Politics: Affirmative Action

Affirmative Action continues to be a large topic of debate. There have been several court debates on whether it is even constitutional. For those of you who don't know what affirmative action is I have provided an operational definition below

Affirmative Action is the practice of improving the educational and job opportunities of certain groups of people because these groups have faced socio-historical discrimination.

In countries like the U.K. it is known as 'positive discrimination', and is generally used in a positive connotation. In the U.S. however affirmative action has a much larger negative reputation. One of the reasons being that in the U.S. it's a legal requirement for certain employers. It's purpose is to prevent discrimination against employees or applicants based on race, sex, national origin, religion, and several other qualities. There are several myths regarding affirmative action

Myth: Affirmative Action Denies Jobs to the Most Qualified

    This is one of the biggest myths I have come across. This simply isn't how the process works. Affirmative action does not require companies to hire people just because they are black or women. Instead the companies look at Qualified minority individuals just as well as they look at qualified majority individuals. If they don't meet a certain quota then companies can just try again next year, and next year, and next year.

    The court only steps in if the jobs are denying jobs to QUALIFIED individuals. In other words the company is not required to choose an unqualified black female over a qualified white male. Furthermore companies are not required to seek out minorities, or even state publicly that is has an affirmative action plan

Myth: Affirmative Action Gives Away Jobs to the Minority

    I've kinda already explained this but I want this to be clear. COMPANIES ARE NOT REQUIRED TO SEEK OUT MINORITIES. It is their responsibility to apply for the job, and they must meet said requirements for the job. They must be qualified.

Myth: Companies Can't Fire Minorities

 
    Another myth that is often perpetuated. This is just completely untrue. This probably stems from misunderstanding of one of the policies of affirmative action. "This means that a company cannot refuse to hire and cannot fire someone based on their race, gender, sexual orientation...." This simply means that a company can't fire someone based SOLELY on the above qualities. It does not imply that people minorities aren't allowed to be fired.


Conclusion

In my opinion affirmative action is still needed. It is just a fact that white males have  much higher socioeconomic advantages based on socio-historical events.. Affirmative Action needs to be redefined b and framework to block out any misinformation. It provides equal opportunities it does not disadvantage anyone.

References 

http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/employment-law-and-human-resources/are-employers-required-to-have-affirmative-action-plans.html#sthash.68nhpsOB.dpuf

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Philosophy: Uncaused Cause/Cosmological argument

One of Thomas Aquinas' five ways. The argument is officially known as the cosmological argument; However in Ancient Greece both Plato and Aristotle were the first to posit them as the Uncaused Cause argument. Like its name, they determined that the universe was created by an "uncaused cause" or "immovable mover." This argument has been subject to debate for centuries by philosophers and even non-philosophers. Perhaps it is the power of this argument which attracts so much attention.

Basic premises

Premise 1 - Everything that exists has a preceding cause

Premise 2 - A chain of events can not be infinite in nature, So eventually you arrive at an original cause

Premise 3 - This cause itself is uncaused

Premise 4 -  Nothing can exist without a cause but God

Conclusion - God must be the first cause

Of course every argument is subject to scrutiny. Even though the basic premises do in essence seem to be logical. They operate on several assumptions. An in depth analysis of each premise can easily reveal how these

Premise 1 - Everything that exists has a preceding cause.

If there is one thing that science, philosophy, and theology can agree upon its this. In fact it is called the Law of Causality/Causation. Everything in the natural world and material universe has a preceding cause. Not many can or even will dispute this.

Premise 2 -  A chain of events can not be infinite in nature. So eventually you arrive at an original cause.

    

Infinity is defined as a number having no limit or end and can't be assigned a quantity. There is no actual proof that infinity exists in reality. Infinity is just a concept we use to give a quantity to something which is too large to visualize. Could you imagine the number 1 followed by 839 zero's? Since infinity does not exist in real life indeed a chain of events can't be infinite, and because it isn't infinite we arrive at the first cause.

