I mean this with all the love in the world Ms Levin, but if you can survive the work load of Humanities, you can probably survive anything. I am grateful for the open mind I have gained over the course of the semester. An open mind for art, which I never cared for, religion which I do not believe in, and the opinions and variances of each and every person. Being a human enables for many different experiences and situations to encounter and if it wasn't for these experiences- we would not have a self. This is what I have learned over the semester- about what exactly plays a role in the experience of being human.
If it wasn't for the human brain, their wouldn't be such thing as human experience, or being human at all. In Alphabet versus the Goddess: The Conflict Between Word and Image, Leonard Shlain would say that in each and every one of us humans, two powers preside. One being male and the other female. In a women's brain, the woman predominates the male, and vise versa. When the fusion takes place within the mind, that is when all of its availabilities opens us: giving us an entire world of knowledge- wisdom that lives on through centuries of generations. These "two powers" are what seem to actually what is more commonly known as right/ left brain symmetry. The right brain, being the eldest of the two, withholds the non-logical aspects of human experience. The right hemisphere of the human brain is concerned with being, and the left with doing (wiling). The left side of the brain is, in fact, the logical hemisphere, giving humans he ability to analysis, calculate, etc. Shlain demonstrates the overall importance the brain has in making humans humans- the brain is in fact what keeps us alive. In What is a Myth, by Karen Armstrong, the human mind is explained to be what gives us the ability to have the ideas and experience that we have- specifically the experiences that we cannot explain rationally. Humans have imagination and mythical thinking simply because it is our brain that allows us to have such. Experiences humans face such as the passing down of myths, allows the human mind to explore and imagine things such as God. That being said, the human mind allows humans to think beyond the scientific analysis of what "we" are. Myth is a supreme human achievement, according to Armstrong, because it enables us to share or insights, hopes, fears, and experiences with God, and one another.
We are not able to look at an encompass every aspect of Nature, from within ourselves, to the world around us, simply because nature is undervalued. Nature has a mind entirely of its own- the capabilities of such mind are endless. Whether it be from the environment or in terms of who we are, nature holds it's own unique aesthetic quality of beauty for each and every one of us humans. As humans, we share a lack of concern regarding nature and this is what makes it seem so undervalued. In the documentary Grizzly Man, Timothy Treadwell believed he was experiencing a deep connection with nature- he believed he was a spirit within the wilderness that could mutually mutate into a bear, and that God would be so happy with him. As much as I think Timothy Treadwell was seriously insane and needed help, when it comes down to the simplicity of the matter- all he really wanted in life was to be connected with Nature- and this desire for a connection with Nature was part of his human nature... Nature is everywhere, and in every body. It is what makes us human. Second Nature provides an outlook of nature pertaining to the artwork that humans create. According to this reading, art lies in nature. And whoever can create art (nature) can possess it. It is interesting to be able to see how Nature plays a role in the experience of being human in two completely different ways. For example- someone's nature or the nature of a particular situation is based on what lead up to where they are in that moment- human nature describes who you are as a person. Nature can also mean the physical environment around you- where you go when you need to escape from something and find comfort.
Love can be experienced by anything, anyone, and everywhere. If something is beautiful you can find love or passion for it. If something feels, looks, or tastes good, you can love it. If somebody is a good person, you can love them. But, here's the thing, love doesn't just end with how beautiful or good someone or something is. Marsilio Ficino may have believed that love is the desire to enjoy beauty, however, I believe that love extends far beyond this simply philosophy. How people experience love should not be defined as something as simple as "I love you because you are beautiful." Love itself, the experience as a whole, IS a beautiful experience that humans are able to have. I do not know exactly how or why we experience it, but I just know that beauty is not the reason for love. You might love something or someone, and they or it might happen to be beautiful- but that beauty can not be the reason for the love. It is something more, it's always something more. Further explained: you could find beauty in the acrylics of a work of art, but this does not mean you love it: you could hate the meaning behind it and still love the beauty in the technique. In the Picture of Dorian Gray, and The Shape of Things, the way that beauty is experienced through both Basil Hallward and Evelyn' artwork tells us a lot abut who they are as people. Basil Hallward expresses his experience of the beauty he sees and love he has for Dorian Gray by painting pictures of such experiences. Basil Thinks that he loves Dorian Gray because he is a beautiful boy. Dorian Gray is hiding behind his beauty and innocence but when he faces influence, he shows the potential of a very ugly being. Still having a beautiful face, Dorian Gray turns ugly in the face of reaching for his pleasures. Basil Hallward soon realizes you can't create artwork and love by the surface of beauty on the outside, it is the true nature of a being that enables a real love. In the Shape of Things, It is clear that Evelyn knows the story behind her artwork is terribly ugly, but she truly believes it is beautiful. Adam falls in love with her due to ugly circumstances. Thus, proving my point that something or someone does not have to be beautiful in order to love them or it.
