Class Project Assignment
Channing Jensen
Philosophy 1000-003
Prof. Teresa Welch, J.D., M.A.
April 19, 2012
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When asked the question “Which philosopher has provided the best answers to
philosophy questions relating to metaphysics and epistemology?” I would answer Buddha.
Buddha, whose given name was Siddhartha Gautama, believed that reality as we know it is
simply an illusion. The reality we know may very well be an illusion and we may never realize
this until we have had the great awakening, much like Buddha did. Buddha believed “everything
is one. The whole universe is a system of interconnected, inseparable parts, rich and complex,
composed of all varieties of life forever moving from one form to another.” (Soccio 43) This is
an area I could not agree more with. Evidence of this belief can be seen in what is known as the
circle of life. Every species depends on another species for survival, for everything to work as it
does everything must be in sync within the universe. With regards to knowledge, Buddha has
been quoted as saying, “Through zeal, knowledge is gotten; through lack of zeal, knowledge is
lost; let a man who knows the double path of gain and loss thus place himself that knowledge
may grow.” (Think Exist) I feel he is saying that if someone is eager and willing to truly explore
and things knowledge can be gained, however through a lack of willingness knowledge cannot
be gained. This seems absolutely correct to me. If a person is not willing to gain knowledge and
accept other views they are destined to live a life with very little knowledge. I believe every
person has the ability to gain knowledge but can only gain as much as they actively seek.
One of the most important teachings Buddha based his philosophy on were the Four
Noble Truths, which are as listed in our book Archetypes of Wisdom:
1. No one can deny that suffering is the condition of all existence.
2. Suffering and general dissatisfaction come to human beings because they are possessive,
greedy, and above all, self centered.
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3. Egocentrism, possessiveness, and greed can, however, be understood, overcome, rooted
out.
4. This rooting out, this vanquishing, can be brought about by following a simple,
reasonable Eightfold Path of behavior in thought, word, and deed. Change of viewpoint
will manifest itself in a new outlook and new patterns of behavior.
The second question of the group activity asked “Which philosopher provided the best
answers to philosophy questions relating to ethics?” When I met with my group I came prepared
to Stoicism. I believe the Stoics offer the best answer to this question. The Stoics “seek serenity
(peace of mind) through self-discipline.” (Soccio 181) The Stoics believe everything is a matter
of attitude. A reasonable person, in control of their emotions and feelings can be happy and
collective under even the harshest of conditions. In order to come to this conclusion I took my
own life into perspective. I tend to be more rational and control my emotions in any given
situation. Everyone is in control of their emotions; it can just take some work to get there. You
have to believe, as the Stoics believe, “that nothing can make you happy or unhappy without
your consent” (Soccio 181). Within my group the general consensus was there was not a single
philosophy that everyone agreed on. That being said, most of us agreed that the Stoics
philosophy had a good portion of truth to it.
While nobody in the group chose to defend the same philosophies as I did, there were
similarities among the group. Two of the four, including myself, chose Buddha as providing the
best answers to philosophical metaphysics and epistemology. The other two chose Aristotle and
Socrates. We agreed that the answers to these questions were a matter of perspective and not a
matter of actual right and wrong. The philosophic period that we all disagreed on was the
Hedonists. We essentially threw their theory out due to the fact that the view seemed a bit
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simplistic. For instance if one were to go out and rob someone because the money will bring
pleasure to this person, the Hedonist theory here seems morally bankrupt. We also were in
agreement that most of the philosophers that post dated Aristotle were more or less just
attempting to poke holes in previous philosophers’ views, almost like they were attempting to
make a name for themselves, rather than trying to create a new type of thinking or philosophical
theory.
I chose Buddha over Aristotle because Buddha focused more on reaching Nirvana, rather
than the scientific aspect of life. While I do believe that Science and Biology have their place in
the world and in philosophy I believe Buddha was more focused on finding a philosophy that
pushed the focus on human existence and how everything ties together as one in the universe.
Buddha’s theory is much more spiritual and behavioral based, Aristotle seemed a bit too
mechanical for my liking. He believed nothing exists outside of space and time, which is a belief
I do not share.
Going into the group discussion I was prepared to defend Socrates as the philosopher
whom provided the best answers to philosophy questions related to metaphysics and
epistemology. Socrates believed that reality is more spiritual than physical. He went as far as to
say that "concern is not with the body but ... [with] the soul." (Mason) Socrates devoted his
entire life to uncovering the ultimate truths in life. He believed there was no connection between
one’s body and one’s soul and as such, he believed there was no connection between the body
and one’s ability to gain knowledge. Socrates was constantly gaining knowledge, often only
asking single questions at a time to further simplify and ultimate the truth. While these are all
intriguing and fruitful ideas, following our group discussion I altered my perception. In answer to
the first question, I am now inclined to choose Buddha as the philosopher whom best answered
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these questions. I feel as if Buddha set out to find enlightenment for himself, and Socrates was
more inclined to do things just to get a rise out of people.
Based on everything my group discussed as well as our class discussions I conclude that
each of these questions can be answered differently depending on the person. Perhaps there is no
direct answer to these questions, such as “What is reality?” or “What is knowledge?” It may
simply be a matter of how these things are perceived by the individual whom is contemplating
the answers.
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Works Cited:
"Buddha Quotes." Think Exist. N.p., 2012. Web. 15 Apr 2012.
<http://thinkexist.com/quotation/through_zeal-knowledge_is_gottenthrough_lack_of/147334.html>.
Mason, Moya. "Socrates, the Senses and Knowledge: Is there Any Connection?." . N.p., 2012.
Web. 15 Apr 2012. <http://www.moyak.com/papers/socrates-truth.html>.
Soccio, Douglas. Archetypes of Wisdom. Seventh. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2010. 40-181. Print.