Thankful for a Classmate

I am thankful for just about all of my classmates in our philosophy class. My reason is that we are a diverse group of people, which only adds diverse thoughts a comments to our interesting discussions. Everyone doesn't  jump in all the time, but it's great that we have enough people that think differently in the classroom. Some people add humor to 5th period, and others add a great amount of insight to some of the conversations that we have. Basically, my point is that there is rarely a dull moment in our class because of the amount of interesting people that we have in the room. These students are all interesting in their own way, and this is why it;s a perfect mix for a philosophy class. Some of the topics that we bring up ultimately turn the classroom into a panel of people from different walks of life and of different perspectives. I think that this is the key to what has made and what will continue to make philosophy an interesting class. Another aspect of the students in this class that makes it great is that we seem to build off of one another's comments and don't attack each other for what we believe in (except maybe the cats). Overall, I'm grateful that we have a decent balance of students in the class, ranging from those that say what's on their mind without reservation to those that take in the highlights of the discussion before saying their peace. Again, I believe that this mix of people is a key element of what makes a philosophy class and it wouldn't really be the same without all of the students in this class.

Open Letter to Cormac McCarthy

Dear Mr. McCarthy:

I enjoyed your book. The movie adaptation was disappointing, but I'm sure that's not your fault. The book was very well written and balanced the themes of hope and disappointment perfectly. I noticed the unique style with which you wrote "The Road". The lack of apostrophes and peculiar method of writing dialogues added to the morbid theme of the book and really immersed the reader in the world that you created. Overall, I thought that the structure and style of the book were both great. I didn't enjoy the content of the book quite as much. It was very depressing and gave a very pessimistic view of what direction humanity is headed in. This book made me wonder: Do you think that our world is actually going to become like the world in the your book, or did you simply write this book for entertainment? Either way, you must have some negative feelings about humans in general. What exactly has led to these feelings that you have toward other people and do you think you have contributed to the destruction of the Earth? I'd like to learn more about your outlook on life and about your opinions on what life means. Hopefully, all of your views aren't in line with the themes that are found in "The Road". Continue to write books, but maybe try to write one about the good aspects of humanity. It can't be god to focus too deeply on the negative aspects of anything.

Sincerely,
Zachary Stuart

Defend the Poet (Charles Bukowski)

Charles Bukowski may be so pessimistic in his writing because of past experiences in his life. He doesn't seem like a people person because of his outlook on humanity and, basically, what people deserve. In a sense, Bukowski is simply looking at the things that humans have created and the negative effects these things have created. Even though the writing is very negative, I like the style with which Bukowski writes. The imagery is very strong and the message is sent very clearly. In "Dinosauria, We", the reader gets that the world will begin to consume itself after the apocalypse. There is a clear message that the author is making a connection to how the dinosaurs were wiped off of the earth, and that he believes we are next. The only difference is that humans play more of a part in their own elimination, whereas the dinosaurs were not really at fault for their extinction. As far as poetry goes, this piece is very nicely written and structured perfectly for the morbid theme. It is broken up and abrupt, which is how the author envisions the end of the world. The poem also drags on, which is similar to survival in a post-apocalyptic world, which is reflected in "The Road". Overall, I like this poem because of how effective the imagery is and how thought-provoking the ideas are.

A Direction the Class Needs

I think that most classes would improve greatly if they were more interactive. For all of the different classes in the world, there are millions of possibilities for allowing students to be more involved in the learning process. I definitely find it more difficult to take in information during classes where teachers just talks for fifty minutes straight. Unless the teacher is talking about something that I'm truly interested in, it becomes difficult to stay awake, let alone actually learn something. For topics that aren't interesting to most students, teachers should take measures to make sure that there are interesting ways to convey the lessons to the students. In this class, the discussions that we have keep the class interesting and actually help aid the lessons that we're trying to learn. With a more interactive approach to learning, there will be an increase in tests scores and students would actually  understand the test material. It's important that teachers can realize what kind of activities would stimulate students' minds and help them learn essential lessons. I think that these measures should be implemented in high schools especially because most of our school day consists of being spoken to by teachers for long periods of time, which bores us most of the time. Engaging the students with activities other than busy work would benefit the teachers and students because there would be less disruptions during class and students would be comfortable with the material that they are learning. Hopefully, these strategies can be put into motion soon.

Mother & Son

 Throughout my 18-year life, my Mother has always been there for me, and has proved counteless times that she always will be there for me. Even though I talk back and am not always as respectful as possible, I am grateful for a Mother that would sacrifice eveerything she owns to help me out.  Since elementary school, my Mother has  given her time to help me with homework or projects. When I was younger, I could hardly understand how much my Mother was really giving. Instead of working, she used her time to make sure that I got everything I needed and more. My Mom rarely denies requests that I have for help and if she does, she always makes it up to me. I love the fact that I can always depend on my Mom for anything, whether this means picking me up or helping me put the finishing touches on a project. Along with helping me out physically, my Mother facilitates me mentally. She constantly encourages me not to settle for less than what I am capable of. Along with my Father, she has taught me that mediocrity is unacceptable when I am capable of greatness. For most things I do in life, I apply this mindset and it has worked out quite well over the years. I thank my parents for what they have done for me and attribute my success to them. Even though I won't see them as often as I do now when I'm in college, I plan to continue to learn from my parents because I truly believe that they have my best interests at heart.

How Do I Know What I Know?

The only way that I know what I know is that I've been told that this world and the people in it are my reality. Because there really aren't too many other options than accept this as truth, I have accepted this reality as my own. Through my own experiences, I have learned more and more, which I proves to me that I have the capacity to remember things and learn from them. I think that this is a prime example of me being conscious of my ability of my mind to be aware of my knowledge and the world around me. Despite being able to remember certain experiences and being told that this reality is real,  I don't have first-hand knowledge that would directly lead me to believe that I am conscious of the knowledge that I have and the information that I take in. Everyday, whether it comes from my parents, friends, or school, I process tons of information and little evidence that I am conscious of what my mind is doing. Because I want to believe that I am aware of the information I am learning, I choose to accept the conventional belief that this is our reality, but there is no sure-fire way to tell. I don't think that anyone is actually sure about whether they know or don't know they are fully aware about their existence and their thoughts. Most of us simply accept that we wake up in the same reality everyday and take in information the same way everyday.

Our Meaning

I believe that our meaning on Earth is to develop ourselves intellectually and make the best use possible of the resources we have been given. I think that we are meant to figure out how to live in the most efficient way and make the world a better place for each generation to come, if possible. As of right now, it seems that we (at least in American society) continue to drain the resources that we find on this planet, which I'm sure will have negative consequences far down the road. On the other hand, the advances that humans have made in science and technology are amazing when you think about. The fact that we have been able to take minerals ans metals and develop them to the point where I can communicate with a friend on the other side of the planet from a handheld device is absolutely amazing. I think that, from a scientific point of view, humans are bettering themselves and the world each and every day. We are discovering things that will benefit the generations that are around now, and are laying the groundwork for the next generation to advance even further. From an ecological and economic standpoint, we are probably doing more harm than good everyday that we exist on this planet. Unfortunately, the way that things have been set up depend heavily on resources such as oil. A day on Earth without any use oil would probably be the most unproductive day in decades, if not centuries. As far economic issues go for advancement and development, they are relatively short-term issues. In comparison to the large time horizons the environment and technology have, the time that it takes to change economies seems to be much less. Nonetheless, I feel that it is everyone's duty to leave what they have or had better for the next generation of people. This is the only way to promote the efficient use of the Earth and the well-being of the people that inhabit this planet.