What is truth? Who is to say what is true and what is not? I believe that every pholosophiccal subject is based in truth. Belief is based upon your perception of what is true and what is not. Knowledge is somewhat based in truth because you can know a ton of information but what does it matter if its not true? But what is the definition of truth? Merriam Webster defines tuth as "a judgement, proposition, or idea that is true or is accepted as truth." So, can facts be untrue? A fact is "a piece of information that has objective reality(the state of something being real)."
In a court room truth is supposed to be the basis for every motion, every decision. But just ask any lawyer who is defending a guilty person; theydont want the truth of what happened the night of the murder. If their client told them the truth they would be morally obligated to plead the defendant as guilty. No one would get a lot of money if that was the case.
What if the ideas and facts we have know to be "truth" and have percieved and accepted as truth are all just ideas with no truth in them at all? Take for instance the ninth and smallest planet, Pluto. We all grew up leaning that Pluto was the cold, blue planet farthest away from the sun. Well, as of last year we are all wrong. Pluto is no longer a planet. So it was a "fact" but now its not? The fact has been disproven! Can they do that?
As a Christian you can say that you believe in God and you know he is there because of your faith, but what if He's not. If thats the case; your belief, your true meaning of existance is worthless. A lot of people (myself included) push this thought to the back of their mind becase they are afraid of what is really, actually true. I think it would be scary to discover the truth. What if there is no God, would our standards of living be radically different? Or would we still strive to be the people we currently strive to be?
As I was brainstorming I came up with with this theisis:
Facts are true, beliefs can be true. One can know facts, one can know that they believe something. But one can not know all truth.
Here's the thing, I dont know everything. I dont know hardly anything and that is probably not going to change anytime soon. I really am not sure what the point of beating oneself up over things like the quest to distinguish knowledge, truth, and belief. Everyone has their own opinions and try as you may, you will not change everyone's opinion. As long as you believe what you believe for a just reason, it is your belief and it is correct in your heart. If that's not enough for you, then what, in your opinion, is the point of life?
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
V for Vendetta (2)
In the film V for Vendetta (2006) the writers draw parallels between the film and what is happening in the world now. The writers express their opinions concerning the government and totalitarian societies. V for Vendetta is set in the present in the United Kingdom. The government has been oppressing the people and has transformed into a totalitarian government. Outraged by this, V plots to begin a revolution to bring down the government.
The speaker in this text is V, and his audience is the general public of London who have been wronged by the government. This was not just broadcast on BBC News, it was broadcast on every channel and also on the huge screen in the middle of the city. V obviously wanted to get his message out to anyone and everyone he could. He is speaking to those who have felt suppressed by the government, those who "see what he sees, feels what he feels, and seek what he seeks." We know this because towards the end he says "So if you've seen nothing, if the crimes of this government remain unknown to you then I would suggest you allow the fifth of November to pass unmarked."
The film V for Vendetta was actually based on a graphic novel written by Alan Moore. The tone in the graphic novel's speech is more joking, and a relates the incedent with government to something the people can understand, like being let go from a job. The main point V is tyring to make the the graphic novel speech is that one is responsible for one's government's actions. He is saying that the people who voted for such terrible rulers are responsible because they voted. The tone in the speech used in the movie seems to be more stern. He is more serious about the matter at hand by not really beating around the bush.
V’s Speech to the people of London begins with V using ethos to attempt to establish that he is just like an everyday person. V does this by saying “I do, like many of you, appreciate the comforts of the everyday routine, the security of the familiar, the tranquility of repetition…” He lets the audience know that he is no better than any of them. This is where V first connects with his audience so he can later persuade them to join him and accept his point of view.
