Final Blog: My Philosophical Journey

Final Blog: My Philosophical Journey

This will be my last blog for my Philosophy course, and I can just say that it was a great experience to have set up a blogger page and publish blogs because of it. I never done this before, as well as posting vlogs on YouTube. It has been a wonderful journey indeed. I am beyond grateful.

enough of the sad part, here's my final blog entry:

1. INFORM: What are your most significant learnings in your study of Philosophy for the entire semester? 

ANSWER: 

          First and foremost, I learned that reflection on your life is very important because of the philosophy of Socrates. It helps you know yourself more, know your strengths and weaknesses, where you lack and have too much of, and what kind of person you are in the lives of others. Having known this, I am able to value myself more and generally be better for the people around me.

          Second is Thomas Aquinas. I learned from him that choices pave our way to our goal--which is eternal happiness. Being influenced by Aristotle, he agreed that happiness is a goal, but the ultimate one is to achieve happiness that never goes away, one that will stay with us and we can benefit from until the end of time. This taught me to pay attention to what really matters, make decisions that will make a huge impact in my life for the good, and to be inspired to work hard for my actions to lead me to a successful life.

          Last philosopher that I learned a lot from is one from the Modern era, Martin Heidegger. He taught about living authentically. What inspired me the most about his teaching is that every second of our lives is important. To live authentically, we have to appreciate our time living in this world, we have to be aware of the end of this all-- of death. Once we do, we see all the possibilities of our lives, and this makes us want to go beyond our limits as human beings. Heidegger taught us to avoid regrets by giving value to each and every second of our lives.

2. FORM: How did these key lessons form the way you think, act, speak, and act at present?

          I actually noticed big changes in myself after having this course. Like how before, I was not that open to the people around me, especially to my family. I only ever stay in my room during weekends, the only time of the week when we're all under one roof. I open to my mom about peers, terror and difficult-to-understand professors, and the times I am at my lowest. I developed a inability to lie to my family because I realized and saw my role as a daughter and sister.

          I also became more close towards God, that to achieve a live with him in Heaven after death is the only ultimate goal that I should have. I personally think that the whole-day-of-only-praying to Him before finals was what made me get a 48/50. I really did not study much, and just prayed a lot for His guidance. I was unprepared, but He moved mountains and gave me the question I knew most about. He is great.

          Lastly, I learned that every single thing has importance, a deeper meaning behind. A thing is not merely a thing, but there's always history behind it. Something might mean very little to you (or not at all), but in a different place and time, a parallel universe perhaps, it might have saved a life. This taught me to see value in everything, it taught me to appreciate the little things. Now, after learning this, I have too many stuff I hold onto because of sentimental value, even a mere receipt. I think of everything as good things with purpose.

3. TRANSFORM: Did your study of Philosophy change you? Did it help you grow and mature as a student and as a person in general? Why then is studying and doing Philosophy important in your preparation for college and eventually, in the pursuit of your life goals, plans, and dreams?

          After the few months of studying about Philosophy, I can say that I have matured and grown as a person. I have always been told that I am mature for my age, since I am younger than most of my friends. But only then, after studying about Philosophy that I realized how to be more mature that how I already am. It taught me to think, think more, think a lot and allow myself to see everything in all aspects. For college, I learned that I should be curious, and eager to learn because it will eventually take me to places that I want to be.

          Philosophy engraved this thinking in my head that there are so many possibilities out there for me, to see failure as an opportunity for something better. Since in this course, I was taught to work really hard to achieve a decent grade more than ever, I was prone to more failures that I ever been. It was tough, but it was a great push to be a hard-working student. Ever since then, I have now accepted my mistakes and learned from them in the best way possible. Philosophy taught me to do well in all I do, to be better and go beyond my limits, and try to be boundless, but also to learn and accept criticism. My bar of standards wasn't raised, it is not there anymore. This inspires me to find it at the highest point, where I cannot see it from where I am, but be content and fine with what I am at the same time. I loved myself more, and appreciated every single ounce of effort I exerted when I do not fulfill achievements.

