Extra Credit - Descartes’ Meditation I
Meditation I
In this meditation Descartes is trying to discover the distinction between mind and body. He wants to come to the conclusion that what he believes about his existence is solely based on his mind and his thoughts. Also that everything that happens in his life is simply just another trick that the mind plays. Meaning that what he observes with his senses, what he feels with his emotions and other experiences are all just different “modes of thought”.
The first step he takes to accomplish this is by trying to find a distinction between what he knows to be true and what actually the truth is. He decides that he will do this by using rational doubt, meaning that he will rule out an opinion he holds as truth if he can find at least one reasonable doubt of it being true. It would be close to impossible to find doubt to every opinion he holds so Descartes decides to attack the reasons that have supported everything that he once believed. By this he means that he challenges the senses, he says that the senses are sometimes deceptive, where they observe something but in fact it is something else from what they assumed it to be. For example, if you see someone from far away and you think you know the person and you start waving. Once the person comes closer it ends up being some stranger you have never seen before. Therefore the senses are sometimes deceptive. Therefore, we can never place our complete trust on something that has deceived us even once before. The second step is that even when you think the senses are not deceiving you, where you can clearly see your hands in front of you and the pen you are writing with, there still is no way to prove that the body he posses is actually his and not some imagination. There are those who we believe to be insane that think of themselves as kings when they are nothing more than a man and think they are wearing a purple outfit when in fact they are naked. Who is to say that those of us who are supposed to be “sane” are not really imagining ourselves the same way that those who are “insane” imagine themselves. The third step is that he must prove what he is experiencing is not a dream and that in fact it is reality. Dreams seem very real to us when we are asleep and we only know the difference after we wake up. So who is to say that we are not always dreaming. However, the things we see during slumber are I fact painted pictures in our memory which can only be produced if it existed in reality and we had seen it before. So therefore, Descartes proves that at least the eyes, head, hands and the whole body are not imaginary, but true and exist.
In the end of the passage he says that he must go on and see all the truths that he can uncover. However, there is a certain feeling in him that does not want to discover the truth because it might be too difficult to handle. The same way a prisoner does not want to be awakened when dreaming of freedom, Descartes also, does not want to get used to something that is opposite from what is has grown accustomed to. He would much rather nonchalantly conspire with pleasant illusions than horrible truths.
Word Count
Word Count
- Remarks on the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. – 401 words
- Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close – 650 words
- Blogging Tips – 283
- Critical Review Assignment – 213 words
Total - 1547 words
Critical Review Assignment
Our next assignment in English class is to write a critical review of a certain subject that we can pick from. I chose to write about a film. The film I have in mind is An Empress and the Warriors, a foreign film about a nation at war. The movie is entirely in Chinese and translated by English subtitles. I found this very interesting because it is different from movies that I have grown accustomed to. Besides the fact that it is in a different language I enjoyed that the person in position of power was a woman. It was very interesting to step away from the stereotypical male authority figure and see how a woman is able to lead a nation. However, I don’t think that enough was done to show her full potential and I think that the love scenes in it might have done more damage than good to the movie.
There are many aspects I find fascinating about the film but there are also many that I think needed to be different or not included at all for the film to be more successful. These will all be included in my review and I will hopefully be able to answer all of the questions that people have to ask.
Blogging Tips
Here are some tips on how to become a better blogger:
First of all it is very easy to become a blogger by just creating an account and start posting articles. However, it takes hard work to actually benefit from blogging. You need to set up a strategy. Focus on a certain topic that appeals to you and try to write as much as you can about it. You need to start and maintain a conversation. You gain more credibility by actively commenting and reading others comments because others will probably link your site to others to credit you for your work. The most important think to keep in mind is to create something that your readers will value. This will be effective because they will come back to your page and not only read it once and forget about it.
Writing about news events is very effective because there are many people that would be interested. However it’s not only a matter of summarizing the news, you have to be able to offer your own opinion and provide new information that will entertain your readers. This will help you sustain and grow your audience. Your opinions and personal experiences are very effective and will be a great benefit to the credibility and popularity of your page. Sometimes, however, you might not have an opinion to provide for certain news. This does not mean that you don’t talk about it. The best thing to do is read other peoples opinions and provide a link to their page on your blog site so that the readers that you do have still have the news they are accustomed to and will keep coming to you.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
The effect of 9/11 on Oskar and the rest of the world, was very different because though people lost family members we would imagine how they felt if they lost a mother, father, sister or brother, but to experience 9/11 in the eyes of a 9 year old boy makes you wonder how has that day effected children. Oskar views that day as the worst day ever because not only did he lose a father but also a best friend. Oskar’s relationship with his father was very close, t hey did everything with each other and now that his father died he feels alone, even though he still has his mother she doesn’t mean much to him than his father. Though Oskar viewed 9/11 as the worst day ever others saw it as loss of family, loss of work loss of money, economy going down and much more. Both views on 9/11 have more differences than similarities. The authors’ intention of choosing a child to examine the 9/11 attacks must have been the fact that children didn’t have much say in what they felt about the event because they seems like they had not understanding of what had occurred. A child’s perspective of any event can have so much impact in their life’s that it changes them forever weather it is noticed or not. The fact that a child like Oskar goes through a journey to find answers to his questions makes him unique and what the reader will notice is that it stated in the book that he bruised him self seldom when he made mistakes or though of bad thoughts, or when he didn’t accomplish what he wanted in the first place he would curse. The image that a boy goes to great lengths meeting people he has never before meet in his life to find out answers makes a person think that children are sometimes capable of doing more things than adults.
