Thinking Outside the Box

When Plato talks about the limitations of our thinking he means that we create our reality and no one can make us believe what we do not want to believe. Your own experiences are what make your reality. Sartre's idea of limitations is when you have so much going on you cannot focus on one thing. You start to confuse yourself and even go into a state of refusal.

No Exit Questions

1. Think about the place you have chosen as your hell. Does it look ordinary and bourgeois, like Sartre's drawing room, or is it equipped with literal instruments of torture like Dante's Inferno? Can the mind be in hell in a beautiful place? Is there a way to find peace in a hellish physical environment? Enter Sartre's space more fully and imagine how it would feel to live there endlessly, night and day:
- To me hell is somewhere you would not want to be. Hell is a place where you can't escape. Your mind never stops thinking so you can be in the most relaxing and beautiful place but your trapped in your own mind. Finding peace is finding yourself so being calm and relaxation is a way to find peace in a hellish place. Sartre's space seems very disturbing. I would feel very anxious and I may go crazy.

2. Could hell be described as too much of anything without a break? Are variety, moderation and balance instruments we use to keep us from boiling in any inferno of excess?
- Hell is where you feel like you can't escape or leave. These characters do not know they are in a hell but hell is like Dante's inferno. Our restrictions are what keep us in a hellish mindset.

3. How does Sartre create a sense of place through dialogue? Can you imagine what it feels like to stay awake all the time with the lights on with no hope of leaving a specific place? How does GARCIN react to this hell? How could you twist your daily activities around so that everyday habits become hell? Is there a pattern of circumstances that reinforces the experience of hell?
- Sartre creates a sense of place through dialogue by the reactions and what the characters say. I would go crazy sleeping with the lights on and probably never leaving it sounds awful. Until Garcin confesses his sins he doesn't know he is in hell. I could stay cooped up in my room for days on end with no contact with people I normally talk to I would think that brings a good definition of hell.

Allegory of the Cave Sonnet

Leave the place where you are not free
Join a world where you can see
Not only the bad but also the good
You must believe in order to leave
This cave that confines your thoughts
Take a chance to understand
You can escape the shackles
There is a way out

Look beyond the dark
You will see light
Follow it to see a new reality
Don't hesitate now is your chance
A world of wonders awaits
You can escape and uncover the truth

Brain With 2 Legs

Well Micaela and I thought that the reading Great Expectations would be very interesting. We are the only two in the group because we are able to collaborate better when we work as partners. My partner and I are going to read half of the book by Sunday November 24 and the second half by Wednesday November 27. We intend to collaborate on the novel during class, over text messages, and in person on our own time. We feel Great Expectations will be a very interesting novel and we are excited to read it. 

Vocab final part 2

1.apostate-a person who renounces a religious or political belief or principle.
-The female apostate is to be kept in confinement until she recant or death

2.effusive-expressing feelings of gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an unrestrained or heartfelt manner.

-Her smile became wider and bowing thanks very effusive!

3.impasse-a situation in which no progress is possible, esp. because of disagreement; a deadlock.
-Impasse in the conference on disarmament.

4.euphoria-A feeling of great happiness or well-being.

-Just one man poured water into this wine of general euphoria.

5.lugubrious-looking or sounding sad and dismal.
-Lugubrious howl just outside -- within ten feet of them.

6.bravado-Defiant or swaggering behavior.
-Bravado in the face of fear and uncertainty?

7.consensus-general agreement.

-In such cases, reaching consensus was not an issue.

8.dichotomy-a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.

-Dichotomy of view is an urgent component of nca's immediate horizon

9.constrict-make narrower, esp. by encircling pressure.

-Constructed from timber.

10.gothic-relating to,l or resembling the Goths their civilization, or their language.
-Goth kids who like darkness will figure out some way to improve the storminess without raining on everyone else's parade.

11.punctilio-a fine or petty point of conduct or procedure.

-They will not part with the least punctilio in their opinions and practices.

12.metamorphosis- A transformation, as by magic or sorcery.
-Metamorphosis into a salmon fisher?

13.raconteur-a person who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way.
-He is a born raconteur, lover of life, communicator.

14.sine qua non-something absolutely indispensable or essential.
-Sine qua non condition for the existence of the two identities.

15.quixotic-exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.

-Quixotic attempts at self-definition.