V uses logos in the sentence claiming V’s suspicion of how the government will be reacting by stating assumed facts and evidence against the government to attempt to get the people of London on his side. I say “assumed facts and evidence” because a government has routine ways of reacting to a given situation. If you take into account precedents and what is actually happening in the movie, V is correct and therefore presenting facts. V and his audience may not know they are facts but by using dramatic irony, we the audience know something the characters do not. That is how i justify that statement as being a fact. By saying “while truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power,” V is appealing to the intellect of the audience by giving them a bit of something deep and profound. He uses evaluation in the last sentence by questioning the upstanding in the country.
By listing the words like "cruelty" and "opression," V uses pathos to appeal to the audience’s emotions. By describing the life the citizens of London live, and the feelings that they deal with, V is trying to make the people see the rights the government has taken from them and how wrong it is. In the fourth and fifth lines V says, “Well certainly there are those who are more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable.” He is using evaluation to put the blame on those “more responsible.” V also uses a forensic argument to identify “the guilty” and is pointing a finger at the hoi polloi.
The speaker uses pathos by talking aobut hope to appeal to the audience’s emotions, reminding the public of the reason for remembering the 5th of November. He is saying that he knows why they are afraid and he understands. He is trying to put himself on a level where the audience can trust him, where they can identify with him as a leader. In the last lines of this paragraph V uses a forensic argument to question the morals of the general public. He questions their actions as they gave the Chancellor their “silent, obedient consent.”
The main purpose of this speech is to reach out to those hurt by the government, those like V, and let them know that it is no longer acceptable to sit back and let it happen. He uses various modes of persuasion to get the audience to join him on the Fifth of November.
The speaker in this text is V, and his audience is the general public of London who have been wronged by the government. This was not just broadcast on BBC News, it was broadcast on every channel and also on the huge screen in the middle of the city. V obviously wanted to get his message out to anyone and everyone he could. He is speaking to those who have felt suppressed by the government, those who "see what he sees, feels what he feels, and seek what he seeks." We know this because towards the end he says "So if you've seen nothing, if the crimes of this government remain unknown to you then I would suggest you allow the fifth of November to pass unmarked."
The film V for Vendetta was actually based on a graphic novel written by Alan Moore. The tone in the graphic novel's speech is more joking, and a relates the incedent with government to something the people can understand, like being let go from a job. The main point V is tyring to make the the graphic novel speech is that one is responsible for one's government's actions. He is saying that the people who voted for such terrible rulers are responsible because they voted. The tone in the speech used in the movie seems to be more stern. He is more serious about the matter at hand by not really beating around the bush.
V’s Speech to the people of London begins with V using ethos to attempt to establish that he is just like an everyday person. V does this by saying “I do, like many of you, appreciate the comforts of the everyday routine, the security of the familiar, the tranquility of repetition…” He lets the audience know that he is no better than any of them. This is where V first connects with his audience so he can later persuade them to join him and accept his point of view.
V uses logos in the sentence claiming V’s suspicion of how the government will be reacting by stating assumed facts and evidence against the government to attempt to get the people of London on his side. I say “assumed facts and evidence” because a government has routine ways of reacting to a given situation. If you take into account precedents and what is actually happening in the movie, V is correct and therefore presenting facts. V and his audience may not know they are facts but by using dramatic irony, we the audience know something the characters do not. That is how i justify that statement as being a fact. By saying “while truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power,” V is appealing to the intellect of the audience by giving them a bit of something deep and profound. He uses evaluation in the last sentence by questioning the upstanding in the country.
By listing the words like "cruelty" and "opression," V uses pathos to appeal to the audience’s emotions. By describing the life the citizens of London live, and the feelings that they deal with, V is trying to make the people see the rights the government has taken from them and how wrong it is. In the fourth and fifth lines V says, “Well certainly there are those who are more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable.” He is using evaluation to put the blame on those “more responsible.” V also uses a forensic argument to identify “the guilty” and is pointing a finger at the hoi polloi.
The speaker uses pathos by talking aobut hope to appeal to the audience’s emotions, reminding the public of the reason for remembering the 5th of November. He is saying that he knows why they are afraid and he understands. He is trying to put himself on a level where the audience can trust him, where they can identify with him as a leader. In the last lines of this paragraph V uses a forensic argument to question the morals of the general public. He questions their actions as they gave the Chancellor their “silent, obedient consent.”
