PAGE 14 REFLECTION AND RESEARCH

FOR REFLECTION

For Descartes, the human mind is given emphasis over body and passion. Reflect on moments
when passion overpowered your reason. Were you happy with the consequences? Any lesson
learned?

 I chose this course because I believe that I do best in this field and it's my passion and
looking back now I can say that this was it and I am very glad of the outcome because
deep within me this what I really want. I had learned that I should always follow my
passion because if you really want something, you will never get bored. Everything will
be an adventure and a challenge to pursue.

FOR RESEARCH

Research on emotional learning. Does this mean that emotions have a role to play in learning?
Does this prove that emotions do not make us less thinking human beings?

 Emotional learning is the process of developing the self-awareness, self-control, and

interpersonal skills that are vital for school, work, and life success which means that
emotions have a role to play in learning. People with strong social-emotional skills are
better able to cope with everyday challenges and benefit academically, professionally,
and socially. This proves that emotions do not make us less thinking human beings.

1 John Locke the argued that the “association of ideas” that individuals make when young are
more important than those made later because they are foundation of the self. What are the
implications of this to parents and families regarding child care?

 Increasingly common, early childhood care plays an important role in children’s

development. The implications of this to parents and families regarding child care is that
they need to make time to tailor their children because it creates a more positive
experience for children and helps children perform better. Added to that, families or
parents need to choose the child care they use, and families or parents with differing
characteristics may choose different types and quality of care.

2 “Everyman is in certain respects like all other men, like no other man”. –Henry A. Murray and
Clyde Kluckhohn. Does Locke agree? Do you also agree? Explain your answer.

 Yes Locke agree and so do I because understanding someone comes by focusing not
only on his or her differences from others, but also on what we share. Although this may
seem obvious, our shared humanity is the first thing we need to acknowledge when
trying to make sense of a person. Each of us has a human genome and a human brain.
Each of us was once a small child and was raised.
5 Like St. Thomas, Locke claims that there is also a law of nature revealed by season… that law
teaches all mankind… that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in
his life, health, liberty, or possessions... (Treatises II.2.6). Locke also asserts that the law
commands what is best for us. If it did not, he says, “the law would vanish if would not be
obeyed.”

a) Can you give an example of a law that does not command what is best for people?
 Nope, because there is no such thing besides laws are made to protect our general
safety, and ensure our rights as citizens against abuses by other people, by
organizations, and by the government itself. We have laws to help provide for our
general safety.

b) Do you perceive school rules to work against your survival and natural equality- the two
most important things to John Locke? Explain your answer.
 Nope, because the rules of schools are being obeyed and was made for the goods of
each students. Wherein, the school makes the student learn to follow the natural moral
law and gained experience and knowledge from it.

6 Locke insisted on the inculcation of justice as respects for the rights of others, civility,
liberality, humanity, self-denial, industry, thrift, courage, truthfulness, and a willingness to
question prejudice, authority and the biases of one’s self-interest. These are qualities needed
for citizens in a liberal society. Show how these values can support individuals’ survival and
human equality-two most important things for Locke.

Every society needs to be bound together by common values, so that its members know what to
expect of each other, and have some shared principles by which to manage their differences
without resorting to violence. Globalization has brought great opportunities, but also many new
stresses and dislocations.  There is a backlash against it -- precisely because we have not
managed it in accordance with the universal values we claim to believe in.In the Universal
Declaration, we proclaimed that “everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the
health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical
care and necessary social services”. Just three years ago, in the Millennium Declaration, all
States reaffirmed certain fundamental values as being “essential to international relations in the
twenty-first century”:  freedom, equality, solidarity, tolerance, respect for nature, and shared
responsibility.  They adopted practical, achievable targets –- the Millennium Development Goals
–- for relieving the blight of extreme poverty and making such rights as education, basic health
care and clean water a reality for all.

7 Against the background of the Middle Age where the child was regarded as a miniature adult
who dressed, played and was supposed to act like his elders, Locke treated children as human
beings in whom the gradual development of rationality need to be fostered by parents. Locke
urged parents to spend time with their children and tailor their education to their character and
idiosyncrasies, to develop a sound body and character and to make play the chief strategy for
learning rather than rote learning or punishment. Thus, he urged learning languages by learning
to converse in them before learning rules of grammar. Locke also suggests that the child learn
at least one manual trade.

a) Is Locke teaching on child’s development still relevant today? Why or why not?

 Yes because it was really have great impact to the development of a child and it was
true that the environment we are, are one factor that affect our thinking.

b) Why does Locke warn against parents or maids convincing a child that ghosts are
associated with the night?