16.vendetta-a blood feud in which the family of a murdered person seeks vengeance on the murderer or the murderer's family.

-I don't pursue vendettas or punch people on the nose.

17.non sequitur-an inference that does not follow from the premises.
-But this is little more than a logical non sequitur.

18.mystique-an air or attitude of mystery and reverence developing around something or someone.
-Mystique of directors comes from cinema.

19.quagmire-a soft boggy area of land that gives way underfoot.

-Quagmire of a pitch both teams found it hard to get any rhythm

20.parlous-full of danger or uncertainty; precarious.

-The lebanon situation looks parlous despite an apparent ceasefire.

1. Accolade- (n) award, honor 

- The play received accolades from the press.

2. Acerbity- (n) sourness, with roughness orastringency of taste

- Her acerbity was shown through the sharpness of her eyes.

3. Attrition- (n) a reduction or decrease in numbers,size, or strength 

-Our club has had ahigh rate of attrition because so many members have moved away.

4. Bromide- (n) a person who is platitudinous and boring; a trite saying

-Some bromide about the literary life being as unfair as the normal one may have to do.

5. Chauvinist- (n) a person who is aggressively and blindly patriotic, especially one devoted to military glory

-My male coworkers are all chauvinistswho feel that a woman should stay at home, have children, and certainly not manage a Fortune 500 company.

6. Chronic- (adj) constant; habitual; inveterate; having long had a disease 

-They may become chronic with serious loss of blood.

7. Expound- (v) to explain; to interpret

-An idea first expounded by darwin in on the origin of species.

8. Factionalism- (adj) of a faction or factions; self-interested

-I answered that both groups were suffering from serious defects and advised him to take measures to liquidate factionalism.

9. Immaculate- (adj) free from spot or stain; free from moral blemish; pure; free from fault

-Well, you don't have to keep your house looking immaculate all the time, just in case someone turns up to view.

10. Imprecation- (n) the act of imprecations; cursing

-The great joy of the moment, however, is dancing to music instead of the sound of my own breathing and muttered imprecations.

11. Ineluctable- (adj) incapable of being evaded; inescapable 

-Ineluctable sense of dynamics, which means also his structural control of each work.

12. Mercurial- (adj) changeable; animated; lively

-Mercurial barometer reveals a number of interesting changes.

13. Palliate- (v) to relieve or lessen without curing; alleviate; to try and conceal the gravity if excuses, apologies 

-The primary goal is to help the patient and cure or palliate the disease.

14. Protocol- (n) a supplementary international agreement; the customs and regulations dealing with diplomatic formality 

-We currently have several securityprotocols in place to insure that any sensitive company information is protected.

15. Resplendent- (adj) shining brilliantly; gleaming; splendid

-She looked resplendent in her wedding dress.

16. Stigmatize- (v) to set some mark of disgrace; to mark with a stigma or brand.

-People stigmatize the word "tutor." 

17. Sub Rosa- (n) confidentially; secretly; privately

-The meeting was held sub rosa, due to the sensitive nature of its content

18. Vainglory- (n) excessive elation or pride over one's own achievements, abilities; boastful vanity

-He did not hesitate to flaunt his great personal vainglory in public.

19. Vestige- (n) a mark, trace, or visible evidence of something that us no longer present or in existence

-The mummy had decomposed so badly that only vestiges of the cotton gauze could be seen.

20. Volition- (n) the act of willing, or choosing, or resolving; exercise of willing; a choice of decision made by the will

-He decided to enter rehab of his own freevolition.

1.obsequious- (adj) obedient; dutiful; fawning

- They were served by obsequiouswaiters.

2.beatitude- (n) exalted happiness
- His beatitude was shown when he got accepted into his dream college. 

3.bete noire- (n) a person or thing that one particularly dislikes or dreads
- The presentations were the bete noire and I did not want to do mine. 

4.bode- (v) to be an omen of
-These rain clouds don't bode well for our picnic.

5.dank- (adj) unpleasantly moist or humid; damp and, often, chilly
- The blokes have long dank hair and a laddish look in their eyes.

6.ecumenical- (adj) general; universal: promoting Christian unity throughout the world

- The ecumenical organization preached about Christianity.

7.fervid- (adj) heated in spirit, enthusiasm; intensely hot, burning
- His fervid attitude really got him going he had to sit down and relax. 

8.fetid- (adj) having an offensive odor; stinking
- The fetid woman in the salon really needed to bathe. 

