We will be reading Klosterman's "The Awe-Inspiring Beauty of Tom Cruise's Shattered, Troll-like Face" over the weekend, but for those reading Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go who would like to delve deeper into the philosophy of identity, here is a link to Thomas Nagel's classic essay "What is It Like to Be a Bat?," published in 1974.
This reading is just for those interested. This is in no way required for a grade, and is not even required for in-class discussion purposes. Some of you showed some interest in this, and I am obliging.
This essay is on par with Hume's ideas on identity, as both writers are materialists (they believe that mental processes can be reduced to physical phenomena), but in this essay Hegel moves away from typical materialist thinking in that he recognizes the subjective quality of experience. Since we don't know what it is "like to be a bat," since we don't know how our friend interprets the taste of ice cream, there must be a degree of subjectivity involved.
Here is a link to a translation of Descartes' Meditations. The translation is okay, though I prefer the Cambridge University Press edition, published in 1984. This is the seminal text on Cartesian dualism. If you are interested, read the first, second, and sixth meditations, which cover the basis of his mind/body interaction theory. (Try to ignore the fact that he claims that the "pineal gland" is the connection between mind and body. He has important ideas, whether or not they are absolutely accurate.
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First, that essay on the bat is intense. Why can't he state certain things in simpler context? That thing was so hard to choke down.
Second, have you seen the movie Manic? It's about manic depressive teenagers (bipolar) in an acute care facility, and is recorded as a documentary. It's also intense, but I think a lot of people can relate to it. Also, have you seen the movie Waking Life? I think I've asked you this, but if you haven't I may have to lend you my DVD so you can watch it. I've come to appreciate the rhetoric, although it's hard to listen to them speak, and watch the movie at the same time (once you see it you'll understand).
I basically had no point in posting a comment except to waste your time.
:]
-Karen
Oh and the meditations are ridiculously long (but look very interesting), and will be spanned out over a couple of weeks to completely read them
Probably because I hate reading stuff online.
But I feel like I can really relate to what I've read so far.
-Karen
P.S.- Seconds of your life are ticking away as you read this continual babble.
My comments being the babble, not Descartes' Meditations.
fdhjlafhdljafhjlafdafds/a
I'm getting offline.
I haven't seen Waking Life, but I keep hearing I should. Is it safe for school? I'm trying to find a movie on identity/reality that is, and have been unsuccessful so far.
"But I believe it is precisely this apparent clarity of the word 'is' that is deceptive."
Bill Clinton, anyone?
Anyhow, good essay (the one by Nagel). Thought it was really well argued and coherent, but filled with needlessly complex (and often needlessly present) language. I'd probably even do well to reread it, as there was sometimes enough babble to put my head on autopilot.
Truth be told, I don't entirely see how it relates to Never Let Me Go, though. I'm missing something.
May check out the Descartes later tonight, but I'm in the middle of Big Sur and White Noise finally arrived today, too, so I'unno.
ok Stallings, is it cool, since I conplelely blanked on the article thing this week, If I do two tonight and use them tomorrow for the essay as well as turn them into you. By the way, how much are these articles worth, point wise??
-Sparks
Sorry for the late response.
Certainly cool if you use two new articles for the essay tomorrow.
Weekly articles are worth 10 points a piece, and this essay will be worth 50. So, for this week (2 articles plus commentary and an in-class essay) totals 70 points.
Great quote of the day:
“Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize that we cannot eat money.”
Oh my god Stallings., You have to watch the original cartoon version fromm 1992 of 101 Dalmations. Youll understand.
"It's raining and we're just writing the plot-- writing the storm-- riding the storm."
AND
Oh Comely by Neutral Milk Hotel
has changed my life.
"Oh Comely" is one of my favorites. "Communist Daughter," too.
Holy hellfire! Paper due on Monday? Topic list? Something or another? What the hades?
Also, !!!!!.
Since you were gone, I won't force you to do it, but I will post the prompt in case anyone lost it.
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