Reading Notes - B : Week 2

Beattie: An Essay on Truth (130-133)

James Beattie goes after the argument of Hume and Aristotle, which is that some races of man are inferior and meant to be slaves. Now I find this to be a foolish statement, but it was of coarse accepted at the time as history shows. It is refreshing to listen to Beattie's choice of argument against these sets of similar ideals. The basic idea is the notion that progress and discovery come with time and given the time and teachings, anyone could become enlightened. "The inhabitents of Great Britain and France were as savage two thousand years ago, as those of Africa and America  are at this day. To civilize a nation , is a work which requires long time to accomplish." (131). Hume stating that he had never seen a Slave express ingenuity is not surprising since there was not only a language barrier, but they are seeing tools they have never seen in a land they do not know. Beattie uses Hume's argument against him with plain knowledge.

Wollstonecraft: A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (133-136)

Reading about Mary Wollstonecraft was a joy due to the fact that her daughter Mary Shelly is one of my hero's for being the most amazing woman to read about. Her history is rich and very similar to her mother in the way of being independent and following her heart (she was involved with a married man). Wollstonecraft's writing about the rights of a woman and the arguments she presented were brilliant when looking at the audience she was reaching for. She draws a parallel between a military man, the epitome of manhood and likes the life and manner of such to a woman. She states that they are bred to submit to those higher in command, to obey, and to be polite and well groomed "May not the same remark be applied to a woman?" (136). This insinuation must have been an utter outrage and I would have loved to have seen the reaction of men and the private conversations of women over the topic. 

 Behn (225-246)

Concluding the tale of Oroonoko I found myself conflicted. Many times he is spoken of as a great or noble man even to the end (246). However, how great a man can he be if he murdered his wife and unborn child just so that his wounded pride may be revenged (243)? We see that he is treated so much better than all of the slaves by being spared from hard labor, being given his wife, a home, and land. He was not treated as a slave and once married nor was Imoinda. Therefore, what would make them think their baby would be taken as a slave?  I do have a theory that he simply longed for death and the release from his troubled life. The narrator constantly mentions suicide as a reoccurring theme, and sadly he is spared from this and is instead tortured and murdered. Though one would think he had all he longed for, he was still a general at heart, and would not die a farmer or slave, but a warrior as the expense of his family. 

 "... and though he suffer'd only the Name of Slave, and held nothing of the Toil and Labor of one, yet that was sufficient to render him Uneasy; and he had been too long Idle, who us'd to be always in Action," (228). 

I don't find this tale to be one of strong argument of civility for the slaves, but more an argument against the uncivilized ways of slave owners. As illustrated by the capture, sale, and murder of Oroonoko/Caesar (246). 

De La Cruz Poems (262-264)

The tone of these writings are harsh but beautiful. It is lovely that such honesty and beauty could flow together so well. In Poem 145 De La Cruz writes a poem that I would intemperate as the fate of a woman. We read, "...this object, in which flattery has tried to overlook the horrors of the years..." (262). This is to say that you can praise a woman, flatter her, but the issue of equality remains. This fact is summed with the poems fatal finally with "... a palsied will to please which, clearly seen, is corpse, is dust, is shadow, and is gone." (262). Palsied, stuck or not able to move. When one does not move forward, there is no hope for change. 

Reading Notes - A : Week 2

"Introduction: The Enlightenment in Europe and the Americas" (91-104)

"Those who espoused the cause of the ancients feared- understandably - that the new commitment to individualism promoted by the moderns might lead to social alienation, unscrupulous self-seeking, and lack of moral responsibility." (91)

Self and global awareness and impact were a topic of interest during this time (Dr. Johnson and his dictionary definition of "Reason") and the modernists were making a point to become more aware in many aspects. "By this definition, illumination occurs not by divine inspiration or by order of kings but by the reasoning powers of the ordinary human mind." (92). But this reasoning could give way to passion, and thus opening up another argument (93).