Movie Review - The Emperor's Club

Movie Review - The Emperor's Club

I. INFORMATION ABOUT THE MOVIE
     Directed by: Michael Hoffman
     Genre: Drama/Coming of Age
     Release date: September 29, 2002
     Produced by: Marc Abraham
                           Andrew S. Harsch
                           Michael O'Niell
    Based on: Short story by "The Palace of Thief" by Ethan Canin

II. MAIN CHARACTERS:
     1. Mr. William Hundert - He is the professor at a once-all-boys school who teaches students about history, especially that of Rome. He is a man with great critical thinking and is loved by his students.
     2. Sedgewick Bell - a rebellious son of a senator who transferred to St. Benedict's. He is a prankster who encourages his peers to violate school protocol. He was believed to be a smart student, but was later found guilty of cheating. Mr. Hundert believed in him, but was deeply disappointed.
     3. Martin Blythe - the remarkable student who should have been on the spot of Sedgewick in the Julius Caesar competition. He was righteous and deserving for it but lost the spot because Mr. Hundert chose to put Bell instead.

III. SYNOPSIS
     In the school of St. Benedict, Mr. Hundert taught History to students who loved him because of his skill and they all respected him. One day, a new students joins his class that made him very interested, Sedgewick Bell is a son of a senator and is a very rude rule-breaker. He also didn't like to study. Mr. Hundert helped him by interesting him in his subject, to which Bell followed.
     From time to time, St. Benedict's does a battle of Minds for selected students of Mr. Hundert, the quiz master. He was astonished to see that Sedgewick was going up high in rank to be able to participate in the competition. One night, as Mr. Hundert was assessing the works of his students, he finished that Sedgewick was only a few points lower than Martin Blythe, an intelligent student whose father was once a winner of the competitions. Touched by his thinking that he is inspiring Sedgewick to study better, Mr. Hundert exchanged the placed of Martin and him. making Blythe devastated. During the actual competition, Hundert noticed that Sedgewick was cheating by having notes on his sleeve and faking a thinking position to look at them. Mr. Hundert reported this but the chairman said to let it slide because Senator Bell was there. To stop Sedgewick from winning, he purposely asked a different question that he is certain not in the notes. Hundert was so disappointed and regretted his decision, even up to the present that he quit teaching.
     25 years later, Hundert was invited by Bell to a reunion he organized. Bell wanted a rematch of the games and invited Mr. Hundert to be quiz master once again. The old professor obliged. He went and saw his students once again, with their families now. The rematch was being held and Hundert once again caught Bell cheating. He was then again disappointed and asked a question in which he was sure the boy could not answer so he wouldn't win. Hundert confronted him about this in the restroom, and Sedgewick answered with the same immorality as 25 years before. A bathroom door creaks open and there was his eldest son who overheard their conversation. 
     Hundert then apologized to Martin Blythe and admitted the whole truth.

IV. GUIDE QUESTIONS
     1.  If you were Mr. Hundert, would you have given the final slot to the Julius Caesar contest to the boy who earned it (Martin Blythe) or to the boy whom you hope to redeem himself if given the chance (Sedgewick Bell)?  Why?
      Answer: If I were Mr. Hundert, clueless and hopeful, I would, without a doubt, would do the same. As a mediocre student in my school who rarely gets awarded, I think that students like Sedgewick need a little spotlight, especially if it is evident that he is exerting a lot of effort.

     2.  Choose two (2) statements that were mentioned in the movie. Relate to this statement a lesson from one of the philosophers that you learned in class. What is the significance of this statement in your present status as a Senior High School student? 
     Answer: First is "A man's character is his Fate" -- It is by Heraclitus that teaches my generation that what we are as humans, how we act, and our morality, will do so much for our future. This teaches that in order to have a happy future, you must be a good person in character. Next is "Great ambition and conquest without contribution is without significance."-- This can be related to the Philosophy of Aristotle wherein there is a Prime Mover who enables us to make effort in order to achieve what we want. This passage teaches that We can dream any amount of ambition, but without the action and effort to achieve them, we will never go anywhere.

     3.  Answer and reflect on this question: Do you want to live a good and examined life or do you want to be successful at any cost? Why? 
     Answer: I would, without any hesitation, choose the examined life. By having this lifestyle, we are able to live while accepting the hardships of life, recognizing ourselves more, and experience everything that the world can give. With an examined life, we will reminisce on good memories as we get old.

