Reigniting the Mind

I could not stop reading "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". Everything about that book is intriguing. The way Robert Pirsig tells his story of the adventure that he takes with his son and another couple across the country on motorcycles is so invigorating. I feel like I'm riding with them, feeling the wind and the rain and the heat and the emotions of it all. It is breathtaking and, every time I had to stop reading it, I just wanted to pick it back up and find out where we were going and what he was going to say next. Pirsig is a fascinating person and, yet, he remains quite a mystery at this point in the novel. Obviously, this book is not written to tell a story about a vacation, but it is Pirsig's Chautauqua. He is talking to us in a way that will "improve the mind and bring culture and enlightenment to the ears and thoughts of the hearer" (Pirsig 15). He does this by sharing his views of philosophy and human nature that can be seen in himself, his son, John and Sylia. It is written with such purpose that you understand the importance of the ideas that he is bringing up and you feel the need to scrutinize and unravel all the philosophical opinions he is throwing out, but you're not pressured into believing what he is saying. I think that, by writing this book, he reignited the fuel of the mind. He wants to encourage us to start thinking about the world and not just keep living in it as we have been taught to live. He is calling us to a better life; one that is not so caught up in life itself, but in the quality of life, the care we take, and the presence that we have in our reality.

Vive la Philosophy of Kant

Kant is the philosopher that I can most relate to so far in our studies of the philosophy of human nature. It seems like we have kept a lot of his ideas and they influence our daily lives. An interesting idea that he believed was this idea of the human mind only being capable of knowing things in space and time. We cannot know something that we are not programmed to perceive. To illustrate this unique view of the human perspective, Dr. Clark gave the example that our minds are like a black and white television. The reality of what we are seeing may be in color, but our minds are only programmed to see in black and white. We cannot really know what the reality is because what we perceive in our mind is different than the contents that came into our mind. I cannot know something the way it was prior to my experiencing it because it was out of my time and space. I can relate this to the idea we have now of cultures being ethnocentric. This is not a perfect parallel, but more like the idea of ethnocentricity stemmed off of Kant's ideas. It helps me to understand his idea by relating it to the cultural lens that we perceive the world out of. It is almost like Kant's idea is that there is a common lens for all humankind that affects our assessment of the things we experience.

Kant also believes that we should treat people as ends. We are all rational beings that are capable of reason and morality and it is not within our power to decide what one person is of greater importance or value than another. If we treat ourselves as an end because you think that you are valuable, you should treat everyone else that way because we are all capable of the same things. This idea is a great advancement from the philosophy that we have studied prior to Kant. It is the first time that we have seen an expectancy of humility in human nature. Past philosophers have talked about the importance of striving for your own happiness and not worrying about others, this idea of what's right for you is what's right for me. I believe that every human is capable of being good and moral, so it is interesting to see where this idea originated and what other ideas were popping up at this time.

The area that I find Kant disagreeable in is his view on God and the soul. He treats both God and the soul as an afterthought; they are things we can hope for, but will never truly know. It is almost as if he is saying, "It would be nice if there was a God and an afterlife, but these are things we can only hope for." To believe in something is not just to hope for it. It is not just something that you dream about. It is something that you put your trust in and you spend time and effort to understand. You can get to know God if you want to, but you can't just hope that he's there and that he's listening. You have to try and build a relationship with Him and you will know that He is real.

Race vs. Culture

Unknown to many, there is a very distinct line between culture and race. It is a common misuse in today's society to use the words "race" and "culture" interchangeably and without knowledge of their actual meaning. Race is the division of humans into different groups based purely on their physical characteristics, such as skin color, eye shape, build, hair color, etc. The three most common categories of race are Caucasian, Mongoloid, and Negro. It is very difficult to talk about race without talking about culture. Through my studies in my intercultural communications class, we have defined culture as being a learned pattern of perception, values, and behaviors shared by a group of people, passed on generationally. Quite often, when people are referring to a cultural stereotype, they use the word "race" instead of "culture". There are many studies that have been done that suggest there are no biological differences unique to all humans of a specific race. Therefore, when someone says, "White men can't dance", he/she is talking about a race (Caucasians), but is incorrect in his/her assumption of this race having any biological disadvantages to any other race. We need to realize that the way "race" is perceived today is offensive and ignorant. The next time you observe a stereotype that is not biologically related, remember that it is a culturally unique behavior that has nothing to do with race.

