Carry It Forward: Descartes in Sophie's World

Descartes had many valid points and of course some not so valid, as does every philosopher. First of all, Descartes and Socrates were both convinced that certain knowledge can only be acquired through reason. I agree with both of them since through reason, you can decide what is right, wrong, truth, or opinion. Again like Socrates, Descartes would not accept that he knew nothing. He claimed that we can only accept anything as being true if we can clearly and distinctly perceive it. This makes sense since this laptop I am using exists; I can see it, feel it, and obviously use it. Descartes started off by doubting everything, so that he can work his theories out from scratch, from a completely blank slate. Therefore, the fact that he doubted everything was the only thing he was certain of. This is where his theory gets complex, and lost me. However, I was brought back in by the expression, "I think therefore I am." This is something you and I have heard numerous times, I'm sure.

Descartes's next point I'd like to bring up is that there exists a perfect entity. He claimed that there would not be a perfect entity if it didn't exist and we would not possess the idea of a perfect entity if it didn't exist. God is very present in this theory, since God is that perfect entity, since no human being is perfect. By this, Descartes must believe that God exists, which I do not agree with however.

Philosophy is very complicated and each person has a right to their own opinions, some people are just more inclined to share them.

An Inconvenient Truth: Men As "Breadwinners"

This theory has been around for all of time, beginning with the story of Adam and Eve; Eve was created with Adam's rib, therefore he is more powerful. 

The issue of sexism rubs me the wrong way, and it should have that effect on everyone. Being told that men are superior since childhood pollutes the mind and therefore, children grow up believing that it is true. Little girls are supposed to wear frilly clothes and do "girly" things like arts and crafts, take ballet, and be soft-spoken. They see their mothers, most of the time, stay at home and tend to household chores while their fathers work to support them.

Even on television, this the common view: a mother stays home with the children while daddy goes out and makes a living. Women and girls alike are taught that they need to play Susie homemaker, so to speak. Shouldn't everyone be allowed to go out and make a living for themselves?

This is getting to be more common in modern day, however. Young females are going to college and working before settling down and starting a family. Even when they do, most are still working, sending kids to daycare centers and daytime babysitters. 

Growing up with a single mother who always had to work to support us, I can see how doing so makes for a strong, independent woman. I can't help but appreciate and look up to her.

Best of Today: Class discussion on Wednesday 11/3/10

The best and only thing we did in class Wednesday was discuss Sophie's World and why Gaarder juxtaposes two stories, much like Marianne Wiggins did in The Shadow Catcher.

I had a difficult time understanding this book and its purpose, but I started to realize how important philosophy can be during the discusison in class. Philosophers ask the questions that i am too afraid to ask myself, and even though they may not know an answer, it is better to at least have tried to arrive at one. 

I am a philosopher in the sense that I know that I do not know everything, and therefore do not brag about being all-knowing. Socrates felt the same, and he was in turn the wisest man in Athens. Sophie also realizes this about herself, which makes me relate to her character. 

The discussions in class, but specifically this one from Wednesday, make me think about many things. If someone brings up a really good point, I can't help but think "Wow." Certain comments also stick with me, and can carry over into different classes or discussions I have outside of school.

iMedia: George Carlin's Modern Man

George Carlin's comedy, not just this one video, can teach us many things. His cynical attitude shows what is wrong with society and he tells it like it is and is never afraid to hold back. His genuine honesty has gained him a very loyal following, even after his death a little over two years ago.

I first was introduced to Carlin's comedy around the time of his death, strangely enough, by an old friend. At the time, I didn't understand how important this man was to popular culture and how many comedians he has inspired. However, as I got older, I understood the magic of his words and how true he is as a person and comedian; how he can take a serious issue and make a joke about it without being over-the-top.

Carlin can be seen as quite controversial, with monologues such as "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television." For the time of 1972, he was very inappropriate. He knocked down barriers and was something no one at the time was familiar with.There are no words that I can say to do this man justice, except to say that he has inspired me and my personality today. He is a realist, which taught me to be the same. The world is not perfect, and he knew it.