    4. Which character can you relate with the most? Why? Narrate a personal experience which makes you relate with the character. 
    Answer: I can say that I relate so much to Mr. Hundert. I tend to trust people easily and like him, I believe that each and every one of us has potential and is deserving of multiple chances in life. I am like that to my friends, If one disappoints me, I give him/her another chance, because they're my friends who are very dear to me.

     5.  What insights did you gain from the experience of watching the movie? How are these insights relevant to you as a Senior High School student at Saint Joseph’s Academy? How will these insights guide you as your pursue your goals in life? 
     Answer: It made me realize the significance of a developing character in our lives. As humans, we need to improve as time passes, more importantly, we need to mature each day. Reversal of this is wrong. As a senior high school student, I am reminded that in each day that I wake up to, there is always a chance to start again, make a difference, and improve myself. If I follow this, I will become a better person than I am in the present.

V. MOVIE RATING: 4.5 STARS 
      I rate this a 4.5 because of the meaningful plot, and its ability to make viewers think an many ways. It is a great film to watch with moral lesson. It is not perfect because I was bummed by the ending that Sedgewick was never a good person. As a jolly and happy student, he was lovable and adored, much more when he deceived us all by his intelligence. I wish he got to even slightly redeem himself. He was such a great character and to see him walk to the darkness (and not come back) is unfortunate.    

Play Review - Ang Apologia ni Sokrates

Ang Apologia ni Sokrates

Play Review by Ana Sophia Andrada

I. PLAY INFORMATION

• Watched in the DOREEN BLACK BOX OF ARETE campus of ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY  on September 17th, 2019
• The actors are from the Philosophy Department of the University
• A THEATRICAL PLAY based on the Socratic Dialogue written by philosopher Plato, "The Apology "
• Translated by: Padre Roque Ferriols, SJ
• Directed by: Jovi Miroy

II. MAIN CHARACTERS

1. Ron Capinding as Sokrates

- Socrates is a phenomenal Philosopher from the Athenian period, known for his incredible teaching skills and considered the Wisest Man because he admitted to knowing nothing. In the play, his final moments are shown, along with the narration of his Philosophy and its impact to the people of Athens. His famous saying is, "Ang buhay na hindi isinasaliksik ay hindi buhay tao." ("The unexamined life is not worth living.")

2. Miletus

- Miletus is the ruler of Athens during the period of Socrates's death. He was the one who ordered that Socrates's should be killed for his Philosophy offends his beliefs.   

3. Young Man

 - this character was never in the dialogues written by Plato. He is added to the cast to mirror and to give the play a representation of modern times. He was going through a true-to-life situation wherein he wants to kill himself. Through the play, Socrates taught him a timeless life lesson.

III. SYNOPSIS

     There was a young man in the modern age who is struggling with life. He wanted to commit suicide, and was feeling so unworthy enough to make him not scared of death and nothing could make him think otherwise. 

     Socrates was a very wise Philosopher who answered all questions thrown at him with valid reasoning. He taught everyone all that he knew and expressed humility in those that he didn't. He was sentenced to death by the then ruler of Athens, Miletus, for 3 reasons: teaching false doctrines, impiety, and corrupting the youth. He explained himself one more time to *hopefully* convince the people to think that he should not be killed, because the final verdict depended on the number of votes of the people. In the end, he still was sentenced to death.

     Going back to the young man, while Socrates was defending his stand and professing his love for Philosophy to everyone, he also answered the question to if suicide is acceptable. The young man was there in the scene, asking him that. Socrates answered him convincingly that his view is wrong, and convinced the young man to look at the picture in a different perspective. 

   Socrates was given the chance to escape his punishment, but it meant giving up Philosophy forever. He did not take this opportunity. He drank the hemlock, symbolizing his passion, love, and loyalty to Philosophy.

IV. GUIDE QUESTIONS

a. Sino si Socrates? Paano siya isinalarawan sa dula (itsura, katangian, kaisipan, at ugali) na iyong pinanood?

    

      Sagot: Si Socrates ay isang Pilosopo sa panahon ng Athenian Period. Tinagurian siyang pinakamatalinong nilalang dahil sa pag-amin niyang wala siyang alam, kilala siya ng marami bilang isang magaling na guro dahil sa pagsagot niya sa mga katanungan gamit ang mga wastong depinisyon. Dahil sa pamamaraan niyang ito, agad at madaling pinaniniwalaan ng kanyang mga kausap ang mga pinagsasabi niya.

