RE: Ethnographic Research (Help please!)
March 1, 2018 at 8:20 am
(This post was last modified: March 1, 2018 at 8:21 am by polymath257.)
(February 28, 2018 at 11:41 pm)stretch3172 Wrote: Greetings!
I'm a master's seminary student currently writing an ethnography focusing on the worldviews of atheists and agnostics in the 18-26 age range. I must interview a number of atheists and agnostics to complete this assignment, so I would be extremely grateful to anyone who would be willing to answer some questions for me.
If you are interested, please respond to the following list of questions (or as many as you can!) in a single post. Thank you in advance for your time and willingness to help me out with this project!
Preliminary Background:
What is your age? A bit older than my teeth and as old as my tongue.
What is your current academic status (student, former student, alumnus, etc.)? Professor.
(If applicable) How far along in your studies are you? PhD
What is (was) your major? Mathematics
Why are (were) you in college? Because I wanted an education.
What are your future plans/goals? Retire
Briefly describe your family background. Can't be done: too complicated
Social Structures
Describe your current relationship with your family. Well, the relationship with my wife is quite good.
Describe your social life. Happy.
Are close relationships with friends/family important? Why or why not? Friendship is quite important.
Which is more important: the personal life or the professional life? Both are of value and need respect.
Ontological
What is the source of power and success? My brain.
What is the origin of the universe? I'm not sure it is a meaningful question.
What is the origin and destiny of humanity? Origin? We evolved. Destiny? We have to decide that.
Is there any form of spiritual dimension of reality? If so, briefly describe it. NONE
Do incorporeal beings exist? NO.
How do you define ‘God’? I don't. I let the believers do that.
How do you define ‘truth’? Correspondence with observation.
Epistemological
How do you know what is true? By observation.
Is there an objective standard by virtue of which one can distinguish truth and falsity, and if so, why is it a reliable standard? No such thing.
Assuming no objective truth exists, how can you correctly form and evaluate truth claims? By observation and testing.
Axiology
Are morals and ethics subjective or objective? Well, they are specific to humans. But most humans agree on the basics.
How do you know right from wrong? It is a social construct.
Can science explain the origin of moral values and concerns? How so? It can show how social species adopt rules of behavior.
How would you describe a “good person”? A “bad person”? Good: thoughtful and caring. Bad: unthoughtful and uncaring.
What would an “ideal society” look like? One where the maximum number of people are healthy, happy, and fulfilled.
Do people act purely out of self-interest? No. There is altruism.
What is the most important moral attribute (i.e. love, justice, equality, selflessness, etc.)? How do you define it? Morality: Think and Care. Both crucial.
What is mankind’s single biggest problem? Religion.
Is there a solution to this problem, and if so, what is it? Education and elimination of the superstitious mindset.
Ooops, outside of your age range. You might still want to read the responses.