In this specific video, Carlin states what a "modern man" is. How superficial "he" is and how this type of person is not real at all. He examined and critiqued what is wrong with this modern culture and used his wonderful wit to exploit it. For this and many other things do I admire him.

Best of Week: Born Into Brothels

I thought that the best thing we observed in class the week of 10/18 was the documentary Born into Brothels. What I liked most about this film, although not the only thing, was how happy these children were just to be learning photography. Avijit was already very artistic and when introduced to this new art form, he immediately enjoyed it. Every single child has something different to offer through their photo skills as well. Some take photos of their families, some of the streets of which they belong to. Each time one of them smiles, it makes me smile. This documentary has so far taught me that you need to pursue your dreams, because you never know where they will take you. These children have taken advantage of the opportunities that photography gives them, because otherwise they are not given much. Not one of the children let themselves be affected too much by their surroundings, either. They try to stay positive and enjoy their lives while they are young and before they are forced to grow up and become adults, whatever their responsibilities will entail. This documentary leaves me with a sense of hope after each day of viewing. It has also peaked my interest in Indian culture, whether that was the purpose or not. I could only hope to achieve something of this magnitude with my life and I extremely admire Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski for all their time and effort put into teaching these kids that there are ways to escape the pain of living in a impoverished brothel. 

Metacognition: QE Essay

I have written about my experience while writing essays in a previous post, but as this essay progressed, the style of my thought processes changed. 

While discussing this essay in class before the entire process began, I had an idea about what question I wanted to write about: What role does education play in creativity? I even thought of an example while still in class that I could use to open up the paper with. However, after receiving Section 1 with a grade on it, I read the other questions that night. I realized I could use the same example, but choose a question that would be easier to use the class material as support.

When the time came to write Section 2, I had not prepared anything the night or nights previous, which left me in a bit of a rush. I had to think fast and about what made sense or what did not. In times like these, there is no space to be creative or add extra insignificant details, which is actually quite nice. It eliminates unnecessary thoughts/words. Before starting Section 3, though, I did make corrections on Section 2 because God knows I needed to. 

And now it is time for Section 3: the final section of the QE Essay. Even though we were given class time for this, I could not make myself focus. Therefore, this was left for the night before the whole essay was due. Bad idea, yes, but I find that I work well under pressure. Much as I am now: rushing to get this blog post done before the school day is over so I do not have to worry about it anymore. 

What I learned through-out this QE Essay process was that it is easier to write an essay or any piece of writing in parts; it takes the dread and pressure out of the equation, at least somewhat. There were still deadlines and guidelines to follow, but you can focus more on a single section instead of the whole.

Blogging Around

The first blog that I read was Angelo's. His essential focus was that inspiration is needed to write essays and other pieces of writing. It is difficult to become inspired, but your environment can in turn help to focus your mind and give inspiration while writing. "I agree with you that inspiration is hard to come by at first, but when you find it, essays and other pieces just come together naturally. The part about your loud siblings was comical, as well as the part about you staying focused on an essay in the midst of a fire. I enjoyed your acronym for inspiration, even though it didn't make too much sense. But inspiration doesn't make sense, either, does it?"

The second blog I chose to comment on was Katie T's. Her writing style reminded me very much of my own, and it was if I had wrote her Metacognition post myself. Her focus was on blog posts, and how writing them takes time and may not be a simple task.  She starts out by reading other blogs, which I have done as well, to start on her creative thinking process and get her mind going. "I enjoyed this post very much, I must say. Your style of writing reminds me very much of my own, in certain ways. The part about soaking up each others creativity is very true; we, as students, draw creativity and ideas from peers and other elements around us. Although you still have to find a way to differentiate your thought processes from what you may see in the end, reading other classmates' posts is very helpful. Blogs don't have to be something to dread, because like you said, they aren't so bad after all."