by Kris Kokseng
13 November 2012
Discussed Text: Levinas, "Bible and Philosophy" in Ethics and Infinity
Today Doc Garcia talked about two main topics, text and phenomenology. What exactly did I learn about these topics? Doc Garcia explained that philosophy should not begin with ideas in one's head; it should begin from lived experiences. Texts are important because one person can't experience everything. Texts are the experiences of other people written down, and when we think of philosophy we must not only use our own experiences but texts as well.
"La vraie vie est ailleurs(the true life is elsewhere)," said Rimbaud. Levinas states that this true life is no longer utopian because we find a place for it in our thoughts. We "de-center" ourselves and enter the world of what we are reading. As Flaubert said "Live in order to live!" This is why Levinas considers the Bible as one of the great books that he has encountered because not only does it give a possibility but it gives many possibilities of that true life.
Moving on to phenomenology, as we experience things we are living life however this is only the pre-reflective level of phenomenology. A reflection as defined in class is a gaze that goes outside and comes back. As we reflect on our experiences we enter into the reflective level which is living life outside of life.
I had an experience when I was driving a car. I was in the pre-reflective level when I was just driving on "auto-pilot" until a point where I almost hit somebody. That's when I became conscious of being conscious, and being conscious that what I do could really affect others. From reflecting I learned that I had to be more careful when driving. In a sense I was also conscious of others. And as we tackled being a person for others, I always wondered why did I even think or care about others during this experience. Maybe it is just hard-wired into us.
Showing posts with label arthur rimbaud. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arthur rimbaud. Show all posts
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Nigger Horses
by Jango Agustin
13 November 2012
Discussed Text: Emmanuel Levinas, "Bible and Philosophy," in Ethics and Infinity
“Why do we have to see what the others see?” was the question stuck in my head after yesterday’s lecture. At the top of my head, my answer to this would be because I don’t want to be a nigger. The nigger here defined by Arthur Rimbaud as an unproductive man of society bent on making money and money only.
It seems that nowadays, there are a lot of people who become ignorant that there are others living in the world outside their selves. Too busy grinding on with their lives thinking of ways on how to get the biggest income, highest chances of winning bets, or thinking of ways to earn money fast by any means necessary. This can be happening because of the way the world’s system is built and these people are forced to live this way. Although it is sad to say that this way of living is like living the life of a kalesa horse.
Do you know what those eye patch looking flaps on the horses eyes are for?
They are for keeping the horse concentrated on its path and not get distracted by the cars and people passing on both sides.
The kalesa horse is forced by its master to walk whichever direction its master wills it to. It is guided by the reigns connected to its face and then it just moves straight towards that direction. Trained to ignore everything else around it.
This can be the same thing the system does to its people. This also why it is important to break away from time to time, to take a walk. Travel. See the world outside. As mentioned in the lecture, when you travel, you provide yourself with a possibility to recollect and comeback to oneself. This video might prove the point that if ever at some point in your life, you become Rimbaud’s definition of a nigger; you may find that there is a way of redeeming yourself through travelling.
If ever you don’t want to watch the video because the video is 58:47 minutes long. It is about Josh West, a colored man who is a bus driver in London. He visits Mang Rogelio, a jeepney driver here in the Philippines. Josh willingly lives with Mang Rogelio and his family for some time just to experience how it is to be a jeepney driver here in the Philippines. Josh now raises money to send Mang Rogelio’s grandchildren to school.
**There was no racism intended at all. It may come off as satire but if you think about it, the irony is striking and awesome.
13 November 2012
Discussed Text: Emmanuel Levinas, "Bible and Philosophy," in Ethics and Infinity
“Why do we have to see what the others see?” was the question stuck in my head after yesterday’s lecture. At the top of my head, my answer to this would be because I don’t want to be a nigger. The nigger here defined by Arthur Rimbaud as an unproductive man of society bent on making money and money only.
It seems that nowadays, there are a lot of people who become ignorant that there are others living in the world outside their selves. Too busy grinding on with their lives thinking of ways on how to get the biggest income, highest chances of winning bets, or thinking of ways to earn money fast by any means necessary. This can be happening because of the way the world’s system is built and these people are forced to live this way. Although it is sad to say that this way of living is like living the life of a kalesa horse.
Do you know what those eye patch looking flaps on the horses eyes are for?
They are for keeping the horse concentrated on its path and not get distracted by the cars and people passing on both sides.
The kalesa horse is forced by its master to walk whichever direction its master wills it to. It is guided by the reigns connected to its face and then it just moves straight towards that direction. Trained to ignore everything else around it.
This can be the same thing the system does to its people. This also why it is important to break away from time to time, to take a walk. Travel. See the world outside. As mentioned in the lecture, when you travel, you provide yourself with a possibility to recollect and comeback to oneself. This video might prove the point that if ever at some point in your life, you become Rimbaud’s definition of a nigger; you may find that there is a way of redeeming yourself through travelling.
**There was no racism intended at all. It may come off as satire but if you think about it, the irony is striking and awesome.
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