Blog Response Five

Ethan Skinner

Mrs. Wagener

AP English

8/11/2013

Blog Response Five

            Philosophical thought has been an important part of human culture for thousands of years. While questions of origin and purpose are innate in the human mind, and fun to think about, they are certainly not easy to answer. From a finite perspective, how could any one person possibly hope to comprehend questions regarding infinite subject matter, such as the nature of time or God?

            For the most part, none of the philosophers in the book really stood out to me as particularly insightful. Occasionally one of the philosophers that Gaarder described would make an interesting point, but generally I felt that most of the philosophers were simply making things up, and then espousing them as the truth regardless of whether or not there was anything insightful about their philosophy. One exception to this rule was Locke. His concept of primary and secondary qualities of objects was fascinating to me (although Alberto’s classification of color and taste as purely qualitative aspects was ridiculous, seeing as light an flavor both have scientific scales of measurement) and I agree with his thought that it is inherent in human reason that God exists. For the most part, I found that the other philosophers were arrogant academics who felt that their own minds were a better source of information than the world around them. Obviously, people like Socrates had the right idea, actually asking solid questions until he arrived at a solution. But even Socrates fell short, in that he did not back his theories with real evidence, opting instead to take people’s inabilities to answer his questions as proof that their views were false, therefore making his views correct. This is a frustrating tendency in all of philosophy. I love science, and philosophy often feels like a deliberate rejection of the scientific method which, while flawed, is generally the best way to find answers to our questions.

            In regards to the question of my position in the rabbit’s fur, I feel that the premise is flawed. To ask where I reside in the rabbit’s fur is to ask whether I am a seeker of knowledge, longing to gaze into the eyes of the “magician” or am comfortably nestled down in my safe little world, happy to live my days in ignorance. I reject the concept of the rabbit. I am no hater of knowledge, and love scientific research and the acquisition of new knowledge. But in regards to questions of the universe itself, I have found my answers. I believe that the Christian bible is the inspired, infallible, inerrant word of God, and that anything I may need to know in regards to my origins or the purpose of my existence are contained therein. I am happy to seek answers to most questions through scientific reasoning, but in regards to more existential questions, I look to the God for my answers

Blog Response Four

Ethan Skinner

Mrs. Wagener

AP English

8/11/2013

Blog Response Four

            In the Kant chapter of Sophie’s world, Alberto uses a pair of red-tinted glasses to show Sophie a different perspective on the world. The idea is that, when Sophie wears the glasses, they only allow red light to reach her eyes, and she therefore sees the world from a perspective different from the one she is used to. Alberto does this in order to give an example of what Kant believed, which is that all people limitations on their minds which govern how we view the world around us. Kant was referring to more meta-physical limitations, like how time and space affect our views of reality. However, I find that this view of how perspective can be limited can just as easily be applied to the everyday aspects of our lives.

            In my life, I find that questions of perspective can often be incredibly fascinating. In the eyes of most people in the world, I lead a very privileged life. There is a roof over my head, I have food to eat, I have a good job and a nice car. My problems are only problematic from the perspective of someone as privileged as I am. I have found that, in order to truly determine what is important in life, you must think of the people who are the most downtrodden and unfortunate, and imagine how they view the world. What I’m driving at is that the perspective of someone who lives in a third-world country would be drastically different from mine, and the only way to truly appreciate what I have is to try and view myself from the perspective of those less fortunate than myself. It is because of this that questions of perspective apply (or should apply) to every aspect of my life.

Blog Response Three

Ethan Skinner

Mrs. Wagener

AP English

7/26/2013

Blog Response Three

            Christianization is the process by which many early Christian thinkers attempted to apply the teachings of Christ to the philosophers of old. In my opinion, the term “Christianization” is a misnomer, because in many cases this is not what occurred. Aquinas did not really attempt to Christianize Aristotle and St. Augustine did not make any effort to apply the teachings of Christ to Plato. Rather, I would argue that Aquinas attempted to “Arristotleize” Christ, trying to squeeze his old belief in the teachings of Aristotle into his new faith in Christ. This attempt to reconcile two completely contradictory belief systems resulted in a strange mash of ideas that does not hold up under close examination. The same can be said of St. Augustine, as he attempted to force the teachings of Plato to fit with his faith in Jesus. The result of this what these two great Christian leaders ended up teaching their followers many things which were not in the bible, which they claimed to follow as the infallible word of God.

