Stranger Meaning

In The Stranger, Meursault seems to live a pretty boring, meaningless life. It's a simple life, but he never seems to despair. In fact, he seems quite content with the way his life is going. I think we all can find happiness in the small things. Though the daily grind can sometimes be monotonous, there are a couple ways I try to make it more enjoyable. One way to do that is by laughing. Joking around with friends and having fun just makes the day so much more worthwhile. I also find myself thinking towards the future to get through the day. Like where I'll go to college, or where I'll live as an adult, whether in Chicago, somewhere in the U.S., or abroad. I like traveling and learning about places, so I like the idea of living out of state next year. Looking to the future is a way of saying, sure it might be boring now, it'll be better soon. This might not be a great mindset if it doesn't change eventually, because then I won't ever be happy with where I am, I'll always be looking towards the next thing. I don't really see that being the case in the long term though.

Candide's Punishments: Do They Fit the Crime?

Candide faced extreme hardships throughout his journey, especially for someone so innocent, who had been sheltered for so long. He's conscripted into the Bulgarian Army and brutally beaten. He's caught in a shipwreck on his way to Portugal, and when he finally reaches the shore there's an earthquake, and soon after he's flogged for being a philosopher (while Pangloss is hanged). At this point, Candide hasn't done anything wrong. His only crime was being pure and naive, which maybe led him to not see the consequences of being with Cunegonde. Cunegonde is really what gets him into trouble throughout he whole story. She's the reason he was kicked out of the castle and the reason he killed three people. I don't think his punishments were justified, because he only meant the best in each situation. The first two people he killed actually had done some pretty bad things. The third, Cunegonde's brother, was someone who was entrenched in the old ways of European hierarchy, and who got his position because of his looks. That doesn't mean it was okay to kill him; but it symbolizes getting rid of the old oppressive system.

How Do I Know What I Know?

Going back to the most basic knowledge one can have, Rene Descartes came up with the idea "I think, therefore I am." Because I am conscious I know I exist. Though we don't question our existence in everyday life, if you do it can get pretty confusing. So I say it's better (for this question at least) to stick to more concrete ideas. For example, how do I know simple things like stealing is bad? The easiest answer would be that this was taught to me by my parents and by society. But do all people need to be taught this? Sure, some people would (and do) steal regardless of what they were taught. But some people might naturally see it as wrong. If I had never been specifically told stealing is bad as a kid, I still think I wouldn't have done it. And if I had stolen something, maybe I would have learned from experience and seen the reaction of whoever it belonged to, and I would realize that it made them unhappy, so I shouldn't do it. Then again, there is the question of the concept of property. In order to steal, things have to belong to someone. If we weren't taught the concept of property, we couldn't learn through experience that you shouldn't steal because you don't believe the object belongs to them, regardless of what they believe.
Another interesting question is how do I know my parents really are my parents? Most young children, even if adopted, don't question this. They believe that the people who raised them are their parents, much like how a newly-hatched duckling believes the first living thing it sees is its mother (whether that's really true or not is another question). As we get older maybe we do see similarities between us and our parents, either in how we look or act or both, and that seems to confirm it. But if you think about it, if you're 'parents' have been saying since day one you have dad's nose, or mom's eyes, you're bound to believe it whether or not it's true, as long as it's not too long of a stretch. I'm not saying that parents have some sort of conspiracy going to make you believe you're their biological child, but it's an interesting way to look at how we get some of our very first knowledge.

The Unexamined Life/Modern Gadfly

"The unexamined life is not worth living."  -Socrates

Many people in modern society breeze through life without stopping to consider what they're really doing or contributing. Some are handed opportunities through parents or other connections and coast on that, even if it's not something they're particularly fulfilled by. A high-paying job is sometimes enough to get rid of much motivation to examine what good you've done in your life, and what significance your life has had. This can be true for the non-wealthy too. Everyone should consider what they have done to improve the life of someone else. If providing for your family and being a good husband/dad or wife/mother is all you can offer, that is enough.This isn't to say that those who haven't contributed shouldn't be alive, but should reconsider their ways and try to turn around.

Someone who has examined their life, a modern Socratic gadfly, if you will, is filmmaker Michael Moore.His movies have brought into question major societal issues such as 9/11, the American healthcare system, the Iraq War, large corporations, and globalization. These movies are meant to create to controversy. They are supposed to stir up people's emotions to try to bring change to systems portrayed as flawed. Socrates took the same strategy to bring the Athenian elite to reality. Much like the modern-day example I mentioned earlier, these elite families cared mostly about their own well being and power. Socrates helped the younger generations of these families to question their situation through his method of questioning.

My Eulogy

     

     We have gathered here today to remember our dear friend Miles, who, due to a recent accident involving a bike and a cliff, is no longer with us. But before he met his demise, Miles was someone who often thought of others before himself, which made him a caring friend and person in general. He believed in doing what is morally right to help those in need and in being a good steward to the planet. If he had had the chance, I can envision Miles doing his part to “save the world,” so to speak, by, for example, helping people in third world countries get clean, renewable electricity by providing them with the technology and tools they would need. Though maybe a bit of an idealist in how difficult saving the world might be, he had only the best intentions. Though his passing is, of course, tragic and premature, we at least can say it happened doing something he loved. He was always biking or running (on his school’s cross-country team) and had been training for his first triathlon. This adventurous spirit led him to do things like 1,000 mile bike trips around Lake Michigan, or spend a month in Costa Rica to speak Spanish and do community service. If he could have, in a perfect world, he would have long ago packed up and headed out into the world to travel, see new things, experience new cultures, try new foods. Though maybe sometimes seen as quiet and reserved on the outside, this spirit of adventure, this drive to experience new things and do good was what actually defined him.