The philosophical debate of what is communication was most interesting to me, as it is very true. The argument made is that ones mind communicates with itself and therefore is isolated and cannot communicate to another consciousness (92). That isn't to say that one cannot communicate with another, but it is quite interesting to think about how we communicate. With language it is often very hard to interpret what you feel or think into words that the other person could understand as you understand them. So much goes into communication with another person. There are differences in the culture, the use of words, the meaning behind some groups of words or phrases, the list can continue on forever. And this is why it is so fascinating for the ideas of Rene Descartes ("I think, therefore I am,") and David Hume (What is real? What is memory?) were so groundbreaking. 

The ruling or governing of kings and queens on the grounds that they were more than mortal were beginning to be questioned and fought against due to the increasing reasoning skills of the population of the sixteenth - eighteenth centuries (94). Religion as a basis of living began to lesson in comparison the the previous generations (though still prominent) and the notion of divine right was becoming less acceptable. Another topic that was disputed by reason was the restriction to a woman's life options and education (95). And though civil rights were still a long way from this, at the very least reason was the key to unlocking a woman's right to an education. 
Society as a whole was also scrutinized, some had suggested "... if people examined not only their behavior but also their tendency to hide behind them." (96). These behaviors offered wonderful literature. Drama, comedy, poetry, forbidden romance, all of these hidden worlds at our finger tips to devour and offered a glimmer into the lives of those hiding behind a mask of what was socially acceptable for the time.

Many modernists utilized satire as a form of expressing ones reasoned belief over those of the ancients (99). It is worth noting that this was to some extent extreme and slightly inappropriate at times. The style of satire was a method meant to get a point across and to make noise. One had to get attention how they could in order to be heard. This method is still used today and is a great way to get apposing sides of an issue to communicate.

"Critical Thinking is a legacy of the Enlightenment." (101) . We see in this section that technology and advancement are speeding up and progress is on the move. The new discoveries that were improving living for citizens were breeding an air of optimism, and progress was seen to coincide with enlightenment (102). 

Descartes:The Discourse on Method (110-113)

Descartes writes in a frank manner and makes sure his stance is known. He says "And as a multitude of laws often furnish excuses for vice..." (111). I take this statement to be a direct statement to those in power, abusing it for their own means. in his four pillars of method, he speaks about being aware of your bias and prejudice, share in decision making, work through what you know starting with the smallest and up to the most difficult (continuing to learn and expand your mind), and finally admitting all knowledge one by one while being sure not to leave anything out (111).  Descartes debates the idea of consciousness and reality and weather or not every thought is wrong or weather or not he his thinking or not. What is reality after all (112,113)? He summarizes to say that his thoughts make him real and make the reality he knows real to him, and that in his universe, he is God (113).

Hume: Of National Characters (129-130)

Hume claimed that no Negro has ever shown ingenuity and likes them to a pet bird (129). He claims this to be fact based on seeing this and it being of common knowledge, though this has been found false. Thus illustrating that Enlightenment still has a long way to go at this point in time. However, Hume is personally against slavery which would seem to conflict with his undermining of the negro's capability for intelligence. He states "... domestic slavery more cruel  and oppressive than any civil rank," (130). 

Behn (198-224)

The tale of Oroonoko was a beautiful tragedy. Many questions arise as to the authors purpose for telling such a tale. Behn herself seems to be very hard to track historically as her bio in the literature is filled with "Probably" statements (198-199). But I would venture as to say that she was attempting to paint a life of someone that you could forget was different than you. In the way she wrote Oroonoko and his world, it is so passionate that you forget the color of his skin up to the point he is made a slave. She made clear that the narration included the strategic aspect of the era (Making friends with the natives who out numbered them rather than making them slaves) (203). This shows that they could be decent to another race of people only choosing what ones to treat as such. She also paints Oroonoko "as capable of Love, as 'twas possible for a brave and gallant Man to be;" (205). Even going as far as to capitalize the words "Man" almost as an emphasis to the point that he was not just a slave. The control over the slaves extended to the names of the slaves, Oroonoko's name was taken from him, the very first thing we are given in life at our birth, he was given a slave name of Caesar which is supposedly easier to say, but may hold other literary meaning. (224). I believe that this tale was meant to shed light on the notions that slaves were from a savage nation and that they had no humanity as they were differentiated by the color of their skin. 

