Blog #5

Trevor Poirier

31 July 2013

AP English 11

Mrs. Wilhelmus

Sophie's World -- The Philosophical Project

            There were a number of philosophies and belief systems introduced to me as I read Sophie's World.  Some showed similarities, and many contradicted each other.  As I stated earlier, I really liked Plato's ideas.  He approached the world from a fairly neutral perspective and viewed people as equal.  He also delves into the fact that we cannot fully understand the real world, admitting that he is aware that he and other know very little.  He also believes in ruling through common logic and reasoning.

            One of the most important things I discovered of Plato is that he is a huge advocate of mathematics and its importance to the world.  He believes the world revolves around numbers, which I strongly agree with.  I am a numbers person and definitely understand the importance of them as they are used in so many different ways.  Numbers dictate everything -- time, stats, money, and so on.

            One philosopher I really do not side with at all is Berkeley.  I find his ideas to be a bit far-fetched and think he tends to question things a little too much.  Although it is good for him to question empiricists some, he did it to the point where it became overly perplexing.  He believed that all humanity lives inside God's mind, and I believe that to be a stretch from reality.  If I had to pick a side or place in the "rabbit's fur" I would lie somewhere in between, in sort of a neutral position.  I have never been overly for or against certain belief systems as I realize that they are beliefs, not factual claims.  Therefore my beliefs are no more factual than others.  That does not change the fact that I find and formulate my own beliefs, but that I respect others while strongly holding my own. 

           I personally think that it's enjoyable to debate things of this nature because there is no real right answer.  Debating such a topic allows you to both learn more about the opposite side of the spectrum and propose your own ideas.  I do not get offended or intend to offend others.  I have never been one to force my values and beliefs on someone else, but always to make them known. 

Blog #4

Trevor Poirier

31 July 2013

AP English 11

Mrs. Wilhelmus

Kant

            The correlation of perception and reality is something that will always interest me.  Things we do and see are often strongly influenced by how we see and perceive them.  How we see them comes from our minds.  Who surrounds us, the generation we live in, our age, and our maturity have a lot to do with this.  Perhaps our take on something comes not from us seeing what it truly is, but how we think of it.  This thought beforehand based on past experiences affects our vision in daily life.  If our perception was different, so would our view on a vast number of things in the world we live in.

            Perceptions are best symbolized by a pair of glasses.  I wear glasses, and my vision is affected by my glasses because I obviously see through them.  Our perception is like a pair of glasses, as our thoughts dictate our view on things similar to how a pair of glassed does.  This comes from a part of the book where the red-tinted glasses experiment takes place.  Many see it as a metaphor or symbol for what I previously touched on -- perception.   

            If you wear red glasses, you see things red.  If you were blue glasses, you see things with a blue tint, and so on.  In the experiment, the color of the glasses represents a person's overall perception of life.  It shows how it affects reality in a simplistic way.  The red-tinted glasses experiment applies to my life in a number of ways.  An example would be that, regardless of the time you live in or any situation, your perspective and attitude directly reflects a number of things.  These things include your thoughts, how you view something, the actions taken, and the manner in which they are taken. 

            Perspective affects daily decisions for me such as buying clothes.  If I perceive a shirt or jacket as "cool" or "nice", then I will most likely buy it.  However, just because I see it that way does not mean someone else does.  In reality, it is just a shirt with no concrete or universal perception.  For a more applicable example, If I face adversity, my perspective on that situation and life as a whole will dictate how I face it.  I perceive adversity as a stumbling block to success, so I would continue to face it and work hard in an effort to prove people wrong.  Every person's perspective is different, and I am no exception to that.    

Blog #3

Trevor Poirier

29 July 2013

AP English 11

Mrs.  Wilhelmus

Middle Ages and Christianity

            When researching famous philosophers from the past, we saw bits about religion from certain people and tons of ideas about life that were often complex.  Many were based off of observation and estimation.  However, religion and philosophy never seemed to intersect, and definitely were not grouped in the same category.  This was until Plato and Aristotle were greatly influenced by Christian beliefs.  Plato was influenced by St. Augustine, and Aristotle by St. Thomas Aquinas.  For once, two realms previously perceived as separate crossed paths.

