Professor Barnhardt opened with naming everyone in the class. We then introduced a new addition to the analysis group, and the other three groups with seven students will fight over the last new student. Then Professor Barnhardt showed us the location of his office through the use of Google Maps.
Discussion commenced with Contingency, Irony and Solidarity.
A fellow student expressed her feelings over Rorty’s work:
The term ironist is more common now, it was a sign of weakness.
Means someone who knows that words are just words; are placeholders for an inaccessible reality.
In science you want to know the truth.
Reveal something more profound by comparing old stuff with new stuff; reveals a greater truth but not the whole truth.
Nietzsche tried to break down some of the basic/major truths by showing them being misused/dictated
The Greeks had no idea of evil; good = rich, bad = poor
Rorty spoke of the “uberman” - a superman who will rise up and replace bad truths w/ good ones
Proust - artistic; described random characters from all different angles
Heidegger - metaphysician (sort of): stuff on being and time
cannot authentically say what being is
cannot separate “being” from the world
time simply extended from the world
compare philosophers
none of them can be right
discussed the concept of “WE”: where does “WE” end?
Two other students discoursed the following:cannot authentically say what being is
cannot separate “being” from the world
time simply extended from the world
compare philosophers
none of them can be right
discussed the concept of “WE”: where does “WE” end?
Science looks for concrete truth; and is comforting
The Professor’s input (and subsequent responses by fellow students):
Science is predicated on the belief that you can find Truth; that it exists
Most people believe that some people have access to truth
Rorty: the belief that Truth exists, and that language is adequate, is problematic (Descates)
Science is based on theory; problematic because there are always exceptions that can undermine truth
Science and theory: things we don’t actively search for, but that pop up when we’re not looking
What’s worthwhile is coming up with new language, which is worthwhile if it relates to old
Cultural changes don’t happen in an instant; same with language
Racism has existed for a long time, but the language necessary to discuss it has only recently been developed
Babies go for sounds rather than images: an experiment was conducted in which a 2 month old baby was placed with an English speaking African American and a Cantonese speaking White person. The baby appeared to prefer the English speaker.
We tend to talk of history as a series of quick moving events
Our society evolves language based on our needs
Society moves slowly, through small changes
Languages have ways to slowly allow cruelty to filter in, or to draw attention to it.
Prompts
Prompt 1: Summary of Chapters
Prompt 2: Contingency, Irony and Solidarity
List of key points from chapter. Highlights include:
- when a metaphor is created it does not express something which previously existed
- we call something fantasy rather than poetry or philosophy when it revolves around metaphors which do not catch on with other people
A wonderful list (please see research)
List of unfamiliar terms:
- lading list
- pathos
- idiosyncratic
And more
Prompt 3: Bleak House: Foreshadowing and Narrative Structure
HIghlight of foreshadow/metaphor:
Chapter 7: So the mastiff, dozing in his kennel in the court-yard with his large head on his paws, may think of the hot sunshine when the shadows of the stable-buildings tire his patience out by changing and leave him at one time of the day no broader refuge than the shadow of his own house, where he sits on end, panting and growling short, and very much wanting something to worry besides himself and his chain.
“ This might be more symbolic then foreshadowing but I thought this was a good piece
as it shows how the characters are slowly becoming as trapped as the horse is here. They distract themselves from time to time but they'll all wind up focusing their lives on the chancery case just as the horse worries about its chain. Unlike the horse though they appear to enjoy the chain.”
Additional comments?
Character map:
Illiteracy passage: Condescending or insensitive(?) - Dickens may have been trying to get us to empathize with illiterates, but he was rather brash about it. In that time period, only the rich and privileged knew how to read.
When we read we should question our perception of texts: why does this text make us feel sad, or weird, etc?
Reminder:
Read to Bleak House Ch 24 by next time
New style of prompts - group activity
Essay/exam due 9/14
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