The Future of the Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand
The proposition that the Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand is “soon to be extinct” is a superficial reading of a complex religious landscape. While statistics revealing a national decline in religious affiliation provide a surface-level argument for this claim, a deeper analysis of the Catholic Church specifically reveals a narrative not of extinction, but of significant transformation and quiet revival. This essay will critically evaluate the Church by examining its demographic challenges
Read MoreFoundational Concepts in Logic and Critical Thinking
Logic: The Art of Correct Reasoning
Logic comes from the Greek word logos, which means the art or craft of speech. Logic is the area of philosophy that studies correct reasoning and sound judgment. Logicians study logic.
Reasoning Definitions and Examples
Inductive Reasoning
This kind of reasoning is based on “induction,” the process of observing particular things and making generalizations. It goes from the little picture to the big picture.
Example: My cat purrs. My friend’s cat purrs. My neighbour’s
Read MoreFundamentals of Logic: Reasoning and Argumentation
Understanding Logic
Logic is the science of reasoning and correct thinking. It studies how we can think clearly, reason properly, and reach valid conclusions.
Example: 1. All humans are mortal. 2. Socrates is human. Therefore, Socrates is mortal.
Key Point: Logic tells us how to think, not what to think.
Why Logic Matters
- Think Clearly: Avoid confusion and mistakes.
- Make Correct Decisions: Enhances problem-solving skills.
- Distinguish Right from Wrong: Avoid fallacies and flawed reasoning.
- Improve Knowledge:
Foundations of Philosophical Ethics and Human Flourishing
The Purpose and Nature of Ethics
1. Why Study Ethics?
Every discipline has a purpose. Ethics, according to Adela Cortina, helps us commit to a happy and good life—a life:
- Open to hope,
- Guided by justice,
- And oriented toward human flourishing.
This aligns with the classical tradition, where ethics concerns happiness, the good life, justice, and hope. Ethics is also a science that guides human action toward the ultimate end of human life.
2. Can Ethics Be Learned by Imitation Alone?
Unlike animals (e.g.
Read MoreArtificial Intelligence: Definitions, Turing Test, and Agent Rationality
1. Define AI and its relation to human intelligence
Define, in your own words, what AI is, how it is linked/related to human intelligence (if ever), and how does it differ from other computing fields. Use a schema to illustrate your answer.
Definition of AI (1pt)
Artificial Intelligence is the study of agents that can perceive their environment through sensors and act upon that environment through actuators in a way that allows them to achieve their goals effectively.
Relation to human intelligence
Scientific Concepts, Laws, Theories and Methods
Scientific Concepts
Scientific concepts are abstract entities that allow us to identify, differentiate and compare, with a certain amount of accuracy, the objects that make up reality and that are studied by a specific science.
Types of scientific concepts
- Classificatory concepts: order and separate different kinds of entities depending on their basic properties (troposphere).
- Comparative concepts: classify and order things into separate groups (the hardness of minerals).
- Metric concepts: are exclusive