RE: Ethnographic Research (Help please!)
March 2, 2018 at 8:45 am
(This post was last modified: March 2, 2018 at 10:25 am by shadow.)
I wouldn't normally answer this kind of thing, but you're just sarcastic enough I'll do you the favor 
Preliminary Background:
What is your age?
19
What is your current academic status (student, former student, alumnus, etc.)?
Student
(If applicable) How far along in your studies are you?
3rd year uni
What is (was) your major?
Business & Environment
Why are (were) you in college?
Love of learning, wanting to understand other people's views, having the ability to effect change, obviously to support myself financially later in life as well.
What are your future plans/goals?
To make business less evil and more environmentally sustainable
Briefly describe your family background.
Raised an atheist with parents of European descent.
Social Structures
Describe your current relationship with your family.
Great.
Describe your social life.
Just right.
Are close relationships with friends/family important? Why or why not?
Very. My family means a lot to me.
Which is more important: the personal life or the professional life?
I tend to see them as more unified.
Ontological
What is the source of power and success?
Intelligence and knowledge - an understanding of the world's systems and how they can be manipulated.
What is the origin of the universe?
I'm not a physicist, so I'm not the authority on this. I would defer to the prevalent scientific explanation of the big bang.
What is the origin and destiny of humanity?
Origin = We evolved.
Destiny = Whatever we make it. There's no one looking out for us, so we have to own our world and care for it.
Is there any form of spiritual dimension of reality? If so, briefly describe it.
None that I've encountered.
Do incorporeal beings exist?
No.
How do you define ‘God’?
A father figure humans invented so we didn't feel so alone in the universe, and so we could pretend there is someone looking out for us.
How do you define ‘truth’?
What actually happened or is happening.
Epistemological
How do you know what is true?
Whatever my senses and reason suggest as the most likely outcome.
Is there an objective standard by virtue of which one can distinguish truth and falsity, and if so, why is it a reliable standard?
Reason! You can't be 100% sure, but reason is the best and only way to distinguish between truth and falsity.
Assuming no objective truth exists, how can you correctly form and evaluate truth claims?
Same as the above.
Axiology
Are morals and ethics subjective or objective?
Subjective.
How do you know right from wrong?
Unlike religious people, I don't refer to a single book or outsource this thought to someone else's interpretation, and I don't think this is a one line response.
Can science explain the origin of moral values and concerns? How so?
Yes, as morality is something that leads to better functioning of a group, so it is evolutionary advantageous.
How would you describe a “good person”? A “bad person”?
I don't call people good and bad. That's not productive. I look at what led them to make the decisions they have, and what decisions they may make in the future, and how that can be impacted.
What would an “ideal society” look like?
People thinking critically instead of following the beliefs of others.
Do people act purely out of self-interest?
Some do. I used to think everyone does, but some people simply don't.
What is the most important moral attribute (i.e. love, justice, equality, selflessness, etc.)? How do you define it?
Thoughtfulness.
What is mankind’s single biggest problem?
Ignorance and irrationality.
Is there a solution to this problem, and if so, what is it?
Critical thinking and education.
There you go! You do owe us some debates now, though
Preliminary Background:
What is your age?
19
What is your current academic status (student, former student, alumnus, etc.)?
Student
(If applicable) How far along in your studies are you?
3rd year uni
What is (was) your major?
Business & Environment
Why are (were) you in college?
Love of learning, wanting to understand other people's views, having the ability to effect change, obviously to support myself financially later in life as well.
What are your future plans/goals?
To make business less evil and more environmentally sustainable
Briefly describe your family background.
Raised an atheist with parents of European descent.
Social Structures
Describe your current relationship with your family.
Great.
Describe your social life.
Just right.
Are close relationships with friends/family important? Why or why not?
Very. My family means a lot to me.
Which is more important: the personal life or the professional life?
I tend to see them as more unified.
Ontological
What is the source of power and success?
Intelligence and knowledge - an understanding of the world's systems and how they can be manipulated.
What is the origin of the universe?
I'm not a physicist, so I'm not the authority on this. I would defer to the prevalent scientific explanation of the big bang.
What is the origin and destiny of humanity?
Origin = We evolved.
Destiny = Whatever we make it. There's no one looking out for us, so we have to own our world and care for it.
Is there any form of spiritual dimension of reality? If so, briefly describe it.
None that I've encountered.
Do incorporeal beings exist?
No.
How do you define ‘God’?
A father figure humans invented so we didn't feel so alone in the universe, and so we could pretend there is someone looking out for us.
How do you define ‘truth’?
What actually happened or is happening.
Epistemological
How do you know what is true?
Whatever my senses and reason suggest as the most likely outcome.
Is there an objective standard by virtue of which one can distinguish truth and falsity, and if so, why is it a reliable standard?
Reason! You can't be 100% sure, but reason is the best and only way to distinguish between truth and falsity.
Assuming no objective truth exists, how can you correctly form and evaluate truth claims?
Same as the above.
Axiology
Are morals and ethics subjective or objective?
Subjective.
How do you know right from wrong?
Unlike religious people, I don't refer to a single book or outsource this thought to someone else's interpretation, and I don't think this is a one line response.
Can science explain the origin of moral values and concerns? How so?
Yes, as morality is something that leads to better functioning of a group, so it is evolutionary advantageous.
How would you describe a “good person”? A “bad person”?
I don't call people good and bad. That's not productive. I look at what led them to make the decisions they have, and what decisions they may make in the future, and how that can be impacted.
What would an “ideal society” look like?
People thinking critically instead of following the beliefs of others.
Do people act purely out of self-interest?
Some do. I used to think everyone does, but some people simply don't.
What is the most important moral attribute (i.e. love, justice, equality, selflessness, etc.)? How do you define it?
Thoughtfulness.
What is mankind’s single biggest problem?
Ignorance and irrationality.
Is there a solution to this problem, and if so, what is it?
Critical thinking and education.
There you go! You do owe us some debates now, though
