Fundamental question ??

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   Rafiniposted 14 years ago

   What is a fundamental question?  According to the dictionary, 'fundamental' means basic, or essential. 
   
   I need to determine the fundamental question involved in an assignment in order to write an argumentative paper.  (it involves three separate statements)  The only thing I can come up with is:  Are these statements right?  (which, obviously, they aren't because they all derive from separate belief systems)
   
   So, what are some examples of a Fundamental Question?  (I ought to be able to figure it out from examples, lol)  Thanks!

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      Evan G Rogersposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      what's the topic of your argumentative paper?
      
      For example:
      Topic - Monetary policy
      Questions: Should we have a central bank?
      
      Topic - public schools
      Question: Should schools be socialized and paid for my government, or should they be privatized?
      
      Topic - drug usage in the US
      Question: Should drugs be legal?

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         Rafiniposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         so the fundamental question directly relates to the topic of the paper?  I can get that...thanks! 

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            Evan G Rogersposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            What's the topic you're writing about?
            
            -- ps, there might be more than one "fundamental question". That's the important part.
            
            This is what's known as "framing the debate". If you get to start the debate, you get to ask the fundamental question, and thus frame the debate.
            
            For example, with the topic of "public schools" you could make a million different "fundamental questions".
            
            1) are they working
            2) US vs Others
            3) private vs. Public
            4) the privatization of public schools
            5) drugs in public schools
            6) students rights IN public schools
            7) free speech in public schools.
            
            etc etc.
            
            This is how you frame the debate.

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            1. 81

               Rafiniposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               I have 3 'statement' from bin Laden about why the Taliban attacked America.  Discuss the DCT and CR - is one statement better than the others and why.  (in a nutshell. lol)
               
               so, it sounds like the fundamental question is what I'm responding to, what my thesis statement needs to address.  (she said to make the thesis a summary of the problem & the solution)  Is it okay to have a thesis more than a sentence?  As in, a complete paragraph?

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                  Evan G Rogersposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  First off, I'm not familiar with "DCT" and "CR"... what do those mean?
                  
                  A thesis basically means "What are you going to argue For/Agaist".
                  
                  Topic: Birth Control
                  Framing Questions: "Should women be allowed to have abortions?"
                  Thesis: "Women have the right to abortions". (or whatever you WANT to argue).
                  
                  So, your situation:
                  
                  Topic: "the 9/11 attacks"
                  Question: "Why did they attack us"
                  Thesis: "They attacked us because we've been over there killing their children and women for about a century. It's called blowback."
                  
                  --- You can probably see a connection between these debates and the HubPages forums. People get onto HubPages, start a forum with a "topic", then the person writes out a summary of the argument (the question), and then everyone on the forum demands their "Thesis" be heard.
                  
                  Most of the people on HubPages are liberals, so their theses are usually liberal-style "government can help the poor"; a few are conservatives, so their theses are generally "quit hating america and stealing my money!"; and then people like me are libertarian/anarchists whose theses are "let me have my freedom". ----
                  
                  I think this is what your teacher is asking.
                  
                  This is for college right? What is the name of the class it's for?

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                     Rafiniposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     Intro to Philosophy.
                     
                     Divine Command Theory & Cultural Relativism (DCT, CR)
                     
                     
                     I do fine when I know what I'm talking about, lol, but when it's taking a step back I'm kinda lost. lol
                     
                     I have noticed that, with the HP Forums.  I've jumped in a few times. lol  Guess I should have stuck around a little more. lol

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                        Evan G Rogersposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                        Divine command theory?! Cultural Relativism?!
                        
                        I don't know much about those things. It sounds like you might not know much either. A quick google search should solve things.
                        
                        ...
                        
                        ...
                        
                        DCT = creationism. Which, at best, can't be proved, and thus is NOT a theory. I know I'm going to piss off a few religious types, but don't get me wrong! A scientific theory is nothing more than "an explanation that has yet to be disproven".
                        
                        Creationism, "DCT", is NOT a theory because it CAN'T be disproven. No matter HOW much evidence you stack against it, the creationist can simply say "nuh-uh! GOD did it!!!!"
                        
                        Here's wikipedia on CR:
                        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_relativism
                        
                        Your question is to look at What Bin Laden said, and then to analyze it through the lenses of DCT and CR.
                        
                        Shouldn't be too hard.
                        
                        "He believes in God (DCT), and thus our infringements into his culture led him to kill people for the greater good (CR)."
                        