The main purpose of this speech is to reach out to those hurt by the government, those like V, and let them know that it is no longer acceptable to sit back and let it happen. He uses various modes of persuasion to get the audience to join him on the Fifth of November.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Myself? (1)
Describe yourself (at least 100 words): Anything about personality, goals, shortcomings, and interests. Include a photograph.
My name is Lauren Alyssa Brown. I'm pretty outgoing. I like people, I’m a people person. I have one sister, Londyn. She's five and she's pretty crazy. My parents, Dennis and Chetta, separated last April. My mom gave my sister and I a dog for Christmas. I wanted to name him Megatron but my mother said that Sugar would be better, whatever.
When I try to plan ahead I get nervous. I don’t like how things are so apt to change. It scares me how one minute you can have this huge elaborate plan that seems perfect, and the next you could be standing in the rain, completely lost, with all those plans down the drain. I don’t like to look into the past much either. I see the past as it is, it has already has happened and you cannot do anything to change it. Why would you sit there and mull over what you could have done or what you should have done.
I want to be successful. I don’t really think that I'm really great at anything in particular. I am fairly good at a bunch of different things but I don't see myself standing out in one particular field. When I graduate I plan to go to LSU and study there. I don't really know what I want major in or what I want to do after college. I believe trying to figure that out and get a set plan for it is pointless. The way I see it is I’m just going to change my mind a dozen times so why not just wait a little. One thing I could see myself doing is helping people. I would like to be a psychologist. I’ve gone through some hard stuff in my life (I’m not trying to make myself sound like a martyr) and I think that that could help me in that profession. I also like to read but not many jobs will hire you for that. I guess the future will work itself out on it's own time.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am a very studious person and school means a lot to me. I just don’t obsess about stuff like that. I have better things to waste my worries on.
As I said before, I like to read. I also like to hang out with my friends and my boyfriend. His name is Jesse and he is 4 years older than me. That freaks my parents out but my mom likes him. My dad doesn’t and I’m pretty sure he never will but that’s his problem. I just like having fun and being happy.
My name is Lauren Alyssa Brown. I'm pretty outgoing. I like people, I’m a people person. I have one sister, Londyn. She's five and she's pretty crazy. My parents, Dennis and Chetta, separated last April. My mom gave my sister and I a dog for Christmas. I wanted to name him Megatron but my mother said that Sugar would be better, whatever.
When I try to plan ahead I get nervous. I don’t like how things are so apt to change. It scares me how one minute you can have this huge elaborate plan that seems perfect, and the next you could be standing in the rain, completely lost, with all those plans down the drain. I don’t like to look into the past much either. I see the past as it is, it has already has happened and you cannot do anything to change it. Why would you sit there and mull over what you could have done or what you should have done.
I want to be successful. I don’t really think that I'm really great at anything in particular. I am fairly good at a bunch of different things but I don't see myself standing out in one particular field. When I graduate I plan to go to LSU and study there. I don't really know what I want major in or what I want to do after college. I believe trying to figure that out and get a set plan for it is pointless. The way I see it is I’m just going to change my mind a dozen times so why not just wait a little. One thing I could see myself doing is helping people. I would like to be a psychologist. I’ve gone through some hard stuff in my life (I’m not trying to make myself sound like a martyr) and I think that that could help me in that profession. I also like to read but not many jobs will hire you for that. I guess the future will work itself out on it's own time.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am a very studious person and school means a lot to me. I just don’t obsess about stuff like that. I have better things to waste my worries on.
As I said before, I like to read. I also like to hang out with my friends and my boyfriend. His name is Jesse and he is 4 years older than me. That freaks my parents out but my mom likes him. My dad doesn’t and I’m pretty sure he never will but that’s his problem. I just like having fun and being happy.
I guess that’s all I really want in life, to be happy.
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