Time Strategies And Me

In my experience, I have found myself to be annoying to others when I talk about my school life. People ask me "Savannah, how do you work full time, take six classes a semester, and still have time to be involved in your volunteer work and social activities?"

"Well dear friends," I say, "I work ahead if my professor lets me, and if they don't I do anyway."
It makes me sound a little to good to be true right? I know they are thinking "What is she hiding, whats she not saying? How does she have the time to sleep?". The truth of it is, at the start of any semester I like to try to get at least two weeks ahead if I can manage. Some semesters are harder to do this than others.

I hate the pressure of turning in assignments late, or at the deadline exactly. Even though the argument made is that "Diamonds are made under pressure", I always prefer to turn things in early if I can. And with online courses like this I can. However, some professors only allow for you to accomplish one weeks work at a time. Or they force you to wait for others to do the work so you can comment on their work for a complete grade. And the procrastinators far outweigh the earlier birds, thus hindering my fast track. And professors may have their reason. But personally I find this a cruel and slow torment. Why wouldn't you want your students to feel the freedom of knowing they have done next weeks assignment so that they can focus on what is coming further down the line and really absorb the learning? I feel that a week to week system is a really dangerous from an educational stand point. Why you ask? My logic is thus... If you are always living week to week and stressing deadlines, are you really learning? Or are you binging and purging your class information? You devour the information only to spit it back up and then you move onto the next week, forgetting what you had just done. So, to any fellow students and academics readying this, manage your time to your benefit! Do not let deadlines rule you, dominate your deadlines!

Technology Of The Classes

What The Tech?

I have always had a love/ hate relationship with technology. I love that I have my friends information and the information of the world at my finger tips. But I abhor the impersonal aspect of it. I find that it is usually overly complicated by those who don't understand it and this creates a hectic atmosphere within the community of users. In college classes offered online this issue seems to run rapid. Professors often use more sites than necessary or sites that can harm the user by corrupting devices with spam and even viruses. However, in this instance I am very excited about the flow of the course. I enjoy the option to complete assignments ahead of time and the availability of the teacher. In addition, I believe that this type of work has practical real world applications to success in our current era. The step by step guide that the professor has provided is easy to understand. And the information is easy to find thus far. I am excited to continue on in the course and discover new outlets of learning and ways of completing assignments. 

A Growth Mindset and You

Everyone Knows This!

Doctor Carol Dweck's theory and study on the topic of growth mindset vs. fixed mindset is very interesting to me. I first became interested in this study when it was introduced to me in the spring of 2016. When hearing of this for the first time my honest opinion was "Well of coarse, how silly of people to think that they can't learn all their lives!". I was the child who was consistently asking for harder work, or different work, if something was too easy for me. I craved new information at a fast pace. However, after learning of this and the more I spoke with people that I knew, the more I realized that people were not the same. They hated challenges because it made them feel lacking. They avoided tasks that would test them and they simply remained in the same routine. So I made it a goal of mine to talk to my nieces and nephews about it to see what they thought.

How Much Room do You Have in There?

I  have always asked the children in my life how school was going, if they needed help with anything, or if there was anything they needed to talk about. But I decided to ask them about this theory. The girls usually said that they had no limit to the amount that they could learn. The boys however told me that they only had so much room and that they thought that after high school they would run out. I told them about the neural pathways and that they were a lot like a video game, and that every time you learn something new, a new part of the game is unlocked. I told them that this game would go on forever. They really liked this explanation and asked me more about how to accomplish this.

Level up!

After the boys learned of the growth mindset they started to give me better reports from their day at school. Rather than them saying that school was boring and that they didn't learn anything, they would tell me all about what the class had done. They were proud to say something was hard and that they were working to master the task. I'm proud to report that they are leveling up everyday. And that I am also continuing to learn new things everyday and master new tasks. We encourage each other and report weekly about all of the things that we are finding hard, as well as the things we no longer find hard.