Premise 3 - The cause itself is uncaused.

This would seem to be true but it does raise a question. Some would argue: What makes this first cause so special that it is exempt? However this question defeats itself by asking what caused an uncaused cause.

Premise 4 - Nothing can exist without a cause but God.

This is where the argument gets tricky for some critics. One would argue that why is it that a god would have no cause? The common argument in, "Who created god." Well let's look at the properties of God.

Properties

- Supernatural/Immaterial

- Self-Sustaining

- Immortal

- All Powerful

All these properties would suggest that god does not need a cause. If we were to say “who created god.” then it would be logical to assume that God’s god would be god. And his god would be god and so on and so forth. However, this is impossible. How does a being create an omnipotent, immaterial, omniscient being while still being greater than such being. Is this being super-omnipotent? or Super-omniscient? Essentially God is God simply because he has no creator.

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What is Science?

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When we hear the word science, we think of those who are in their laboratories discovering the cure for cancer, or trying to build flying cars. While both of these assumptions are correct, science is much much more than that. Science is a large body of knowledge that observes the natural phenomena of the universe and organizes it into explanations and predictions about the universe.

Science has large ties with philosophy in the fact that both of them rely on rational evidence. However, while philosophy is concerned with questions unanswerable by observation, science intends to use observation to acquire its knowledge. There are four main features about science that everyone should know.

Science is Empirical

     Science operate using what's known as empirical evidence. Which means that all it's evidence is derived through observation and experimentation. 

Science is Largely Inductive

     Induction is the reasoning in which the premises(base of argument) provide evidence for a conclusion, but is not absolute proof. While science uses both inductive and deductive logic, most of it's information is based on induction, and unlike deductive arguments, inductive arguments can have false conclusions. 

Science is Systematic

     Everyone should know about the scientific method. The process by which scientists discover and test existing and previous knowledge. 

Science is Objective

     Objectivity of science is ensured by empirical evidence and observations. 

Indeed science is one of mankind's greatest tools in acquiring new knowledge. The various branches of science has provided us with medicine, technology, chemistry, digital entertainment, among others. Perhaps the greatest thing about science, is that anyone can partake in it, if they pay close enough attention. Science encourages us to ask questions and come up with testable answers. It also teaches us that nothing is absolute and to admit when we are wrong. 

Scientific Method

The scientific method is the backbone of science itself. It is the body of techniques that they use for investigation of natural phenomena. The scientific method validates old and new knowledge based using empirical evidence. It is based on several elements

Question
    You can't really start anything without a purpose. What is the question you are trying to answer?

Observation
    The process by which scientist acquire information through the senses and measurements. Visual and auditory observation as well as measurements of height, volume, mass, weight, size, color and many other forms of gathering info.

Hypothesis
    A proposed explanation for how things work. A hypothesis must be supported by evidence for it to graduate into a scientific theory. Hypotheses without evidence are discarded or reformulated

Prediction
    Logical inferences based on the hypothesis.

Experimentation
    The process by which scientists test out their hypotheses and gather information.

Evaluation
    The results of the data gathered. Does the data support or reject the hypothesis? Peer review by other scientists is a large part of this process. The purpose of peer review being to eliminate any bias.

Scientific Misconceptions

     Myth: Science Proves/Disproves the Existence of God

    Science is the study of the natural world. It does not attempt to prove/disprove the existence of a supernatural deity. Often times you will hear people say that, "The big bang theory disproves God" or "Evolution disproves god." Both are blatantly false. Evolution does not attempt to discern the origins of life, only the diversification of life. That its to say, evolution concerns itself with how life changes to suit it's environment. likewise The big bang theory attempts to explain how the universe came to be, it doesn't disprove the idea of a god or creator. 

Myth: Science Absolutely Proves Ideas

     Science is based on the principle that any idea or explanation it has provided can be easily overturned tomorrow if the evidence warranted it. This is the known as the problem of induction. This is an especially large problem for the scientific branch of physics.

