Aristotle > Plato
Passed out last night while reading the medieval poem "The Pearl" which was about a dream, so that was CRAAYYZAY. Like super trippy and shroom worthy... crazy foggy symbolic spaces and Jesus and Holy Jerusalem and the Queen of Courtesy and omg kickass.
Studied Japanese in a haze all morning... apparently not enough. I got some of the kanji on the quiz wrong.
Zarek bought me lunch <3 ~squishes~ what a good nephew he is <3<3<3
My Grad Class was, yet again, an orgasmic experience.
Tonight's Fare: Plato, Aristotle and "The Pearl". Thoughts I am left with:
- I'm still irritated at Christian Europe for ossifying what was a more fluid flexible outline.
Seriously guys, IPSE DIXIT? Aristotle would *not* approve. I mean, I am so irritated how people who are original empirical thinkers, and would encourage that sort of exploratory thought, become the norm. Oh, what a great idea! Instead of learning how to think, decide someone else is just completely right about everything and when someone deviates from it, decide to berate them. Greece is awesome. Stop fucking with everything to make it support you, Christianity. ~shakes fist~
- I like creating a system, but, like Aristotle, I can appreciate that that system I construct is subject to change. I looove to make huge overarching generalizations, but I appreciate they are not necessarily true, and if someone proves me wrong, that's okay. I mean, my life is my art sort of and art is supposed to deal with universals, not silly particulars. Aristotle says "Impossible [incidents] that are believable should be preferred to possible ones that are unbelievable" because the point of art is to engage the audience (at least according to him), and if the audience doesnt enter into your phantasy, then how will you ever reach them? I swear so much of my life centers around didactic purposes, so wonder everyone thinks I'm so condescending and pretentious >_>;; but like, I'm learning too? I'm just presenting a draft, something to play with?
- I like that Aristotle takes stock of material reality. I've always been more of a living-on-the-mortal-plain person. Silly Plato, I want to smack him so much xD I can see why the church liked him; he takes "virtue is its own reward" to the nth degree, for serious. On some plane I do agree, because you fabricate your own reality so if you're happy with yourself that's reward enough. But on the other hand, I think Aristotle is way more reasonable about the fact that we need to do things like... *feel* and eat, and interact with our fellow humans. Aristotle has most of Plato's good points,...only less irrritating and cooler xD
- The Symbolic is a delicate structure, which, like a language, is signifiers placed in relation to one another. Now, because these signifiers are arbitrary, their authority really only comes from us choosing to believe in them. I fabricate structures, relationships, etc, and all that keeps them together is the mutual decision with another person to believe that. Of course, the trouble with the symbolic is that... like an order, it's precarious, and I do share the Elizabethan horror of chaos. I dont want my structures to come toppling down. Like Socrates, I will die following the law, even if the agents of it are wrong, because I recognize the value of the law, the structure, the order itself though, because i am a 21st century being, I mean this in a more metaphorical sense of like...inner law; for example my insane clinging to the patriarchal structure that I have accepted and internalized. That's why I love Mrs Lovett... because she defies the system, but has to pay for it. For me, a flawed system is better than utter chaos. I'm more the John Adams than the Thomas Jefferson, let's say xD If there are rules in play, at least you have something to subvert, geez >_>;
- I agree with Aristotle in that we can be informed in our emotions, that art can teach us how to feel. Granted, unlike him, I dont think there are appropriate ways to feel, but I do think it is part of what forms us. Even though I was very young, because I had watched a shit-ton of movies I had a certain understanding of humanity and the way people work that has pretty much remained the same since I was 12 >_>;;;
On another note, I realized I don't like change. I think part of the reason I felt divorced from people in my year is because a lot of them changed a lot. Some for good, some for not as good... but different. There's something uncomfortable about that for me. I think part of the reason I like John and Susan so much is because... I dont feel like they're changed at all since high school. I mean, things are different to be sure, but... *they* havent really changed? Or, if they have, I haven't noticed. I certainly don't feel like I've changed since hchs. Maybe I've excercised different parts that people hadnt seen, but there is no essential difference, I feel. So that's odd.
soba ni mieru death wish no tobira sae mo
atatakai nukumori o kanjiteiru
kimi no na o sotto kuchizusaminagara
ano hi no you ni zutto aishiteageru
Even the door to the death wish that I see close by
I can feel the mild warmth
As I softly sing your name to myself
Just like that day, I'll always give you my love.
