Today is officially the hottest it's been since we have arrived. I feel so sleepy because of this weather! But there is too much to do, there is no time. As you may recall, our first Freedom & Justice paper is due tomorrow, and so I must complete it tonight. Hopefully it turns out okay!
On a different note, today was a bit different from the normal schedule. Professor Kramnick has a family engagement this weekend which requires him to leave town tonight. Instead of having one lecture and one discussion section, today we had a double lecture and tomorrow we will have a double discussion section. Though the lecturing period was rather lengthy, it went by pretty fast because it was on my absolute favorite philosopher of all time. Drumroll, please!
PLATO. (:
To me, he is the king of philosophical thought. Last night's reading was very intense. We had over a hundred pages, so it was a lot to get through. But it was all so interesting. I recommend Plato's Republic to all of you. We should all read some Plato at least once in our life. His thought process will truly amaze you. But, anyways. Because last night's reading was solely Plato's work, today's joint lecture session was all about Plato and Greek political thought.
Today's syllabus...
I. The "Tyranny" of Greece
II. The POLIS and GREEK DEMOCRACY
III. Public, Provate
IV. Plato (427 BC - 347 BC)
V. The REPUBLIC
a. Just PERSON, Just Community
b. Hierarchy
c. Myth of the Metals
d. Idealism
e. Sailors and Captains
f. Sophists
g. Allegory of the Cave
Today's lecture was, without a doubt, the most interesting thus far. I have always been extremely fascinated with Plato and though I have already been experienced to this information previously, Professor Kramnick did his usual twist in communicating the piece's points. He is such an amazing instructor. I wish you all had the opportunity to sit in on one of his lectures.
After our double lecture, we had another guest speaker: Ithaca, NY's City Judge Judith Rossiter. Yes, Judge Judy! Haha. She focused a bit more on law and trial advocacy than our last guest speaker. I am in mock trial, so it felt really nice to already be familiar with the terms she was using. Though her presentation was not as interesting as our last, I enjoyed what she had to say and respected what she brought to our course.
The sun is shining ridiculously bright outside, and the humidity is increasing. I must get to my homework, however. My essay awaits! I will talk to you readers soon. Take care!
- xoxo, Julia.
Julia,
ReplyDeleteYes, Professor Kramnick is an amazing instructor. I am delighted that you are all able to experience and apprciate his abilities. As I read all your posts, I am more and more looking forward to attending his lecture next week.
Your course sounds incredibly rich with all the various presenters Prof. Kramnick has lined up for you.
The humidity is going to be "ever-present" -- so learn to enjoy it as part of the East Coast summer experience.
See you soon.
Julia,
ReplyDeleteI hate to state so publicly but I think Ms. Kronenberg has gone daft on us: enjoy the humidity? I hate to hear what she might tell some of our detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
What I might suggest is that you soak in the atmosphere (you like how I put that together?) so when you return to sunny California you can truly appreciate what you left behind. At the same time you can feel empathy with those that live in that climate year round.
Try to imagine, Julia, how people from parts of Arizona and New Mexico must feel when they visit us here in the Bay Area. By their standards, this must be humid as well. Everything is relative.
I'm curious why you felt that Judge Judy's presentation was not as interesting as those you've heard before. Of course you're entitled to your opinions, Julia, but what was it that made it less worthy of your time? These comparative analyses are useful when making preparations for future classes.