Art is something that everyone sees everyday but yet no one pays much attention to it. I have gotten a lot ideas about the meaning of life from reading both religious and philosophical texts. Art is an entertainment that can both benefit and brainwash the person who both uses it and creates it. As I look back, it is actually art, which has affected my sense of the meaning of life the most. Using the story Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption as my primary text I am going to analyze the power art has and it’s affect on my sense of the meaning of life.
In shawshank redemption, man named Andy, who was accused of murdering his wife and her golf instructor due to jealousy, and was sentenced to jail escape around 30 years later. The story was told from the perspective of a man named Red, a fellow prisoner of Andy who had become friends with Andy over their years together in jail.
Add more about story
Add thing about the rocks
Add thing about absurd hero
Monday, January 21, 2008
Religion Draft
Religion is something that is practice throughout the entire world. Religion comes in many different shapes and forms. Some are as new as the day itself but others have been around since the beginning of time. Many religions around the world focus on how to find reasoning and purpose in our lives. Many people wonder why we are here and why did their gods create them.
Add on more info on Catholicism
Add talk with Rabbi
Add talk with Priest
thought and conclusion
Add on more info on Catholicism
Add talk with Rabbi
Add talk with Priest
thought and conclusion
WTHDTQEM Draft
When hit with a question people have many different answers to them. Some answers as detailed as a 10 page paper others as simple as yes or no. But occasionally people are hit with a question that they get stumped by. A question where they can not create or make up an answer for it. One of those questions is what is the meaning of life? I have a counter question for that. What the hell does this question even mean? Throughout time people have questioned the actual meaning of our lives. Yet, no one has actually figured out the true M.O.L. They continue to try to interpret and understand the M.O.L, but many different ways. The question of what is the meaning of life is one that can also be interpreted differently. Even those that believe that they have in fact interpreted the question may soon come to contradict themselves after further analysis.
ADD On about Irving Singer John wisdom and Joesph Ellin
ADD On about Irving Singer John wisdom and Joesph Ellin
Other Perspective Draft
When the class first began, I have not thought much of the meaning of life. I have thought that it had to do with understanding and knowing what your life is all about and how one should live it. After examining the thoughts of others prospective on the meaning of life through interviews/ conversations and reading articles written by philosophers I believe that I have come up with some sort of meaning. After having a conversation with my younger brother the opinion I had began to change. He told me that he believes that living life as you please and letting fate take care of the rest was truly the meaning of life.
After having the conversation with him I began to wonder, if what he said was in fact the meaning of life. However, my opinion again drastically changed a few weeks later when we read an article on someone’s opinion on the meaning of life. The author of the article wrote that the word “ dog” is not an animal and the animal dog is not a word. The animal has no meaning and the word means the animal. He uses this concept towards the meaning of life. Stating that “ life just is “. I compare this view to that of my brother’s and realize there was a similarities but also differences.
After having the conversation with him I began to wonder, if what he said was in fact the meaning of life. However, my opinion again drastically changed a few weeks later when we read an article on someone’s opinion on the meaning of life. The author of the article wrote that the word “ dog” is not an animal and the animal dog is not a word. The animal has no meaning and the word means the animal. He uses this concept towards the meaning of life. Stating that “ life just is “. I compare this view to that of my brother’s and realize there was a similarities but also differences.
Reconsidered Essay Final
Throughout the entire course, my opinions have change, about every other day. Now you can say that sounds sort of absurd, but studying a question like what is the meaning of life takes along time and sometimes the answer is not found. That is what has happened to me. In the beginning of the class, I first thought that the meaning of life was to find happiness but I know in my opinion it is so much bigger than that. I think that finding the meaning of life is actually something that takes a lot time and patient to find. In fact in some ways, there may not actually be a meaning to life. The meaning of life has so many definitions that there is no actual way to answer the question head on. There are so many signs, emotions and things that can define the meaning of life depending on what you want for yourself. Like I said in my first essay the question of what is the meaning of life is by far one of the most difficult but great questions of all time. It causes so much thinking that it causes you to want to give up on actually finding out the meaning of life. I also believe that the meaning of life is like a fine wine it gets better as you get older. As you get older the understanding of the meaning of life may be better and more worthwhile.
