It Matters: The "Adjacent Possible"

For a couple of weeks now, we have been discussing the adjacent possible. My understanding of the term is all events which have come before the present that help add to the importance or meaning. We began learning of the adjacent possible as far as Sophie's World. Each philosopher used the ideas which came before them, so on and so on. Sophie eventually puts together all of the different pieces and forms her own philosophy, thus utilizing the adjacent possible. This concept also applies to what we have learned in second semester,  beginning with Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." He quoted many people who have influenced him and his ideals while locked in the cell. Without them, he would not have articulated his points so well or efficiently.

In current events, the adjacent possible applies to the protest situation in Egypt. Citizens decided to no longer put up with their government and that enough was enough. Using the adjacent possible of the protests in Tunisia, Egyptians felt it was time to take action. Tunisia also must have been influenced by another event which prompted them to act out. An example of the adjacent possible put to use is http://english.aljazeera.net/ which currently has live feeds of what is happening in Egypt. 

Without the adjacent possible, computers would be here and neither would any modern inventions. It goes back in time forever and influenced each event in history. The adjacent possible serves as an example and without it, what would we have to live by?

Metacognition: First Semester in Humanities

Before signing up for Humanities, I heard that it was a good class but also bad. Good because of the creativity that is used and allowed, but bad because of certain personal experiences people have had. The class was tough in the beginning and I remember thinking: "When can I be creative? When can I flourish the most and be myself?" Of course, I thought that there would be no essays and that the class would be all fun and games. However, what english class does not have to write essays? As the semester rolled on, I began to enjoy the class more because there were so many different elements and projects. The semester was broken up into two quarters, and each quarter had a different theme. This worked out very well since it provided a chance to think in a new way. Some people are mroe creative and some like guidance.   During the end of the second quarter, my thinking began to be constant. I began to think philosophically, even outside of the classroom. This impressed and shocked me, to say the least. What I could possibly do better is to be more open-minded about othr students' viewpoints and opinions.


At times, the course was very difficult and time consuming but now I see the purpose and am glad that i took this class.