Dr. Sexson,
This, being my first blog, is rather primitive. I wasn't able to create links, post pictures or videos. The only explanation I can give is my advanced age. See the blog below for more of an explanation.
I resisted and resented the idea. Most people on the internet are complete idiots. Why add a voice to the incoherant mobs? The problem with the internet is that everyone is an equal. Anyone can post anything.
I don't want to be a part of that.
But, since it is required by your class, here it is. The only thing I feel bad about is the spelling.
Everything else is genuine.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Group and Individual Presentations
There are far more detailed posts about the group presentations, and the individual presentations done so far. I'd much rather talk about the implications.
Almost every presentation done so far links the theme of the class, "All that is Past Possesses our Present".
The real question is why. Is there some subconcious need to imitate ancient stories? No. The real reason is simply that there are a limited number of stories that can be told. Too many stories, even atempting to be original, will eventually overlap into repitition. Stories today reflect the older more fundemental stories simply becasue our lives are still conducted in somewhat the same manner, and so the variety of those stories being lived still have some connections to Greek mythology and classical literature.
So is my original post now ruined, bogged down in falsehoods?
In a word, no.
The world has changed more in the last 300 years that it has changed in the last ten thousand years. The question is, are those changes simply mechanisms to extend human nature or are those changes capable of modifying human nature?
The question of the digital age.
If human nature is modified by technology, then those fundemental stories will have less and less impact as time goes on. Eventually, they will seem distant and alien and unrelatable to the common man.
If technology simply extends our grasp and our nature, then those stories will seem more and more prevelent.
I hold with change. The advent of digital media, thinking computers is going to fundementaly change the way in which we conduct our lives. If I so chose, I could never have any contact with humans. I could order my groceries online, have them delivered. I can bank online, work online, live online.
Why hasn't this already occured? Why has this change not yet fully come to realization?
Humans resist change. They resist it to the point where they only truly embrace it when it becomes far to obvious to ignore it. It usually takes the new generation to truly integrate new technologies into societies.
So eventually, I do think new stories, ungrounded in classical literature will crop up. I think they're here now. What stories occur when society advances to the point that they lack miscomunication, death, or inequity?
I'm completly unsure.
Thats the thing about truly new things. No one can ever be sure about them.
Almost every presentation done so far links the theme of the class, "All that is Past Possesses our Present".
The real question is why. Is there some subconcious need to imitate ancient stories? No. The real reason is simply that there are a limited number of stories that can be told. Too many stories, even atempting to be original, will eventually overlap into repitition. Stories today reflect the older more fundemental stories simply becasue our lives are still conducted in somewhat the same manner, and so the variety of those stories being lived still have some connections to Greek mythology and classical literature.
So is my original post now ruined, bogged down in falsehoods?
In a word, no.
The world has changed more in the last 300 years that it has changed in the last ten thousand years. The question is, are those changes simply mechanisms to extend human nature or are those changes capable of modifying human nature?
The question of the digital age.
If human nature is modified by technology, then those fundemental stories will have less and less impact as time goes on. Eventually, they will seem distant and alien and unrelatable to the common man.
If technology simply extends our grasp and our nature, then those stories will seem more and more prevelent.
I hold with change. The advent of digital media, thinking computers is going to fundementaly change the way in which we conduct our lives. If I so chose, I could never have any contact with humans. I could order my groceries online, have them delivered. I can bank online, work online, live online.
Why hasn't this already occured? Why has this change not yet fully come to realization?
Humans resist change. They resist it to the point where they only truly embrace it when it becomes far to obvious to ignore it. It usually takes the new generation to truly integrate new technologies into societies.
So eventually, I do think new stories, ungrounded in classical literature will crop up. I think they're here now. What stories occur when society advances to the point that they lack miscomunication, death, or inequity?
I'm completly unsure.
Thats the thing about truly new things. No one can ever be sure about them.
March 28th
Redemptive power of Art
"he turned his mind to unknown arts"
Ars/Artus
Trandsforming the World into Art
Art of Imagination makes the world less cruel
Tragedy-Wasted Youth
*Whats the worste thing that can be imagined
"he turned his mind to unknown arts"
Ars/Artus
Trandsforming the World into Art
Art of Imagination makes the world less cruel
Tragedy-Wasted Youth
*Whats the worste thing that can be imagined
March 21th
The Bacchae
-grace-Gift from God
Gods presense in the world-blind to it
Pentheus-grief, sorrow
Dionisis-Double Door
Thebes-daughters
Agava
Atomoe
Ikow
Semile
DIONYSUS: 'Can you, a mortal, measure your strength against a god?'
