PamelaVV

I'm glad I have an easygoing teacher, and I'm hoping that means I'll get a good grade on the test. We had 31 objective questions and 1 essay question...and he didn't tell us how he would weight the sections of the test, so that's what we'll find out some time next week, I hope. I had lots of fun talking with my classmates after we were done with the test.=) Some of them were joking (but in a serious way) about their heads exploding. LOL!

One guy who's a security person at the school and is taking classes towards getting a Criminal Justice degree told a joke about Descartes. According to the joke, Descartes was at a bar and had had quite enough to drink, so when he was asked whether he wanted another drink, he said, "I think not," and disappeared. We all laughed and talked about how dead that joke would be with people who are not familiar with Descartes. Chris B. mentioned how much he thinks it kills jokes to have to explain them. But the really sad thing is...I started analyzing the joke (not out loud, mind you!), and decided that the joke's basis is illogical. Since Descartes could have conceived of disembodied existence, his disappearance wasn't really that funny. And saying I think not is a sign that he does think. Okay, that's totally over-analyzed and ignoring some aspects of the joke...but it was kind of funny.

Some of my classmates really aren't enthusiastic about philosophy, but I actually think it's kind of fun. For once in my life, I actually feel like logic is a guiding principle of what's being presented (at least by the teacher...the text is another story). Summer classes are interesting...five days a week, two hours a day, for five weeks. Chris said he's taking a weekend class, too, so he's also there on Saturdays. Good grief! I'm glad my second summer session will keep classes on weekdays. I have to have a break someday! I need time to reflect.

I love to study other things, so I like to have the time to do that. Monday, I borrowed a bunch of philosophy books from the library, but I haven't had time to read them yet. I started one by Francis Schaeffer this evening, but didn't get very far before I ended up deciding to sleep. Now I really should go to bed because there are things to do tomorrow, and a wedding we should be at by four in the afternoon. Speaking of weddings...oh, well, maybe later I'll talk about my theological debate with myself over something.=\

Okay, here's my trend...I seem to end many of my entries by saying that I should get to bed, but that "ending" hardly ever ends up being the end. Useless observation, I guess. But I should end even though I want to say other things.

Oh, at least I can say that I thought the philosophy test was pretty easy. But that's without knowing what grade the teacher will give me. I want 100%!=) We shall see, though.

Well, according to this web site, "Ryle was never quite able to define what a category or category-mistake is," which might explain why I don't have a concrete idea of what he meant. LOL! That's what my problem is...I'm trying to understand concepts that were not ever really explained by the people who came up with them. Something is wrong with this picture. LOL! I really do enjoy my class...honestly. =)

Pamela is poisonous! Induce vomitting if ingested.

N POISON

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From Go-Quiz.com

So...in philosophy, I have a crazy teacher (he's smart, though) teaching us about different theories about the relationship of the mind to the body. Amazingly, one girl was totally unacquainted with basic elements of Hinduism and she was totally horrified that anyone would have any desire to become a part of the World Soul and lose their individual identity as she understands it (not that it was ever explained in those terms). Sheltered, sheltered I've always been...but it's always interesting to me to meet people who've missed things like that. How could you live your life without ever encountering people with that mindset? A Hindu lady sits at the desk behind me and when the teacher asked her about her beliefs as far as the mind and body, she said that, yes, she believes that they are both an illusion and that the soul is the only reality.