題目 1 · stimulus-essay
25 分Read the stimulus below and answer the question that follows:
"They offered me a drug that would perfectly harmonize my desires with my actual circumstances, ensuring I would never feel frustration, regret, or longing again. It would make me perfectly content with my current life, no matter how mundane. I hesitated, wondering if my very restlessness—my capacity to grieve what might have been and yearn for what is not—was too precious to surrender."
With explicit reference to the stimulus above, write a philosophical response that addresses the question of what it means to be human.
"They offered me a drug that would perfectly harmonize my desires with my actual circumstances, ensuring I would never feel frustration, regret, or longing again. It would make me perfectly content with my current life, no matter how mundane. I hesitated, wondering if my very restlessness—my capacity to grieve what might have been and yearn for what is not—was too precious to surrender."
With explicit reference to the stimulus above, write a philosophical response that addresses the question of what it means to be human.
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解題
### Possible Philosophical Approaches
1. Introduction
- Identify the core philosophical problem raised by the stimulus: the tension between biological/psychological comfort (hedonism/utilitarian contentment) and existential authenticity (the capacity for grief, regret, and longing).
- State a clear thesis: To be human is not merely to experience positive mental states or satisfy basic desires, but to possess a self-conscious freedom that is fundamentally open, restless, and defined by the capacity to envision alternative possibilities (transcendence).
2. Analysis of the Stimulus
- Explain the proposal in the stimulus: a chemical intervention that eliminates the discrepancy between desire and reality (eradicating frustration).
- Address the narrator’s hesitation: why might we value "restlessness" and "yearning"? This points to a distinction between mere biological survival/peace and a distinctly human mode of existence characterized by self-reflection and striving.
3. Philosophical Perspectives and Theories
- Robert Nozick’s Experience Machine: Discuss how Nozick argues that we desire to do certain things and be a certain way, not just experience the feeling of doing or being them. The drug in the stimulus functions like a mental optimization machine that detaches us from authentic reality.
- Existentialism (Jean-Paul Sartre & Martin Heidegger):
- Sartre’s concept of bad faith (mauvaise foi): By chemically forcing our desires to match our circumstances, we deny our fundamental freedom to transcend our situation (facticity).
- Restlessness, angst, and yearning are indicators of our freedom and our awareness of possibility. Eliminating them reduces humans to the level of objects (en-soi or being-in-itself).
- John Stuart Mill (Utilitarianism): Contrast quantitative and qualitative pleasures. Mill's famous assertion that it is "better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied" supports the idea that higher human faculties involve a capacity for dissatisfaction that is preferable to simple contentment.
- Eastern Philosophies (e.g., Buddhism): Contrast the drug's mechanical elimination of desire with the Buddhist path of overcoming Taṇhā (craving/longing) through mindfulness and wisdom. Address whether artificial peace bypasses the necessary moral and intellectual cultivation that defines human spiritual maturity.
4. Evaluation and Counter-arguments
- Is restlessness always a positive human trait? Can chronic grief, trauma, or severe depression degrade human agency to the point where chemical intervention is necessary to restore human dignity and agency?
- Evaluate the utilitarian counter-argument: if suffering is minimized and contentment maximized, is it irrational to cling to existential angst?
5. Conclusion
- Summarize how the capacity to feel regret and yearn for what is not is central to human creativity, morality, and progress.
- Conclude that being human is an active process of navigating the gap between what is and what could be, rather than passive contentment with what is given.
1. Introduction
- Identify the core philosophical problem raised by the stimulus: the tension between biological/psychological comfort (hedonism/utilitarian contentment) and existential authenticity (the capacity for grief, regret, and longing).
- State a clear thesis: To be human is not merely to experience positive mental states or satisfy basic desires, but to possess a self-conscious freedom that is fundamentally open, restless, and defined by the capacity to envision alternative possibilities (transcendence).
2. Analysis of the Stimulus
- Explain the proposal in the stimulus: a chemical intervention that eliminates the discrepancy between desire and reality (eradicating frustration).
- Address the narrator’s hesitation: why might we value "restlessness" and "yearning"? This points to a distinction between mere biological survival/peace and a distinctly human mode of existence characterized by self-reflection and striving.
3. Philosophical Perspectives and Theories
- Robert Nozick’s Experience Machine: Discuss how Nozick argues that we desire to do certain things and be a certain way, not just experience the feeling of doing or being them. The drug in the stimulus functions like a mental optimization machine that detaches us from authentic reality.
- Existentialism (Jean-Paul Sartre & Martin Heidegger):
- Sartre’s concept of bad faith (mauvaise foi): By chemically forcing our desires to match our circumstances, we deny our fundamental freedom to transcend our situation (facticity).
- Restlessness, angst, and yearning are indicators of our freedom and our awareness of possibility. Eliminating them reduces humans to the level of objects (en-soi or being-in-itself).
