Throughout the class, I think my reality was constructed in some way. This class opened my eyes to many issues such as patriotism. I did not realize what the exact definition of patriotism was until we discussed it. It should me how much the war has impacted people's patriotism. I don't think anyone can really leave this class not changed unless they did not listen to anything people said or wrote on their blogs.
Constructing your own reality has a lot to do with the people around you. For example, morality. When I was younger, my parents had a major influence on what I considered morally right and morally wrong. However as I got older, I was exposed to more people's views on morality. Therefore, those people changed my views on morality slightly.
Yes, I know when you get older it harder to change things such as morality because people are still set in their ways. However, I believe that people change in small little indiscreet ways as they get older. I think that people's realities aren't fully constructed until the day they die. Everything is changing everyday and so does our reality to an extent.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Other People's Book Presentations
Hearing other people's book reviews made me realize the variety of topics under "Constructing Reality." Two books intrigued me in particular.
The first book was Nikki's book review book,Forbidden Religions. The topic of religion interests me already but hearing about a book that has many essays on religion sounded interesting. Religion is a topic that interests me because I am somewhat religious. I like exploring other religions to see their customs and compare them to my own.
Another book that interested me was Katherine's--the book by C.S. Lewis. Reading C.S. Lewis a lot two years ago in my junior year of high school, I realized how much I liked his books. What an intrigued me about this book in particular was that C.S. Lewis was not able to finish it before his death. I like how his friends wrote endings that they thought C.S. Lewis would write.
Compared to last semester's book reviews in The Nature of Human Nature, the books people read in Constructing Reality seemed more exciting to me. Maybe it was because I related more to the topics in the books that people discussed in Constructing Reality than in The Nature of Human Nature.
The first book was Nikki's book review book,Forbidden Religions. The topic of religion interests me already but hearing about a book that has many essays on religion sounded interesting. Religion is a topic that interests me because I am somewhat religious. I like exploring other religions to see their customs and compare them to my own.
Another book that interested me was Katherine's--the book by C.S. Lewis. Reading C.S. Lewis a lot two years ago in my junior year of high school, I realized how much I liked his books. What an intrigued me about this book in particular was that C.S. Lewis was not able to finish it before his death. I like how his friends wrote endings that they thought C.S. Lewis would write.
Compared to last semester's book reviews in The Nature of Human Nature, the books people read in Constructing Reality seemed more exciting to me. Maybe it was because I related more to the topics in the books that people discussed in Constructing Reality than in The Nature of Human Nature.
The Case For A Creator
The Case For A Creator by Lee Strobel discusses scientific evidence that points towards their being a Creator, God, as I mentioned in class on Monday. It was an interesting read but was not too convincing in my opinion. Reading it as a Christian myself, I thought that maybe it would be easier to understand Strobel's points. However, it was not. It made me really confused by the end. I didn't understand that how all these scientific theories were so called "incorrect" proved that there is a God. Maybe the theories are just wrong and that's that. What was even less convincing was how the theories are still in biology textbooks. If they are in the textbooks doesn't it make them true?
The set-up of the book makes the book less convincing too (in my opinion). By focusing too much on what the interviewees are wearing and their credentials, it takes away from the point that Strobel is trying to make.
Despite me not agreeing with the book, I think it something to read if someone is interested in the relationship between science and faith. For me, this book taught me that science and faith are still separated whether people want to admit it or not.
The set-up of the book makes the book less convincing too (in my opinion). By focusing too much on what the interviewees are wearing and their credentials, it takes away from the point that Strobel is trying to make.
Despite me not agreeing with the book, I think it something to read if someone is interested in the relationship between science and faith. For me, this book taught me that science and faith are still separated whether people want to admit it or not.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Is God completely human construction, partially human construction or not human construction at all
Showing by the poll from our class, 7 people believed that God is solely a human construction, 6 believed that God is partially human construction, and 2 believed that it is not human construction at all. When deciding which "item" was in which category, I had a hard time putting some of the "items" in one group. It was hard because one minute I would think that an "item" does not involve human construction where the next minute I questioned myself and believed that the "item" was partially human construction. When deciding which group God went into, I had a hard time.
Being a Christian myself, at first I instinctively thought that God did not involve human construction. God created himself therefore humans did not construct Him, right? Well, then I thought that humans could partially construct him. Yes, they did not create his being but I feel as if humans created His name in a way. I think that humans gave God His name in order to give a name to this greater being that created everything. Even after considering that option, I considered that humans constructed Him completely. I questioned putting God in that category for a second because I tried to understand the atheistic point of view--God does not exist and humans just claim that he does; therefore, humans completely constructed him.
After all the pondering, I decided to put God in the partially human constructed category. To me, this felt like the "safest" category to put God in. It was the "gray" area in this situation. Putting all the twelve items in the groups was really hard. Even when discussing the reasons people put an "item" in a certain group, I began to question which group I put each item in.
Being a Christian myself, at first I instinctively thought that God did not involve human construction. God created himself therefore humans did not construct Him, right? Well, then I thought that humans could partially construct him. Yes, they did not create his being but I feel as if humans created His name in a way. I think that humans gave God His name in order to give a name to this greater being that created everything. Even after considering that option, I considered that humans constructed Him completely. I questioned putting God in that category for a second because I tried to understand the atheistic point of view--God does not exist and humans just claim that he does; therefore, humans completely constructed him.
