Up@dawn 2.0

Monday, April 7, 2014

Teenage Mutant Ninja Philosophers

Class Discussion:

So we started class by grading our exams. I hope everyone did okay. It was really nice to find out that we placed out of the 3rd exam if we scored at least a 90 on the first two exams. Anyone on track to get out of the final who can also get out of the 3rd exam are going to have a much easier time getting through this semester.
After we finished checking our exams and figuring out our grades, we continued class by taking the quiz from last Wednesday. I found it kind of tough to recall the readings because I was more focused on the Exam when I had originally read it, so important information from that night’s reading did not stick very well. And yes Dr. Oliver, we know you love William James. Schopenhauer is the man because he thinks history is meaningless, according to Dr. Oliver. This could stem off to the idea that the quote “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” If considering this from Schopenhauer’s standpoint, you would say this is incorrect. This sparks the belief that an individual is in control of their own destiny, and that events may not produce results similar to what has happened into the past, because there is no way to be absolutely sure that an event that has happened in the past will happen in the exact same way in the present. We can not predict the future off of experiences and instinct, because we may be incorrect. For Schopenhauer, the Will is reality in itself. I found this statement to be very profound. As humans, we make our own choices, and those choices have consequences. However, the ability to choose creates our reality. These ideas that came up while going over the quiz made some very interesting points that helped lead into the next quiz and its discussion.
The next quiz was a little easier to be prepared for because we didn’t have an exam to worry about for this class. What interested me the most about this quiz was the question regarding religious believers who are also Darwinists. This comparison is odd because these two groups are typically regarded as opposing views, though it is possible for a religious believer to also be a Darwinist, because God created all species, but this really has nothing to do with them evolving, changing, and adapting. This transformational idea, however, is a belief of strict Darwinists. I also feel bad for T. H. Huxley, because being called “Darwin’s Bulldog” sounds very negative to me. If taken literally, Huxley is being called a dog. Metaphorically, we can say that he sounds like a pet, or even a sidekick.
Once we finished the second quiz, really didn’t have time to divide up the readings for the night because Dr. Oliver went over his daily post, and with only 10 minutes, we could not get it organized. So everyone just try to cover what you can, and try not to do the same section as someone else.

Readings:

(LH) – Kierkegaard, Marx
(PB) – Carlisle

(AP) – Howe, Bloom, Said (pages 212-230)

8 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:29 PM CDT

    (PB) Carlisle

    FQ: What was the name of the 19th century Danish philosopher and Christian theologian who wrote the book "Fear and Trembling?"
    FQ: What biblical story does Kierkegaard focus on?
    FQ: What questions about the Christian faith does Kierkegaard raise?
    FQ: What was Kierkegaard's pseudonym that his first book was published under in 1843?
    FQ: Kierkegaard highlights that Abraham's faith appears to be __________.
    FQ: Kierkegaard saw himself as the __________ of ___________.

    DQ: Do you think that the Christian ideal is actually attainable?

    LINK: http://www.solargeneral.com/library/fear-and-trembling-johannes-de-silentio.pdf
    This is a pdf file of Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I definitely don't think Schopenhauer is "the man."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Also: Huxley was proud to be Darwin's bulldog. It meant he was a tenacious seeker of truth, i.e., a good philosopher (who knows when not to take things literally).

      Delete
  3. FQ: Who was seen as the founder of postcolonial theory? Edward Said

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtQlrE_tOKI

    DQ: Do you think cultures mix through colinazation or does one just take over the others?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Zachary L. Duncan1:01 PM CDT

    (LH)

    What book did Kierkegaard write under the name Johannes de Silentio (which meant John of Silence)?
    Answer: Fear and Trembling

    What did Karl Marx believe in?
    Answer: he thought human beings should be treated equally.

    Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16IMc5mhbZk
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EItNMyV0Abc

    ReplyDelete
  5. Chandler Schewe2:27 PM CDT

    Fq: what is Kierkegaard known as the father of? DQ: do you think Karl marx's vision of society is achievable? Or is it a utopian ideal?

    ReplyDelete
  6. FQ:Did Kierkegaard think that it was of more value to be a father or to do ones diligence to god?
    DQ: Should god be your first priority in life even over your family
    Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmYVl4sgYr4
    its about kierkegaard

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous3:18 PM CDT

    FQ: Who wrote Fear and Trembling? - Kierkegaard
    DQ: Does society still believes that human beings are still being treated equally?
    Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16IMc5mhbZk

    ReplyDelete

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