Introduction to Me

My name is Savannah Leigh Drew and this is my introduction.

Where Have I Been?

I was born and raised in California, But lived abroad in Okinawa Japan for three years before moving
back to California to conclude my education. Other than Okinawa, Tokyo, Utah, Nevada, and California,
I haven’t been much else for more than a layover. My wish and ultimate goal is to travel the world.

What Have I Done?

I have been a Ballet dancer since I was five years old. I have performed with the Oakland Ballet
company, Black Diamond Ballet Theater, Delta Children’s Ballet Theater, and the American Ballet
Theater. I was a Professional on Pointe and have background in all forms of dance including Tahitian,
Contemporary, Classical Balanchine style Ballet, tap, and more. I have also learned to speak some
Japanese and French. However I am most fluent in American Sign Language and English. I was an
English teacher while overseas and before that I was a therapeutic dance teacher for children and teens
with special needs and learning disabilities.

Where Will I Go?

I want to be a teacher again, but I also wish to experience more cultures and ways of life that are
different than my own. I believe that the only way to understand what is best for everyone is to know
everything you can about what other people’s values and beliefs are. I think that we live in a broken
world where the needs of others are put after the needs of ourselves. I want to teach children so that
they will have an opportunity to understand others just as they would want to be understood. I don’t
just want to teach the English language, but also teach a willingness to communicate and think
critically about what others say and do.

Why Is This Important To Me?

Critical thinking is a valuable skill that college students are very aware of, but I feel that these skills
should be instilled in children much sooner. Children’s vices and ideas are often stifled and their elders
simply implement their own ideas in their children. And though nothing is wrong with sharing your
values and beliefs with your children, I do find fault in not allowing a child to voice their opinion or to
question these lessons. After all, the most important question anyone can ever ask in any situation is
“Why?”.

My Favorite Place: Okinawa Japan

Where in the World?

When I tell people I have lived in another country for three years I tend to get strange looks. But I welcome these looks because by stepping out of my comfort zone, I was able to find my perfect place in the world, a place where I can truly call my home. My favorite place is a small island off the coast of main land Japan, called Okinawa. Now if you have never heard of this place it is not surprising, but in recent years it has become much more popular. The recent film Hacksaw Ridge highlights a small portion of one of the key victories of WWII that lead to the ultimate victory of the whole war. The capture of the island of Okinawa was key to the military strategy of the US and allied nations. And with the recent popularity of Boba Tea shops, you have probably seen Okinawa Milk Tea on the menu. These little reminders of my little island are a comfort but also pull at my heart strings and make me a little home sick.

The Culture and History (Very Brief)

Okinawan people are actually not truly Japanese. Okinawa is more of a Japanese territory. Think of it this way, Hawaiians are Americans because America overthrew their leadership and took over (over simplification I know) but they are still Hawaiian first. This is much like the Okinawan people. They were taken over and after personally having lived on the island and learning of their history and culture I found that their history is very sad and often mistranslated in America. I would encourage you to do some research on the topic if history interests you.

Why It's Home

It is my favorite place because of its absolute beauty and commitment to healthy living and protecting the environment. The island has mandatory recycling guidelines and there is never a scrap of trash on the street. It is so safe that children as young as four years old walk themselves to and from school alone. The ocean is so warm, blue, and clear, that you could see the bottom of the ocean wherever you swam. The forests are thick with cherry blossom trees in the spring and the air is fresh wherever you go. There are historical sights from hundreds of years ago still standing. And finally, you are never without help. If you get lost someone will always help you find your way. The people of Okinawa are an extremely kind people who's minds are always centered around other's well being. And I am so blessed to have lived in such a wonderful place. And If you haven't already, maybe think about taking a Visit to Okinawa.

Welcome

This is my first post for my Spring 2018 Blog! Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3!