1/31/12

One of Plato's main concepts in his teachings was the idea of "forms". When I first read about this idea, I had no idea what he was talking about, but in class we talked how forms are worldly ideas (ex. heaven) that doesn't make any logical sense but exist in your mind. These ideas are the closest to perfect as we can make them because they aren't based on any facts, just ideas. This might seam a little confusing because we have embedded the idea of forms into our everyday thinking but if you think about it, half the things we believe because other people have told us about it, not any proof that we have ever seen. For example what makes a tree a tree? Most of us know what a tree is because we were told during adolescence that the big thing sticking out of the ground was a tree and that was that. Now whenever we see a tree we know what it looks like. Realist believe that a tree because a tree is a tree and all trees have commonalities and that's what makes them tress and that is that. But if we put this concept into everything in our existence than the world of forms would get pretty crowded, so Plato made it that only natural things could fall under the concept of forms. Things in the natural world can exist in the world of forms, but what makes the idea of forms so strong is that these ideas of the things that are in our lives become more real than real things because our beliefs and idea usually never change. Now that's an idea that can really blow your mind.

1/30/12

The discussion in class today revolved on what the unexamined life is. In the reading I had no idea what Plato was talking about when he was talking about the subject but I learned that the jest of it is acting not based on feelings, but doing things with reason. Rachel brought up the example of a skydiver jumping out of plane, what if he does it not for fun but for a bigger meaning like if it was something that he wanted to do before he died? I know this sounds like a long stretch but that was one of the best ways for me to understand. But of course to live an examined life it all depends on what you are looking for. Some killers find happiness and meaning in killing others, but is that someone living an examined life? Plato explains how that is someone being "blissfully ignorant." I feel that to live an unexamined life is to live without thinking and acting purely on impulse, which sadly is a way of living that many people follow.   

Ch. 4 Response, Plato

Before reading this chapter I had never looked into Plato's theories but I had heard of him before. I learned quickly that there was a lot of differences between Confucius and Plato, especially when it came down to what drove humans to do what they do. Plato believed in these things called forms, which is a force that helps us make since of the world (ex. what makes a table a table?) These forms help us make decisions with thinking about the outcome. If we didn't have forms according to Plato, we would be acting without reason. These forms are learning tools that show us what the benefits are of acting out and helping others, or the opposite being when we do nothing and see the outcome. Also Plato believed in the human soul, which is an entity that exists before birth, is indestructible, and lives after death. Plato explains how the soul absorbs the forms, not the bodily functions. But both Plato and Confucius believed that the harmony in society was most important when describing the nature of human nature and that everyone had something to contribute. Something that I liked most about reading about Plato's theories is how he believed that love was a driving force in why we want to do nice for other people. I feel that the one for one's neighbor is so important in findings one's self, because in what other ways can we learn?

1/26/12

When doing charity it is not often thought of as a selfish act, but once again Confucius gave my class another way to look at what was thought as a common mentality. Confucius belief was that is you do anything, even if it is with the best intentions in mind, you are being selfish. Because you are doing something that makes you feel better is a selfish act. To lead a life of true benevolence we are expected to do kind things without feeling any sort of happiness for yourself for helping another. But the question is what about the people that truly do acts that involve no thought of themselves but only for others. An example would be a soldier jumping on a grenade in order to save others. Hope would that be an act of ones self when you are surfacing your own life? Confucius would say that person was happy that the soldier was content about jumping on the grenade before he died. I feel that if you are doing something that befits others and if you are willing to risk your time or even your life that it should be seen as a kind act, not a selfish thought.

