Letter to the Prospective Philosophy Student

Dear prospective philosophy student,

Be ready for a great class! Like me, you're probably thinking that this class will be nothing but reading about old men and their opinions on life. There is some of that and it is interesting to a point, but what really matters is all of the other stuff that you'll be doing throughout the year. If you have McCarthy for philosophy (pray that you do!), you will be exposed to several pieces of art that you will enjoy and several movies that will open your eyes to new things. The books that you read actually are thought-provoking and the in-class discussions will be fascinating. Mr. McCarthy is a teacher who really enjoys deep thinking and philosophy and because of that, his philosophy curriculum is quite successful. Everything that is picked to read or watch has a meaning and it will be enjoyable. The balance that is struck between hard work and casual discussion is perfect, and that's why the class isn't really painful. You're about to enter a unique class. It's interesting, it will make you think, and you'll enjoy just about everything Mr. McCarthy puts in front of you. My word of advice is to keep your blogs in order because we're in the tech center catching up right now. Also, I would strongly advise that you participate in the discussions. Sometimes it's nice to sit back and listen to other people's opinions and perspective, but try to jump in at some point. Good luck, and enjoy your philosophy class!

Thoughts About Earlier Thinking

At the beginning of the year, I was tossed about between fifth and sixth period for a bit. Once I was actually in the right class, I could start to think about the class and form my opinions on how the year would play out. My first thought of the class was that there would be a ton of busy work. I am glad that the class was more of a thought-provoker than a mindless, endless writing assignment. I definitely didn't expect all of the movies, artwork, and other forms of art. I'm glad that all of the art we viewed and discussions we had were about meaningful topics that most of us could relate to. The path that the class took was way different than the path I thought it would take. I've learned a lot from this class, from my peers' opinions to the names of reputable street artists. Now that I think about it, the class was kind of what I expected for a while, when we were reading out of the textbook. Once we started reading Candide and discussing the themes and ideas, the class began to take a direction separate from what I thought it would be. I appreciated that we expressed our ideas through discussion than just on paper.

Surrounded by Cuckoos, but I was the crazy one

I'm having a hard time figuring out what to write on this topic but the first thing that came to mind was arguments and how people sometimes lose sight of what they mean to say when they become defensive. We're all guilty of it, some of us more than others. From that type of person's perspective, everything their debating "opponent" says sounds crazy simply because they stop thinking rationally. In reality, the person who thinks everything they hear sounds crazy could be the one who is spewing insane thoughts. My next thought about this topic is the book, which is an obvious thought now that I think about it. At first glance, McMurphy seems sane compared to the patients at the mental institute. "Normal" society would consider these patients to be "irregular" and "crazy", which is why institutions such as mental hospitals were created. Mack, coming from this society, sees the patients in the same way. As the book goes on, the reader starts to see Mack lose it little by little. He's not necessarily acting "crazier", but he starts to go to greater lengths to prove how rebellious he really is. In the institute, Mack is seen as the truly insane patient because of how he acts toward Nurse Ratched, regardless of the possible consequences. The other patients, in my opinion, start to see Mack as society would view them.  I guess the point that could be made from this is that everyone that seems "normal" may not be and that they will show how crazy they really are once their pressured to do so. Still not quite sure what the topic really means though...

Together

My family is small and, as I mentioned in the last post, I am an only child. These facts only make me love the time that I spend with my family more. Fortunately, I get to see my parents everyday and my grandparents quite frequently, as well, but I don't see other members of my family very often. In fact, I met some members of my family for the first time last August. I remember being so excited to meet new relatives on the way to New York. These relatives were on my Father's side and from Panama. While my grandfather went from Panama to Indiana years ago, his sisters went to Brooklyn. It was great to be with them, even is for a short time, and ask them about the experiences they have had in New York and those that they remember from their home. Usually during the winter, I get to see my family that is still in Fort Wayne, IN, where I was born. This is pretty much my Father's side of the family, including my grandparents and cousins. Just being around family that I don't see often is a good feeling because everything else that keeps me busy at other times hinders me from staying updated with how my family is doing. On the other hand, I have probably began to take the family that I do see often for granted. I'll soon be leaving to go to college and I won't exactly be around the corner. It is then that I'll really realize that all of the time I had and will have with my close family is precious, and that I should treasure it. That time is a blessing that everyone doesn't have.