ARP:Reaction to Meiland's "Why Reasons Matter"

Satoshi Takizawa
Professor Owen
ARW Section AI
7 May 2007

Reaction toMeiland's "Why Reasons Matter"

Summary

According to Meiland, there are five justifications of the search for good reasons. First, we believe that a thing supported by good reasons is more likely to be true than one that is not supported by good reasons. Second, beliefs based on good reasons help us to avoid frustrations. This means if you have no good reason, you would be shocked and frustrated when you did not get what you want. A third justification is what we might call a “social” justification. This means basing beliefs on good reasons fits together well with our democratic way of life. Fourth, if you have good reasons for your beliefs, then when your belief is challenged, you can defend your belief. And it help us to make clear why we believe. Therefore you are more likely to hold your true beliefs when you know why you ought to hold them. Finally, if you can’t defend their beliefs, we think that you don’t have reasons and understand the material. So you need to investigate reasons and argue for beliefs, and you had to prove them true. Also you will come to understand them better.

Discussion

Meiland takes up five justifications of the search for good reasons in “Why Reasons Matter”― why is it that college work is so concerned with the reasons for our beliefs？ In second justification he takes the example “If you believe capricious things, you would just go ahead and believe it, ignoring all evidence. The trouble is that eventually－and probably sooner rather than later－you will come into frustrating, or even violent, contact with the real world. But basing beliefs on good reasons has been found to aid in avoiding frustrations of this sort.” But I think, in this case that one believes capricious things, he need not have good reasons, because a person can display great power in doing something like sports by believing. For instance, I was poor at standing broad jump when I was junior high school student. My record was not more than tow meters. But I thought that I have power to jump more than 2 meters when I was high school student. And I jumped 2.10meters!! There is a case that a man display more power just to believe having no reason than to collects negative reasons.

Work Cited
Meiland, Jack W. College Thinking: How to Get the Best Out of College. New York: New American Library, 1981. (The ELP Reader, 2006.7-10)

Paraglaph:My Most Meaningful Experience

Satoshi Takizawa
Professor Owen James
ARW Section AI
29 April 2007

“My Most Meaningful Experience”

My most meaningful experience is playing soccer in club. I learned three things through playing soccer. First, I learned winning is pleasure! Second I learned importance of teamwork and communication, because my teammate had to understand their mind with each other. Finally, I had to make an effort to become a regular. So I learned that if I don’t make an effort, I can’t gain anything. Therefore I make an effort to study English and I want to speak with people from all over the world.

ARP:Reaction to Meiland's "New Types of Intellectual Work"

Satoshi Takizawa
Professor Owen
ARW Section AI
29 April 2007

Reaction to Meiland's "New Types of Intellectual Work"

Summary
　　According to Meiland, there is a difference between high school and college attitude toward materials. First, college work demands of students the more intellectual work different from high school. What is demanded of high school students is to understand the materials. It is demanded equally at university. But, what’s more, college work requires a different and higher type of understanding. It is critical examination and evaluation on the material. It is named new types of intellectual work by Meiland. College students need examine and evaluate it that the materials are really right. Second, there is difference of how to present the materials between high school and college. In high school, materials are presented as if they are authoritative and unchanging fact. So students believe and are satisfied with that the materials are true. But in college, materials are presented as beliefs or conclusions that have been reached on basis of investigation. Generally, people consider that the person who believes something should have a basis for such beliefs. So students have to examine and evaluate the materials and find evidence. That is why college work requires new kinds of intellectual work. Once students make shift from authority to rational evaluation, the mode of presentation of the material, and the way in which students regard the material also changes. And it is useful after having graduated from college. So students have to improve the skill of “new types of intellectual work”.

Discussion
　　Meiland says “college work requires new types of intellectual work, because the way in which materials are presented in high school and college is different. In high school, they are presented in authoritative manner-almost as if they were absolutely and eternally true. And this way is wrong.” But I think he misunderstands high school work. Because I think high school students need to study in that way. Firstly, students don’t know much about any subjects yet. They don’t have enough knowledge to examine and evaluate materials. So high school teachers should teach them with an authoritative material. Secondly, if high school work takes the way like critical exam and exam, there might be no time to study general subjects. Therefore high school work in authoritative way is needed by college work. And college students should get down to college work as they make the most of their experience in high school work.

Work Cited
Meiland, Jack W. College Thinking: How to Get the Best Out of College. New York: New American Library, 1981. (The ELP Reader, 2006.7-10)