Harper 2019 February HUM105 Discussion Forum 6 Latest

HUM105 Great Ideas of World Civilizations

Discussion Forum 6

How can we tell the difference between insanity and insight?

We have another Weekly Discussion question! As usual, you should do the assigned readings and then consider the question below. Read Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" and watch the video on it that I have provided in the Materials for the Four Units area, in Unit 3.  The video will help you understand the point that Plato is making. Look through some of the other materials that I have provided, as you choose. After you've done the reading, post your first response to this week's question, by 11:59 pm, Thursday, March 21st. As before, make sure you use at least one direct quotation from this week's reading assignment in your first post. By 11:59 pm, Sunday, March 24th, post your second response, this time to a classmate's comments. Be sure that you do at least one of the following for each of your two posts:

*Be the first to post an answer to the question. (You get extra credit if you do)

Agree, but then add to what someone else has already said.(No "Me too" answers!).

Disagree with something already said, but explain why you disagree.

Add a new element or new idea to the discussion.

Again, do not just agree, disagree, go off on an unrelated tangent, or base your argument on "It's just my opinion". Give reasons.

Here's this week's question:

We usually think that we know what's real and what's not, but what if we meet someone who claims to have had an experience that has given him some sort of special knowledge? Maybe he says that God spoke to him, or perhaps he claims to have had some sort of revelation, or very powerful, prophetic vision or dream. Or maybe he's a scientist who claims that his experiment has revealed some really startling and important results that sound just crazy, or maybe he's a uniquely gifted and original mathematician who has worked out a proof that can answer a fundamental question of philosophy. How do we know what to believe? How can we tell the difference between a person who sees a truth that no one else can see, and someone who is just insane?

As in the past, make sure you post at least twice on this one - and get both of your posts in by their due dates!