Backwards and Forwards

After reading through the entire memoir of Barack Obama, I believe that he finally finds the person he is by going back to see the culture that he comes from. He always feels out of place in Hawaii and in Chicago, but when he goes to Kenya, he finally feels like he is at home. I think this has a lot to do with the fact that he looks like he fits in. He is, for once, a part of the majority and he no longer feels that he sticks out like a sore thumb. Another reason that he is so comfortable in Kenya is that he has a name there. Just hearing the name Barack Obama brings about a history and a story from the past and a lot of the time reveals a distant relative. It becomes clear to him that he does have a place where he belongs and a group of people that share the same feelings and desires that he has. He even begins to realize that his father and grandfather were just as confused and scared as he is. He hears their stories and realizes the trials they had to bear and the pain that came along with the inability to provide for everyone in need. He feels that this is an inherited burden that he must carry and that, along with the family he has just discovered, comes a great responsibility. This is the reason that he was a community organizer and the thing that pushes him forward in his life, this responsibility to his people, his community, his culture, his past and his future. Barack Obama learned that, sometimes, you have to go back where you came from in order to find out where you are going.

GRAMMARMAKESITEASIER

Heather gave a very refreshing lesson that reminded me of why we take so much time learning the dreaded grammar rules. I have to admit that I am one of the many people that have a lot of trouble with grammar and find myself complaining whenever I have to do yet another worksheet on the placement of commas or the naming of phrases. This lesson was a little different and gave me a perspective on grammar that I had never used before. A simple sentence was written on the board and we were told to take all the grammar out of it. At first, we all took out the comma and the period, but then we took out the capital letters, the phrase at the beginning of the sentence, the spaces, and the letters. When we were done, there was nothing left. We were, then, given a worksheet that had a paragraph written in all caps, without any spaces, periods, comma, etc. For me, this was the most interesting part of the lesson. Of course, the paragraph was very hard to read, but this was not just a ridiculous exercise. This style of writing was used in Ancient Greece, but, over time, grammar was introduced to make it easier for the reader to comprehend the meaning of the written word. Along with this lesson, we learned how grammar can change the meaning of a sentence. Therefore, I will try not to complain when we have another grammar lesson and keep in mind the reasons that we spend so much time trying to perfect it.

Government and Human Nature

This week's philosophy lesson included views on government as well as human nature. We learned about Hobbes and Rousseau, who both agreed that government was a necessity, but had opposing opinions on why. Hobbes believed that humans are naturally selfish and at war with one another and that government is used to restrain the worst aspects of our nature. For Hobbes, government is justified only by the bad effects of letting humans make their own choices. Rousseau viewed humans as being naturally at peace with one another and government is supposed to bring us back to the nature of our being. He believed that the goals of government are to provide quality and freedom for everyone and to help us remake our nature. I agree with both Hobbes and Rousseau that we need to have some form of government in order to keep us all accountable for our own actions, but I don't agree with the reasonings of either. Government is not going to solve the problem of the sinful nature of human beings. If we are going to become a world that is at peace, we need something greater than a monarchy or a democracy. We cannot rely on our government to make this world a peaceful place. We need to hold ourselves accountable before we can expect others to do the right thing. This is a collaborative effort and the government is set up to support and guide this effort. It is our job to spread peace and look out for one another if we expect to survive in this world.

Far Away Fathers

The absence of the "Old Man" has a huge impact on Barack just as my father's death has had on me. At the beginning of his memoir Barack is living his life in a way that will live up to his idea of his father. He never really knew his father, but he has gathered small pieces of his old man's personality and made him into an educated, wise, and powerful man. It wasn't until he meets his half-sister that this idea is shattered and he becomes even more confused with who he is as a person. He realizes his dad is a deadbeat, unsuccessful and irresponsible man that verbally abuses his children, leaving them all with insecurities and emotional distress. Barack never had a father figure in his life, which leaves him without a role model in a world where he is part of a painfully small minority. His life becomes a journey of self discovery and hardship. My father died when I was eight, leaving my family in disbelief and sadness. I don't remember a lot about my dad, but the idea of him is instilled in me from the stories I hear from my family. I have my own memories, of course, but they are clouded from years of reflection and meditation. Through this experience, I relate well with Barack. It is a very painful experience to grow up without a father. When everyone around you has that person they can go to in order to feel secure it is hard to be content with the family you were given. You start to feel stripped of an essential tool for survival of everyday life. It is a very unique experience to grow up without a father and this allows me to connect, on a different level, with Barack Obama.

