BLog #5

Mason Jenkins

Mrs. Wilhelmus

AP English Language

10 August 2013

The Rabbit’s Fur

            While reading Sophie’s World, I learned about many philosophers and ideas throughout numerous time periods.  I was able to see how philosophy progressed as time went by and as people began to learn more about the world.  I could relate to some of the philosophers and their ideas, but others, I thought were wrong and made no sense. 

            Empedocles came to conclusion that everything in the world must be made from the four basic elements, air, earth, water, and fire.  He thought that there was no way something such as a butterfly could be made solely from air or water, as stated by earlier philosophers.  I agree with Empedocles and I too think that everything is made and changes from the four “root” elements. 

            On the other hand, I think that Aristotle was wrong on his idea of women.  He thought women were “unfinished men” and could not be the thinkers that men were.  Women have the ability to do the same things as men.  Aristotle thought that women were not equal to men and they did not contribute to reproduction.  I obviously disagree with that because we know that women and men are equal and women contribute just as much as men in reproduction. 

            I believe that I did fall deeper into the rabbit’s fur.  Most of the time, I just accept how things are instead of deeply thinking about it.  However, if I find something interesting and I don’t understand it, I will give it much more thought.  Therefore, I think I am in the middle of the rabbit’s fur.  After reading Sophie’s World, I have opened my eyes to philosophy a little more and I have caught myself thinking more about certain things that I never really thought about before.  So I think I have made my way up in the rabbit’s fur a little more as a result of reading Sophie’s World.

Blog #4

Mason Jenkins

Mrs. Wilhelmus

AP English Language

4 August 2013

Kant and Perspective

            In the “Kant” chapter in Sophie’s World, Alberto makes Sophie do an experiment with red-tinted glasses.  She simply had to put the glasses on and explain what she saw.  She described what she saw as exactly the same, but everything was red.  The purpose of this experiment was to show that a person’s perspective of the world will be different than everyone else’s because of their experiences and knowledge.  The “color” that somebody sees is determined by their life and what they know. 

            After learning about the red-tinted glasses experiment, I realize that I see examples of Kant’s ideas every day.  For instance, I have always been taught math well and I easily understand most things.  Therefore, math is easy for me to do well in and I am very advanced.  So when my younger sister comes home with math homework and needs help, I quickly get aggravated and impatient with her when she doesn’t understand it.  To me, it is very simple and I feel like she should not need help with it.  That is because I have already learned that material and I know it.  She does not have the same mind as me, so she may have more trouble with math than I did.  She also may not have been taught the same way as me and she understands it differently. 

            Your perspective of the world also changes with different experiences.  I grew up with a full loving family where we always had everything we needed and more.  I never had to worry about anything and I was a little spoiled.  After coming to high school, I started to meet people that do not live the same way I do.  These kids, that are the same age as me, have only one parent that cannot always provide for them.  Therefore, the kid is forced to work very hard just to survive and help his family.  Their view of the world is completely different than mine.  The world around us did not change, but I now see that there are less fortunate people out there trying to live a better life.  So now I recognize these people and have more respect for them. 

Blog #3

Mason Jenkins

Mrs. Wilhelmus

AP English Language

28 July 2013

Religion and Reason

            Before Aquinas and St. Augustine, reason and religion have always avoided each other.  You either believed in faith and your religion, or only thought through scientific reasoning.  Everything changed once the two medieval thinkers began to Christianize, or interpret Plato and Aristotle’s thoughts through Christianity so reason and faith can collaborate. 

            It was hard for people to think that religion and reason could ever come together and not contradict each other.  For example, in Sophie’s World, Sophie had trouble understanding how Plato’s thoughts, like eternal ideas and how the world was made, could go along with Christianity.  Alberto Knox explains that St. Augustine thought that “God did create the world from the void” as it says in the Bible, but the ideas were there first, by philosophical thought.  When people heard what St. Augustine and Aquinas had to say, they began to think in different ways and understood how Christianity and reason could work together. 

They also believed that philosophy would begin to diminish with the start and rise of Christianity and those beliefs.  With the help of Aquinas and St. Augustine, philosophy could continue to expand without threatening Christianity. 

St. Augustine and Aquinas were able to prove that faith and reason could go hand in hand by combining the thoughts and ideas of Plato and Aristotle with the Bible and the Christian faith.  This led to the acceptance of philosophy joining Christianity and the continuation of philosophy. 

Blog #2

Mason Jenkins

Mrs. Wilhelmus

AP English Language

23 July 2013

Views on Women

            It is obvious now that Aristotle’s views on women are completely inaccurate because women are accepted and succeed in society now.  In Sophie’s World, Aristotle said that women were just “unfinished men” and played an unimportant role in reproduction.  Back then, that may have made sense to everyone because they were always expected to stay out of the way of men and have petty responsibilities.  We now realize that that statement is false because women have the same abilities as men and can do the same things.  We also know that men and women are about equal in reproduction.  The characteristics of the child come from both the male and female.  With the facts and knowledge that we have today, it is evident that Aristotle was wrong about women. 

            I believe that Plato had the most admiral views on women.  In Sophie’s World, the philosophy teacher explains that Plato believed that women had the potential to govern because they could have the same reasoning skills as men, as long as they had the same training.  On page 92, Plato says that “a state that does not educate and train women is like a man who only trains his right arm.”  For this time period, these were bold ideas, but were truer than anyone else of the time. 

            It is understandable that most of the authorities in the novel are men because at the time, women were not allowed to do much outside of children and housekeeping.  They had very little power, so any ideas that they had were just ignored by everyone else.  No women had ever even thought about taking a stand or trying to gain more rights.  They accepted the fact that men were more superior to them. 

Blog #1

 

Mason Jenkins

Mrs. Wilhelmus

AP English Language

23 July 2013

The Beginning

            The first question, “Who are you?” seems like a very simple question to answer.  But the more you think about it, the harder it is to understand and accurately answer.  What does that even mean?  What makes you who you are?  I believe that characteristics and background are major factors in determining who you are.  But it can also be deeper than that.  The second question, “Where does the world come from?” is a tough question and it is impossible to get everyone to agree on the same answer.  It all depends on your belief. 

            The simple answer is that I am Mason Jenkins.  I am a student athlete that attends North High School as a junior and plays football and soccer.  I am also involved in leadership roles in the school such as class vice president.  I am one of the hardest workers you will meet and I always strive to be the best.  My goals are always out of reach, but never out of sight.  I can be quiet or shy at times, but I can also be fun and outgoing if I am comfortable with you.  I enjoy doing anything outdoors or sports related.  My friends and teammates will say that I am smart, a great athlete, and a future meteorologist.  These are some of the things that I think help answer the question, “Who are you?”

            There is more to it though.  You cannot truly describe who you are to someone.  Nobody else understands you.  They do not understand how you feel, what you think, and why you do what you do.  You are the only one who actually knows and understands who you are. 

            Then there is the question, “Where does the world come from?”  People have been trying to find an answer to this question that everyone can agree on for many years.  So far, nobody has found that answer and I don’t think they ever will.  Everyone was taught and believes something different.  Some people think that everything was formed by a big bang and others think that there is a god that created everything.  I am a Christian and have always been taught that God was the creator of the universe and everything in it.  In Sophie’s World, Sophie brings up the argument that something cannot come from nothing.  I agree with that statement and I think that God was always there.