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What is Philosophy?

Image Credit to Dakine Kane from Flickr

A large percentage of population unfortunately doesn't know the true meaning of philosophy. The other day one of my friends asked me to define philosophy because sometimes he got quite confused. Well I'm here to tell you not only the true meaning of philosophy but also its importance.

Philosophy is a field of study that concerns existence and reality. In essence, philosophy can be applied to almost any body of knowledge. Examples being, the philosophy of science, the philosophy of mathematics, and even the philosophy of logic. What makes philosophy so important is it's systematic approach of how it goes about solving a problem. It's premises are founded in rational arguments and relies on logical concepts. Philosophy can be further divided into sub fields, ones which intellectuals use to study the nature of the universe. The sub fields are as followed.

Metaphysics - Is there a god?

    
Metaphysics is the study of the nature of reality. They seek to understand what exists in the world. What are the laws that govern it. Concepts such as existence, time, mind-body problem; all exist within metaphysics.

Logic - What is reason?

    
Logic studies arguments themselves. It aims to seek out the principles of rational though and correct reasoning. Concepts such as logical fallacies, arguments, inferences; all exist within logic.

Epistemology - What is knowledge?

    
Epistemology is the study of knowledge, it is concerned with what we know about the world. Concepts such as truth, belief, skepticism, and rationalism; all exist within epistemology

Ethics - What is moral?

 
Ethics is the study of the best ways that we should conduct ourselves. They concern themselves with what is right and wrong. Concepts such as morality, objectivity, subjectivity; all exist within ethics. 

Role of Philosophy

   
     In simplest terms, philosophy is used to solve problems and conditions that arise from fault reasoning. As such, it encompasses several fields. Such as John Locke who theorized that every man is born with natural rights, "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." Without his contribution, the independence movement nor any revolution that followed might never have happened.

     His papers rejected the divine right theory, and lead to several political philosophies such as liberalism. In fact, every civilization that has ever had a golden age has a sharp rise in philosophers around that time. A notable example would the Ancient Greeks and the philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Philosophy is truly a driving force, behind the evolution of knowledge.

Philosophical Branches 

• Philosophy of Law
• Philosophy of Literature
• Philosophy of LanguagePhilosophy of History
• Philosophy of Religion
• Philosophy of Mind
• Philosophy of Science

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Science: Logical Fallacy; Correlation equals Causation

Example of a positive correlation 

Logical fallacies are rampant in today’s media and politics. How many times have you heard "Study Finds that Coffee Improves Brain Function" or "Cat Owners are Friendlier than Dog Owners." on the news? This is a blatant example of how the media tends to oversimplify things for public perception. Assuming because two things happened simultaneously is not enough evidence to suggest that one caused the other.

What is a Correlational Relationship?

A correlational relationship states that two things coincide with each other. As one increases the other tends to increases. When two variables are moving in the same direction we call it a positive correlation. When two variables are moving in opposite directions we call it a negative correlation. Correlations do not imply that one variable will cause the other.

Moreover, correlational relationships tend to have other variables at play. Such as the correlation with African Americans and the Crime Rate. There are socioeconomic factors, statistical bias factors, racial profiling factors at play that can affect this statement.

Examples

“Studies have shown that intelligent people tend to listen to classical music”

This does not translate to “listening to classic music will make you more intelligent”, and being intelligent does not mean you have to like classical music. Just that a lot of intelligent people just so happen to listen to classical music. It should be noted that a large amount of intelligent people are also born in the wealthy cultures which do tend to favor classical music. Hence we see a third variable at play.

“Rich people tend to be more educated.”

This does not imply you have to be rich to be educated. Only that rich people tend to be more educated mostly because of socioeconomic factors. They can afford several opportunities to benefit the education of their children. Not all rich people are educated, not all poor people are uneducated

“People with larger shoe sizes tend to have better reading ability”

You don’t have to be a size 14 to comprehend what you are reading. In fact you can have a large shoe size and be downright illiterate. This example just shows that there is a third variable at play which we might not know about.