     Sa dula, ipinakita ang kwento ng kanyang huling mga sandali, at ang pangangatwiran niya sa lahat ng mga bagay. Siya ay isang nilalang na halos may-edad na at may malaking pangangatawan. Tapos may suot siyang kwintas na panigurado ay malaking kabuluhan sa kanyang buhay. 

b. Anong pangyayari o usapan sa dula ang tumalab sa iyo? Bakit? Mayroon bang kaisipan o aral mula sa ating klase sa Pilosopiya na iyong naalala na konektado sa iyong napanood na dula? Paano at Bakit?

     Sagot: Sa pagnood ko ng dula na iyon, namulat ako sa maraming bagay. Yung pinakasikat na kasabihan ni Socrates, "Ang buhay na hindi isinasaliksik ay hindi buhay tao", ay paulit ulit na binanggit. Ito ay nagsasabi na dapat natin kilalanin ang ating sarili at madalas na magreflect sa mga ginagawa at sinasabi natin dahil ito ay magreresulta sa makabuluhang buhay. Naniniwala akong isa dapat ito sa mga "words to live by" ng mga tao para maalala nating ang mga kagagawan at kasabihan natin ay gumagawa ng impact sa mundo, maging sa buhay rin ng kapuwa.

         Isa pang kasabihan sa dula na tumatak sakin ay yung debate tungkol sa pagpapakamatay, kung tama ba ito o mali. Para sa mga gustong magpakamatay, paraan nila ito para mawala lahat ng pagod, kalungkutan, at sakit na nararamdaman nila na dulot ng pagiging buhay sa mundo. Sa pamamagitan ng kamatayan, makakapagsimula ulit sila ng panibago. Ang kasagutan ni Socrates dito ay walang nakakasigurado kung may bagong panimula pagkatapos ng kamatayan, walang kasiguraduhan kung matatapos na doon ang pagod, lungkot, at sakit, na malay natin sa kabilang buhay pala ay mas matindi ang mga pagsubok na kailangan lagpasan. Walang nakakaalam ng mangyayari dahil wala namang tao ang bumalik na pagkatapos nilang mamatay, kaya hindi ba mas mabuti nang manatili dito sa mundo na kung saan alam natin ang nagdudulot ng sakit sa atin? kesa na tumungo tayo sa daan na walang nakakaalam at hindi na pwedeng bumalik.

     Isa siguro sa mga pangyayari na pinakamay-kabuluhan para sa akin ay ang mga binintang ni Meletus kay Socrates. Nakita ko na ang pinakadahilan na kung bakit nila ipapatay si Socrates ay dahil hindi nila tanggap na tama ang mga tanaw ni Socrates sa lahat ng bagay, hindi nila matanggap ang wastong pangangatwiran ni Socrates. Sila ay may kaisipan na ang dapat masusunod ay ang may awtoridad, ang mga sikat, at iba pa, at ang dapat lamang paniwalaan ay ang mga turo ng kanilang mga ninuno, kahit na walang mga argumento na sumusuporta sa mga ito. Kung susundin natin ang gusto nila Meletus, na ang ating paniniwala ay dapat naaayon lang sa mga turo noong unang panahon, balewala ang mga bagong natutuklasan, at mga agham. Mabubuhay tayo nang walang kaalam-alam sa katotohanan. Ang pawang layunin lamang ni Socrates ay mulatin ang bawat isa sa katotohanan na may pangangatwiran. Hindi tama ang pagpatay sa kanya sa ganung kadahilanan. 

     Isa naalala ko ay yung kwento na maaring natakasan ni Socrates ang parusa ng kamatayan ngunit hindi niya ito ginawa. Tingin niyang hindi siya dapat mamatay ngunit, kung ang ibig-sabihin nito ay itigil ang Pilosopiya, mas pipiliin niyang magpakamatay nalang. 

 

c. Anong mahalagang mga kaisipan at aral na iyong natutunan sa iyong karanasan ng panonood ng dulang ito? Paano makakatulong sa iyo ang mga kaisipan at aral na nabanggit sa iyong paglalakbay sa Pilosopiya at bilang isang Josephian?

