D= Dylan Davis
M= Marcus Aurelius
D: Do you prefer to
be called Marcus, Mr. Aurelius or anything in particular?
M: Marcus is fine for me.
D: What is your take
on us today?
M: Well your people seem to allow themselves to be captured
by their emotions, and no one seems to take this plentiful time of peace to
reflect on themselves.
D: Unfortunately I see this, but our world moves so fast
today.
M: See you allow the world to dictate your actions, instead
of maintaining the discipline to control yourself.
D: Hmm
M: Your generation sees the world moving fast and try to
keep up, if you had more discipline then you would be able to control yourself because
the world is fast and you know you must.
Understand which you can control, and control that. Do not try to slow the world.
D: But how can you manage to keep up if you don’t try to
move as fast as the world?
M: The only way to
move forward is to move deliberately and at the right speed, do not try to be fast
and do not try to be slow, move at the right speed and then you will progress
at the fastest possible rate.
D: How could moving slower make you fast though?
M: If you try run as fast
as you could how far would you get?
D: I don’t know anymore. . . I’d say a dead sprint would get
me maybe a ¼ mile. . . Yeah I’m out of shape now.
M: But if you go at
half speed how much farther could you go.
D: OK I see your point.
Trying to move to fast will only tire you out before you to your goal.
M: Exactly.
M: But now with this virus you are going through there is so
much out of your control what will you allow to control you?
D: I would like to think that I control myself.
M: But do you?
D: Well there are a
lot of things I would like to do that I just can’t
M: Why
D: Well we are in a quarantine and so there is a lot that is
just shut down, and people will get sick
M: But what is it that you want to do, is it going to make
you grow or is it to give you a fleeting feeling of joy?
D: I see what you mean, I am being frivolous with my time
instead of developing myself.
M: And why would you waste this time to be able to
contemplate your situation and expand your mind and strengthen your body?
D: It just seems like the time is going to quickly.
M: At last you admit it is your own lack of discipline that has
allowed you to fail in your growth and yet that you admit it may allow to grow
from this point forward.
D: Your honesty is quite brutal but appreciated nonetheless,
and I think your candor will allow me to grow.
M: No, it won’t. Your
own acceptance will allow you to grow, but the forces of outside of yourself are
only tools for you to use or ignore.
D: Well, Marcus thank you for your time today.
M: Thank you.
Quarantine runs 8
https://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2020/05/final-report-blog-david-hume.html
https://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2020/05/final-post-erin-rone-section-05.html?showComment=1588640565402#c6253922199320332153
The conversation format was an interesting choice.
ReplyDeleteMarcus definitely has our number. Are his statements based on the actual text of his Meditations? If so, please cite (or better, link to) it.
ReplyDeleteThis is just 500 words or so, the extra credit length... but extra credit was due on the 28th. If you intend to submit it as your final report, you need to expand it.
FINAL SOLO REPORT. 500+ word blog post (due date tba) worth up to 20 runs. Possible topics include any post-Descartes philosopher, further development of midterm report topic, a StoryCorps interview/essay, a transcribed imaginary dialogue between yourself and one or two philosophers...
DeleteIn short what am I missing as per your syllabus and the link at the bottom side panel which is where I got that the minimum was 500 words. And I don't know how to cite a conversion which never occurred. The imaginary conversation was based on my understanding of stoicism and how I think he may respond.
ReplyDeleteSorry you were confused. https://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2020/04/final-exam.html
Delete"The optional exam is separate from the Final Report blog post (which should include bloggish elements such as hyperlinks, images, video embeds (copy and paste the YouTube embed code, make sure the formatting stays within margins) and can either continue the subject of your midterm report OR take on a new subject such as a post-Descartes philosopher); the final draft is due May 5 (post an earlier draft if you'd like constructive feedback). For examples of what a final report blog post should look like, roughly, check out some of mine...
But...
* If you wish to expand your exam dialogue to 2,000+ words (8+ pages) you may substitute it for the Final Report..."
"Base their statements on our texts: Fantasyland, American Philosophy: A Love Story, The Little History of Philosophy, and your own documented research. Indicate sources parenthetically (see examples below)..."
DeleteI pulled what I quoted from you off of the syllabus.
DeleteI know. There was some early ambiguity about the final report assignment, and a "tba"(to be announced) placeholder later superseded by more precise instructions. Unfortunately you didn't see those, apparently. Not your fault.
DeleteI genuinely relate to this post. I grew a lot from being forced to quarantine. At first I was in a place where I was hating it, but then I realized I had an opportunity to benefit myself, wihtout pushing it off like I would have if things were in a normal state. I am saddened by what's happening in the world, but oh so grateful for the wake up call.
ReplyDelete