Question about AAMC 9 last verbal passage

[KindofBlue]

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I'm not sure if it's ok to discuss material of AAMC practice exams, but I was just wondering if anyone could offer their opinion or an explanation about the last passage of AAMC 9's VR (the 3rd paragraph specifically)?

I get the general idea of the paragraph, but I'm not sure what the author means when he/she says "eclipse of human beings' normative functions..." and "collapse of the old metaphysics," the sentences in the third paragraph which discusses utopia. Also I'm not quite sure how these sentences make the idea of utopia less plausible..


If someone can give an explanation/break down of the paragraph that would be really great..! Thanks a lot!🙂

 

[BilalL]

When the author mentions the eclipse of human beings' normative functions, the sentence ends by saying that many scientists and sociologists believe that science and technology determines its own future. This is to say that humans are not consciously deciding the direction that science and technology are going. Computers are getting smarter and cars are getting faster even though both could potentially be destructive(terminator?).

In terms of the metaphysics sentence, it comes to mean that humans have given up guiding there paths because of the totality of scientific knowledge along with the philosophical questioning of nature(metaphysics) becoming a thing of the past.

Basically science seems to give us complete knowledge, and we as humans come to just want progress in knowledge rather than progress in the direction of our society. This is rather oversimplified but I think its the general point.

 

[KindofBlue]

Thanks, that makes it a whole lot more clearer.

But I'm still kind of unsure how this ties back to the idea of utopia.. I guess those sentences mean the lack of human control in science and technology somehow makes the idea of utopia unreasonable, right? It kind of seems that the author is just throwing in ideas without really offering any support, isn't he/she?

 

[BilalL]

Thanks, that makes it a whole lot more clearer.

But I'm still kind of unsure how this ties back to the idea of utopia.. I guess those sentences mean the lack of human control in science and technology somehow makes the idea of utopia unreasonable, right? It kind of seems that the author is just throwing in ideas without really offering any support, isn't he/she?

The first point made about utopias, that there is no standard set of values to base it on, is a clear and coherent one.

The rest is sort of unclear. It ties into the philosophy versus scientific fatalism with the metaphysics and science arising from its own threads.

Essentially utopias clash with the popular belief of today where we hold technological advance to be the primary goal rather than perfect society.

I don't think he ever argued that utopian thinking is the way to go but he is certainly leaning in that direction by implying that moral and societal imperatives are to be held even when advancing science.

Many of the passages in the MCAT are relatively unsubstantiated because they are just excerpts from larger sources. I think the information in this one was enough to answer the questions.

 

[KindofBlue]

I see, so there's probably an established understanding of sort in the field of philosophy about ideals vs. science I guess?
Yeah, you're right that this information is probably unnecessary but just wanted to be able to understand what was really going on..it really bothers me when I can't see the whole picture when I'm reading stuff.. And I guess it helps my brain to exercise too. 🙂
But anyway, thanks a lot for your help!
Just curious though, do you have to be a philosophy major to be able to read like that? Or do you just read a lot? 😀

 

[BilalL]

I see, so there's probably an established understanding of sort in the field of philosophy about ideals vs. science I guess?
Yeah, you're right that this information is probably unnecessary but just wanted to be able to understand what was really going on..it really bothers me when I can't see the whole picture when I'm reading stuff.. And I guess it helps my brain to exercise too. 🙂
But anyway, thanks a lot for your help!
Just curious though, do you have to be a philosophy major to be able to read like that? Or do you just read a lot? 😀

No problem, I enjoy discussion on these passages. And no I am not a philosophy major haha just a Chem major. I took philosophy 1 and got a B. So I have no clue about whether ideals vs science is a common theme in philosophy.

However, I do enjoy reading this kind of stuff at times and I also read and watch a lot of science fiction where ideas about society are commonplace.

 

[SN2ed]

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