to the topic or scenario before answering; and, then,
using the questions below as a guide, write a 75-100 word initial
response about the issue being discussed. Next, please take the time to
respond to at least two of your classmates.

Respond

1. Would you prefer to be happy but not free or free but not happy? Provide some sort of example with your explanation.
2. Which
   freedom that you currently possess would you fight for to get back if
   this freedom were to be taken from you? Why is this freedom so important
   to you?
3. If someone offered you five million dollars to become
   his slave for ten years and promised no physical harm would come to you
   during that time, would you agree to his offer? Why or why not?

This is a discussion – No APA formatting required. Initial post must be 75 to 150 words. Please cite any outside sources used.