At some points of this class I thought that I had actually conquer the question After having a conversation with my younger brother the opinion I had began to change. He told me that he believes that living life as you please and letting fate take care of the rest was truly the meaning of life. After having the conversation with him I began to wonder, if what he said was in fact the meaning of life. It sounded so correct and well thought of that it just had to be the right answer. However, my opinion again drastically changed a few weeks later when we read an article on someone’s opinion on the meaning of life. The author of the article wrote that the word “ dog” is not an animal and the animal dog is not a word. The animal has no meaning and the word means the animal. He uses this concept towards the meaning of life. Stating that “ life just is “. Therefore, I thought if life just is what is the point of living it. My brother had told me that it to live as you please but then the author of the article said that life just was. After this, I was unsure of the meaning of life than before.
The next part of getting my answer to the question was asking myself what the hell the question even meant. We read article by three philosophers. The first being Irving Singer. He believes that the meaning of life is if the answer to the question of what is the M.O.L is found or created. After reading about this I began to wonder which could it be. Throughout our lives in school, we usually research all our answer but this question has so much more depth to it. Could you really find an answer to a question with such depth? The second article we read was by John Wisdom believes that the meaning of life is just a large, complex, bewildering question, which may have no meaning to it at all. After reading on John’s idea, could what he is thinking be what was happening with my thoughts on the meaning of life. Was it just a question t confuse people. In addition, the last article was by Joseph Ellin. He believes in the idea of seeing the big picture and not just the little one.
We also studied how religion factors into the meaning of life. I am catholic but myself but I do not hang to religion like others do. I do not allow it to control what my life is all about. However, I do know that religion does play a role in many peoples lives an example of that would be my uncle. Before he became a Christian pastor, he told me that he was very materialistic. He only wanted things for himself. He was into drugs, money, and whatever else he could get for himself. Now he says that he lives for god and nothing but god. He believes that he lives in a dying world and that god is the only thing for him.
Now after looking at everyone’s perspectives on the meaning of life I thought I could probably come up with some sort of understanding. I knew it would not be to great of an answer but it would be the best I could come up with at this time. I was working on my paper when I decided to take a walk outside. As I was walking, I notice a handicap man walking down the street. He talking to himself and as he walked everyone would stare at him and whisper as he passed. When I got home, I began to think that man had almost no controlled over his life so what is the meaning to his life. Therefore, if you do not have control over your life what can your meaning of life be? Now with that experience I began to make a new definition of what I think the meaning of life is. I think that there is no significant meaning to life but in fact, you make a choice of your own meaning to your life, but it does not necessarily mean that it shall always stay the same. It can differ in what ever situation you are in. I think that life is somewhat like a game of card, sometimes you draw a great hand, and sometimes you draw the worst.
At some points of this class I thought that I had actually conquer the question After having a conversation with my younger brother the opinion I had began to change. He told me that he believes that living life as you please and letting fate take care of the rest was truly the meaning of life. After having the conversation with him I began to wonder, if what he said was in fact the meaning of life. It sounded so correct and well thought of that it just had to be the right answer. However, my opinion again drastically changed a few weeks later when we read an article on someone’s opinion on the meaning of life. The author of the article wrote that the word “ dog” is not an animal and the animal dog is not a word. The animal has no meaning and the word means the animal. He uses this concept towards the meaning of life. Stating that “ life just is “. Therefore, I thought if life just is what is the point of living it. My brother had told me that it to live as you please but then the author of the article said that life just was. After this, I was unsure of the meaning of life than before.
The next part of getting my answer to the question was asking myself what the hell the question even meant. We read article by three philosophers. The first being Irving Singer. He believes that the meaning of life is if the answer to the question of what is the M.O.L is found or created. After reading about this I began to wonder which could it be. Throughout our lives in school, we usually research all our answer but this question has so much more depth to it. Could you really find an answer to a question with such depth? The second article we read was by John Wisdom believes that the meaning of life is just a large, complex, bewildering question, which may have no meaning to it at all. After reading on John’s idea, could what he is thinking be what was happening with my thoughts on the meaning of life. Was it just a question t confuse people. In addition, the last article was by Joseph Ellin. He believes in the idea of seeing the big picture and not just the little one.
