Friday, August 22, 2008

No YOU don't know what your ideas really mean

Socialism vs Free Market Capitalism. Whatever side you place yourself on I have noticed the way both sides will say "Yes you may think that but what you are advocating actually is... The government having total control over the economy and therefore your life or selfish corporation owners doing whatever they want without regard for the common man" I find this odd but I guess it should not be surprising. Each side sees itself as the champion of democracy, freedom, and justice. Therefore the other side must really want dictatorship, slavery, and injustice right?

Friday, August 8, 2008

Nausea

Nausea's by Jean-Paul Sartre themes now seem odd to me looking back. The character comes into contact with pure existence. This is odd especially now that I've learned about Heidegger. In Heidegger being is always "understood" in a certain way. Present at hand, ready at hand, being taking a stand on itself &c. Is the character doing the impossible?Being as nothing but being? If this was done in a buddhistic way then I could wrap my head around this. But the character is not just letting himself be. He is in the world and yet the world acts as if he was not in it. The world is a character itself in Nausea. He describes himself as not knowing whether the change (The Nausea) came from within or without. Maybe this comes from Sartre's dualism. Later he talks of there no longer being "perfect moments". The meaning or understanding (a link between the two concepts?) in the world can be taken away because the mind had willed in onto the world. In Hiedegger this can't happen and he might say that Sartre was actually still seeing the world in a present at hand only way and that leads to Sartre's character to being able to come into contact with existence. In other words there is a contradiction between viewing the mind in a dualism and experiencing pure being. Sartre only ventures into this by "pure being" meaning naked objects.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

The good noises

There are certain noises that always make me clam. These noises come from certain machines. Space heats, fans, air conditioners, rain on the roof, and airplane noise (though not when its too loud). In that order too. Heaters are best for me. I think these are white noises but I'm not sure because the only white noise samples online I've found are of static. I dislike static. Too scratchy. But these noises are always comforting. I like to sleep with a fan on. I do my best thinking when these noises are in the background (late at night too for some reason). It started when I was a kid and my parents got a space heater. In the early cold morning I would go to it and eat breakfast beside it. These noises always seem best when its dark outside (and dimly lit inside). My mind would be filled with the noise. I could think with the noise. Even when I don't actively think I gain a certain kind of focus when I causally listen to it. When I feel down it doesn't comfort me though, it just lets me think through the sad thoughts more. I think it masks the outside world and allows me to be alone with my thoughts. Just me, my thoughts, the dark room, and the noise.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

philosopher portraits

I find philosopher portraits interesting



















So I've got a choice

I can ether take Western Philosophy or AP Art History. If I take WP I would also take Hispanic Studies because I have no knowledge at all of that subject. I would enjoy WP alot because philosophy is one of my passions. But I already know alot about it. It would give me the opportunity to read more of the great philosopher's texts rather than introductions or how-to-reads. I would never read Aristotle on my own for example. Or could I?AP Art History is a college level course but it looks rewarding and would help me understand art better. So what do I do? I think I'll take art history. Save the philosophy for college (I would rather have a indepth course than a half year high school course). 

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

First Post!

Hello. I'm Steck and this is my blog. Does this blog mean I'm now part of the blogosphere?