Wednesday, January 18

Starter 1.18:  
"I AM" by Stephen Sellers

Choose one of the following quotes and relate it to Stephen’s film.  Explain your connections thoroughly.

1. “All the labor of all the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius are destined to extinction. So now, my friends, if that is true, and it is true, what is the point?” ― Bertrand Russell

2. Faith is not about finding meaning in the world, there may be no such thing-- faith is the belief in our capacity to create meaningful lives.” ― TerryTempest Williams, Leap

3. “Restlessness is discontent and discontent is the first necessity of progress.  Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure” – Thomas Edison (inventor of the light bulb)






Existentialism Lecture: Part 2


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Journal 1.18: Reflections on Existentialism

• Which pieces of existentialism are you attracted to?  Repulsed by?
• Do any of these tenets have a place in your own personal philosophy?  
• With which quote do you agree more?  Macbeth’s “Tomorrow” speech or Dylan Thomas’ “Do not go gentle…”?

CREATIVE EXPRESSION!!!!

Respond to the ideas of existentialism with either art or poetry. Show your understanding/connections creatively.

Tuesday, January 17

Starter 1.17:

Interpret the song and react.  What intellectual and/or emotional impact do the lyrics and music have on you? (philosophically speaking…)

Pink Floyd “Time” (lyrics)

Ticking away, the moments that make up a dull day

Fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way

Kicking around on a piece of ground in your hometown

Waiting for someone or something to show you the way

Tired of lieing in the sunshine

Staying home to watch the rain

And you are young and life is long

And there is time to kill today

And then one day you find

Ten years have got behind you

No one told you when to run

You missed the starting gun

And you run, and you run to catch up with the sun, but it's sinking

And racing around, to come up behind you again

The sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older

Shorter of breath, and one day closer to death

Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time

Plans that either come to naught, or half a page of scribbled lines

Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way

The time has come, the song is over

Thought I'd something more to say

(Breathe Reprise)

Home, home again

I like to be here when I can

When I come home cold and tired

It's good to warm my bones beside the fire

Far away, across the fields

The tolling of the iron bell

Calls the faithful to their knees

to hear the softly spoken magic spell....

Existentialism Lecture, Part 1

Pair share: DanIsNotonFire

• What do you think existentialism is at this point?
• Did DanIsNotOnFire terrify you?  How are you feeling about studying this topic?  Are you worried you might spill  milk all over the counter while making cereal one morning?  If so, there’s no use crying over spilt milk.

Reading: Chapter 28: “The Meaning of Life” Richard Taylor

Journal 1.17: Reactions to Taylor

After reading, react to the ideas in the text.

• Can you make any intertextual connections between this reading, the myth of Sisyphus, Dan's video, and/or the Pink Floyd song?  Draw conclusions about both texts and any common threads of meaning you might see.  
• What do you think about Taylor’s claim that “The meaning of life is from within us, it is not bestowed from without, and it far exceeds in both its beauty and permanence any heaven of which men have ever dreamed or yearned for.”

Friday, January 13

Starter 1.13

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,

To the last syllable of recorded time;

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage

And then is heard no more. It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury

Signifying nothing.

— Macbeth (Act 5, Scene 5, lines 17-28)

• What does Macbeth mean?  INTERPRET the passage.
• Do you agree with Macbeth?  Why or why not?

Macbeth may have been an early existentialist...

He suffered from an “existential attitude”, defined by Robert C. Solomon as “a sense of disorientation, confusion, or dread in the face of an apparently meaningless or absurd world.”

4 Corners

• Everything happens for a reason.
• Humans are at the center of the great cosmic mystery.

Literature as philosophical material?

TOGETHER:  Read "Mold of the Earth" by Boleslaw Prus

IN PAIRS: Discuss this story and “Shades.” (Same author!)

1. Compare “Mold of the Earth” and "Shades.” What might be the theme or message of each story?
2. What do you think Prus might believe about the place of humans in the great cosmic mystery?

TED Talk:  Why does the universe exist?

Key terms

Ontology:  (simply) the philosophical study of the nature of being, becoming, existence, or reality

Deity:  God, goddess or divine being

Transcript, if you want to follow along or review....

During the TALK: Takes notes on the following in your comp book....

• What different explanations does Holt mention that humans use to explain why the universe exists?
• Which explanation does he arrive at?

JOURNAL 1.13 Why Does the Universe Exist?

REACT!  Review the transcript if you need to.  Which pieces of his discussion do you agree with?  Which do you reject?  What do you personally believe about the universe and its existence?  If you don't really know yet (as many don't), use this journal entry to wonder in words...

Thursday, January 12

Starter 1.12:  Choose a quote from the reading (“The Meaning of Life”) that struck a chord with you personally.  Explain what the quote means to you and how it might relate to your developing philosophy about the meaning of life.

4 CORNERS

• Pursuing meaning is more important than pursuing happiness.
• In order to have a better life, we should focus on the "now."

“The Meaning of Life” Jigsaw

1. Five Groups (one for each section of the reading 13.1, 13.2, 13.3, 13.4, 13.5)
2. Each group will present the following for their section:
1. Summarize the main points of your section. Include explanations of any key terms that arise in your section.
2. Find a quote that stands out and seems to exemplify the “thesis” or big insight of that section.
3. Write a philosophical question for your section that a person searching for the meaning of life might seek to answer for themselves. (Write this question on the board for your section.

