Prompt #5, Louis Dessauer

Louis Dessauer

Mrs.Wilhelmus

AP English

8/5/13

The Ultimate Choice

Prompt #5

               Democritus, Socrates, Athens, Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Hume, Berkeley, Bjerkely, Kant, Hegel, Marx, Darwin, or Freud? Which of these amazing history altering philosophers do I follow? The answer is, none of them. I follow two men, myself and Jesus.

               The only mind you can ever truly trust is your own. The only teachings that I can ever follow are Jesus’. He is the truth, the light, and the way for my family and I. Love everyone, even your enemies. Find truth through our father (God). If needed sacrifice yourself for Christ. Find others like yourself and gather them together for praise. Spread his word throughout the people and love them all!

               There are philosophers that I do not totally disagree with but never always agree with them either. There is not one human that has existed that is completely correct with every statement or thought that they have spewed into this world. Many have completely incorrect statements about gender and others have completely incorrect statements about spirit. Of course since I am also an imperfect human being I could also be false about calling them incorrect.

               For the rabbit and his fur? I am the one that carries people up and down the strands. I am the one that has seen many fall off of their paths. I am the one that has seen many actually make it to the top. But even if I have made it to the top many times, I always have to climb back down to pick up the fallen and carry them to the top. I am the transport of the philosophers of our time and future times. The real questions are, who and where are you?

Prompt #4, Louis Dessauer

Louis Dessauer

Mrs. Wilhelmus

AP English

8/5/13

Through the Glasses

Prompt #4

               The red tinted glasses change someone’s view of the world. They have an ultimate ability to change someone’s perspective of life and death, someone’s perspective of the loved and hated ones. The real question is what changes for you?

               Not everyone can look at an everyday object and see its remarkableness. In order for everyone to see something in an entirely different light they need to see it through someone else’s eyes. That is what this “red-tinted glasses” experiment is all about. If I were to take a vial full of clear liquid and show someone, they would probably respond with “that’s water isn't it?” But if they were to be wearing red-tinted glasses they would respond with calling me a freak for carrying a vial of blood around! In order to escape our viciously boring cycle of life we need to look at everything in a different light. That is the sole purpose of the “red-tinted glasses” experiment.

               Honestly, I have always looked at everything in a different light than everyone else. I am an extreme optimist. If I were to look at a family that has just lost their home due to a tornado, I would not just see a sad family without a home. I would see a family that has a chance to rebuild their family from scratch. They have a chance to really grow a bond between themselves like never before. My “red-tinted glasses” are just my optimistic values.

Prompt #3 Louis Dessauer

Louis Dessauer

Mrs.Wilhelmus

AP English

8/1/13

Christianizing

Prompt #3

            What is to be gained from Christian philosophers?  How can someone Christianize a philosopher after that philosopher existed before Christ? Why were these people and philosophies changed? What is the difference between the two? These are the questions that must be asked and acted upon.

            Aristotle’s philosophies encompassed a wide variety of subjects. I will stick to his philosophies about gender. The way that Aquinas Christianized his philosophies was just to state that they went along with the bible. Aristotle was a sexist, if a respected figure in the church believed that there was some truth in his ways then the masses believed it. With Aristotle’s sexism turning Christian then it pushed the belief that men were superior to women even further. If the masses actually ever read the bible then they would know the truth, as it is written.

            Plato did not believe in the senses as much as Aristotle did but more in the mind and spirit. He believed that there was no “set course” per say but instead everything flowed around that “set course”. That everything had a beginning, the perfect one of that specific object or living thing. His ways were Christianized by St. Augustine with him (St. Augustine) believing that he knew some of the Old Testament. This would seem impossible because Plato lived before Christ.

            One of the main problems about Christianizing a philosopher’s work is that they are always contradicting themselves about religion. If a philosopher does not exactly believe in a one true God, do not force religion upon their philosophies. 

Prompt #2 Louis Dessauer

Louis Dessauer

Mrs.Wilhelmus

AP English

8/1/13

Gender Argument

Prompt #2

            The “superior gender” argument has raged throughout our thoughts for an amazingly long period of 

time. Everyone has their ideas to call their own on this particular subject. Throughout time men have ruled our society on every level except for the bottom one. Let us delve into the old society and their thoughts.

            Aristotle’s views on women were typical for his lifetime. Not exactly the “incomplete” part of his idea but there was still the idea that women were not on equal footing with men. I believe Aristotle was a product of his time, a time where sexism and philosophers flew about on the wind. But I also believe that he was entirely wrong. Women are complete human beings with a mind, body, and soul! There are certain chores that men are better at and there are certain chores that women are better at. I do believe the book of Genesis that God created Eve (origin of women) from Adam’s (origin of man) rib. But who in this time period was the most correct in their thinking?

            I do not exactly believe that any of the philosophers were completely correct with their ideas about the sexes. Aristotle was completely wrong; also, both Plato and Socrates had some correct ideas and some incorrect ideas. Of course, who am I to judge their beliefs on the way society raised me or the way they were raised by society? Who can tell if someone is completely correct or completely incorrect? All we can gather is that men were called “superior” for a vast amount of time. We do not have to believe that men are superior (I don’t believe it) but we all believe what is taught and have to either from our ideas around it, or completely destroy that seed and make our own!

            Men in a whole were always “superior” in their house, going from the royal family down to the peasant family. This book seems to be set in the near past but mainly talks about the distant past. As stated before men were always prominent figures in every “line of work”. It is to be expected that males are one of the dominate figures in this work of art called Sophie’s World.

Prompt #1 Louis Dessauer

Louis Dessauer

Mrs.Wilhelmus

AP English

7/31/13

Perfect Questions

Prompt #1

            “Who are you?” And “where does the world come from?” These questions are the same ones that have sparked arguments throughout families, religion, countries, and history. These questions have been able to start wars, these questions have an awesomely terrible power. And their answers differ for every person no matter where your affiliation resides. “Who are you?” “Where does the world come from?”

            “Who are you?” one of the perfect questions able to start a feud. I am all of the psychological and physical attributes that have been given or handed down to me from my family and peers. I am all that I need to be with the possibility of so much more. When I was born I was nothing but a lump of clay to be molded by my loved ones. A lump of clay that they threw all of their love into, their good personality traits, and their bad personality traits were mixed into me as well. I believe that the question, “who are you?” is actually a complete trick. You are yourself with a mixing of everyone else, and that is all you can be and all you can believe.          

            “Where did the world come from?” Another perfect question with the power to start wars. I believe the book of Genesis from the Christian Bible. God created the world and all that comes with it. It is written that God created the earth after light and dark. But where did God come from the masses always ask! If we were to need that answer He would provide it for us. “Where did the world come from?” It came from God and his boundless love for us, mankind. 

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