     

     Sagot: Madami akong natutunan sa pagnood ng dula. Tinuruan ako ni Socrates na una sa lahat, ay saliksikin ang aking buhay, tinuruan niya akong laging maging bukas sa bagong kaalaman, at napatunayan niya ang pagmamahal niya sa Pilosopiya. Tinuruan ako ni Socrates na tignan ang lahat ng bagay sa lahat ng perspectibo, at hindi lang sa akin. Sa pamamagitan ng mga turo niya, ako'y lalaki bilang bukas na tao, bukas sa opinyon ng iba, na laging iisipin ang nararamdaman ng iba. 

     Bilang Josephian, matutulungan ako ng mga pagtuturo ni Socrates na maging mapagkumbaba sa aking mga kaklase, na kung may nahihirapan na iba sa larangan na magaling ako, matutulungan ko sila, at kung ako naman ay nangangailangan, maigi akong makikinig sa iba.

V. PLAY RATING: 5 STARS

- The play was spectacular. The cast's acting was amazing, the lighting was on-point, and the plot was remarkable. Ron Capinding portrayed Socrates so well that the short entertaining commercial he did snapped me back to my senses that he is only acting. I am more that honored to have been part of the audience that got to witness such a beautiful theater show. 

Creative Synthesis: Keyboard Warriors and Internet Fallacies

Creative Synthesis: Keyboard Warriors and Internet Fallacies

For my third blog post, I will compile and give a few examples of fallacies that I have seen and encountered during my time as a social media user. There  may or may not be screenshots of anonymous private messages here that I had with others. Just a disclaimer, some of these may be insulting to others as we all have different opinions, and beliefs. There might also be examples here that are too stupid for one to handle. Again, these are fallacies, and I am just citing examples.



                                                             #1: Red Herring  

This is an example of a Red Herring Fallacy, because she did not answer the important questions I asked. Instead, she focused on a minor thing I included in my questions. She also did not understand what I meant by my words. Thus, making the conversation even more meaningless. It ended without my questions answered.

#2. It doesn't follow

The above tweet is an example of a fallacy that doesn't follow. The reason being is that, the name of another mayor was never brought up in the first place, or that mayor's actions. It has nothing to do with how Pasig mayor Vico Sotto is doing his job.

#3. Against the Person

   This is an example of a fallacy that is Against the Person, because the twitter user attacked Manny Pacquiao and refused to rejoice in his success in defeating his opponent in a recent boxing match just because of the fact that Manny is not a very great country leader. She chooses to treat Manny Pacquiao based on his leadership skills and opinions as a senator, and completely ignoring the fact that he is the country's pride in boxing, which was the main topic in the first place.

#4. Appeal to the People

This screenshot of Andrea Brilliantes's Instagram post is an example of a fallacy that appeals to the people because she endorses a product as someone who is famous and appeals to most of the population. With her endorsing this product, many people will be engaged to also buy the product endorsed, because many people look up to Andrea as an influencer.

#5. Appeal to the Authority

This is an example of a fallacy that appeals to the authority because Psychology, as a very specialized and authorized subject basing on facts, is used as something that supports this statement. There is no official proof as to this being proven. It may be acknowledged by many because of experiences and it is reality, but it was never based on the teachings of Psychology. 

QUESTIONS:

1. What are the common characteristics of the social media posts you have chosen? 
Answer: The common characteristic that they have is of course, the fallacy that their claims carry. Their statements aren't based on pure truth, and it cannot be said that their statements are purely false either.What they really have in common is that they can appeal to the audience that sees their content that they have put out there on social media for everyone to see.

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using social media to express personal opinion, perspective, or even posting personal takes about your life?
Answer: As someone who uses social media a lot for the reasons stated, I have gotten my fair share of experiences of those advantages and disadvantages. A good thing this brings is that we are able to freely express ourselves with its use, that there are actually platforms wherein we can say anything without having to worry about what others personally think. A counterpart to this advantage is that people who may not agree will tend to attack you for posting it. Also, by seeing what others are posting out there can make us see things in different perspectives. We are able to see the whole picture of something because different opinions and beliefs will be seen commenting on posts. 