Variations on Tragedy: huge Gap between Crime and Punishment
-grace-Gift from God
Gods presense in the world-blind to it
Pentheus-grief, sorrow
Dionisis-Double Door
Thebes-daughters
Agava
Atomoe
Ikow
Semile
DIONYSUS: 'Can you, a mortal, measure your strength against a god?'
Variations on Tragedy: huge Gap between Crime and Punishment
March 7th
Tragedy-emphisis on the individual
comedy-emphisis on the community
"A place for everything" Last Act-a stabalization-marriage-validation of fertility
Laws of Comic Form Pease at the end of play-
Aristophanies-usage of old men-mostly stupid regeneration-second childhood
Aristotle 1) People who are worse-comedy -/tragedy-people who are better
2) Comedy -originates from Phallic Procession
This really gets me thinking about Shakespeare. Even though he seems to use these rules in his plays, he also seems to subvert them in a few diffrent ways. Hamlet, probly the most noted tragic character in English literature, is in many ways better than the average man. Yet, he procrastinates. In pretending to go mad he does go mad. According to those old rules, I don't think you're supposed to feel sorry for those tragic characters. I kind of feel sorry for King Lear, or for Hamlet.
The comedy rules seem to fully apply though.
comedy-emphisis on the community
"A place for everything" Last Act-a stabalization-marriage-validation of fertility
Laws of Comic Form Pease at the end of play-
Aristophanies-usage of old men-mostly stupid regeneration-second childhood
Aristotle 1) People who are worse-comedy -/tragedy-people who are better
2) Comedy -originates from Phallic Procession
This really gets me thinking about Shakespeare. Even though he seems to use these rules in his plays, he also seems to subvert them in a few diffrent ways. Hamlet, probly the most noted tragic character in English literature, is in many ways better than the average man. Yet, he procrastinates. In pretending to go mad he does go mad. According to those old rules, I don't think you're supposed to feel sorry for those tragic characters. I kind of feel sorry for King Lear, or for Hamlet.
The comedy rules seem to fully apply though.
March 5th
Poetry-poesis-to make up
truth-Logos
mytho-logos-mythology
Symposium pg 48 diotima
Symbol-Talley
Poros-contrivance-Love-Penia-Poverty(want)
Plato-immortality of the soul virtue/goodness
Comedy-even a shameful life is better than no life at all
Old Comedy, New Comedy
1% 99%
Aristophanes
disgusting-funny
truth-Logos
mytho-logos-mythology
Symposium pg 48 diotima
Symbol-Talley
Poros-contrivance-Love-Penia-Poverty(want)
Plato-immortality of the soul virtue/goodness
Comedy-even a shameful life is better than no life at all
Old Comedy, New Comedy
1% 99%
Aristophanes
disgusting-funny
Feb 14th
Love-Aphrodite-Venus
Hesiod "that person who makes you weak in the knees"
Eros/Cupid-Watered down version
Aphrodite-Urania-born from Uranus-Pure spiritual love
-Pandemus-Physical Love
hetaera-Courtasans
Prostitution as a religious practice, ritual prostitutes
Illiad book 24-most pwerful generational conflict
As far as love is concerned, let me paraphrase the 20th century's most popular writer: Love is the most boring thing to write about. Love is only interesting if you happen to be the one in love. Hearing about how your friend is in love is agonizingly pointless, especially when you've had to hear it all before.
Not a direct quote, but thats the gist of a section of Stephen King's Wizard and glass. He skipped the old story to get to the new story. We can treat the love portion as understood.
Maybe thats the true benifit of mythology, and classical literature. We can treat all these fundemental stories "as read", using them as a foundation so we can more quickly get on to whatever new stories we want to create.
Hesiod "that person who makes you weak in the knees"
Eros/Cupid-Watered down version
Aphrodite-Urania-born from Uranus-Pure spiritual love
-Pandemus-Physical Love
hetaera-Courtasans
Prostitution as a religious practice, ritual prostitutes
Illiad book 24-most pwerful generational conflict
As far as love is concerned, let me paraphrase the 20th century's most popular writer: Love is the most boring thing to write about. Love is only interesting if you happen to be the one in love. Hearing about how your friend is in love is agonizingly pointless, especially when you've had to hear it all before.
Not a direct quote, but thats the gist of a section of Stephen King's Wizard and glass. He skipped the old story to get to the new story. We can treat the love portion as understood.
Maybe thats the true benifit of mythology, and classical literature. We can treat all these fundemental stories "as read", using them as a foundation so we can more quickly get on to whatever new stories we want to create.
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