Happiness

Learning about the different philosophies of thought that have existed in the past, I have become more aware of my own philosophies of human nature. The three philosophies we focused on this week were Epicurean, Stoic and Skeptic. These were all philosophies that put the spotlight on "me". They all had very different perspectives on life, but one common factor: they were all about what you had to do to make yourself happy. I was disgusted when I heard that people knowingly and openly lived their lives like this. For many of us now, we say that we live for things, but we end up just worrying about ourselves. I guess these philosophies are a very honest approach to how they will live their lives, but the followers of these beliefs lack disgust that should come along with their lifestyle. This does not surprise me because they do not believe in anything but themselves and Skeptics don't believe in anything at all. How can you not believe in anything at all if you believe in not believing? The Stoics believe that a lack of emotions will make them happy. What? Isn't happiness an emotion? How can you be emotionless and be happy at the same time? Epicureans believe that there is nothing to fear of God and death because we are just a clump of atoms that will eventually brake apart. Why would you ever want to believe this? What would be the point of life? These philosophies are awful outlooks on life. I choose to believe in God even if it is a more difficult path to follow. He is the ultimate Happiness in my life. To those who ask why God gives me hardships and why he allows me to be sad I will say that my hardships are just temporary trials and my pain is the distance that I have put between myself and God. My lack of happiness does depend what I do to make myself happy. It is this that distances me from my God and destroys my happiness.

A Good Man

I am so glad we are reading Barack Obama's book right now. It is a great time to start building our knowledge of politics because we will want to tell our children and grandchildren about the important time in history. Barack Obama just received a nobel prize and, although it is controversial, it is good to know the person behind the prize. I feel that I have a better understanding of the kind of man that he is and an educated opinion on how he will do as our county's president. Barack Obama is a strong man that is not swayed by the opinions of others. He finds for himself what he is going to live for and what he deems worthy of his time. He has been through many hardships, but takes that pain and anger and uses it to pursue his goals even more ardently. When a problem arises, Barack uses cunning tactics to avoid or fix the situation. When Obama is leading the bus of people to demand answers about the asbestos, he realizes that one man in the group can't read. Barack gets up and starts chanting the agenda to the crowd instead of embarrassing the illiterate man in front of the whole group. This is smart, not only to save the guy from a humiliating situation, but also to get his army hyped up. I think Barack Obama has all the qualities that a president needs to be successful, he just has to use them in the right way. He has the prayers of many of his fellow countrymen and the gift of a good heart so I have faith that he will help our country prosper and piece back together some of the broken dreams that he has been fighting for all his life.

Our Own Understanding

Blogs are a great way to put ideas together that we have gone over in class and incorporate them into our everyday thinking. I am always really cautious of what I put on my blog because I know that anyone could read it. I want to make sure that the statements I am making are congruent with what I actually believe. If this were just a journal for only a few to read, I would not be so careful. Therefore, I am impressed with the knowledge of myself that I have gained through this experience. I have not only learned how to write more efficiently, but have gained an understanding of how strong my beliefs are and where they lie. It is easier for me to voice my opinions on these topics because I have spent a lot of time thinking about them and have had the chance to come to my own conclusions. If I didn't have to do the blogs I would also lack understanding in class. It forces me to go back over my notes and fully comprehend the lessons before I draw my own conclusions. Blogs are an easy way to help us draw out our thoughts and opinions and apply the things we learn in class to our daily lives.

