The End???

Everything that's happening for the final time seems bittersweet...such as the final blog posting for Humanities.  However, this has possibly inspired me to start a random blog of my own...

Well I have to say I was a bit disappointed this week with class...I was soo looking forward to watching The Girl with a Pearl Earring.  However, we instead watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail which I personally found very stupid, pathetic, and slightly idiotic.  I guess it's just not my type of humor...  Oh well, I did find the other movie on YouTube so I look forward to finding a time to watch it after all this homework slows down...  Let's see, my reasoning for the whole Monty Python thing???  Well the scene where they are cutting off limbs and red stuff is gushing out is gross!  The rest of the "funny parts" just seem more stupid...but after talking to several people I guess that's just me...

Well, I guess now is the time I should be going back over all the material that we've read and discussed in order to prepare for the upcoming final...but this class has definitely made me a bit more interested in things in the philosophy realm.  Maybe not all of that stuff is too difficult to understand after all...  Well happy thoughts to everyone else reading this...and although philosophy seems to be good at forcing you to over-analyze, don't become like me, dangerously thinking everything could mean various things... :)

A Reason for Everything

This was another one of those weeks where everything we read or talked about in Humanities seemed to apply to something happening in my own life!  It's also neat to see how some of the philosophers' views actually parallel my own Christian beliefs.

It started with Rousseau's writing...  When reading it, I felt that the main point was that if the world revolved around just one person, everything would be better.  But the addition of others and the idea of relationships complicates everything.  Now, like I've recently experienced, we find ourselves desiring to be noticed, especially by the opposite gender.  In order to do this I am constantly watching myself so that I'm not exposing things that should remain hidden.  We are introduced to the idea of the social contract.  Maybe we wouldn't hear the phrase, "It's not fair!" as much if we had this perspective.  Because by this we are given freedoms, but must be willing to sacrifice some for the good of all.  My view of how "unschooling" would best be helpful would be a lesser version in which students were asked at the beginning what type of things they would be interested in learning.  That way, they are allowed to do some of the choosing, yet they aren't allowed to run wild with their freedom so there is still some guidance.  I do in a way believe that one's surrounding environment impacts their level of sin, but overall I believe that we were all born sinners.

Now to Candide where indeed we are puzzled whether or not the good of the world outweighs the evils.  Because I do lean toward the belief of predestination in which God planned everything before we even came to be, I would agree that everything happens for a reason and in the end, it is the best possible way that it could turn out.  Although something may seem horrible at the time, God will actually use it as something good for someone somewhere.  For me, knowing that God has it all planned out is the most comforting thing and it gets me through the day, but it also can be the most frustrating when you are waiting for certain parts of the plan, like finding Mr. Right, to play out.  Another idea that was interesting to me was that in the case of humans, "All knowledge is believed, but not everything that is believed is known."  However, God is all-knowing so this is not true for God.  I can relate to this though by saying that with my overanalyzing mind, I may believe something means a certain thing, however it is hardly ever known for a fact at the time.
It was also interesting to see the parallels between Candide and the Garden of Eden.  To think, one sin and now look at all the evil in this world.  However, going back to the overarching theme, there is a reason for everything...so hopefully in the end all the good will overshadow the bit of necessary evil...God is in control of this earth that is best for now until we reach heaven, which I believe will be the "Best of All Possible Worlds!"

Are you enlightened yet?

The topic of discussion this week was the period called, "The Enlightenment."  Supposedly this was the point when people based their thinking on reason.  Things were classified with reason, yet they also saw the possibility of progress, perfectibility, and freedom.  I had heard about John Locke's idea of "tabula rasa" in some of my other classes.  However, I'm not sure that I totally believe it, I instead am more apt to believe that everyone is born a sinner.  Also, no one is able to reach the point of perfection.  Why does it always seem that these ideal ideas can never occur in reality?  Another example of this is the social contract.  If only we would all see the benefits of banning together to achieve rights, yet be willing to give up some things for the good of all.  We can't have everything we want, and in the end, that is ultimately best.

One of the most intriguing concepts has to be Adam Smith's idea of the invisible hand.  In a way I can connect this to my religious beliefs that God has his hand in everything.  Do you think this is where Smith got his ideas?  Either way, isn't it interesting how the market tends to work itself out of messes and often works for the best of all (of course this perfect state doesn't exist either...).

The idea of the salon, although I'm not entirely sure what it would be like, seems like a nice idea.  It seems almost like a sophisticated coffee shop full of intellectuals in the midst of deep discussion.  And with the literature of the time, especially Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, you could sit in an elaborately decorated environment with a good book!