What is a Causal Relationship?

A causal relationship on the hand does mean that one variable will cause the other. An important main difference from correlation relationships that one should remember is that causal relationships are usually a one way street; Because it is a cause and effect relationship.

Examples

“When water is heated high enough, it will eventually boil.”

A rather obvious one. When water is heated its molecules will move faster and its temperature will rise. Eventually with enough heat it will boil.

“School was canceled in several high schools across the state, so less kids went to school.”

Another rather obvious one. 

“As the wind speed increases, the sail boat moves faster.”

The sail boat operates on wind so if the wind speed were to increase it would move faster. This does not imply because a sailboat moves faster the wind MUST have increased speed. This is a perfect example of a causal relationship.

Logical Fallacy

Now we can easily see why correlation equals causation is a fallacy.

Fallacy

Premise 1 - A and B are both variables
Premise 2 - A occurs in correlation with B
Conclusion - Therefore A and B must be causally related

Now that we know what a causal relationship and what a correlational relationship is, we can see that the conclusion is blatantly false. Both A and B have a correlational relationship that can be easily said. But there is not enough evidence to suggest that they are causally related. Correlation can be a hint that two variables may but that’s about it.

References

Causation and Correlation. (n.d.). Retrieved September 24, 2014, from http://www.nku.edu/~garns/165/ppt9_2.html

An Introduction to Psychology Research Methods. (n.d.). Retrieved September 24, 2014, from http://psychology.about.com/od/researchmethods/ss/expdesintro_5.htm

An Introduction to Psychology Research Methods. (n.d.). Retrieved September 24, 2014, from http://psychology.about.com/od/researchmethods/ss/expdesintro_4.htm

STATS: We Check Out the Numbers Behind the News. (n.d.). Retrieved September 24, 2014, from http://www.stats.org/faq_vs.htm

Types of Relationships. (n.d.). Retrieved September 24, 2014, from http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/relation.php

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Science: 4 Widespread Misconceptions about Genetics You Should Know

Image Credit to AJ Cann

Currently there are 4 common misconceptions spread by the media about genetics.

1. That an organisms features can be determined solely by its genes(Genetic determinism)
2. Single genes are the causes of specific anatomical/behavioral aspects
3. Genes are a blueprint
4. Genes only code for single proteins


Myth: Genetic Determinism

While it is true that certain behaviors are genetically programmed, it is false that ALL behavior and phenotypes, which are observable traits, are fixed. There is a large body of evidence that animals, especially humans, can change certain aspects of their biology through learned experience. Such as sleep cycles or other circadian rhythms. In fact the recent advent of Epigenetics only further falsifies this myth.

Myth: Gene causes X

It is always in the news that there might be a gene for this or for that, however that is simply not the case. There is no such thing as a "gay gene", or a "cancer gene", or even a "fat gene". It is a gross over simplification of the matter, mostly just to save time explaining and it is easier to teach it that way. However this only spreads misinformation.

The possibility that a single gene codes for a single phenotype is rare. Rather a set of genes and epigenetic influences are the causes. So there is no "cancer gene" that runs in your family, but rather a set of genes that could influence your chances of getting cancer. Even then certain lifestyle changes can increase or decrease your chances of getting cancer epigenetically.

Myth: Genes are a Blueprint

They are actually more like recipes. I know your first thought may be, "Well what's the difference?" Well the major problem is that a "blueprint" doesn't really describe a gene. It suggests that genes are singular and serve singular purposes. Think about it this way, if you follow a blue print to the key you should get an exact replica of whatever it is you are trying to create.

However with genes that doesn't always happen. Rather it's more like a recipe because even though you follow all the steps and instructions with the proper ingredients, it doesn't quite come out right. Traits emerge from the interaction of genes, not the genes themselves. It really goes like this.

