World Literature, Please!

So it’s time for those quarter reflections, huh?  Well let me start off by saying this; I did not sign up for this class.  I was simply registered by a system that does not care so much for the individual within the system, but the product of the system’s effort.  Whitney Young is easily one of the top schools in the state of Illinois, but with over 2100 students, it’s hard to cater to every needs of person.  Whitney Young is kind of like the world in that way.   You’re only here for a short period of time and you’re encouraged to make the most out of your time here, even with the obstacles life or the school throws at you, like being placed in an unwanted class.  A quarter with this one error has allowed me to realize two things:  humans are so insignificant on earth in the grand scheme of things and that we have no real control over what happens. 

I have been able to look at world with new eyes, thanks to this class.  It may not seem like it, but I do enjoy coming to this class every single day.  If I had known that this really was a discussion based class, I probably would argued my way out of this class a little bit more.  I am not too fond of group work but the product that stems from those group discussions are always rewarding.  I love hearing other people’s opinions of life’s biggest questions.  And the blogs are a beautiful way for those who aren’t so outspoken or even mute to state their opinions.  English is no where near my favorite or strongest subject, but this first quarter of Philosophy of Literature has me looking forward to the rest of the year with a small joy, a joy that in this uncontrolled world this accident did occur.

How do we know what know?

I don’t think this is a question worth discussing.  I think it is completely safe to say that no one knows anything to be true and if they do, in fact, “know” something, it’s because of what someone has told them or because of what they have experienced or seen for themselves.  For example, in some part of the world, a country’s government has rewritten their own history and soon, after many generations, that new history will be known to all the citizens to be the “truth”.  Why, because they were told that this is real and that this has happened.

As for people’s experiences or what people have seen, that’s more real and holds more truth because… well because they were there.  They have seen it, so they know it to be true.  If I were asked the question how do I know if I throw a ball into the air that it will come back down, I don’t have to refer to what my teachers have told or taught me about Newton’s beliefs.  I can simply say that every time I threw the ball it came down and I saw it with my own eyes.  Now I know that’s not philosophical at all, but if we do know something to be true it’s because of what we have experienced or seen.

Who would Voltaire and Camus vote for in this year's Presidential Election?

So I am considering two candidates, President Barrack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney.  It’s not that the other running candidates aren’t important, but these two seem to be getting all the attention seeing as though they are a part of the Democratic and Republican Party. 

With that being said, can’t see Camus voting for anybody or anything, ever.  He believes that human beings live in essential isolation in a meaningless and irrational world. So if life has no meaning, he would go with the flow or just not care at all.  Now this is contradicting what I just stated, but I feel as though, when the day comes, who ever is leading the polls the day he enters the booth, is the person he would vote for.  He’s just going with the flow.

As for Voltaire, I have a good idea who he would vote for.  Obama stands for the people, at least that what his campaign is all about.  Personal independence ties closely to what the President advocates so his vote would be for a government that protects those views.   Honestly, we will never truly know who they would vote for.