We also studied how religion factors into the meaning of life. I am catholic but myself but I do not hang to religion like others do. I do not allow it to control what my life is all about. However, I do know that religion does play a role in many peoples lives an example of that would be my uncle. Before he became a Christian pastor, he told me that he was very materialistic. He only wanted things for himself. He was into drugs, money, and whatever else he could get for himself. Now he says that he lives for god and nothing but god. He believes that he lives in a dying world and that god is the only thing for him.
Now after looking at everyone’s perspectives on the meaning of life I thought I could probably come up with some sort of understanding. I knew it would not be to great of an answer but it would be the best I could come up with at this time. I was working on my paper when I decided to take a walk outside. As I was walking, I notice a handicap man walking down the street. He talking to himself and as he walked everyone would stare at him and whisper as he passed. When I got home, I began to think that man had almost no controlled over his life so what is the meaning to his life. Therefore, if you do not have control over your life what can your meaning of life be? Now with that experience I began to make a new definition of what I think the meaning of life is. I think that there is no significant meaning to life but in fact, you make a choice of your own meaning to your life, but it does not necessarily mean that it shall always stay the same. It can differ in what ever situation you are in. I think that life is somewhat like a game of card, sometimes you draw a great hand, and sometimes you draw the worst.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Artistic Perspective Final
Art is something that everyone sees everyday but yet no one pays much attention to it. I have gotten a lot ideas about the meaning of life from reading both religious and philosophical texts. Art is an entertainment that can both benefit and brainwash the person who both uses it and creates it. As I look back, it is actually art, which has affected my sense of the meaning of life the most. Using the story Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption as my primary text I am going to analyze the power art has and it’s affect on my sense of the meaning of life.
In shawshank redemption, man named Andy, who was accused of murdering his wife and her golf instructor due to jealousy, and was sentenced to jail escape around 30 years later. The story was told from the perspective of a man named Red, a fellow prisoner of Andy who had become friends with Andy over their years together in jail.Throughout the stories entirety, I was able to recognize that Andy’s meaning of life was taking advantage of his situation, therefore changing it from a horrible situation to one he could at least deal with. Life in jail is a far cry from that of the one outside of it. In jail, your life is not control by you but instead you are treated like a puppet waiting for someone to begin to move you. The characters in the story begin to care more about the small aspects of their past lives. One of the minor aspects of life that is taken with great strides in the story is picking of rocks. Rocks are a reoccurring theme in the story, which is seen many times throughout the story. Andy collects rocks from the yard during their time out there. He uses an object called a rock-hammer, which he got from Red, to shape and polish each rock. Red does not understand why Andy spends his time acting like a child playing with rocks until one day Andy shows him the final product. “There were two pieces of quartz in that box, both of them carefully polished. They have been chipped into driftwood shapes. There were little sparkles of iron pyrites in them like flecks of gold…How much work went into creating those two pieces?” The rocks stimulated a sense of hope into the prisoner. The rock was just a metaphor for the prisoner’s actual lives. Life is hard, just like a rock pick up from the ground. If you take to take care of it and you do not become impatient, it can become something very meaningful and worthwhile.
In the story Andy is portray as the absurd hero. Andy is portrayed to be an absurd hero in that although he is placed into a situation, which threatens to pull him down into despair, he is still able to look beyond the situation and see its benefits although there are few. “He wants to be free and own a hotel in Mexico, something many prisoners would think was something that only happens in dreams. It is already difficult enough trying to live each day without getting beaten, and another prisoner would have probably been satisfied if given the status Andy has in prison. The fact that Andy could still act with good intentions when he had been abused and mistreated is also absurd. What had been most absurd was Andy's persistency in coming through with an escape plan, which might not even have worked. He decided to try to dig through a 10 feet thick wall in his cell with a rock hammer, and although he only ended up digging through half of it, it took him twenty-seven years. That in it, with the many risks that come with it, is absurd, yet Andy would not have been able to escape to Mexico without having done so. This links back to existentialism, and how the choices you make might be absurd yet you do it anyway. The choice is still there. Maybe part of the Absurd in the story comes from Andy having been placed into a prison. The two seem to contradict; Andy, having had so much promise and success, was locked into an environment which would end life as people know it, and take their youth along.”(Lisa Blog) After looking at Shawshank Redemption and thinking about how it relates to the meaning of life my thoughts on the meaning of life continue to change more and more. Art is a major factor in everyone’s life, whether it being good or bad. Life is found throughout our lives, from the day we are born to the day we die, art will always be there.