3. How can you become a responsible social media user through philosophical reasoning?
Answer: I think it is to carefully think about whatever you decide to put out there first before actually getting it out there. There's no other way but to think about things thoroughly first-- if it will offend others, or most importantly, if it makes any sense that others will agree with you. Being a responsible user is to stop being stupid. 

4. What advice can you give many "Keyboard Warriors" in the internet on responsible use of social media?
Answer: Then again, (I cannot stress this enough) we should thoroughly think about everything first before posting anything. We should, at most, try to see all situations in every possible perspective and not just ours. Most importantly, we should always set our feelings aside whenever we face issues in social media, because our emotions play very important roles in what we put online for everyone to see. By doing these simple things, and to keep it as a practice, everyone will be more responsible social media users, and display a better image for the audience that sees them. 

Reflection Blog: July 30, 2019

REFLECTION BLOG: JULY 30, 2019

It was yet, another Philosophy class, discussing about great philosophers from the early times. I learned that the Sophists were just self-proclaimed smart people that think no other person is as wise as them. They charged people just so they could trick them into learning something useful. They were supposed to be professionals, PROFESSIONALS! I cannot even contain my disbelief. And then there was this man who, according to him at least, knew nothing, but because of that, was proclaimed as the wisest of all human beings. Because of that, I came to a conclusion that Irony will always be present in Philosophy.  

I look up to the wonderful person that is Socrates. I relate to him in some of the simplest ways. We're so different, yet so similar at the same time. He was a curious, humble, and devoted man. Without sounding so mean or offending, he helped others learn while also learning from them. Because he believed that Philosophy is for the society, and not just to show himself off. I'm a lot like that -- eager to learn, and not for mere numbers that'll show on a piece of paper at the end of a term. Having high of those will never equal to truly learning and getting something out of it. 

I acknowledge the Sophists' desires to possibly sharing information with others, and their intelligence. (I am no better than them) I just couldn't agree with their goals and objectives to end Philosophy with Rhetoric, and using others to gain wealth. They were never lovers of wisdom, they used their wasted gift of knowledge for fame and power.

An ideal Philosopher for me, is of course, Socrates. After learning what an amazing mind he has, and a good soul at that, he instantly became an inspiration to me. Everyone should be like him. We should never reject wisdom, and the opinions of others. We should share knowledge everyone in the best way possible. And we should never run away from the consequences of life, like how he refused to flee from exile because he knew what price there is to pay when people from his time can never relate to his level of thinking.

Reflection Blog: July 8, 2019

REFLECTION BLOG: JULY 8, 2019

A few days ago, we officially started our Philosophy class for this academic year. I was really looking forward to this subject, mainly because I've never had it before. It's really interesting to learn something that everyone can get something from. We're all from the same strand (STEM) but we'll be taking different career paths after two years. It's nice to have a subject like Philosophy that all of us can be united for. 

Sophia, my second name. Only a few people call me by it and I know that I was named Ana because of my grandmother, but I never knew where Sophia came from. Not that I asked my parents about it, I was never really curious. I just liked how it sounds so womanly, and there's no male name counterpart to it. But it was only after the first Philosophy class I truly understood what my name meant. It was wisdom. Sophia means wisdom. And I loved it even more because of that simple fact.

Okay now for the real thing:

I learned a whole lot just from the first class and, I can truly see myself enjoying it (despite the 25 minutes of pain and torture). I learned that Philosophy is the sole reason for everything. It is the foundation of truth, and why we believe in the things we believe in today. If there is science because of curious minds, then Philosophy sparked all the curiosity in this world. We all owe it to Thales, even though he discovered not much, but he opened the door to find reality to fully believe in because he's seen it with his very own eyes. 

It wasn't just history discussed in the three hours of Philosophy that day. Fr. Kevin told stories of ghosts and his love for the newly released film, Spider-Man: Far From Home (whenever that topic was brought up, I jokingly covered my ears because I haven't seen it and was really excited to. I watched it with friends almost immediately). That and the Philosophy class has taught me that as humans, we commit mistakes we don't mean to. We trust people we've seen only a small part of, people who showed us a facade of themselves, and it's okay. Having interacted with many people despite the young age, instances like these are unavoidable. I learned then and there that Evil will never prevail. God will never let it.