So I’m going to take a shot at blogging about this subject, despite the fact that I have not gotten a chance to finish the entire book; I’m about half way through. The subject of love was discussed pretty heavily last night during class, and I wasn’t really sure what I thought about everything that was said. I mean, I agree that there is definitely an element of longing in love, at least in eros, but I guess I just can’t fully agree that longing is love or vice versa. To say that all longing is love seems too broad a statement, and I think it labels feelings as ‘love’ which maybe aren’t. I guess what I’m trying to say is that you can long for someone and not necessarily love them, and you can love someone and not necessarily always long for them. Longing doesn’t necessarily equal love; it may be interchangeable with ‘desire’, but not ‘love’. Love is much more than just a feeling; you don’t always feel love towards your parents, but it doesn’t mean you don’t love them. Just because the feeling of love isn’t present doesn’t mean that love has left the scene. I guess that’s why I can’t agree with the idea of equating longing with love because that seems to imply that where there is no longing, or feeling, there is no love.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Out of the Silent Planet - Bent - Kevin Crowley
Get Bent
There are many interesting elements in Out of the Silent Planet; one in particular is this idea of being bent. Bent, as oppose to evil, denotes a certain quality that term evil is devoid of. The terms good and evil put each at complete odds with one another, while bent and or straight does not suggest polar opposites in the same way. Whereas if something is designated to be “evil” than there seems to be no going back. However, what is bent can always be unbent. Even the term “bad” doesn’t quite hit the nail on the head like “bent” does. Bad, like evil, has a connotation of being placed on the opposite spectrum of good. The reason bent doesn’t work like evil or bad is because you can have a straight bar of metal, which is the way you are intended to be, and someone bends the metal, wherever the bend is in the metal does not put it in complete contrast with the rest of the metal. No, in fact, there are parts of the metal that can still be considered straight after all, which makes it if you are not looking at the whole metal bar you can be deceived into thinking it is completely straight. This is what makes the word bent far more effective of a word, showing the malleable nature of humans at the same time showing the danger of the bent in its deceptive ability to pose as the straight.
There are many interesting elements in Out of the Silent Planet; one in particular is this idea of being bent. Bent, as oppose to evil, denotes a certain quality that term evil is devoid of. The terms good and evil put each at complete odds with one another, while bent and or straight does not suggest polar opposites in the same way. Whereas if something is designated to be “evil” than there seems to be no going back. However, what is bent can always be unbent. Even the term “bad” doesn’t quite hit the nail on the head like “bent” does. Bad, like evil, has a connotation of being placed on the opposite spectrum of good. The reason bent doesn’t work like evil or bad is because you can have a straight bar of metal, which is the way you are intended to be, and someone bends the metal, wherever the bend is in the metal does not put it in complete contrast with the rest of the metal. No, in fact, there are parts of the metal that can still be considered straight after all, which makes it if you are not looking at the whole metal bar you can be deceived into thinking it is completely straight. This is what makes the word bent far more effective of a word, showing the malleable nature of humans at the same time showing the danger of the bent in its deceptive ability to pose as the straight.
Brandon Duke "this class"
This class was awesome. I wish that we could devote the whole semester to it. Meaning that I could just have a lewis semester and dive into all the works fully.
I really enjoyed hearing different peoples take on the books and myths and views about truth and how it is revealed.
The pub atmosphere was great although distracting every now and then. and i had a hard time paying attention for a straight 3 hrs but it was a good practice in attention span.
I have a greater respect for Lewis then I ever have. He is the man! i can't wait to dive into more of his books and discuss them with people who i have convinced to read him.
This has been one of my favorite college classes.
I really enjoyed hearing different peoples take on the books and myths and views about truth and how it is revealed.
The pub atmosphere was great although distracting every now and then. and i had a hard time paying attention for a straight 3 hrs but it was a good practice in attention span.
I have a greater respect for Lewis then I ever have. He is the man! i can't wait to dive into more of his books and discuss them with people who i have convinced to read him.
This has been one of my favorite college classes.
Brandon Duke "Myth vs. Mind"
This semester I argued that there were these "transcendental presuppositions" that connect humanity to reality. One was the law of non-contradiction. I think that this is a grounding principle of human existence.
My big question now is if God can be "experienced" through logic. What i am saying is that they way we have been describing myth there is an emotional connection. However, one could argue that emotions are in the mind. Meaning i guess that they are chemical level or something that goes on up there or if not the mind then somewhere in the body. However, all these are part of a finite being and what we have been talking about is eternal truths being revealed.
However, if the eternal can be experienced though only for a moment through emotions then it seems that it could be through logic as well.
Meaning I believe that logic as well as emotions and everything else are gifts for God. This make me think that although both are finite both could get a piece of the eternal because they come from the same place.
For instance I think Descartes had a great experience when he formulated his "proof of God" through logic. And when that one dude found out about buoyancy of water he ran down the street naked. Talk bout an experience.
What i am saying is that i think you can analyze to death a experience like we have been saying all sem. but i do think that you can logically experience God or the eternal truths for moments as well.
My big question now is if God can be "experienced" through logic. What i am saying is that they way we have been describing myth there is an emotional connection. However, one could argue that emotions are in the mind. Meaning i guess that they are chemical level or something that goes on up there or if not the mind then somewhere in the body. However, all these are part of a finite being and what we have been talking about is eternal truths being revealed.
However, if the eternal can be experienced though only for a moment through emotions then it seems that it could be through logic as well.