            When these paths crossed, they met to form one idea for Plato and Aristotle.  Two philosophers that never really got into religion, much less Christianity, found a way to combine them into one idea or ideas.  Instead of reason and faith butting heads and conflicting each other like before, they would do the exact opposite.  It was discovered that maybe the basis of reason could be religion, maybe Christianity could touch on the same areas as philosophy while providing some clarity of belief about after-life.  Along with providing clarity or at least something to believe about after-life, it gave something storied regarding human purpose and creation. 

            In other words, intelligence finally met belief.  Previously, the most intelligent people thought they could solve all the world's problems on their own.  Thinking unknown information could be solved simply from knowledge, they were naive.  But when Plato and Aristotle were Christianized, it gave room for the idea that belief and knowledge could work hand in hand.  For knowledge and intellectuality can only take us so far, then faith and beliefs take over.   

Blog #2

Trevor Poirier

26 July 2013

AP English 11

Mrs. Wilhelmus

Aristotle and Women

            For a long time, women were treated as inferiors and were shorted of respect and the status of equals to men.  Some philosophers ideas conflicted each other on this subject, but one whose beliefs were anti-women was Aristotle.  For some reason he was not fond of women by any means and failed to see their importance.  He actually went as far as to say that they were unfinished and incomplete men.

            Today, the perspective on women has changed.  You see employed females, more respect for their gender as a whole, and they have the same rights as men in our society in the United States.  Although a few may contest, I believe that this is the way it should have been from the beginning, and the way it should continue.  I believe it does not matter what race or gender a person is.  We are all humans capable of the same things so it should not matter.  If the tables were turned from the beginning and women were always the prominent gender, how upset and harshly treated would men feel?  Sure, our bodies are not constructed the same way, and we may not be identical in features, but our brains function the same way.  With all that in mind, it seems ridiculous to consider women inferior to men.

            If there is one philosopher I would choose to side with on their views regarding gender, I would choose Plato.  Oddly enough, he was a huge influence on Aristotle himself.  He believed that women were just as capable to function as men, and share the same reasoning.  His beliefs strongly sided with mine, as he tended to lean towards equality rather than one prominent race or gender as I do.

            Something I found unfair but certainly predictable was that many of the famous leaders and authorities in the novel were indeed men.  It seems that in early times, everything had to be about men.  Men seemed to have gained respect and popularity much quicker.  The views at that point in time often left women in the dust.  Many of whom had talents and similar knowledge as men.  They could have been valuable contributors to society as many women are today, which makes me wonder how many women would be well-known if they were presented similar rights to today.  I guess we will never know, but we can certainly learn from this and continue to treat women with dignity and respect.

Blog #1

Trevor Poirier

23 July 2013

AP English 11

Mrs. Wilhelmus

The Garden of Eden

            Every once in a while, questions about our existence spring up in our minds, and they can be a bit puzzling.  Regardless of our level of intelligence, we can only know so much about the world we live in, leaving some questions left without a definite answer.  This is where beliefs come in.  Whether it be a religion or philosophy, some form of belief shapes the way we view the world.  This includes not only how us humans got here, but also what our importance is. 

            "Who am I?" and "Where does the world come from?" are usually the first two questions that come to mind when pondering our existence.  We all wonder who we truly are to this world and what our purpose is, assuming we have one.  Secondly, everyone wonders exactly how and when we got here.  Just thinking about the answers to these questions is extremely perplexing, and is a quick way to make your head hurt.  The one thing I personally struggle with is the concept that answering the questions is not knowledge-based.  You can read all sorts of books and attend all sorts of sermons and churches, but will never have a concrete answer.  So many things in this world require intelligence and can be solved by research or figuring.  Obviously we would have long known this information if that was the case.  Every event in life has a beginning and end.  For example, we are born as infants and at some point die.  But what if the world had no beginning, and even if it did, how could something so complex come from nothing?

            I was raised a Christian, and I believe that this world could not have been made from nothing or by chance.  I believe that there is a greater power, God, that is responsible for creation.  I also think that we each have a purpose in this world beyond our occupation and identities.  Although I do not know this for sure, it seems the most logical based on my knowledge of the past and what I've learned throughout my life time.  Does this mean I never have inquiries or doubts?  No.  I think it is good to doubt your beliefs every now and again to change or reaffirm them.  However, my beliefs are what they are -- beliefs, and that may never change.  I do not know for sure if they are correct and may never know.  The answer to the questions "Who am I?" and "Where does the world come from?" are simple.  There is no answer.  That is up for us to decide or not decide.