In shawshank redemption, man named Andy, who was accused of murdering his wife and her golf instructor due to jealousy, and was sentenced to jail escape around 30 years later. The story was told from the perspective of a man named Red, a fellow prisoner of Andy who had become friends with Andy over their years together in jail.Throughout the stories entirety, I was able to recognize that Andy’s meaning of life was taking advantage of his situation, therefore changing it from a horrible situation to one he could at least deal with. Life in jail is a far cry from that of the one outside of it. In jail, your life is not control by you but instead you are treated like a puppet waiting for someone to begin to move you. The characters in the story begin to care more about the small aspects of their past lives. One of the minor aspects of life that is taken with great strides in the story is picking of rocks. Rocks are a reoccurring theme in the story, which is seen many times throughout the story. Andy collects rocks from the yard during their time out there. He uses an object called a rock-hammer, which he got from Red, to shape and polish each rock. Red does not understand why Andy spends his time acting like a child playing with rocks until one day Andy shows him the final product. “There were two pieces of quartz in that box, both of them carefully polished. They have been chipped into driftwood shapes. There were little sparkles of iron pyrites in them like flecks of gold…How much work went into creating those two pieces?” The rocks stimulated a sense of hope into the prisoner. The rock was just a metaphor for the prisoner’s actual lives. Life is hard, just like a rock pick up from the ground. If you take to take care of it and you do not become impatient, it can become something very meaningful and worthwhile.
In the story Andy is portray as the absurd hero. Andy is portrayed to be an absurd hero in that although he is placed into a situation, which threatens to pull him down into despair, he is still able to look beyond the situation and see its benefits although there are few. “He wants to be free and own a hotel in Mexico, something many prisoners would think was something that only happens in dreams. It is already difficult enough trying to live each day without getting beaten, and another prisoner would have probably been satisfied if given the status Andy has in prison. The fact that Andy could still act with good intentions when he had been abused and mistreated is also absurd. What had been most absurd was Andy's persistency in coming through with an escape plan, which might not even have worked. He decided to try to dig through a 10 feet thick wall in his cell with a rock hammer, and although he only ended up digging through half of it, it took him twenty-seven years. That in it, with the many risks that come with it, is absurd, yet Andy would not have been able to escape to Mexico without having done so. This links back to existentialism, and how the choices you make might be absurd yet you do it anyway. The choice is still there. Maybe part of the Absurd in the story comes from Andy having been placed into a prison. The two seem to contradict; Andy, having had so much promise and success, was locked into an environment which would end life as people know it, and take their youth along.”(Lisa Blog) After looking at Shawshank Redemption and thinking about how it relates to the meaning of life my thoughts on the meaning of life continue to change more and more. Art is a major factor in everyone’s life, whether it being good or bad. Life is found throughout our lives, from the day we are born to the day we die, art will always be there.
Religion Final
Religion is something that is practice throughout the entire world. Religion comes in many different shapes and forms. Some are as new as the day itself but others have been around since the beginning of time. Many religions around the world focus on how to find reasoning and purpose in our lives. Many people wonder why we are here and why did their gods create them. They follow sacred texts and follow the accounts of people who have lived thousands of years before them. Catholicism is one of the many religions that follow this. As stated early many religions use a sacred and/or holy text in which they base their entire religion on.Catholicism is based on three sources: the Bible, the Church, and Sacred Tradition. Catholics often refer to these three sources as the Three-Legged Stool.
In the religion of Catholicism Jesus Christ a.k.a. The Son of God is the main figure of the religion. They do also believe that resurrection is a part of living. In Catholics use the ideas in the holy text and the ideas of Jesus Christ as a way to live their lives in a good and just way.