Meaning I believe that logic as well as emotions and everything else are gifts for God. This make me think that although both are finite both could get a piece of the eternal because they come from the same place.
For instance I think Descartes had a great experience when he formulated his "proof of God" through logic. And when that one dude found out about buoyancy of water he ran down the street naked. Talk bout an experience.
What i am saying is that i think you can analyze to death a experience like we have been saying all sem. but i do think that you can logically experience God or the eternal truths for moments as well.
Brandon Duke "Zardoz"
This is a movie that we watched in Religion in the Movies. It is a very interesting movie and actually not that bad for being from the 70's. In it the smart people basically find the key to immortality and separate themselves from other humans in order to figure out the ultimate knowledge of the universe. This back fires and they end up living a boring stupid life.
This movie showed the vanity of over analyzing life. It reminded me of some stuff that we have read in this class about how pain can not be known once it is not experienced. I believe that science is a great pursuit and that it has provided a lot to humanity but there is also a need to step back and look at life outside of science.
If all you do is analyze life sucks. There comes a point where you need to live in the moment and think less about what you are doing. I don't mean just live recklessly but not completely analytically. There is a lot of freedom in that.
This movie showed the vanity of over analyzing life. It reminded me of some stuff that we have read in this class about how pain can not be known once it is not experienced. I believe that science is a great pursuit and that it has provided a lot to humanity but there is also a need to step back and look at life outside of science.
If all you do is analyze life sucks. There comes a point where you need to live in the moment and think less about what you are doing. I don't mean just live recklessly but not completely analytically. There is a lot of freedom in that.
Reflecting ~~~ Gina Emerson
Reflecting ~ Time Spent With a Great Group
As I sat embracing every word that was spoken on our last night of class, I took a moment to reflect on the great topics of conversation the class had. Note ~ I did say the class ~ I am much more of a listener, I set back and inhale the great words you speak to me, and in my mind (which is nervously trying to keep my eyes from crossing ~ due to tiredness not boredom) I am thinking, wow, this is so refreshing.
I must say I have gained much from this class; a new respect for C.S. Lewis, the man, and an even greater respect for his work. Honestly, I never had any interest in reading his materials; however, what I found was a man who I could relate to. His work captivated me, and “yes” it brought me there, where you may ask….well, away from reality for just a moment so when I returned I could appreciate it much more than before.
Thank you Professor Redick and to all the students who made this class so enjoyable!!!
As I sat embracing every word that was spoken on our last night of class, I took a moment to reflect on the great topics of conversation the class had. Note ~ I did say the class ~ I am much more of a listener, I set back and inhale the great words you speak to me, and in my mind (which is nervously trying to keep my eyes from crossing ~ due to tiredness not boredom) I am thinking, wow, this is so refreshing.
I must say I have gained much from this class; a new respect for C.S. Lewis, the man, and an even greater respect for his work. Honestly, I never had any interest in reading his materials; however, what I found was a man who I could relate to. His work captivated me, and “yes” it brought me there, where you may ask….well, away from reality for just a moment so when I returned I could appreciate it much more than before.
Thank you Professor Redick and to all the students who made this class so enjoyable!!!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Faerie - Robert High
If someone were to ask me to describe a faerie to them before I had taken this class I would with no doubt describe Tinkerbell from Peter Pan. I never thought about the word faerie as in depth as this one article views it. I learned that the word faerie is often used to lightly among us humans and the faerie beings will take offense for just about anything that we do.
In the realm of myth, or stories where I believe faerie beings ultimately exist, I can understand how frustrating it would be for the creatures to grow impatient with humans. For one thing, since they are similar to us in appearance we would ignorantly assumet that we can relate to how they think, feel, and live. This article puts that idea to rest in stating that these beings do not relate on any real aspect to humans.
I find it quite unfair however for the realm of faerie to be so impatient with the beings that created them. Since faerie comes from the mind of human beings everything that the faerie beings do are due to the kindness and grace of humans. The article mentioned that faerie beings enjoy all types of art and listed a lot of things that humans enjoy as well. I think that if they are going to enjoy and partake from the things that humans were enjoying before them, then they owe a certain amount of gratitude to all humans for at least introducing the idea to them.
Ultimately, it doesn't surprise me in the least that these beings would rebel against their creater for even humans have the same mode of actions towards theirs. Other than what I have stated, I have no idea what other thoughts I could gather from this article. If I gather any more thoughts about the matter I will be sure to come back again.
In the realm of myth, or stories where I believe faerie beings ultimately exist, I can understand how frustrating it would be for the creatures to grow impatient with humans. For one thing, since they are similar to us in appearance we would ignorantly assumet that we can relate to how they think, feel, and live. This article puts that idea to rest in stating that these beings do not relate on any real aspect to humans.
I find it quite unfair however for the realm of faerie to be so impatient with the beings that created them. Since faerie comes from the mind of human beings everything that the faerie beings do are due to the kindness and grace of humans. The article mentioned that faerie beings enjoy all types of art and listed a lot of things that humans enjoy as well. I think that if they are going to enjoy and partake from the things that humans were enjoying before them, then they owe a certain amount of gratitude to all humans for at least introducing the idea to them.
Ultimately, it doesn't surprise me in the least that these beings would rebel against their creater for even humans have the same mode of actions towards theirs. Other than what I have stated, I have no idea what other thoughts I could gather from this article. If I gather any more thoughts about the matter I will be sure to come back again.
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