Remarks on the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr
Robert F. Kennedy took on a great responsibility of informing the people of Indianapolis, Indiana that probably the world’s greatest icon of peace and love, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was shot and killed. On the night of April 4th, 1968 Kennedy was scheduled to deliver a speech to a mostly African American crowd, trying to win votes on the Democratic Party nomination for president of the US. However, upon arrival he learned the news of King’s assassination and wrote an impromptu eulogy. This was a very important speech because Kennedy urged the crowd to follow Dr. Kings lead and respond to this with understanding and comprehension. He mentions the need to avoid division hatred and violence amongst blacks and whites and calls for love, compassion and wisdom. He also sympathizes with the crowd with an emotional reference to his brother’s death. Robert F. Kennedy was able to give this inspirational message with much constraint from agitated people who were ready to riot because to them their only vision of light was now diminished.
Robert F. Kennedy begins his speech by telling the crowd of King’s assassination and then he immediately starts talking about Dr. King’s life. He opens up with “Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice between fellow human beings.” He was trying to send a message to ease the crowd’s anger and remind them that all is not lost, we must love one another the way Martin Luther King wanted it to be. Then he incorporates a poem into the speech to try and convince the crowd that there is a way to live in peace amongst one another and to remind them of another one of Dr. King’s virtues. Kennedy speaks that through all of our pain and despair there will come wisdom that will lead us in the right path through the one thing that unites most people, which is the belief in God. Throughout the speech, Kennedy talks about compassion, love and justice because that was what Martin Luther King’s message was about and it was what everyone could relate to. There is a larger issue that Robert Kennedy is trying to address, it is not only to inform people of King’s assassination but to remind them that life goes on and we must make an effort to live with each other in peace through love and compassion for one another.
Orr’s review of the ending of There Will Be Blood
There Will Be Blood was a great movie that had a lot of emotion and great directing. However, the ending was the only part of the movie that left me with a confused feeling because I am not accustomed to movies ending in tat manner. The ending seemed to me very effortless by the directors with a very silly violent scene with Eli and Daniel. It seemed as if they became lazy in the end and didn’t spend enough time to think of a perfect ending for it.
Christopher Orr’s review of the ending, however, shed some light on what the directors intended to do with that ending. I didn’t understand it at first but then Orr made it clear that the scene between Daniel and Eli was intended to show the idea that capitalism will eventually destroy religion. By showing Daniel bashing Eli’s skull with a bowling pin the director was making a strong statement of this idea. Even though Orr’s review made the ending of the movie a little clearer I still don’t think it was sufficient enough to end the great movie that was There Will Be Blood.
Some Facts About France
France is a country whose city territory is located in Western Europe which often includes various overseas islands and territories located in other continents. France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, also from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. French people often refer to France as The “Hexagon” because of the shape of the country.
The national flag of France features three colors. Blue (left side), white (middle), red (right side). At first, the three stripes of the flag were not equally wide( 30 blue, 33 white, and 37 red) The theory behind this was that if they were equal then the white stripe, being brighter, would appear strangely wider to the human eye. The proportions were changed to make the stripes width equal, but by a rule dated 17 May 1853, the navy went back to using the 30:33:37 proportions, which it continues to use. The Blue of the flag represents the great power or influence France has over other countries, the white, for purity and peace and the red for the bloodshed that must be lost in honor of their own country.
French is the official language in France. Most individuals in business speak English. The main foreign languages include English, Spanish, and German. The main regional languages include Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Maghreb Arabic. If you do not speak French, it is very important that you apologize for your lack of knowledge in France.
One of the most unique characteristics of many French buildings is the tall second story windows, often arched at the top, that break through the cornice and rise above the attic. This unusual window design is especially visible on America’s French provincial homes. Modeled after country manors in the French provinces, these brick homes are very formal. They have steep roofs and a square equal shape with windows balanced on each side of the entrance. The tall second story windows add to the height.
France is a republican type of government. The national government of France is divided into an executive, a legislative and a judicial branch. The President has a degree of direct decision-making power. The cabinet globally, including the Prime Minister, can be changed by the National Assembly.
France is a big vacation spot for tourists. There are about 20,000 hotels, inns, and motels in France, government-rated according to five comfort levels by stars that range from one (budget) to five (deluxe). France has 3,900 museums, 1,500 chateaux open to the public and 39,000 historic monuments. French cuisine is a style of cooking from the nation of France. It changed from centuries of social and political change. The middle Ages brought a lot of banquets to the upper class. Heavily seasoned food prepared by chefs such as Guillaume Tirel. The era of the French Revolution then saw a move toward fewer spices and more use of herbs and experienced techniques. Ingredients and dishes vary by region. There are many important traditional dishes that have become both national and regional. Cheese and wine are also a major part of the cuisine.