The Only Omnipotence

The Platonic theory of remembering God through creation makes me weary of Plato's teachings. I do not agree that we are beings that have the capacity to really know who or what God is. If life was just about remembering what we already know then how can some people not recognize God when He is so apparent in His creations? With God's blessings we are drawn to him and if we seek him through prayer, godly people, biblical teachings and other tools we begin to learn and understand the ways of God. If we know everything, how can we separate God's omnipotence from our own? I find this to be so unreasonable and somewhat comical that Plato's theory puts us on the same level as God in our capacity to understand His ways and reasons. As His creation we are to trust and obey His commands, not try to understand why He gives them or if they are right. If we are diligent in our search for the right paths, if we pray for his guidance and ask questions about his teachings it shows God that we want to know who He is and that we care about Him. He will not always bestow us with the knowledge that we seek because only He knows what is best for us. We should not be anxious in our ignorance because God is the Only Omnipotence who loves us and cares for our well-being.

A Person and a President

"Dreams of my Father" gives us a look at the life and character of Barack Obama and allows us to connect with him beyond the political domain. Barack shares his story so genuinely that anybody who reads this book can find some aspect of his life that they can relate to his or her own. His struggles with race, family, education, temptation, money, drugs and sense of self shape him into who his is today and we should be honored to have such a selfless account of our president. I was surprised at the totality of his openness; even if Barack did not remember all of the details or why something was important to him, he would still make it known to the reader. His descriptive accounts of the past painted pictures in my head as I read and I could see Barack as the human that he is instead of the politician that I saw before. From personal experience, I know that family struggles can strengthen your character in ways that only God can provide and I found myself connecting with him in his confusion and solitude. It was also very inspirational to hear that he was from such humble beginnings. It is common to hear of presidents growing up in white, middle class homes that already have their hand in politics. Just by sharing these personal experiences, he is embracing his unique character and inviting us to be a part of his new journey as our nation's leader. I am very proud to have an honest, hardworking and passionate man to represent me. If Barack Obama uses what he has learned from the past, he is capable of making wise decisions and sticking with what he believes in.

Basement Boy

Platonic theology is very similar to a sermon that I heard on the "basement boy" a few years ago in church. The "basement boy" is a parallelism of what happens to a human when they become content with the world. It is the story of a boy who spends his whole life in the basement staying satisfied watching HDTV, playing on his Wii, and eating junk food. He even has a trampoline and the newest surround sound stereo system. Why should he not be perfectly happy with all these things? There are stairs that lead to an unknown world, but what would bring about the desire to climb them? Basement boy rationalizes that the risk of going to find out what is beyond the basement door is too high; it could cause him harm and he has so many good things in the basement that there is no need to go. The problem with his logic is that he doesn't understand what "good" things are, doesn't know what "happy" feels like. How could he know what to compare things to if he has been stuck in a basement his entire life? In Platonic theology the world is our basement and we must get restless with it, the stairs represent wonder and we must walk up them toward the realm of the mind. This explains why curiosity is such a blessing. It is okay to have questions about the One who created you because that pushes you into taking the first shaky steps up to the door. If you didn't care about the Lord then you wouldn't be asking questions in the first place. Basement boy must realize that he is not going to find out what the True Good and Happiness is unless he leaves all his possessions behind and climbs up the stairs.

His conversion from the basement to a beautiful Godly life will be a complete recreation of his body. He will no longer dwell in the mortal body that lived in the basement, for it is not fit to survive in the presence of God. His eyes would not be capable of seeing the beauty, ears deaf to the voice of the Lord and legs too weak to stand. God's beauty is so great that it will create for him new eyes to see, His voice so powerful it will form new ears to hear and God will provide in him the strength to walk in this new wonderful world. Although the reward of the journey is great, it will not be easy. If he returns to the basement he will not recognize the things he used to define his life by and it will be an uncomfortable existence. He will become overwhelmed with the fallacies of his old ways and shocked at his earlier contentment. None of this will compare to the happiness he will find in God, the only Good. So what is in your basement? Is it food, clothes, sex, acceptance, beauty? Whatever it is, you must realize that, even if you succeed in attaining it, it will never make you truly happy. These "good" things do not even compare to what God has for you. Set those things aside. Don't worry about what you are going to wear tomorrow or what your friend said about you. Don't get discouraged when you look in the mirror. Know that these are not the important things. Get to know the Truth, wonder about who you are and where you are going, get uncomfortable with "things" and get out of the basement!