According to Catholics beliefs, which are based on the bible, there is in fact only one god. He is the Father, who is the creator of all things man knows, as well is all that is unknown to man. In Catholicism God can be considered the answer to anything and everything. There is also Jesus Christ who is the only Son of God. Through Jesus a.k.a. the Son of God, all of man’s sins would be forgiven and forgotten. Since resurrection is a part of the belief of many Catholics, they believe that Jesus will come back down from heaven and bring them with him to the kingdom of heaven. When Jesus does return the world will go through an Armageddon and be cleansed of its entire evils and wrong doings.
As a class, we went to visit both a synagogue and a church, the idea that we were left with, were that kindness was a major part to our lives. When we spoke with the Rabbi, he told us about Tikkun Olam, which means repairing the World. In other words, Judaism is about repairing and fixing the world in which we all live in. To fix the world is our purpose, and there is no other one to it. He told us a story of a boy who was ready to commit suicide because he was treated as an outcast. However, because a new student was kind to and introduced himself to the boy, the boy decided to forget about dying and from then on they became best friends. That one act of kindness saved and changed the life of one forever.
When we spoke with the priest about Catholicism, his views on it were set like a book. He spoke to use as if he was giving us a lecture in which he had prepared and rehearse many times of. He was however able to tell us that religion is meant to makes life more meaningful. “Life is not something that is meant to have meaning, the meaning must come from you and you make it worth it.”(JD’s Blog) They believe that if you just follow the lord’s word you will be allowed into his kingdom.
Judaism and Catholicism follow most of the same beliefs; Jesus Christ is part of both of these religions. The only difference between them is that Judaism follows the old testaments. The rabbi and the priest had similar ideas and beliefs. They both believed that the only difference was in whom had the roles in the belief.
Religions role in the meaning of life is one that is very important and helps certain people find their own idea of what they feel is the meaning of life. Religion helps me to understand that the meaning of life is something that you choose. The meaning of life for everyone is found and created, that is what I am understanding after doing this essay.
In the religion of Catholicism Jesus Christ a.k.a. The Son of God is the main figure of the religion. They do also believe that resurrection is a part of living. In Catholics use the ideas in the holy text and the ideas of Jesus Christ as a way to live their lives in a good and just way.
According to Catholics beliefs, which are based on the bible, there is in fact only one god. He is the Father, who is the creator of all things man knows, as well is all that is unknown to man. In Catholicism God can be considered the answer to anything and everything. There is also Jesus Christ who is the only Son of God. Through Jesus a.k.a. the Son of God, all of man’s sins would be forgiven and forgotten. Since resurrection is a part of the belief of many Catholics, they believe that Jesus will come back down from heaven and bring them with him to the kingdom of heaven. When Jesus does return the world will go through an Armageddon and be cleansed of its entire evils and wrong doings.
As a class, we went to visit both a synagogue and a church, the idea that we were left with, were that kindness was a major part to our lives. When we spoke with the Rabbi, he told us about Tikkun Olam, which means repairing the World. In other words, Judaism is about repairing and fixing the world in which we all live in. To fix the world is our purpose, and there is no other one to it. He told us a story of a boy who was ready to commit suicide because he was treated as an outcast. However, because a new student was kind to and introduced himself to the boy, the boy decided to forget about dying and from then on they became best friends. That one act of kindness saved and changed the life of one forever.
When we spoke with the priest about Catholicism, his views on it were set like a book. He spoke to use as if he was giving us a lecture in which he had prepared and rehearse many times of. He was however able to tell us that religion is meant to makes life more meaningful. “Life is not something that is meant to have meaning, the meaning must come from you and you make it worth it.”(JD’s Blog) They believe that if you just follow the lord’s word you will be allowed into his kingdom.
Judaism and Catholicism follow most of the same beliefs; Jesus Christ is part of both of these religions. The only difference between them is that Judaism follows the old testaments. The rabbi and the priest had similar ideas and beliefs. They both believed that the only difference was in whom had the roles in the belief.
Religions role in the meaning of life is one that is very important and helps certain people find their own idea of what they feel is the meaning of life. Religion helps me to understand that the meaning of life is something that you choose. The meaning of life for everyone is found and created, that is what I am understanding after doing this essay.
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