The JONESTOWN TRAGEDY

Hi Guys

I set up this blog so that I can post relevant information for the course. The philosophy department at Unizul has a website where relevant course material is published as well. You can also sign up to be a member there. Go to http://www.philosophyuz.ning.com/



This site doesnt require you to be a member. You can just type in the address and read all the blogposts.



In class we have been speaking about Ideologies. I have decided to use the Jonestown Tragedy as an example to show how people who really believe in something, even though it might seem like a good thing, a good idea, something great to live by and work toward - how that thing can actually be a bad thing in the end. Remember what we said:



An ideology is something, a belief or set of beliefs that disempowers the believer, while making the believer satisfied with his or her disempowerment.



In Jonestown - 913 people believed in something so much that they convinced themselves that suicide was the best and only option for them! Seems crazy doesnt it? But remember what Marx said: "Religion is the opiate of the masses"? Watch this video and think about how it relates to what we have been talking about.

If you would like to know more about the Jonestown Tragedy - you can also find more information here (cick on the link below):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonestown

http://www.guyana.org/features/jonestown.html

http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~reli291/Jonestown/Jonestown.html

Here is another video that you may want to watch - it is documentary made for the 30th Anniversary of the Jonestown tragedy.

See you in class

Mrs Austin