9.gargantuan- (adj) gigantic, enormous
- The skyscraper was gargantuan. 

10.heyday- (n) the stage or period of greatest vigor, strength, success, etc.; prime

- The lawyer had a lot of heyday in his life. 

11.incubus- (n) a nightmare
- The child woke up from an incubusthe other night. 

12.infrastructure- (n) the basic, underlying framework or features of a system or organisation
-Roads and bridges are considered asinfrastructure in the United States.

13.inveigle- (v) to entice, lure, or ensnare by flattery or artful talk; to acquire by beguiling talk or methods
-Her son tried to inveigle her into giving him the money for a car.

14.kudos- (n) honor, glory, acclaim
-Susan gave kudos to Bob for his job well done.

15.lagniappe- (n) tip, bonus, gratuity 
-  The guitar player received lagniappefor a good gig. 

16.prolix- (adj) extended to great, unnecessary, or tedious length; long and wordy
-His prolix speech was over forty five minutes long. 

17.protege- (n) a person under the care of someone interested in his or her career or welfare.
-Under the guidance of his mentor, the young protege was able to achieve success in his field. 

18.prototype- (n) the original or model on which something is based on for formed; someone who serves to illustrate the typical qualities of something 

-The rocket scientist built a prototypeof a rocket he planned on launching. 

19.sycophant- (n) a self-seeking, servile flatterer; fawning parasite
-Hoping to get the best mark in class,the sycophant flattered his teacher at every opportunity. 

20.tautology- (n) needless repetition of an idea

-Critics of evolutionary theory have long argued that the concept of natural selection is a tautology.

21.truckle- (v) to submit or yield obsequiously or tamely

- Don't truckle to unreasonable demands.

22. Accolade- (n) award, honor 

- The play received accolades from the press.

23. Acerbity- (n) sourness, with roughness orastringency of taste

- Her acerbity was shown through the sharpness of her eyes.

24. Attrition- (n) a reduction or decrease in numbers,size, or strength 

-Our club has had ahigh rate of attrition because so many members have moved away.

25. Bromide- (n) a person who is platitudinous and boring; a trite saying

-Some bromide about the literary life being as unfair as the normal one may have to do.

26. Chauvinist- (n) a person who is aggressively and blindly patriotic, especially one devoted to military glory

-My male coworkers are all chauvinistswho feel that a woman should stay at home, have children, and certainly not manage a Fortune 500 company.

27. Chronic- (adj) constant; habitual; inveterate; having long had a disease 

-They may become chronic with serious loss of blood.

28. Expound- (v) to explain; to interpret

-An idea first expounded by darwin in on the origin of species.

29. Factionalism- (adj) of a faction or factions; self-interested

-I answered that both groups were suffering from serious defects and advised him to take measures to liquidate factionalism.

30. Immaculate- (adj) free from spot or stain; free from moral blemish; pure; free from fault

-Well, you don't have to keep your house looking immaculate all the time, just in case someone turns up to view.

31. Imprecation- (n) the act of imprecations; cursing

-The great joy of the moment, however, is dancing to music instead of the sound of my own breathing and muttered imprecations.

32. Ineluctable- (adj) incapable of being evaded; inescapable 

-Ineluctable sense of dynamics, which means also his structural control of each work.

33. Mercurial- (adj) changeable; animated; lively

-Mercurial barometer reveals a number of interesting changes.

34. Palliate- (v) to relieve or lessen without curing; alleviate; to try and conceal the gravity if excuses, apologies -The primary goal is to help the patient and cure or palliate the disease.

35. Protocol- (n) a supplementary international agreement; the customs and regulations dealing with diplomatic formality 

-We currently have several securityprotocols in place to insure that any sensitive company information is protected.

36. Resplendent- (adj) shining brilliantly; gleaming; splendid

-She looked resplendent in her wedding dress.

37. Stigmatize- (v) to set some mark of disgrace; to mark with a stigma or brand.

-People stigmatize the word "tutor." 

38. Sub Rosa- (n) confidentially; secretly; privately

-The meeting was held sub rosa, due to the sensitive nature of its content

39. Vainglory- (n) excessive elation or pride over one's own achievements, abilities; boastful vanity

-He did not hesitate to flaunt his great personal vainglory in public.

