1/30/12

The discussion in class today revolved on what the unexamined life is. In the reading I had no idea what Plato was talking about when he was talking about the subject but I learned that the jest of it is acting not based on feelings, but doing things with reason. Rachel brought up the example of a skydiver jumping out of plane, what if he does it not for fun but for a bigger meaning like if it was something that he wanted to do before he died? I know this sounds like a long stretch but that was one of the best ways for me to understand. But of course to live an examined life it all depends on what you are looking for. Some killers find happiness and meaning in killing others, but is that someone living an examined life? Plato explains how that is someone being "blissfully ignorant." I feel that to live an unexamined life is to live without thinking and acting purely on impulse, which sadly is a way of living that many people follow.