After all the pondering, I decided to put God in the partially human constructed category. To me, this felt like the "safest" category to put God in. It was the "gray" area in this situation. Putting all the twelve items in the groups was really hard. Even when discussing the reasons people put an "item" in a certain group, I began to question which group I put each item in.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Noise Vs. Music
What is the distinction between noise vs. music. Is it simply that noise is unpleasant sound and that music is a pleasant sound? I don' t think the distinction is like that. I think the distinction between noise vs. music is complex. The reason I think the distinction between noise and music is complex is because not all music is pleasant to someone's ears. Everyone's ears has a different way or determination what sounds pleasant to them and what doesn't. For example, someone might enjoy the sound a pen clicking while someone else could think that sound is annoying.
Does there need to be a certain percentage of people that find a sound pleasing in order to know the distinction between noise and music? If so, what would that percentage be?
When reading that there is a difference between music and noise, it shocked me in a way. I know that noise usually has bad connotations but I have also heard it is some good contexts. Noise vs. music--hopefully someday there will be a good description of their differences.
Does there need to be a certain percentage of people that find a sound pleasing in order to know the distinction between noise and music? If so, what would that percentage be?
When reading that there is a difference between music and noise, it shocked me in a way. I know that noise usually has bad connotations but I have also heard it is some good contexts. Noise vs. music--hopefully someday there will be a good description of their differences.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Influence of music
How much does much influence you? Is music just something you listen to or has it become a part of you?
I think that music has a lot of impact on society. I think it influences people more than they realize sometimes. People in the music industry have become icons and are role models to people. Whatever the say or do is taken seriously and people try to imitate them. Musicians are not just people who make music; rather, they are people whose make music that can influence people positively and negatively. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
It depends whether this influence is a good or bad thing. If the musician is fighting for good causes and sending out a "good" message then it is good. However, what is a "good" message? To me, a good message things such as acceptance of others and a need for change. Music that suggests the degrading of women though is a negative message. I believe that music such as rap music does this. Yes, some rap songs are not like this but when you watch music videos, all they do is degrade the women.
Overall, I think music has a major influence on society whether we realize it or not. It can influence some more than others but everyone to an extent is impacted by music.
I think that music has a lot of impact on society. I think it influences people more than they realize sometimes. People in the music industry have become icons and are role models to people. Whatever the say or do is taken seriously and people try to imitate them. Musicians are not just people who make music; rather, they are people whose make music that can influence people positively and negatively. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
It depends whether this influence is a good or bad thing. If the musician is fighting for good causes and sending out a "good" message then it is good. However, what is a "good" message? To me, a good message things such as acceptance of others and a need for change. Music that suggests the degrading of women though is a negative message. I believe that music such as rap music does this. Yes, some rap songs are not like this but when you watch music videos, all they do is degrade the women.
Overall, I think music has a major influence on society whether we realize it or not. It can influence some more than others but everyone to an extent is impacted by music.
Music as a Culture
During class on Wednesday, Professor Johnson asked if music was a language? I think that it is. Language is a way for the artists who create it express how they feel. Also, it allows their listeners to see what the artist is thinking and sometimes relate to songs. For example, I have heard of people saying that an artist's music has "saved their life"--changed them for the better, prevented them from suicide, etc. Language is a means of communication. If a music listener has that impact from a certain band then I believe music is its own language. It is a language that people sometimes do not understand but it still is a language. Furthermore, if music is a language I believe it is also a culture.
Cultures are able to communicate through their different languages which is what music does. It allows the musician to communicate to their listeners their feelings on a certain subject through their lyrics and music. Also, music is a culture because of the impact it has on people. For example, I have a friend who is into a music genre called alternative music. A few bands in this genre are Boys Like Girls, Valencia, and Paramore. For her, this type of music has become a lifestyle for her. Most of her friends listen to the music, she meets a lot of friends at the concerts, and she dresses a certain way as a result. As a result, she always wears tight jeans, tight t-shirts, bright make-up, and Converse chucks. People might say that this is just her style of dress, but it is not.
Everyone who is "scene" and has made alternative music part of who they are dresses this way. I think the same goes for goths. They dress a certain way which I think is affected by their taste in music. I do not know much about this for goths. Correct me if I'm wrong. I think that some people clearly can just listen to the music and not dress any differently as a result. However, I think if music becomes a huge part of who they are it affects it to an extent.
Cultures are able to communicate through their different languages which is what music does. It allows the musician to communicate to their listeners their feelings on a certain subject through their lyrics and music. Also, music is a culture because of the impact it has on people. For example, I have a friend who is into a music genre called alternative music. A few bands in this genre are Boys Like Girls, Valencia, and Paramore. For her, this type of music has become a lifestyle for her. Most of her friends listen to the music, she meets a lot of friends at the concerts, and she dresses a certain way as a result. As a result, she always wears tight jeans, tight t-shirts, bright make-up, and Converse chucks. People might say that this is just her style of dress, but it is not.
Everyone who is "scene" and has made alternative music part of who they are dresses this way. I think the same goes for goths. They dress a certain way which I think is affected by their taste in music. I do not know much about this for goths. Correct me if I'm wrong. I think that some people clearly can just listen to the music and not dress any differently as a result. However, I think if music becomes a huge part of who they are it affects it to an extent.
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