Essay – Little Dipper

Photography in Time and Agency

February 15, 2021February 10, 2021 Expeon

With the coming of the technological era, photography has been translated from analog to digital, enabling people to capture moments with ease. Due to its prominence, primarily nowadays to millennials who are fond of posting photos in social media, photography has been reduced to merely showing off or sharing experiences with people. Even during the early times some philosophers have already argued that photography’s ease of postproduction which is afforded by digitalization has already undermined its epistemic privilege with respect to other forms of arts such as painting.[1] Nevertheless, photography remains to be an art in itself, in virtue of the creative process the photographer and the subject of the photograph undergoes.

Contemporary photography acts like an open space which brings with it the freedom of thinking, particularly in enabling a person to perceive reality with the use of his memory and imagination. These two ways of perceiving reality (memory and imagination) are recurring in photography.[2] It sparks a kind of visual thinking wherein the person looking at a photograph is given the freedom on how to perceive reality based on how he sees the photograph. As a matter of fact, a photographic image has turned up to be a crucial factor of our visual memory, as it has the potential to save ruins and antiquities, to evaluate unknown territories, and to reveal identities. Particularly it has the capability of sending us to the idea of the survival of the past, and the immortalization of an event.[3]

However, photography must not only be reduced to its product which is the photograph itself, but other elements are also crucial in the understanding of its process. The elements of photography include the photograph or the product of the photographic process, the photographer who is in control of what happens to its product, the subject of the photograph, which includes its model or central object and the background, and the photographic equipment which is the medium that comes between the photographer and the spatiotemporal context or scene. In here we focus on the three elements of the photograph, the photographer, and the spatiotemporal context or subject of photography. In particular, we look at the relation of the photograph and the context or subject to time, and the photographer to agency, time work, and sacred time.

Contemporary photography acts like an open space which brings with it the freedom of thinking, particularly in enabling a person to perceive reality with the use of his memory and imagination.

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Essay

Anger, Growth, Liberalism, Love

February 13, 2021February 10, 2021 Expeon

Anger (galit) is a primal or visceral emotion. In one way or another, emotions such as anger precede ethics and can be dangerous to oneself or to others when not controlled or used constructively. Moreover, anger communicates that boundaries exist between us and the world, and when one feels that this boundary is violated, anger is expressed imperatively. One of the dangerous kinds of anger includes anger that is directed inward, which when not expressed will eventually lead to self-destruction. Another kind is anger that is directed outward that can turn into violence and rage, which can potentially inflict pain against others. The last kind of dangerous anger is anger associated with sadness wherein one feels helpless or frustrated when something is not attained. In here there is a sense of isolation and pain due to an obstacle that cannot be removed.

However, there is a type of anger that can be turned into a virtue. Transformed anger has the capability of removing obstacles causing anger, therefore eliminating the menaces of anger. Anger can only be transformed, however, under some conditions. First, there must be real anger to begin with, and it must be recognized. If there is no authentic anger to begin with, then there is nothing to transform. Next, one must ask what his/her anger is for. Recognizing the purpose of one’s anger ultimately leads to a formulation and realization of goals that will be pursued. The purpose and goals of one’s anger lead to plans and directions. Although having a goal poses the danger of disappointment and frustration, and obstacles can obstruct the way, anger can be used in order to be persistent and tenacious in order to attain the goals. Once again, anger is transformed in this process of attaining one’s goal and emotions are used in a constructive way.

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Essay

Conscience in Artificial Intelligence

February 10, 2021February 10, 2021 Expeon

The advent of modernization has necessitated innovative forms of technology that are highly automated, self-sustainable, and ubiquitous. Several forms of these technologies already exist, and most of them are geared towards fostering the environment and improving human health conditions, such as renewable energy and stem cell technology. However despite their potential, these innovations are not free from judgment due to their compromise in ethics and morality. One prevailing issue of science in conflict with ethics is on the existence of artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has sparked various arguments in the field of ethics and morality, as it was argued that AI poses a threat to human survival. This technology aims to simulate human intelligence, and as the technology is bound to develop, super intelligence in machines can potentially be achieved. This implies that machines and systems can go beyond human control, become autonomous and think on their own. With these in consideration, there is a question on whether machines such as robots should continually be used for human interaction, especially that there remains many ambiguities on the capacity of AI systems to perceive ethical and moral problems, specifically those that require the use of conscience. Currently, AI robots that mimic humans are being employed in education, media, and hospitals. They have been tested to function as teachers, news reporters and even as nurses.

The primary goal of Artificial Intelligence is to be able to develop computer understanding and to make it as close to human intelligence as possible. [1] AI simulates human intelligence and includes automated perception, learning, reasoning, and decision making.[2] Examples of its simple forms include speech recognition apps such as Siri, GPS systems such as Waze which use AI algorithms to optimize routes, computer vision systems such as the face detection features in smartphones, and even the data mining systems such as search engines. Sophisticated forms include androids and humanoid robots which are made to look and act like humans. Artificial intelligence can accelerate the technological progress in almost all fields, which include business, medicine, education, etc. In businesses, robots in the form of industrial machines hasten and multiply the production, aiding the workers in the production process and giving its owner more profit. As such, robots can potentially replace and displace man in industries as more kinds of AI machines will be invented. Once fully developed, the production of AI robots will be unrestricted since the software can be easily installed on available hardware. This is in contrast to how man acquires skills, which is a long process of learning and practicing before perfection is reached.

Although a system with superintelligence is not yet fully realized, the concept remains highly possible due to the great number of scientists and engineers studying and developing algorithms in the field of artificial intelligence. In the field of engineering, most research outputs involve automated control systems and data mining. It is evident that most engineers are highly interested in getting involved with studies regarding AI since it is proclaimed to be the future of technology and it will greatly help achieve smarter cities, fully automated systems, and easier work for the part of man in the near future.

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