Genes → Gene expression → Proteins

The common idea is that one gene equals one protein. However that is false as one gene can produce multiple different proteins, and proteins can come from completely different genes. Lets use another representation for this. Let X and Y represent proteins, and any other letter we use represent genes. 

A + B + C = X

A + B + B = X

A + B + C = Y

A + D + C = Y

C + E + G = Y

A + B + E = X

Notice how the second and third are the exactly the same but produce different proteins. The protein X is produced by 3 different combinations. In this way we can understand that genes are not blueprints but more like recipes. 

Check out these articles! Leave a comment below!

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Philosopy: Truth

What is Truth?

    Truth can be referred to as knowledge that is in accordance with reality. The simplicity of truth seems inherent, but when one looks closely at the concept, it becomes hard to imagine that there is one single absolute truth in everything. Even philosophers have struggled with this concept. Let's look at some of the properties of an absolute truth.

- Fixed
- Invariable
- Unable to alter

    While this is able to describe some concepts, it fails to describe others. The only logical assumption that we can therefore make is that there is another form of truth. After studying hermetic and Tibetan philosophy I have realized that there are two types of truth. An absolute truth which will always remain true, and a circumstantial truth which is dependent upon the situation.

An absolute truth is something that has existed forever and will continue to exist forever while a circumstantial truth will change dependent upon the circumstances. They may be true today and will be false tomorrow. They could be true for one group of people and untrue for others. So let's come up with two operational definitions for truth.

Absolute Truth is a piece of knowledge or fact which is fixed and invariable. It's truth value has and always will be true. They are the most objective pieces of information.

Circumstantial Truth is a piece of knowledge or fact which is not fixed and is variable. It's truth value is dependent upon the factors that comprise it. Statistics are a perfect example of circumstantial truths.


Absolute Truth Examples

1. I was given a name
      That will always be true because indeed I was given a name. There is nothing that will change the fact at all that I was given a name.
2. The sun is a star
     It is true because nothing will likely change the fact that the sun is a star.
3. I like the color red now
    This is true because at a certain point in time I liked the color red. Whether this changes is irrelevant. The fact will always remain that at that specific point in time that I liked the color red.

Circumstantial Truth Examples 
1. I like the color red
     This is circumstantial because of it's lack of specificity. I may not always like the color red in the future
2. Asians have higher IQ
     This is circumstantial because this isn't true for every individual Asian. Some Asians have extremely low IQ especially in the poorer areas.

Concepts Based upon Absolute and Circumstantial Truths

ABSOLUTE

- Mathematical principles(especially the concept of constants)

- Polarities(positive & negative, light and dark, hot and cold)

CIRCUMSTANTIAL

- Statistics

- Estimations

- Political Morality

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The True Meaning of Life: Creation

I have been pondering the meaning of life for some time lately. It has always been a large philosophical issue. "Why are we here?" is the question that science, philosophy, and theology have all had their try at explaining. Well here is my chance to tell you, that the meaning of life is creation. I know it sounds a bit basic but that is the answer that I truly believe.

Let's look at some of the facts

1. Life is Self Replicating, Reproduction is a Vital Aspect of What is Considered Life. 

Anyone who has ever paid attention to biology knows that the definition of life is not standard among all scientific practices. However they can agree that life has the following characteristics

• Homeostasis - Regulation of internal environment and biological processes: Temperature, Sugar level, etc.
• Biological Organization- Composed of one or more cells basic units of life.
• Metabolism - Transformation of energy by converting nutrients
• Growth - The ability to increase in size and and overall matter
• Adaption - The ability to change and respond to the environment
• Stimuli Response - A response to an environmental input.
• Reproduction - the ability to reproduce sexually or asexually. 

However if we see the closest essence of life self replication is the ultimate goal. At some point in our lives the majority of us yearn to have children. We yearn to create something that we can see ourselves in. Our children are what's most important to us. We may grow old and die but our children will live on with our legacy. Let's look at something even less complex than us.

