Posts

Writing Is For Everyone

-
Image
  I have always lived under the philosophy that anyone can write.   Since I was young, while writing stories with largely copied plots from my favorite movies, I have been in love writing.  It is an art. It was always my art, and I soon came to the realization that art is wholly subjective. Writing is wholly subjective.   Meaning, there is not one way to write.  Image source I find there is a certain elitist ideology that permeates through writing, and when discovering about writers like Dryden and Addison, this idea of elitism remains true. However, it is not secluded to this one specific era in the 18 th century or these two men. The idea of elitism in writing has been passed down through generations. It remains true in modern day academia and sometimes narrative writing. It is the idea that there is only one  correct  way to write. It is the idea that other forms or methods of writing are simply false because a group of elitists deem them so. Here’s the thing: writing comes in seemi
1 comment
Read more

Everlasting Journalism

-
Image
  The beauty of journalism is everlasting.     As an aspiring journalist, I think the most important aspect of a democracy is the freedom of press. The very essence of journalism is to inform the public, and that is something that has been prominent from the 18 th century to now.    Take Spectator No. 62 as an example, Addison informs the public of the difference between true wit and false wit. This aspect of journalism will always remain the same. Informing the public is the most important aspect of journalism.  Let’s talk about the entertaining aspect of journalism. At its core, journalism must appeal to readers. Without readers, journalism would serve no purpose. Both Steele and Addison did this in the Spectator. While newsworthy qualities are the most important, proper turn of phrase in order to best entertain the reader also matters. Although, we must keep in mind journalism's only function is not to entertain us. It is to inform us, but the two aspects can be melded together
1 comment
Read more

Abolitionist or Anti-Slavery?

-
Image
Reading through   Oroonoko , it is difficult to see whether this story is promoting slavery or condemning it. In the story, the narrator is quick to draw attention to Oroonoko’s dark skin, seemingly saying that he could be   perfectly  beautiful if not for his pigment. It is moments like these you cannot help but think,   how could this possibly be condemning slavery when it is promoting racism?   That is when I came to this conclusion: a person can  absolutely  be anti-slavery but still be racist.    I also think it is important to point out there is a difference between anti-slavery and an abolitionist. For someone who was anti-slavery, they might have believed the institution of slavery is morally wrong (which it is). For an abolitionist, they also thought slavery was morally wrong, but they wanted to free the enslaved and incorporate them as equal members of society. A person can be anti-slavery and not believe in abolition. Similarly, a person in modern day can be anti-police vio
1 comment
Read more

Reason and Logic

-
Image
Image source "I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of thought." -John Locke John Locke was revolutionary in the way he viewed humankind. From his education to his political beliefs, it is infinitely clear that this man was wise. The most poignant of Locke’s ideas was that humans possessed the ability to reason. Where other creatures had simple instinct, we had reason which gave us the ability to be logical. Now, we still do have basic instincts much like any other animal, but Locke truly sets us apart with this idea.  Multiple times in class, we have drawn parallels between political unease during the Restoration period and the same unease present-day, and that makes Locke’s ideas that much more palpable. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy said this; “For the individual, Locke wants each of us to use reason to search after truth rather than simply accept the opinion of authorities or be subject to superstition” (Uzgalis).  Seeking the truth through
1 comment
Read more
-
Image
  I have some experience with blogs, but I am not an expert, by any means. So, it was a little daunting when I found out that this class will focus on blogging, but it was certainly something I was intrigued about as well. After going over the reading in the Top Hat textbook, I have been given a new appreciation of blogs, especially within an educational setting. Blogs can be used as a portfolio in ways that assignment turned into a Dropbox cannot be. I think blogs can be a great tool to utilize within education.   Image source Overall, I am proud of majority of my blogs posts. The last post about science and religion can use some tweaking to make it a bit better, but overall, the rest of them are something I am proud of. The only aspect of these blog posts that ever stress me out is figuring out the layout before they are posted. The writing aspect and sharing my writing does not usually affect me in any negative way, but I sometimes can get a little frustrated or stressed with perfec
1 comment
Read more

God of the Gaps

-
Image
"Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge, which is power; religion gives man wisdom, which is control." –Martin Luther King, Jr.  The Celestial City from John Bunyan's A Pilgrim's Progress Sir Isaac Newton believed in a theory called God of the Gaps . In his Mathematical Principles of Mathematical Philosophy , Newton explained the theory like so, “This most elegant system of the sun, planets, and comets could not have arisen without the design and dominion of an intelligent and powerful being... And if the fixed stars are the centers of similar systems, they will all be constructed according to a similar design.” Essentially, God of the Gaps means that any questions or unknown in science places God (or another divine being) as the reason for its existence. The theory describes God as a mystical hand, guiding along inner mechanisms or unexplained phenomena in science. God of the Gaps was Newton’s way of drawing together his two great love
2 comments
Read more

Satirical In Nature

-
Image
  Think of the best writer you have ever read about. Think of a writer that never failed to share what they thought, not matter who it could potentially offend.   This writer would always share their opinions on most topics. This writer would be so professionally esteemed, they would be able to define the terms of  good  writing.  If you thought of a writer that held all of these qualities, you would be thinking about John Dryden. John Dryden exemplified all those qualities above. In his time, he mastered the art of satire so precisely, he was able to define the terms of a  good  satire. As a whole, there are very few writers, in any age, that would be able to hold the authority to properly define a method of writing and be taken seriously. Dryden was one of those writers.  Dryden said that one must be intelligent in order to appreciate satire, and that is true. If someone was scrolling through The Onion, they would have to havesome logical sense to them to know that the article titled
1 comment
Read more