JOURNAL 1.12 “Meaning of Life” Freewrite:  Freewrite on one (OR MORE) of the philosophical questions that came out of the reading, all the while processing your own ideas on the meaning of life.  Incorporate your own ideas on the reading if you like.

WORK TIME/HOMEWORK  

Read "Shades" by Boleslaw Prus

(I recommend reading it at least twice) Interpret the story!  Annotate your thoughts, questions, and confusions in the margins.  What could the author be suggesting about the #meaningoflife?

*A note about interpreting literature:  There is not ONE right answer that we are looking for when we analyze literature.  There are many theories about how to approach literary criticism ("deconstruction" is one, in fact), but for now, open yourself up to whatever the lit might be saying to you, rather than trying to find some predetermined, absolute meaning.

Wednesday, January 11

NEW PROJECT COMP BOOK RESET!

1. Start anew at the top of your Digital Comp Book.  Space down all of the content from first semester so that it isn't battling for attention.

2. Create a header that says "My Life on Earth: Starters/Journal" at the very top.

3. Work under this header for the duration of the project.

4.  Continue to label starters and journals clearly as labeled on my DP. (Starters will always be signified with the date; journal entries will usually have the date plus a title or label.)

5.  As before, see the link on my Resources/Links tab to catch up on starters and journal entries.  I will try to highlight necessary entries in blue on my DP each day.

Let’s start!

Starter 1.11:  Watch Alan Watts' "What do you desire?" and freewrite on the following questions:

• What is the purpose of your existence?
• What gives your life meaning?
• How do you define happiness?

Stanford Research Reveals...

READ "The meaningful life is a road worth traveling"

In PAIRS, discuss and jot down some notes:

• Briefly summarize 3 different ways the researcher distinguishes between happiness and meaning
• Overall, how would the researcher, Jennifer Aaker, define happiness? How would she define meaning?
• According to her definition of these two concepts, which do you think is more important? Why? 

JOURNAL 1.11 Stanford Research Reaction:

• Do you agree with Aaker's classifications of happiness and meaning? In other words, are they as separate as Aaker makes them out to be?  Can they exist without each other?  Which do you feel is more dominant in guiding your choices and thoughts in your current phase of life?  Explain your thoughts thoroughly and give examples.  (These comp books are just between you and me!)

Work Time/Homework:
Turn in the Book!
Turn in Seminar Prep/Coaching

Finish Seminar Reflection on 1984 (Due at the end of the hour!)

Read/annotate “The Meaning of Life” by James Rachels.  Think about the questions that this article brings up and/or attempts to answer.  (Do you see intertextual connections?)

Honors (and anyone else):  Check out and read The Stranger, our first Honors book and a core text of the philosophy we call “Existentialism.”

OPTIONAL:  If you haven’t seen it or would like to watch it again, review the documentary Happy.  Think about the conclusions about happiness and meaning the film is making.
OPTIONAL: Watch Obama's farewell speech and make intertextual connections to our seminar yesterday and your thinking about democracy and authoritarianism.

If you were gone on Monday, review:

Philosophy Project Preview:  Your Life on Earth

Second Semester Honors Preview:  Philosophical Inquiry and Literary Studies

Tuesday, January 10

FISHBOWL:  When in outer circle, take notes on interesting points.  You will need to incorporate these notes into your reflection assignment.

Group A: 40 minutes

(break)

Group B: 40 minutes

Seminar Groups

Seminar Reflection and Synthesis (Min. 3 paragraphs: Due at the end of the hour tomorrow)

1. Reflect on the outcome of the seminar.  Consider your own performance and the seminar overall.  How did you do personally and how did the group do collectively?   Based on the rubric, what grade do you deserve on the seminar? *
2. React to something one of your peers said when you were in the outer circle.  Was there anything that enlightened you?  Something you particularly disagree with?  How did your thinking about the book change as a result of this seminar?
3. Write a paragraph about one of the themes of the book, using one quote or illustrative example from the text to make your point.  (Make an interpretive claim about the book and support it with evidence.)  Your claim may be something you develop further from your seminar prep, or it may be a new idea that you acquired during the seminar.  

*If you are not happy with your seminar performance, you may write out answers to the seminar prep questions using textual evidence for an improved grade.

Monday, January 9th

Change of Plans....

Due to the modified schedule, we will now do the seminar tomorrow.  You have today to look ahead to the next project as well as further prepare yourself for the seminar if you so choose.  (But really, if you haven't finished 1984 and were about to fake it until you make it, you have been given a slight reprieve.  Get ready!)


Looking Ahead....
Philosophy Project Preview:  Your Life on Earth

Second Semester Honors Preview:  Philosophical Inquiry and Literary Studies

Reading for Thursday:  The Meaning of Life (James Rachels)
Annotate and question....


Seminar 1984 (Tomorrow)

FISHBOWL:  When in outer circle, take notes on interesting points.  You will need to incorporate these notes into your reflection assignment.

Group A: 45ish minutes

(break)

Group B: 45ish minutes

Seminar Groups