40. Vestige- (n) a mark, trace, or visible evidence of something that us no longer present or in existence

-The mummy had decomposed so badly that only vestiges of the cotton gauze could be seen.

41. Volition- (n) the act of willing, or choosing, or resolving; exercise of willing; a choice of decision made by the will

-He decided to enter rehab of his own free volition.

1) Shenanigans: (n) mischief,  trickery

2) Ricochet: (v) to move in this way, as a projectile

3) Schism: (n) division or disunion; the parties so formed

4) Eschew: (v) to abstain or keep away from; shun; avoid

5) Plethora: (n) over abundance; excess

6) Ebullient: (adj) overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, or excitement; high-spirited

7) Garrulous: (adj) wordy, diffuse; excessively talkative in a rambling manner

8) Harangue: (n) intense verbal attack

9) Interdependence: (n) the quality or condition of being interdependence, or mutually reliant upon each other

10) Capricious: (adj) erratic, unpredictable of change

11) Loquacious: (adj) talkative, chattering; to talk much

12) Ephemeral: (adj) lasting a short time; short-lived

13) Inchoate: (adj) not yet completed; not yet developed

14) Juxtapose: (v) to place close together for comparison and contrast

15) Perspicacious: (adj) having keen mental perception and understanding

16) Codswallop: (n) nonsense, rubbish

17) Mungo: (n) a low-grade wool from felted rags or waste

18) Sesquipedalian: (adj) containing many syllables, given to using long words

19) Wonky: (adj) unsteady, shaky, unreliable, boring

20) Diphthong: (n) a vowel sound, occupying a single syllable, during the articulation of which the tongue moves from one position to another, causing a continual change in vowel quality 

Allegory of the Cave Notes

- Socrates is talking to Glaucon

- What we think is real is our interpretation

- Socrates is a hero because he doesn't lead by dictation

- Theme is to determine or show "how far nature is enlightened and unenlightened"

- Glaucon is a prop for Socrates

- Plato is writing this to document Socrates' ideas
- Three stages are belief, understanding, and imagination

- Cave is an illustration of something we deal with

- Everything we know about Socrates' has come from Plato

- The freed prisoner returns and tries to describe what he has seen and gets laughed at because they can't understand what he has seen

Plato's Allegory of the Cave

1. According to Socrates, what does the Allegory of the Cave represent?
- Socrates believes that the cave represents a reality and what we think it is. That it is the only reality we understand.

 2. What are the key elements in the imagery used in the allegory?
- The fire and first seeing the light or the outside which is the actual world, the dark cave, the puppet shadows behind them and that represents false realities, and the prisoners and their chains which ties them to believe that is a reality.

 3. What are some things the allegory suggests about the process of enlightenment or education?
- Plato says that everyone is given the capacity to learn in their soul when they are born.

4. What do the imagery of "shackles" and the "cave" suggest about the perspective of the cave dwellers or prisoners?
- The shackles represent how far we let our thoughts go. The cave represents our imagination and the reality we want to believe.

 5. In society today or in your own life, what sorts of things shackle the mind?
- I think how we see ourselves really shackles our minds. We become harsh on ourselves which makes us wonder how others see us and if we are really good enough.

6. Compare the perspective of the freed prisoner with the cave prisoners?
- The freed prisoner represents someone who steps out of their comfort zone to experience a world unknown. He can't find a way to compare the reality he has to the prisoners reality because theirs is completely different so he turns into a shadow.

 7. According to the allegory, lack of clarity or intellectual confusion can occur in two distinct ways or contexts. What are they?
- One way lack of clarity occurs is when the prisoners decide not to listen to the freed prisoner and try and understand what he is saying. Another way is the prisoners are not able to see actual reality because of the restraints of the chains.

 8. According to the allegory, how do cave prisoners get free? What does this suggest about intellectual freedom?
- Prisoners can only be free by someone who has been freed. (In other words, enlightened by someone who has already been enlightened).

 9. The allegory presupposes that there is a distinction between appearances and reality. Do you agree? Why or why not?
- I think so. I'm all for not judging people before getting to know them but you can get a sense of someone's reality by seeing their style because through fashion, hair, and makeup it is a form of expressing yourself.

 10. If Socrates is incorrect in his assumption that there is a distinction between reality and appearances, what are the two alternative metaphysical assumptions?
- One would be that their is not an actual reality, everyone has their own. The second would be people see what they want to believe.