Studied Japanese in a haze all morning... apparently not enough. I got some of the kanji on the quiz wrong.
Zarek bought me lunch <3 ~squishes~ what a good nephew he is <3<3<3
My Grad Class was, yet again, an orgasmic experience.
Tonight's Fare: Plato, Aristotle and "The Pearl". Thoughts I am left with:
- I'm still irritated at Christian Europe for ossifying what was a more fluid flexible outline.
Seriously guys, IPSE DIXIT? Aristotle would *not* approve. I mean, I am so irritated how people who are original empirical thinkers, and would encourage that sort of exploratory thought, become the norm. Oh, what a great idea! Instead of learning how to think, decide someone else is just completely right about everything and when someone deviates from it, decide to berate them. Greece is awesome. Stop fucking with everything to make it support you, Christianity. ~shakes fist~
- I like creating a system, but, like Aristotle, I can appreciate that that system I construct is subject to change. I looove to make huge overarching generalizations, but I appreciate they are not necessarily true, and if someone proves me wrong, that's okay. I mean, my life is my art sort of and art is supposed to deal with universals, not silly particulars. Aristotle says "Impossible [incidents] that are believable should be preferred to possible ones that are unbelievable" because the point of art is to engage the audience (at least according to him), and if the audience doesnt enter into your phantasy, then how will you ever reach them? I swear so much of my life centers around didactic purposes, so wonder everyone thinks I'm so condescending and pretentious >_>;; but like, I'm learning too? I'm just presenting a draft, something to play with?
- I like that Aristotle takes stock of material reality. I've always been more of a living-on-the-mortal-plain person. Silly Plato, I want to smack him so much xD I can see why the church liked him; he takes "virtue is its own reward" to the nth degree, for serious. On some plane I do agree, because you fabricate your own reality so if you're happy with yourself that's reward enough. But on the other hand, I think Aristotle is way more reasonable about the fact that we need to do things like... *feel* and eat, and interact with our fellow humans. Aristotle has most of Plato's good points,...only less irrritating and cooler xD
- The Symbolic is a delicate structure, which, like a language, is signifiers placed in relation to one another. Now, because these signifiers are arbitrary, their authority really only comes from us choosing to believe in them. I fabricate structures, relationships, etc, and all that keeps them together is the mutual decision with another person to believe that. Of course, the trouble with the symbolic is that... like an order, it's precarious, and I do share the Elizabethan horror of chaos. I dont want my structures to come toppling down. Like Socrates, I will die following the law, even if the agents of it are wrong, because I recognize the value of the law, the structure, the order itself though, because i am a 21st century being, I mean this in a more metaphorical sense of like...inner law; for example my insane clinging to the patriarchal structure that I have accepted and internalized. That's why I love Mrs Lovett... because she defies the system, but has to pay for it. For me, a flawed system is better than utter chaos. I'm more the John Adams than the Thomas Jefferson, let's say xD If there are rules in play, at least you have something to subvert, geez >_>;
- I agree with Aristotle in that we can be informed in our emotions, that art can teach us how to feel. Granted, unlike him, I dont think there are appropriate ways to feel, but I do think it is part of what forms us. Even though I was very young, because I had watched a shit-ton of movies I had a certain understanding of humanity and the way people work that has pretty much remained the same since I was 12 >_>;;;
On another note, I realized I don't like change. I think part of the reason I felt divorced from people in my year is because a lot of them changed a lot. Some for good, some for not as good... but different. There's something uncomfortable about that for me. I think part of the reason I like John and Susan so much is because... I dont feel like they're changed at all since high school. I mean, things are different to be sure, but... *they* havent really changed? Or, if they have, I haven't noticed. I certainly don't feel like I've changed since hchs. Maybe I've excercised different parts that people hadnt seen, but there is no essential difference, I feel. So that's odd.
soba ni mieru death wish no tobira sae mo
atatakai nukumori o kanjiteiru
kimi no na o sotto kuchizusaminagara
ano hi no you ni zutto aishiteageru
Even the door to the death wish that I see close by
I can feel the mild warmth
As I softly sing your name to myself
Just like that day, I'll always give you my love.