                        Something like that. I dunno.

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                           Rafiniposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                           thanks for trying.

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                           Mikel G Robertsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                           
                           
                           Whoa...
                           
                           That is very good. So the existence/non-existence of God could be deemed a scientific theory.
                           
                           And the fundemental religious question:
                           
                           Does God exist?

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                           1. 81

                              Rafiniposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                              (hope you don't think I was being rude - I just didn't know where to go from his post )

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                              Evan G Rogersposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                              you're right, it COULD be a theory, but now go about gathering evidence for it! (good luck).
                              
                              The theory of god has not a single shred of evidence supporting it, and thus it is just as plausible as me saying that "invisible, massless chickens do a dance every 10,000 millennia that shape the laws of physics."
                              
                              Both have equal validity.

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      Shahid Bukhariposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Without being Pragmatic, or Religious ... The Fundamental Question, is the Question of "Being" ...
      
      For all Questions emanate from within Being ... the dead and non existent do not pose Questions.
      
      And The Fundamenrtal Questions in Being are the Questions relating The Truth and the Purpose of Being ...
      
      Two things Define the Existential Reality, these are Matter and Idea ...
      After you have decided to follow one of the two modes ... of Reason or Belief, the next two Questions are the Defining of Matter and Idea ...
      
      In Islamic Cognition, Matter and Idea Constitute the Reality, in Living Human Awareness ... the Sense of Being ...
      
      Well, these are some of the Fundamental Questions ... hope these are helpful towards writing the referred Paper.

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   3. 76

      Mikel G Robertsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      
      
      Do I exist?
      What is reality?
      Does truth exist, or is it merely perspective?
      If truth does exist, are there any absolute truths?
      
      Can God, if God as defined by Christianity is an omnipotent being, build a wall God cannot jump?

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         Shahid Bukhariposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Yes you do !
         You are Reality !
         Your Existence is the Truth !
         Try understand your self ... you will Find, The Absolute Truth.
         
         Why ... ?

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      Afflosparkposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Hello,
      A fundamental question is which clear your core concept about that topic. You can make a base via it.
      Basically, Fundamental question are those which show like too small but those really mean  too long
      like as
      Does the earth rotate around the sun?
      you can give a simple say "yes" for it.
      but when you go deep Then you understand its mean.

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         Kathryn L Hillposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you. Took eight years for this fine answer. With no help what-so-ever from U No Hoo.

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      Kathryn L Hillposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      How was each statement created?
      What idea(s) was each statement based on?
      How do they relate or not relate to one another?

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2. 60

   paradigmsearchposted 14 years ago

   What is the meaning of life?

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3. 60

   paradigmsearchposted 14 years ago

   Do I exist?
   
   One of the ancient Greeks successfully answered this one, but darned if I can remember which one.

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   1. 81

      Kathryn L Hillposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      proof I was right.

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4. 58

   logic,commonsenseposted 14 years ago

   By what and whose specifications do you or I exist?

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5. 60

   paradigmsearchposted 14 years ago

   And the most fundamental question of all…
   
   Does Snooki snore?

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   1. 81

      Rafiniposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I'm thinking...yes!...or, um...maybe? 

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      Evan G Rogersposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      yes, but the noise comes out from "the other" end....
      
      ... ewwwwwww!

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      1. 81

         Rafiniposted 14 years agoin reply to this

           ooops - who would have thought up a name like Snookie?   
         
         (blushing terribly with embarrassment for an inexcusable lack of knowledge in this department)

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6. 81

   Kathryn L Hillposted 6 years ago

   "A fundamental question is which clear your core concept about that topic. You can make a base via it.
   Basically, Fundamental question are those which show like too small but those really mean  too long
   like as
   Does the earth rotate around the sun?
   you can give a simple say "yes" for it.
   but when you go deep Then you understand its mean."  Afflospark
   
   Interpretation:
   A fundamental question is used to discover a clear concept about a topic.
   Basically, a fundamental question starts with the whole picture and ends with the details.
   For example: "Does the earth revolve around the sun?"
   You can give a simple answer, "yes",  but you need to ask a fundamental question to provide deeper understanding.
   ---------------------------------------------------------------------
   
   A question such as, "How does the earth rotate around the sun?" would be a fundamental question.
   Rather than, "Does the earth rotate around the sun?" That would just be a question.
   
   
   Maybe fundamental questions start with HOW.
    
   
   Yes?

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