A Classmate I'm Thankful For

A classmate I'm thankful for is Victor Kong. As I have known since gym class sophomore year, Victor is a funny and sometimes eccentric person. In philosophy he always makes interesting connections to things I wouldn't have thought of. Whether it's sharing his apparently extensive knowledge of superheroes or discussing teletubbies, Victor's comments never fail to entertain me. Even though they can be a little off topic at times, his comments make me laugh and bring something different to the discussion. So thanks Victor, for improving our knowledge on random topics and making philosophy class an even more interesting place to be.

A Direction the Class Needs

I really enjoy this class and the discussions we have. They are relevant and thought-provoking, and I always get something out of them. Similarly, the books we read are interesting and help spark interesting discussions. Although some might disagree, I like group work because it helps me get a different perspective on certain issues in the book, or reminds me of things I forgot. But the blogs can be kind of a mixed bag, depending on the topic or question. Sometimes I just don't have much to say on whatever the topic might be, and other times it makes me think more in-depth about it. Overall I guess it is good because I have time to think about and process what we discuss in class, before sharing my opinions. The only big problem I have with the class is that it's right before my 8th period lunch, so that's mostly what I'm thinking about. It can be a little hard to focus. If it were any other class, though, paying attention would be much harder. Because the discussions really are worth being part of, I try to stay alert. This class gets an A in my book.

Voltaire and Camus - Who would they vote for?

The philosopher-writers Voltaire and Camus both had developed political views, sometimes with overlap. Both of them tended to lean left. Voltaire criticized most authority figures during his time, because he was strongly against the aristocratic system that much of Europe was governed under. He was a friend of Ben Franklin and supported the American system of government. But that doesn't tell us whether he would vote Republican or Democratic today. Because he was against the aristocracy, who were handed their power and money from their parents, I don't think he would vote for Mitt Romney. Romney's father was governor of Michigan and made a lot of money. Sure, Mitt started his own business and made money for himself, but he had a head start. Voltaire would support Barack Obama because he was progressive for his time, and if he were alive today he would vote for the Democratic Party.
Camus leaned left in politics, which leads me to believe he wouldn't vote Republican. The question is, would Camus vote at all? There's a possibility that he would be too estranged with the system, because he encouraged revolt.