1/25/12

In society we tend to like to think of the winners, the people that do great things and are somewhat role models to what we want or even what we want to be. But when there are winners, there are losers. It was pointed out that in our society that we recognize that there are losers, but our job is to not let them die. When speaking about this I started to think, is there any way for the losers to move up if all we are trying to do is keep them alive, not really help them? I feel like our actions speak louder than words. We as humans want to be the best, instead of helping bettering others around us, we fight on another for power. Confucius believed in a life where we are never selfish and are always thinking of others, but than the true of how Confucius did not fully grab the concept of morality until he was 70. Are we expected to accept this idea of living to become better people or can we work every day to help others because that's what the better thing to do? But what makes us feel that way? Is it a God that keeps us in check and keeps the "right" thoughts in our minds and soul like following the "Golden Rule"? What about those who choose to not believe in a God? Do they wonder aimlessly through their lives on just instinct and then become the people that we should want to help? What guides those to do what they do if their only driving force is themselves?

1/24/12

Being a freshman in college I have been thinking a lot about what I want to be and more importantly what I my talents are so I can go in the working field and be doing something I love. Coming in undecided has given me a lot of exploring options, but while in class the other day we started talking about destiny. One of the questions on my paper was if we all have a  destiny how do we have free will? This question ties into the finding of myself in my college experience because if it is my destiny to do something or be someone, does my free will give me the choice to pick what I want to be still? I learned in class that destiny is something that is defined as path that we are given at birth by powers bigger than us and it isn't under our control and we can't change it. I also learned that free will is defined as deciding to be "moral", so we are taught at a young age how we should act and that defines our free will or are we imprinted with a personality that defines us by our actions and decisions and that in turn decides our lives for us? As a college student that is trying to make the right decisions and one day make a small difference to the world, the thought of not being able to choose what I want to do for the rest of my time on this planet is a scary thought. If there is a destiny for me, I hope that I do something that helps others and on my death bed I can say that I did something worth living for.

1/23/12

When thinking about gravity I don't tend to think much more than the factor that keeps my feet on the ground. But what is it really that holds us here? We know it's here because we're not floating off unto space but how is it that gravity works? This is one of the topics in class today and it really got me thinking why things happen or why they're here. Another thing that was talked about in class was the concept of evil. Religious people believe that an all powerful, all knowing God created us and that is why we do good, to please. But if we were created in his or her image, than why would that God put evil in the world and let us get hurt? Also if a God is all good, than why wouldn't God create a world that is all good? And with that question why is there evil in the world? Where does it come from? As you can tell class was blowing my mind and I still have a headache!

Response to Intro and Ch.1 of the Ten Theories of Human Nature:

In the introduction of the book it explains how one of the main questions that is studied in philosophy is "why are we here?" The book goes into how some believe that we are here from God and we were created in his image to follow his word and love him, but is that really a answer to why we're here? But if that is the case than we are suppose to look for him to answer our underlying question, but if he cannot and we are left in what he gives us than how is one suppose to find one's self? And if there is a God than why would he make us suffer while trying to learn what it is we are or what we are meant to do? But this isn't the only theory of human nature, Confucianism, created by Confucius (551-479 B.C) who taught that " you not able to serve man. How can you serve the spirits?" Confucius believed morality was the fabric of the universe, and if you think about that it's true. We do things that we believe are right or things we feel like we need to do. I never thought of it as it driving us to do the things that we do but than how do we have any free thought? If this conscious thinking that makes us act the way we do, than is it possiable that we don't have a destiny, that we make up the pathes of our own lives as we go?

Interests in CL:

I think that it is very interesting how Prof. Johnson is more interested in what the students have to say rather than forcing the answers out of us. Sitting in class I listened as he explained how calling on the students that always rose their hands did nothing to improve the class, but neither is calling on the people that aren't. The handout explains how you get the grade you deserve and I feel that is how it should be in every class. If you are just sitting in class, not getting anything out of it, than there are consequences and it is nice to know that I will get what I put into this class.

About Me

Hello, my name is Justine Cozza and I'm a freshman this year at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Being from New York, I knew little of the Berkshire's area or what MCLA was even about but after my first visit I knew that this school was the place for me. This is my second semester at the school and I kept busy with my studies, friends, and keeping in shape for the woman's soccer team that I was a member of this year. I have not yet declared a major but each day is another step in the path to finding myself and the career that's perfect for me.