Blog 2

ARCS ch. 3:
In this reading the author talks about how the abortion argument is not in stasis and that made me think about how most major issues we argue about politically in the United States are not in stasis.  For example, when discussing gun control, some people might say that guns shouldn't be kept in houses because small children can find them and accidentally kill themselves or others whereas other people say they need to keep guns in their house to defend themselves against potential attackers-clearly not the same problem/topic.  However, I think it's impossible to argue these topics in stasis because nobody is ever going to completely agree on any issue like that, whether it's gun control or abortion or global warming.  Even after global warming was proven, people still wanted to say that it didn't exist.  In that case, the argument eventually went into stasis more or less because now people are more willing to acknowledge that global warming is a problem the issue is more whether or not it's the United States's responsibility to do anything about it which is a much more constructive argument.

RT Plato p. 80-168
Although I pretty much disagree, I thought it was interesting that Plato believed in a transcendent truth...the truth is hidden but we've known it since before we were born.  I feel like that's similar to religion in some ways where you're supposed to believe in God basically from birth before you're able to really process in your mind your feelings about it.  I guess that part of the reading made me think about how some religions believe in reincarnation where you carry the knowledge gained in a former life with you into the next.  I think it's a really interesting idea I just can't bring myself to agree with it.  I feel like my opinions have changed over the years but it's not because one especially smart person taught me, it has to do with groups of people and learning about how other people feel that I'm not related to or best friends with.