Kelsey Steven - Poems

As much as we talk about texts not having as much emotional impact as the spoken word, but what about poems? They are characterized by emotion and eliciting a raw response of feeling. Even though it's text, it is written like it could be spoken, the words chosen for the way they sound. Rhyme, alliteration, and consonance are all examples of how written poetry can cause people to feel just as much emotion as from hearing someone speak.

Drum Circle - Alex Smalley

When Dr. Redick said the class will meet for a drum circle, I really did not know what to expect. Arriving there, I saw the rest of the class, and many unique instruments. Clearly, this was a step outside of my comfort zone. As instruments were chosen and all of us sat down in a large circle, noise was starting to be made. That noise quickly became music, and as each student was hitting their instrument there were certain times of harmony. The disorder that was found would come and go, alternating between that disorder and the harmony. This exercise showed that much can come out of the disorder found in the world, and what is made out of that disorder can quickly go back to being disorder. The experience within the drum circle is one that I shall always remember as it was a unique and very revealing exercise.

Whitney Swaim - Socrates (Outside Reading 5)

Paul Gooch wrote a thought-provoking article called Socrates: Devious or Divine? He shares, “since his death Socrates has been the subject of such competing assessments that some have despaired of ever finding the real person executed in Athens in 399 B.C.” (p. 32). This statement prompted me to think about the time when writing was coming to the forefront in Europe. Socrates’ ideas influence philosophy in great ways. However, this ancient philosopher never wrote anything down. Socrates lived during a time when many people did not practice writing. They were perhaps ruled by a literate society, but reading and writing were privileges for the upper class during this time. Thus, our understanding of Socrates may only be gathered from writings of others (mainly Plato). Since Socrates’ society no longer kept active oral accounts, his true ideas were lost. The only hard evidence we have of Socrates’ thoughts is found in the skewed works of Plato and other philosophers. It may be argued that oral societies are more effective than literate ones, and vice versa, but it seems clear that societies that have an unhealthy balance of both will not leave an accurate legacy.

Lost - Alex Smalley

Quite a few class sessions ago, Dr. Redick introduced the topic of being lost and how "lost" can have many different perceptions. One of those ways to perceive lost is to be without a direction or without a destination, to be aimlessly wandering. This is a feeling that almost all people can relate to or have felt before. Coming to college really aided me in figuring out what my future destination will be. Having an idea of where I want to go in life makes decisions easier and that much more meaningful when the more important ones need to be made.

Whitney Swaim - Flux (Outside Reading 4)

When reading Melchert's textbook on ancient philosophy, The Great Conversation, I saw many parallels between Heraclitus' ideas and those of indigenous societies. Heraclitus is known for articulating the concept of flux. This idea is that reality is constantly changing, yet it is always one. Flux presents a "unified view of the world and man's place in it" (p. 19). For example, a river is made up of ever-changing elements, but it is always the same river. Heraclitus thought that the world is filled with opposition and ongoing change, yet it is somehow united. In moderation, strife is a good thing. Primal religions also acknowledge the presence of conflicts in nature. This often calls for rituals to balance out the issues between man and the gods or spirits. Primal societies are aware of continual change in the cosmos, such as different seasons, and they adapt to them easily. Additionally, they see nature as being unified spiritually. Thus, they attach their religion to all aspects of life.

Self - Alex Smalley

I've recently started watching the television program Dexter on Showtime. The main character in this show is a sort of soulless person who does not really feel anything. He has no recollection of who he is (where he came from, he was adopted at a very young age), and he feels no emotion, he fakes his way through his human encounters. He lacks a true identity. Not knowing who you are on the inside or where you have come from in life could be a huge detriment in development into the person someone wants to become. Knowing who you are on the inside is paramount in dealing with all situations with people or just questions you have about where you are heading. Finding your inner self is essential in moving ahead in life. Having an inner self, I believe is one of the most important things to own in life.

Whitney Swaim - African Americans (Outside Reading 3)

Steve Vaughn's article, Making Jesus Black: The Historiographical Debate on the Roots of African-American Christianity, discusses the transition of Africans to America during the slave trade. Additionally, Vaughn explores various reasons why Africans adopted slavery and made it their own. A well-put quote from the article states that these people, “far from being childlike people drawn from the lowest ranks of an underdeveloped society, African slaves left behind a sophisticated social structure and carried with them their languages, world views, and values” (p. 26). As a result of their oral traditions, the Africans did not need to carry anything with them to retain their culture. Although they had been stolen from their homelands, which held much of their religiosity, these oral people still had much more depth to them than Westerners imagined. There are both pros and cons of this situation, however. On the positive side, African Americans have been able to form a culture over time that unified them under their struggles. They have brought a spiritual side to Christianity that is quite inspiring. Contrastingly, it is horrible that white Americans tried to stamp out African religions. I imagine that this nation would be much different, had we been more charitable to the unique cultures of primal people, particularly the early Africans.