The process known as “Christianization” posed a danger to Christianity itself in many ways. It led to many people thinking that an application of secular beliefs to Christian teachings was perfectly acceptable. The result is that many Churches today teach concepts and principles which are not found in the bible as though they are true Christian teachings. It is difficult today to find Churches in which the Bible is taken to be the infallible, inerrant word of God, and nothing is taught which cannot be found therein. This can be traced back to people like St. Augustine, who set the precedent for adding one’s personal beliefs to Christian teachings. Another way in which “Christianization” posed a danger to Christianity was that it led many modern people to reject Christianity on the grounds that it is corrupted by the thoughts of humans, rather than actually being divine in nature. While this view is not entirely accurate, as there are still some churches that hold completely to the teachings of the bible, it does hold some merit in that many churches teach messages that cannot be found anywhere in the bible.

Blog Response Two

Ethan Skinner

Mrs. Wagener

AP English

7/17/2013

Blog Response Two

            Aristotle’s belief that women were simply incomplete men is fascinating to me for two reasons. One is that the fallacy of his belief reveals that he must have had very little contact with the opposite sex. Any man who spends enough time around women will realize that there is nothing “incomplete” about them. The second reason I find his view fascinating is that, from a certain point of view, he is actually correct. In reproduction, there are two chromosomes that determine whether a person is male or female, the X and Y. When a woman is formed, she receives two of the same chromosomes, both X. However, when a man is formed, it occurs because he received an extra chromosome from the father, the Y chromosome. So there are schools of scientific thought that would view women as incomplete, due to their lack of a Y chromosome. However, this is not really accurate. To state that someone is less complete due to a difference in genetic code demonstrates an incomplete knowledge of genetics. In short while women are certainly different from men, it does not make them in any way “less complete.”

            Even though Plato’s reintroduction of the ideas of private property and family ties served to unintentionally restrict the freedom of women, I feel that his answers to questions of gender while, only briefly described in the text were the most admirable. His statement that a “state that does not educate and train women is like a man who only trains his right arm” shows a much deeper understanding of the importance of women to a society than any of the other philosophers demonstrated. When, in his Symposium, Plato gave a woman the honor of having given Socrates his philosophic insight, he demonstrates a belief that women could be even wiser than the most learned of men. His views on women were even more admirable considering that they were totally contrary to the views of his time, which were that women were simply inferior to men in every way.

            While it is unfortunate that the vast majority of philosophers through history have been men (since women often provide a perspective from which men are incapable of viewing issues) it is not altogether surprising. The time in which these philosophers lived was one in which women were expected to be housewives and bear children. These were the only jobs for which most ancient civilizations considered them to be suitable. It saddens me to think of the many brilliant women who were never able to contribute to the philosophical community, and the many incredible insights that were very likely lost as a result.

Blog Response One

Ethan Skinner

Mrs. Wagener

AP English

7/5/2013

Blog Response One

To know oneself is a concept which has been incredibly important to cultures across continents and thousands of years. The doorway to the Oracle at Delphi was decorated with the phrase “Know Thyself” and every group of people before and since has had names for individuals, setting them apart from one another and, in a way, defining who they are. Every civilization since the dawn of time has also wondered where the world could have come from. There is evidence of origin stories for the world present in every single civilization in history. As with the cultures of old, I feel that the knowledge of who I am and where the world came from defines my life.

            My name is Ethan Skinner. That much is common knowledge, and totally lacks any form of insight. To really know who I am, you have to look beyond my given and family titles, into how I define myself. First and foremost, I am a Christian. My beliefs are an enormous part of my life, and I devote a large portion of my time to serving my church. I fall short with frustrating frequency, and I know that I will never be perfect, but I strive to be as much like Christ as possible. Second, I am a musician; I play piano, trumpet, and guitar, and I love to sing. I am the leader of the high school band at my church, which is an awesome way to combine these two aspects of my life. The third and final way I define myself is in marching band. For anyone who has never been a part of marching band, it is impossible to understand the bond that forms between members of the band. Through any ups and downs (and there are many in the Green Brigade) the band is there for each other. We are a family, and marching band serves as a home away from home for many of the members. My time in band has shaped me as an individual and formed all of my closest friendships.

            My thoughts on the origin of the world, if the previous section was read thoroughly, shouldn’t be overly difficult to deduce. But I suppose I will clarify on the off chance that someone is not familiar with the Christian belief system. I believe in a literal six day creation, in which God made the heavens and the Earth, and everything therein. I believe that God has a plan and a purpose for my life and the lives of all other people on the Earth, and that we are here to bring honor and glory to him. I also believe that he sent his only son to die on the cross for my sins, and it is for this reason that I devote my life to Christ.