In response to Julia Asthon's Question...

Julia brought up a very interesting question - Why do you believe the human race sees themselves as superior to all other beings?

I personally feel that the human race is extremely pompous and egotistical.  It shows in every single action that is carried out- even in the upbringing of our civilization!  The world is where it is today because creators and inventors thought it would make things more "convince" or "easier" for us as humans.  I've personally asked this question to several people around me before and I've gotten answers as wide as "because we have thumbs" or "because we walk solely on two legs and process our own thoughts", but I think it's because we are truly full of ourselves.  In a way, humans have the right to think we are superior than other creatures, because look at the world that was built around us, we as humans created this; not any other creature.  

Also, due to the way civilization has in a way exploded; we endanger so many other living things because of our selfishness.  We take away the homelands of animals to create places for our amusement?  And then think better and highly of ourselves?!  I see why you raised this question.  I totally agree with you, and I feel it's mainly because humans are SO self centered.  Everything is about us, and what we want, what we "need", and because we act too capriciously to even take into consideration the other living things on Earth.

Just pondering...

Several things that I have read online includes religion in with philosophy.  I am a religious person, so I can see how philosophy and religion can almost go hand in hand.
It seems as if most things that we have talked about, deal with ethics, morality, and right versus wrong, but does that even come into play if there was no religion?

All religions are different, but most generally come down to the same: do well, serve the higher up God/Jehovah/Allah, and treat the people around you well in hopes of pleasing the "higher up" person - all that go along with what we see now as ethics and morals.  These ethics and morals were once woven into the nature and life of every human on this planet.  As society has changed, the nature of humans have changed as well, and the morals of the people have changed as well.

Now my question to you is: Religion doesn't play a role in every life, how has the presence or lack of religion effected your nature?   

In response to Jenny Beers's Question..

Jenny had asked: What is one philosophical question that you think can be answered and what is one that can never be?

 I personally feel that many questions could fall into both parts of the question.  What's great about philosophy is that it seems like we will never know everything, and questions will always arise; but will they be able to be answered?

I feel the number of questions that cannot be answered outweigh the number of questions that can be answered.  
A question that I believe wouldn't be able to be answered is what most people ask; what is the point of life?  I often find myself pondering over that myself... Are we to live and deal with what we are given, and die happy in the process of trying to reach person nirvana and divinity?  Who knows?!
A question that is answerable (trying to steer away from what we talked about in class today), how do we define success? 

My question for you is: How would you personally define a successful life?  What are some aspects that need to be achieved to call it a successful one?