Reaction to Sophie's World
Another week has passed and I'm still eagerly awaiting for my questions to be answered. My patience is running thin, and I just want answers. I haven't read any further then the Descartes, Spinoza, and Locke chapters yet. I did like these chapters more than the Renaissance chapter because I thought they were less textbooky. I found Descartes to be the "wisest" of the three I guess. He had a deeper understanding of the world, accepting the fact that we don't know everything. I also found his idea of reason over feeling interesting. It seems so easy and sounds like a smart way to live, but it is by no means easy to ignore all emotions and just act on reason. Our decision making process often gets clouded by our feelings; love, hatred, fear, and so on. Locke's views were very interesting to me also, are our senses reliable? It sort of connects to Descartes views of the mind/body connection.Can we trust how we see things or can our feelings alter the actual image? For example, you may find a person beautiful, not because they are society's definition of beautiful but because of how they make you feel. Another example, people who get drunk and have a bad hangover may not drink that same alcohol for a while, not because of the taste but because of the effects its had on them, how it made them feel. Spinoza I wasn't to interested in, I understand why he thought the bible should be ready deeply, but I think that still leaves so much up to interpretation.
Applying Philosophy to Real Life
I think Descartes ideas. are still very relevant today. When I was reading about Descartes my immediate connection was to the Full House episode where Michelle has the devil and angel telling her whether or not to play with Uncle Jessie's new expensive music equipment. The angel is your reason, your conscious. Influencing you to do whats right, like doing your homework even though you are tired and wish to just go to bed. The devil represents your impulses. What feels good at the time and has immediate satisfaction, like eating a cupcake even though you're trying to eat healthy. Descartes said we should listen to the "angel", ignore the "devil". The angel will always guide you right, while the devil may bring trouble upon you. I don't think we necessarily do this though, I think there's a pretty equal balance between the two; listening to reason and jumping on impulse.
Monday, January 26, 2015
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Blog #3
Reaction to Sophie's World
I'm starting to get frustrated and annoyed by Sophie's World. The entire book has been one big cliff hanger and I'm losing patience! I want to know the connection between Hilde and her dad with Alberto and Sophie. Also, why is Alberto still calling Sophie Hilde? Is it purposeful? Although I'm getting annoyed, I have been learning a lot. For instance I have learned about three new philosophers; Descartes, Spinoza, and Locke. Descartes was a lot like Socrates, he knew that he didn't know much. He was the first philosopher of his time to attempt to create a philosophical system that used all known knowledge. He focused mainly on mind/body connection. According to him the mind should rely on reason. Descartes was a major influence on Spinoza, the next philosopher mentioned in this chapter. Spinoza focused heavily on the Bible, reading it deeply and thoroughly. He had a deterministic view of the world, believing God ruled the world through natural law. The final philosopher, Locke, focused on our senses... Are they reliable? He felt we could perceive simple sensations, and that we then build them up, ultimately creating complex ideas.
Applying Philosophy to Real Life
I was really interested when learning about the three hellenistic philosophical views; epicureans, cynicism, and stoicism. While reading about the three different views of life, I was trying to place myself into one of the categories. I guess I'm somewhat of an epicurean because I do try to "seize the day" or "carpe diem", but I also believe that there is some interference from God, not everything is chance. I would like to be a cynic, not worshiping things or relying on materialistic items for happiness and I try to do so, but there are things, like my phone, buying clothes,etc. that do make me happy and it would behard for me to live without them. I also ocassionally find myself acting like a stoic. Relying on reason, and ignoring my feelings, because sometimes its easier to follow your head (what you should do) rather than your heart (what you want to do). Saying that, I'm also an emotional being, I do let emotions cloud my jusgement at times... but who doesn't? What I discovered is that I don't necessarily fit into of these categories, I'm somewhat of a Hellenistic mutt, a little bit of everything.
I'm starting to get frustrated and annoyed by Sophie's World. The entire book has been one big cliff hanger and I'm losing patience! I want to know the connection between Hilde and her dad with Alberto and Sophie. Also, why is Alberto still calling Sophie Hilde? Is it purposeful? Although I'm getting annoyed, I have been learning a lot. For instance I have learned about three new philosophers; Descartes, Spinoza, and Locke. Descartes was a lot like Socrates, he knew that he didn't know much. He was the first philosopher of his time to attempt to create a philosophical system that used all known knowledge. He focused mainly on mind/body connection. According to him the mind should rely on reason. Descartes was a major influence on Spinoza, the next philosopher mentioned in this chapter. Spinoza focused heavily on the Bible, reading it deeply and thoroughly. He had a deterministic view of the world, believing God ruled the world through natural law. The final philosopher, Locke, focused on our senses... Are they reliable? He felt we could perceive simple sensations, and that we then build them up, ultimately creating complex ideas.
