Paul Nervy Notes
“Jokes, poems, stories, and a lot of philosophy, psychology, and sociology.”


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Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  .This section is about basic ethical choices we all face.  ---  12/30/2003


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  .This section is about various ethical choices.  ---  1/24/2006


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  (1) Accepting the injustice in the world so long as it doesn't affect you directly vs. (2) Working toward global social injustice and environmental sustainability.  ---  10/30/2004


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  (1) Being civil vs. uncivil.  (2) Being friendly vs. unfriendly.  (3) Being helpful vs. unhelpful.  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  (1) Do whatever you want (total freedom).  (2) Do whatever you want within legal law.  (3) Do whatever you want within an individual or societal norm system (Simple vs. complex.  Strict vs. lax).  (4) Do whatever anyone tells you to (total duty).  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  (1) Intervention, embroilment, immersion vs. (2) isolation vs. (3) retreat, withdrawal.  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  (1) Unquestioning acceptance of the worst values of today's society vs. (2) Reasoning what is wrong with society and working to improve society.  ---  10/30/2004


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  (1) Where: apropos, appropriateness.  (2) When: timing.  (3) How much: balance, mix, tradeoff, proportions, compromises, excess, lack.  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  (1)(A) I will go out of my way to help/hurt you.  (B) I will not go out of my way to help/hurt you.  (2)(A) Will help/hurt you if I get the chance.  (B) I will not help/hurt you if I get the chance.  (3)(A) I will not help/hurt you.  (B) I will help/hurt you.  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  All your alternatives: at the moment, and in the future.  The paths you must take to get them.  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  Attack vs. defense.  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  Big ethical decisions in life.  (1) Obey law or not.  (2) Educate self or not.  (3) Have kids or not.  (4) Try to accomplish something vs. waste time.  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  Doing (or thinking) the radical vs. doing (or thinking) the commonplace and boring.  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  Ethical attitudes that determine ethical behavior.  (1) Toward self.  (A) I want to destroy myself.  (B) I don't care if I decay.  (C) I just want to survive, break even.  (D) I want to grow, improve.  (2) Toward others.  (A) I want to destroy you.  (B) I don't care if you decay.  (C) I just want you to survive, break even.  (D) I want you to grow, improve.  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  Ethics choices and attitudes.  (1) What to do for a job.  What to do in leisure time.  (2) Who to associate with.  Who to pick as friends.  Who to pick as mate.  (3) Whether to think or not.  What attitudes to hold.  (4) Whether to wallow in blissful ignorance or whether to think.  Whether to believe and obey blindly or whether to think and act based on reason.  (5) Whether to read books.  Whether to read one book or many books.  (6) What to talk about.  Talking about meaningful topics vs. meaningless trivialities.  (7)  Let one's mind run free vs. Direct one's mind.  Control the direction of one's own mind to some degree.  (8) Whether to live or die.  Kill self vs. die for a cause?  Live for self vs. live for a cause.  Live for a cause.  ---  6/7/2004


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  Ethics decision tree.  (1) Not to be vs. to be.  (2) Not to think vs. to think.  (3) Not to act vs. to act.  (4) Speak or physical action.  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  How do I want to live?  Is it a question of style (aesthetics) as well as ethics?  Lifestyle choices.  Environment you choose to live in.  Psychological effects of same.  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  How much of your creative soul will you sacrifice for money, sex, rest and relaxation, or anything else (generally or specifically)?  And how much won't you, and why.  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  Lifestyle choices.  (1) Where live, how live?  (2) What do, what own, who see?  (3) What learn, what absorb into head?  (4) What do I want to do with my life?   (5) How, when, where, with who?  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  Major ethical choices for an individual.  What to learn, read, watch.  What to do for an occupation.  What to do with free time.  Who to spend time with.  How to treat other people.  (2) Major ethical choices for a group, community, nation, society.  How to treat the individual.  How to treat other groups.  ---  6/8/2004


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  Mediocrity vs. greatness.  Practical vs. ideal.  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  Most important thing in life is survival?  At any cost?  Socrates said no.  Living well?  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  Most precious resources: time, health, knowledge, and energy.  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  Neutrality vs. side taking.  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  Optimum ethics, peak performance, perfection vs. pragmatism, satisficing, it'll do.  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  Purposes of life that some people hold.  Make, save, invest, spend, be rich, make babies, fame, do good, absence of pain, worship god, do only your duty or your job, follow vs. lead.  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  Questions: why live (for what goal), how live, what do?  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  Risk, payoff, danger.  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  What I stand for, what I stand against, and what I don't care.  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  What to think about?  What to do?  ---  12/30/1992


Philosophy, ethics, choices.  ---  When faced with a situation, you have three choices.  (1) Taking part, working for it.  (2) Not getting involved.  (3) Working against it.  ---  12/30/1992




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Paul Nervy Notes. Copyright 1988-2007 by Paul Nervy.