How do Ethics play a role in the experience of being human? This question could start out being answered by first answering- how do we even experience ethics at all? The answer to that question is one I have gathered from the philosopher Aristotle. We learn by experience; my personal ethics can differ drastically compared to the person sitting beside me and this is essentially because we have experienced different situations as our lives are probably completely different. What I decide is moral, or ethical, comes from the experience I have had with the topic at hand. Society might have a role in steering our beliefs of right and wrong, but ultimately it is how we have learned by our own experience that allows for us to have our very own ethical code. Business ethics might be totally different, however. These ethics are already set in stone to assure a successful business. The 10 commandments, however, are mostly just a set of "morals" used to have some kind of social control over the people. For example, "thou shall not murder" is obviously something we all know not to do. But what about when it comes to a life or death situation where it is either you or the other person? Or what about when you're in the line of duty in war? There are many factors that play into each commandment; in every single perspective possible there might be exceptions to this "command"...would it still be unethical, or wrong? Ethics play a huge role in the experience of being human simply because they are rules that us humans live by- and they truly to show a persons human nature.
Reading Siddhartha allowed me to finally understand why some people spend their whole lives focused on their inner journey and finding the meaning of human reality. I believe that people truly find comfort in their beliefs and that's why they "choose" to believe in a certain religion. However, Siddhartha taught me that the role of suffering in the experience of being human is the most important part in how we are shaped to find our true self, or in other words, our human nature.
How do Ethics play a role in the experience of being human? This question could start out being answered by first answering- how do we even experience ethics at all? The answer to that question is one I have gathered from the philosopher Aristotle. We learn by experience; my personal ethics can differ drastically compared to the person sitting beside me and this is essentially because we have experienced different situations as our lives are probably completely different. What I decide is moral, or ethical, comes from the experience I have had with the topic at hand. Society might have a role in steering our beliefs of right and wrong, but ultimately it is how we have learned by our own experience that allows for us to have our very own ethical code. Business ethics might be totally different, however. These ethics are already set in stone to assure a successful business. The 10 commandments, however, are mostly just a set of "morals" used to have some kind of social control over the people. For example, "thou shall not murder" is obviously something we all know not to do. But what about when it comes to a life or death situation where it is either you or the other person? Or what about when you're in the line of duty in war? There are many factors that play into each commandment; in every single perspective possible there might be exceptions to this "command"...would it still be unethical, or wrong? Ethics play a huge role in the experience of being human simply because they are rules that us humans live by- and they truly to show a persons human nature.
Reading Siddhartha allowed me to finally understand why some people spend their whole lives focused on their inner journey and finding the meaning of human reality. I believe that people truly find comfort in their beliefs and that's why they "choose" to believe in a certain religion. However, Siddhartha taught me that the role of suffering in the experience of being human is the most important part in how we are shaped to find our true self, or in other words, our human nature.
Mariah, I really agree with your introduction paragraph. I believe that this course really did make a difference on my view of art, and other main points that we covered. I too did not really care about it much in the past either. While reading through your final blog post, I saw that I too talked about similar documents we went over. Did you enjoy this humanities class? Do you think it opened your eyes to new possibilities and exploration of how you see things? I really enjoyed this post, if I had not taken this class I think it would really help me to understand more about the mind and different aspects of life. I noticed that during class you always spoke up and said how you were feeling and I really respect that about you. You are very confident, and that is such a good personal trait to have in life. I really enjoyed reading what you had taken from this class, I believe it was all really well written. It seems that you put a lot of time and thought into it.
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ReplyDeleteI think that your organization throughout your paragraphs was very clever. Each topic flows from one idea to the next, to compose the whole thing smoothly. I definitely agree that the work load in this class was extremely overwhelming and one of the hardest classes I took in high school. However, I think that it taught us responsibility and the topics were very open minded, as you said. You and I share a lot of views and backgrounds in the topics discussed to I can relate to the points you made in your intro. Do you think your experience in this class would have differed had you had prior knowldege to God, or more art experience throughout your life? I also think that your topic sentences in each paragraph were very strong. I think by taking this class, although it was hard, it probably opened your eyes to a variety of ways to look at life. I know it did for me. Also, I like how in your ethics paragraph you asked a lot of rhetorical questions because I think the class lead to a lot of loose ends that depend on the individual to tie up. Like what really makes someone a good person, and what the actual definition of beauty is, and how to reach enlightenment. It all depends on your own experiences. I really enjoyed reading your final and I think that you are going to be really successful in life, because even through this class I have watched you grow so much. Nice job Mariah!
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