Talking about the rococo style reminds of the gorgeous places in Europe and Spain that I've visited.  Maybe it's just me, but all the gorgeous gold decoration and pastel colors is beautiful in my eyes.  And I love chandeliers!  Although I do agree that in some rooms, it can be a bit much.  I'm not much for the Roman style of architecture, but I like the inside decorations and some of the artwork.  One of my favorite paintings was the one about Cornelia and her children being her treasures.  Instead of seeing it as a feminist statement, I see it more as a step in the direction as women taking their rightful places in society because they shouldn't be seen as property.  However, in a way, although they may not be shocking in this day and age, all the nude paintings seem to be just another way of showing the disrespect shown to women.  (This is my conservative side speaking, but still...I am of the belief that a woman's or person's, for that matter, personality should be of more examining than the outward appearance.)  In the end, as always, periods have good elements, but they can never fully disguise or cover the sinfulness of society.

I Think, Therefore I Am...the Downfalls of Thinking...

So I found it slightly ironic that practically all of this week's readings and discussions concerned the topic of thinking.  I happen to be a pro at over analyzing every little thing that is done and said around me!  So I most definitely agree with the whole idea of "idols of the mind" because the mind is where it all happens.  I have even gotten to the point where I have to write out my feelings just so I can stop thinking about them!  Along with part of the discussion on Monday, I am also a pro at doubting, which is a form of thinking.  Since this all means existence, I should never have to doubt that!  The whole idea of gravity being like the mind and being able to act on matter from a distance also made sense to me.  It seems that everything has connections, it may be distant, but my mind still decides to focus on them.  This can be frustrating or helpful.

I first enjoyed reading Bacon's ideas of truth, death, love, and studies.  For me, the most interesting topic was the one about death and how we all seem to be contemplating it.  (I think this issue was addressed earlier in the semester by another philosopher.)  This seems to tie into the next part we read about the "idols of the mind."  It is so true that we have so many biases built up in our minds.  Oftentimes I find mine are more my individual beliefs rather than those that the culture of man has built up in my mind.  However, overall I think society suffers most from the one of marketplace where words are taken to mean the wrong thing.  Misunderstandings can cause so much chaos and pain in many ways!  If I have one opinion it supposedly affects everything else.  I found it interesting that we are more excited by affirmatives, yet negatives are more forcible.  Everything just seems to culminate to mean that with all the senses getting involved things get even more complicated...such is life I guess!

Well, I wasn't able to listen to Friday's discussion because I went on a concert tour with the college choirs to Douglas and Casper, WY.  So my bit of Humanities for the day was listening to songs from various time periods, including the Renaissance.  However, I did read Pope's essay and felt I was in total agreeance with a lot of things that he mentioned.  It was all about human nature and how our lives are cluttered with so many virtues, some positive and some painful.  Pope is again still contemplating how God fits in with all this and we are now coming to the part where science is brought into play too.  What a great ending too, to ask about what brings happiness and bliss to human nature.  Can we even find it on this earth in the midst of the confusion brought about by the thoughts of our minds?

The Dark Side...

So watched the finale of Hamlet in class on Monday...  I have decided that Shakespeare really doesn't like to leave any characters standing, they must be better off dead!  I felt so bad for Ophelia because she just couldn't stand the depression stemming from her father's death, which made her quite crazy.  I know that when I am disappointed or upset from something I may do strange, unusual things, but I don't think I would ever go to her extreme.  I am almost surprised that Hamlet didn't become even crazier after seeing Ophelia's crazy state, knowing that the love he had for her would probably never be the same.  Well, all I have to say is so much for happy endings in Shakespeare's mind...although if heaven was their destiny then possibly that would make it better.

Next we discussed the art and religion aspects surrounding the reformation.  Again, I enjoy looking at artwork, but I feel that I prefer the simple portraits or the landscape ones versus the depressing or abstract ones.  Mannerism seems to have less rules about how things should look, which could have been especially helpful for artists so that they don't have as many expectations.  I almost think it makes the artwork more exciting and interesting because your eye isn't necessarily drawn to one spot and there is so much going on within the painting.  It is fun to actually have the background design be detailed and show a part of the story.  I am still somewhat surprised that since the church was usually the patron of the artwork that some of this artwork was approved.

While it may have scared the men and it kind of grosses me out, I kind of like that they had the painting of the women overpowering the guy and chopping his head off ("Judith Slaying Holofernes").  And I'm not even close to a feminist!  I think it more just shows that women can be powerful and anything is possible!  I have actually seen some of El Greco's work while I was in Spain, but never really liked the style, it seemed quite bizarre and dark.  I much prefer the happy, family atmosphere portrayed by "The Feast of Saint Nicholas."  With all this gorgeous artwork being produced, it is slightly surprising that it took until this time for the art market to totally flourish.
Next we will be reading some of Bacon's essays and just from looking at the titles they should be quite interesting...it's always interesting to hear people's views on things like death and love!