Applying Philosophy to Real Life
I was really interested when learning about the three hellenistic philosophical views; epicureans, cynicism, and stoicism. While reading about the three different views of life, I was trying to place myself into one of the categories. I guess I'm somewhat of an epicurean because I do try to "seize the day" or "carpe diem", but I also believe that there is some interference from God, not everything is chance. I would like to be a cynic, not worshiping things or relying on materialistic items for happiness and I try to do so, but there are things, like my phone, buying clothes,etc. that do make me happy and it would behard for me to live without them. I also ocassionally find myself acting like a stoic. Relying on reason, and ignoring my feelings, because sometimes its easier to follow your head (what you should do) rather than your heart (what you want to do). Saying that, I'm also an emotional being, I do let emotions cloud my jusgement at times... but who doesn't? What I discovered is that I don't necessarily fit into of these categories, I'm somewhat of a Hellenistic mutt, a little bit of everything.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Blog #2
Reaction to Sophie's World
This book is getting more and more suspenseful with each chapter, leaving me with so many questions.... Who is Hilde? Is Sophie Hilde? The Renaissance chapter was specifically confusing. Why is Alberto so infuriated by Hilde's dad? Alberto keeps saying that Hilde's dad is a powerful being, making him sound like a deity or some sort of higher power, it's the only way he can have so much power and influence when it comes to getting the letters delivered to Sophie and it would explain all of the odd things going on with Sophie. For example, the mirror from the cabin that showed a reflection of Hilde. It's also odd how Sophie keeps finding things, like the gold crucifix or the ten crowns for bus fare, the same time that Hilde looses these exact items, or so it says in the letters addressed to Hilde from her father. Also why is Alberto keep calling Sophie Hilde? Is it the doing of Hilde's father and his "powers", or is Alberto slipping and revealing the truth. Could Sophie be Hilde? If so, could Alberto be the father?
Applying Philosophy to Real Life
The lesson we had today on the different roots of religion and atheism really had me thinking about my faith. I am by no means a saint, I rarely go to church when it isn't a holiday and I find myself only praying to God when I need something, and only thanking him if I get the result I was hoping for. I like the idea of a higher power and having someone looking over me with somewhat of a plan for my life, guiding me in the right direction (even though it is my choice to follow his lead). I try to have faith, believing in God but it is hard to grasp the idea that God was always here. How? Its hard enough to try and wrap my head around the fact that he just appeared one day, but I realized that he couldn't possibly have just appeared because that would mean he was created by an even higher power, so that mean he has always had to have been here... always. How is that possible?
This book is getting more and more suspenseful with each chapter, leaving me with so many questions.... Who is Hilde? Is Sophie Hilde? The Renaissance chapter was specifically confusing. Why is Alberto so infuriated by Hilde's dad? Alberto keeps saying that Hilde's dad is a powerful being, making him sound like a deity or some sort of higher power, it's the only way he can have so much power and influence when it comes to getting the letters delivered to Sophie and it would explain all of the odd things going on with Sophie. For example, the mirror from the cabin that showed a reflection of Hilde. It's also odd how Sophie keeps finding things, like the gold crucifix or the ten crowns for bus fare, the same time that Hilde looses these exact items, or so it says in the letters addressed to Hilde from her father. Also why is Alberto keep calling Sophie Hilde? Is it the doing of Hilde's father and his "powers", or is Alberto slipping and revealing the truth. Could Sophie be Hilde? If so, could Alberto be the father?
Applying Philosophy to Real Life
The lesson we had today on the different roots of religion and atheism really had me thinking about my faith. I am by no means a saint, I rarely go to church when it isn't a holiday and I find myself only praying to God when I need something, and only thanking him if I get the result I was hoping for. I like the idea of a higher power and having someone looking over me with somewhat of a plan for my life, guiding me in the right direction (even though it is my choice to follow his lead). I try to have faith, believing in God but it is hard to grasp the idea that God was always here. How? Its hard enough to try and wrap my head around the fact that he just appeared one day, but I realized that he couldn't possibly have just appeared because that would mean he was created by an even higher power, so that mean he has always had to have been here... always. How is that possible?
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