- John Stuart Mill (Utilitarianism): Contrast quantitative and qualitative pleasures. Mill's famous assertion that it is "better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied" supports the idea that higher human faculties involve a capacity for dissatisfaction that is preferable to simple contentment.
- Eastern Philosophies (e.g., Buddhism): Contrast the drug's mechanical elimination of desire with the Buddhist path of overcoming Taṇhā (craving/longing) through mindfulness and wisdom. Address whether artificial peace bypasses the necessary moral and intellectual cultivation that defines human spiritual maturity.
4. Evaluation and Counter-arguments
- Is restlessness always a positive human trait? Can chronic grief, trauma, or severe depression degrade human agency to the point where chemical intervention is necessary to restore human dignity and agency?
- Evaluate the utilitarian counter-argument: if suffering is minimized and contentment maximized, is it irrational to cling to existential angst?
5. Conclusion
- Summarize how the capacity to feel regret and yearn for what is not is central to human creativity, morality, and progress.
- Conclude that being human is an active process of navigating the gap between what is and what could be, rather than passive contentment with what is given.
評分準則
### Marking Rubric (25 Marks Total)
Criterion A: Expression (5 marks)
- 5 marks: The response is clearly structured, uses precise philosophical terminology consistently, and presents a highly coherent argument.
- 3-4 marks: The response is well-structured and uses appropriate terminology, though there may be occasional lapses in clarity.
- 1-2 marks: The response lacks structure and uses vague or inappropriate terminology.
Criterion B: Knowledge and understanding (5 marks)
- 5 marks: In-depth knowledge of relevant philosophical concepts (such as existentialism, Nozick's experience machine, or utilitarianism) is demonstrated with highly accurate explanations.
- 3-4 marks: Good knowledge of relevant concepts is shown, though some explanations may lack depth or contains minor inaccuracies.
- 1-2 marks: Knowledge is superficial, fragmented, or mostly irrelevant to the core theme.
Criterion C: Identification and analysis of relevant material (5 marks)
- 5 marks: The stimulus is exceptionally well integrated into the essay, with its philosophical implications clearly extracted and analyzed.
- 3-4 marks: The response connects to the stimulus but treats it somewhat superficially or fails to maintain the link throughout the analysis.
- 1-2 marks: The response makes little or no reference to the stimulus.
Criterion D: Development and evaluation (6 marks)
- 5-6 marks: Critical evaluation is highly developed, balanced, and demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of alternative perspectives (e.g., contrasting existential value with hedonic utility).
- 3-4 marks: Arguments are developed and some evaluation is present, but it may be one-sided or lack critical depth.
- 1-2 marks: The essay is purely descriptive with little or no critical evaluation.
Criterion E: Relevant perspective/personal response (4 marks)
- 4 marks: The response explicitly, consistently, and creatively addresses the core question of "what it means to be human" with a compelling, well-argued personal stance.
- 2-3 marks: The response addresses "what it means to be human" but does so in a formulaic way.
- 1 mark: The core question is barely addressed or ignored.
Criterion A: Expression (5 marks)
- 5 marks: The response is clearly structured, uses precise philosophical terminology consistently, and presents a highly coherent argument.
- 3-4 marks: The response is well-structured and uses appropriate terminology, though there may be occasional lapses in clarity.
- 1-2 marks: The response lacks structure and uses vague or inappropriate terminology.
Criterion B: Knowledge and understanding (5 marks)
- 5 marks: In-depth knowledge of relevant philosophical concepts (such as existentialism, Nozick's experience machine, or utilitarianism) is demonstrated with highly accurate explanations.
- 3-4 marks: Good knowledge of relevant concepts is shown, though some explanations may lack depth or contains minor inaccuracies.
- 1-2 marks: Knowledge is superficial, fragmented, or mostly irrelevant to the core theme.
Criterion C: Identification and analysis of relevant material (5 marks)
- 5 marks: The stimulus is exceptionally well integrated into the essay, with its philosophical implications clearly extracted and analyzed.
- 3-4 marks: The response connects to the stimulus but treats it somewhat superficially or fails to maintain the link throughout the analysis.
- 1-2 marks: The response makes little or no reference to the stimulus.
Criterion D: Development and evaluation (6 marks)
- 5-6 marks: Critical evaluation is highly developed, balanced, and demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of alternative perspectives (e.g., contrasting existential value with hedonic utility).
- 3-4 marks: Arguments are developed and some evaluation is present, but it may be one-sided or lack critical depth.
- 1-2 marks: The essay is purely descriptive with little or no critical evaluation.
Criterion E: Relevant perspective/personal response (4 marks)
- 4 marks: The response explicitly, consistently, and creatively addresses the core question of "what it means to be human" with a compelling, well-argued personal stance.
- 2-3 marks: The response addresses "what it means to be human" but does so in a formulaic way.
- 1 mark: The core question is barely addressed or ignored.