The Fairer Sex

Of course Shakespeare wrote several hundred years before the feminist movement (and feminist philosophy), but his play offers us a nice opportunity to reflect on notions of femininity and the perception of women in Britain around 1600. Do you think women are fairly portrayed in the play? Does Shakespeare seem to you to be misogynistic, or does he stand up for the rights of women?

Understanding of "The Self"

From my understanding the self and mind are one and of itself. The self is how one operates on an individual level. For example, the way one brushes their teeth, the way one eats, the one carries themselves as they walk. It's a preconceived setting I believe we are created with that develops over time. I believe that we were created a specific way in order to play a specific role in the society that we live, I guess to say that none of us are at random but play a very specific role in each others lives. Also I like to think that our experience here on earth helps develop our "self", to say that the self is just way to distinguish us as unique and something that helps us stand out on an individual level. In summary "The Self" is a guide for us and helps us react in a specific way to any all experiences we have here on earth.

the self

I have a very strong belief in a set and solid self. While the thoughts of a person may change upon reflection of events that have happened to the person, the self is very much defined by the mind, which I believe, is very much consistent throughout the life of the person. There was some discussion about how life experiences can alter the mind for example. These life experiences alter behavior, but not the mind or the self. Say some events happen to you yet the same events happen to a different person and the effect on that person is the exact opposite. The reason for this, I would argue, is that the mind is a set thing and the defining factor of the self because of it's consistency. Effects vary from person to person because minds and selves vary from person to person.

Causality

I have to agree with Shakespeare, I do not feel that anything happens for a reason and I've never been a firm believer in Karma or anything like that. I tend to believe that experiences and events are random occurrences. I have the attitude that things in my life take place without any control by the universe or God or fate. I sometimes feel that people rely to heavily on the idea that there is a "plan" for our lives set for us to follow. It gives us comfort, maybe the feeling that we aren't alone but maybe just a crutch to lean on when things aren't going the way we hoped they would. I recently had a very close family friend pass away in freak accident at work. You do your best to comfort your loved ones and often I heard, "It was God's plan for him." I've never been so sure about this sentiment though, I think that as humans there is a vulnerability that we try to cover up with this notion of our planned out life, it gives us an outlet to blame the tragedy and pain on. I like to think that there is no plan for my life, the stars don't need to a line and I don't need God's consent. Any one event can change the rest of our lives.

Shakespeare= Philosophy?

-I wrote this before class on Monday and forgot to post it. I understand much better what Shakespeare's philosophy was-

Overall, I found it hard to see how the story of a Midsummer Night’s Dream relates to philosophy, and the five topics we’ve been talking about. It certainly isn’t about metaphysics or theology. I don’t see how it’s about epistemology. So it must be either ethics or aesthetics?

I guess it might be a representation of the idea of beauty during the time period both in in it’s poetic nature, and in the idea of love. Perhaps Shakespeare is indirectly making the case for beauty being derived from love.

Certainly love, and not just love in general, but romantic, obsessive love, is the main theme throughout the play. The characters are willing to do anything for the person they love: elope, disobey their parents, follow that person even though that person doesn’t love them, and in jealous, attempt to make a fool out of that person by making them fall in love with something silly, and also die. (Hermia says at the end of act 2 scene 2 that she’ll either find Lysander or die).

I suppose the idea of love could relate to ethics, in that, right or wrong, as long as you’re doing something for love, it’s the right choice.

Do things happen for a reason

I think God has a plan for us, we are not random and chaotic unless we make it so.

In the first Book of the Bible, Genesis, when God created the world, "All God made was good."

God formed order out of the chaos. God gave us the gift of life to keep the beauty and order He made, and to make a better world.

God gave man free will and man does not always do what is right to keep God's orderly plan. Man is here to keep repairing the world of disease, poverty, war, loneliness, by helping the orphan, the widow, the homeless person, the victims from the destruction of natural disasters-to bring about peace. To stop crime and hatred for all men are made in the image of God.

It is said ,'kindness is contagious'. Help someone and they will hopefully help someone else and bring about the order needed. If there is chaos, we bring it upon ourselves.

Metaphysics

Aristotle puts artist on a petastol at the behind of his metaphysics because we as artist have the drive to create, and at first only the artist is aware of the concept of the work, and just being the first to know gives us understanding of the experience behind the work something that a regular experienced person cannot experience. Aristotle puts metaphysics into categories starting with the nature, then to experience, understanding, and last is reason, the reason backs up understanding. The reason is mathematic, and how it explains the space around us. The relationship between the two is thy art describes the space around us, and math explains the space around us. The two work together to create a harmony in the question of what is reality.

Things happen for a reason?

The notion of causality is one of the three main philosophical issues Shakespeare tackles in his work. He tends toward a skeptical view -- things happen for no reason. What do you think -- is there any rhyme or reason to what happens in the world, or are we at the mercy of chaos and randomness?