A virus. A virus can not reproduce on it's own. It must find a suitable host or else its species will perish. The virus's only goal is replication not predation nor parasitism. It wishes to create replicas of itself. 

2. Reality Changes According to Our Perception

 I humbly ask you to watch the following video in it's entirety. 

If you watched the video then you should be truly amazed by now. It is clear that the role of an observer is quite important. Because the matter was being observed it began to behave in away that fit our perception. It begs the question "Is reality shaped by our consciousness." Even neuroscience will agree that even though we interact with seemingly physical objects, it is only a mere interpretation by electrical signals. Our perception we should call it. So it becomes quite clear that just another purpose of life is to observe. Observe so that we can shape the reality around us. So that we can create and mold new events. 

3. Technology and Ideas

Technology is astounding. Each day it advances exponentially and it is one of humanity's greatest achievements. Humanity's greatest creation. Technology is defined as "the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry." but more generally it is the use of tools. New ideas are spurned by the need to make human life simpler.

Simpler life allows us more time to freely think. More time to freely think spurns new ideas. It seems like another self replicating inherent cycle. It is amazing that we can create buildings and machines that will last long after we are gone. 

4. The Creation of a Legacy

At some point in everyone's life they go through an existential crisis. How they choose to is completely up to them. However some common answers would be, "To chase your dreams", "To live life to the fullest", "To seek wisdom", "To help others and live together", "To give more than you take", "To attain union with god", and finally "To have a family." If you look at each statement you can see that each and every one of them have some goal that involves the creation of new experiences.

These experiences emulate the the trials, tribulations, consequences, and rewards of the path we have chose. Then once we have created that which we need to obtain it, we are truly at peace. We create and leave behind. We leave behind a legacy that is passed on. Not necessarily to the world, but to ourselves and to our family. 

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Appeal to Nature Fallacy: Is Homosexuality Natural?

     In regards to arguments bought up over homosexuality there seems to be quite a common question that pops up. "Is homosexuality natural." At first this seems like a very important aspect, however if you look at this objectively whether homosexuality is natural or not has nothing to do with anything. It is an appeal to nature fallacy that needs to be forgotten.

     Labeling something natural or unnatural seems to cause people to change their mindsets about something. Natural products are seen as good, which is why advertisers jump on promoting their "All-natural" products(which most of the time isn't the case anyway). Likewise anything that is unnatural is demonized. Without wasting further time let us examine this in detail.

The fallacy seems to go like this (For the purpose of making this easy to understand, let X be represented by homosexuality.)

Premise 1 - X is unnatural
Premise 2 - Unnatural things are bad
Conclusion - X is bad

This seems to sound rational, However, we can immediately see that this is illogical. Look at the second premise very closely. What proof is there that anything unnatural is bad? In fact the very definition is "contrary to the ordinary course of nature; abnormal." Nowhere does the definition suggest that things that are unnatural are bad. In fact, to better demonstrate to you why premise 2 is unfounded, I will use the same logic in other issues

Let X represent medicine, condoms, technology, birth control, and clothing.

Premise 1 - X is unnatural
Premise 2 - Unnatural things are bad
Conclusion - X is bad

The same logic applies. However technology, medicine, condoms, birth control, clothing, etc. are thought to be as beneficial or "good" for the most part. So therefore this unnatural argument makes no sense, and it can't promote further discussion. I will point out the next flaw in this argument. If unnatural things are considered to be bad, then it should inversely mean that anything natural should be considered good

Let X represent flesh-eating bacteria, viruses, maladies, poisonous animals, earthquakes, hurricanes, etc. We can then apply the following logic

Premise 1 - X is natural
Premise 2 - Natural things are good
Conclusion - X is good

However all of these are thought of as bad or harmful to humans. So therefore this logic is flawed. Something being natural does not necessitate that it is good. 

Natural =/= Good
Unnatural =/= Bad

So the next time you notice an appeal to nature fallacy be sure to point it. It is a fallacy that can add nothing to the discussion and has no logical basis.

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