 Locke warn against parents or maids convincing a child that ghosts are associated with
the night because it will affect the way of thinking of the child. As John Locke put it
in Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1693):This he will be in danger of from the
Indiscretion of Servants, whose usual Method is to awe Children, and keep them in
subjection, by telling them of Raw-head and Bloody-bones, and such other Names as
carry with them the Ideas of something terrible and hurtful, which they have Reason to
be afraid of when alone, especially in the Dark. This must be carefully prevented: For
though by this foolish way, they may keep them from little Faults, yet the Remedy is
much worse than the Disease.

c) Do you agree with John Locke when he suggests that the child should learn at least one
manual trade?

 Yes because it would be a big help to the child when he grows old and it was always
okay to learn and gained knowledge so I definitely agree with him.

FOR REFLECTION

Which among John Locke’s thoughts strikes you most? What does this means to you? Any
personal message?

 His thoughts about the Knowledge that is based on careful observation of experiences. It
means so much to me since I learned from my experience and I gained knowledge
thinking about the things I had encountered.

FOR RESEARCH

1 Did Ryle believe that the self-consist of a separate body and mind?

 Ryle did not believe that the self-consist of a separate body and mind. For him, the act of
thinking about the self of being self-conscious is in itself proof that there is a self. He is
confident that no rational person will doubt his or her own existence as a conscious,
thinking entity while we are aware of thinking about ourselves. For Descartes, this is the
 essence of the human self a thinking entity that doubts, understands, analyzes,
questions, and reasons.

2 To develop yourself, is it enough to accumulate knowledge? What did Ryle teach?

 Yes, because Ryle teach the distinction among knowing how (technical ability), knowing
that (facts and propositions), and knowing what (acquaintance with things and persons)
that relates to understanding and knowing yourself.

3 Does Ryle’s teaching on museum possession of knowledge and workshop- possession of

knowledge relate to cognitive (knowledge) and psychomotor (skill) learning? Does this teaching
of Ryle connect to the four pillars of learning- learning to know, learning to do, learning to be
and learning to live together?

 Yes because learning to know implies learning how to learn. Learning to do describes
the putting knowledge and leaning into practice or involves the acquisition of skills.
Learning to live together is the process begins with the development of inner peace in
the minds and heart of individuals engaged in the search for truth, knowledge and
understanding. It involves the development of social skill. Lastly, learning to be involves
activities that foster personal development. I there for conclude that Ryle’s teaching on
museum possession of knowledge and workshop- possession of knowledge relate to
cognitive (knowledge) and psychomotor (skill) learning is connected to the four pillars of
learning.

FOR REFLECTION

What is this “Ghost of the machine” cited by Gilbert Ryle?

 The "ghost in the machine" is Gilbert Ryle's description of René Descartes' mind-body

dualism. Ryle introduced the phrase in The Concept of Mind (1949)] to highlight the view
of Descartes and others that mental and physical activity occur simultaneously but
separately.

FOR RESEARCH

With findings in fetology, a branch of human embryology that studies the human fetus, is it still
correct to think that this human mind is a blank slate at birth? Or it is more correct to think that
the human is mind is no longer a blank state at birth. Doesn’t the human fetus have his/her own
experience in the womb and so doesn’t learning begin there? As a consequence, the human
mind is no longer bank at birth. Is this correct?

 No, it is not correct to think that this human mind is a blank slate at birth and it is more
correct to think that the human is mind is no longer a blank state at birth. Why? It is
because a human embryo is a person, because it is a complete organism, embodying
a developmental program by which it directs and controls its own development into a
rational human adult, and in addition, it has already started assembling itself into a
rational human adult. A human adult is not merely something the embryo/fetus is
 capable of becoming, in a passive sense; rather, it is the mature form of the organism
that the embryo/fetus is currently assembling itself into, by executing the instructions
contained in its developmental program, which has already started running. Yes
definitely correct. I shall argue that it is reasonable to regard any biological organism
which is currently assembling itself into a rational human adult through a process which
is under its control, as being just as valuable as the adult it will become, and as therefore
having the same right to life as an adult. I shall also contend that nothing is acquired by
an embryo, fetus, newborn baby or child in the course of its development which
would add to its inherent moral value in any way; hence a one-cell embryo must be just
as valuable as you or I.

The self is mind and body intertwined based on Ryle’s thoughts. So how must you care for
yourself then?

 In taking care of myself I need to eat healthy foods. I also need to clean my body. I will
drink plenty of water. To make my body stronger, I need to avoid Junk foods too. I
exercise, it helps with improving my body physically and mentally where I can take care
of my weight and mind at the same time. Lastly, I do meditation so I can relax my mind.