Reality, or Simple Perceptions

As I continue to read "Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar," by Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein, I find more and more troubling philosophy topics that are very "grey." One of these topics is the concept of idealism, which is defined as, "the group of philosophies which assert that reality, or reality as we can know it, is fundamentally mental, mentally constructed, or otherwise immaterial." Created by George Berkeley, idealism relates to reality and how we perceive it. To state idealism simply, God portrays objects into our mind, and nothing actually exists. However, there are many holes to this topic.

First off, idealism contradicts with empiricism, with is the idea that we gain knowledge through our senses. Most people can agree with this because for the most part this is true. Through our knowledge we are able to make inferences. The book gives a very good example of this: you see a sheep sheared on one side. Through your observations you know that farmers do not usually shear only one side of the sheep. Therefore, you are able to infer that the other side of the sheep is also sheared. So, if nothing actually exists then how are we able to make observations through touch? Although there are many other questions that can disprove Berkeley's theory, Berkeley has an argument that can not go wrong. He says, that if you try to imagine an object, and you think about the properties of that object, you can only think perceive those properties in your head as an idea. Therefore, he states that since we have no evidence of that object besides that perceptions in our head, it does not exist. This I can agree with, however, I do not agree with the idea that God portrays these objects into our head. So what do you think about this?         

Everything Has a Meaning, At Least According to Leibniz

I have recently began reading, "Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar" which teaches philosophy through jokes that state philosophical concepts quite clearly. While reading, the book introduced to me Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, a rationalist or philosopher who influenced the minds of many people with his ideas. Many of his ideas include religion, stating that everything happens for a reason. As the book states, his theory is the complete opposite of a joke where God is speaking to a man that has recently entered Heaven saying, "It's a bit embarrassing to admit, but everything that happens happens for no real reason."

If everything did happen for a reason, and if somehow the tables were turned and what was supposed to happen didn't, wouldn't we know? Wouldn't there be a series of repercussions resulting from that event? This brought me to the new idea of our own conscience. Throughout the day, we ultimately make our own decisions. We make the decision to wake up at whatever time we please, eat whatever we want when ever we want, and carry out actions of our choice throughout the day until the next. If we make our own decisions, then how is it that there is a more powerful reason behind me buying a small soda at McDonald's rather than a large other than I'm not very thirsty? What is the other reason for a bicyclist getting hit by a taxi other than that the driver was speeding and went through a red? I'm not saying that Leibniz's theory is wrong or that anyone else that is religious and believes in a higher power is incorrect, I simply am just trying to make sense of his approach in a way that I can understand.

A Future On The Line

As I continue to read "Million Dollar Throw" I've learned some very important information. To recap, Nate Brodie has won the opportunity to throw a football for a chance at one-million dollars. Although it appears that he does not have anything to lose, we've learned that the pressure will be on him more than ever. In the beginning of the book we learned that his friend Abby was going through some "rough times." Now I've learned that these "rough times" are about her inability to properly see. Knowing that one of his dearest friends is going blind, I don't think that Nate will be able to deal with the large amount of pressure. After all, he could surely help his friend's health with a million dollars. I believe that Nate is also facing some financial hardships at the moment. This brings me to the question, right before Nate throw's the football will he think about himself or his dearest friend Abby?

New Book: Million Dollar Throw

I have recently began reading "Million Dollar Throw" by Mike Lupica. The story takes place in Valley, Massachusetts where Nate Brodie, a fan of Tom Brady, the star quarterback of the New England Patriots, and a star quarterback for his own team faces difficult situations. So far, Nate has bought a signed football by Tom Brady and was able to enroll himself into a contest for the chance to throw a football thirty yards into a small hole. If he wins the contest and throws the football successfully, Nate would win one-million dollars. Although it may appear that Nate has nothing to lose, there may be more pressure than there appears.
One reason that there may be more pressure than it appears is because I believe that Nate's family is struggling financially. For example, the reason for Nate being able to pay for the whole cost of the football was because he simply did not have enough money. In the beginning of the book, Nate also said that his friend Abby was going through some rough times which could mean that maybe she is struggling financially as well or she may unhealthy. If so, one-hundred million dollars could certainly help that.

Partials by Dan Wells

As I begin to finish up the book Partials by Dan Wells I don't think I have talked much about the setting which plays an important role in the book. The book is set in New York, which in fact is where most apocalyptic stories in movies and books take place. Anyway, what I've noticed throughout the book is that setting helps the reader visualize more easily.

One disappointment I find in a lot of books is the description of the setting. Often there is very little description and when there is it's simply not detailed enough. Although there is quite a lot of dialogue in the book, (which I sometimes struggle with) the details describing the setting keep me reading. For example, "The bridge behind them exploded in a giant fireball, bright enough to sear Kira's eyes even in the cover of the truck. The blast shifted the Coke truck ten feet forward, pushing the fugitives across the asphalt." Because the setting is also in New York I find the book much easier to read. Across the story, several key features of New York are mentioned such as the skyscrapers of Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge. Although the book is science-fiction, mentioning these aspects of things I see everyday make the book more realistic.

As I come towards the end of the book, I hope to see it end just as strong as the beginning. I would recommend this to anyone that loves suspenseful and intricate plot twists.

Partials by Dan Wells

So far in "Partials" by Dan Wells, Kira has discovered a shocking fact about RM, the weaponized virus that the Partials inflicted upon humans. When Kira learned that Madison became pregnant, she was determined to stop the RM virus from killing innocent infants. Working as an intern at the hospital, Kira noticed that blood samples were taken only from the infants that would later die in the proceeding hours. When decided to take a blood sample from her boyfriend, Marcus, to find what the survivors of the RM virus had that the infants didn't, she astonishingly found that everyone was a carrier. Therefore, the reason behind the deaths of the infants was because although their parents were carriers, they however inherited the subliminal disease.

Determined as Kira is, there are still many obstacles in her way. For example, in order to have the greatest chance of curing the RM disease she has to find and study a partial. However, after attacking the humans the partials fled and since then no one has encountered one. Despite this, Kira may still have a chance of encountering a partial. Previously in the book, Kira was nearly killed when a bomb was detonated. What she didn't know was that the "radio installation rigged with a massive bomb" was from the Voice, a group of rebels that left the "grid" when the Hope Act was passed which required girls at a certain age to get pregnant as frequently as possible. Gianna, one of the people that was found in the rubble was part of the voice and was protecting something that wasn't supposed to be found. I think that the voice hasn't just rebelled because of the Hope Act but possibly because they are working with the partials. Hopefully I will find out as I continue to read the book.

Partials: A Story about Survival

I recently have began reading "Partials" by Dan Wells. In the book, a sixteen-year-old named Kira along with several others are some of the only remaining from the war. This war, which was fought between humans and partials, "engineered organic beings identical to humans," that also nearly wiped out the whole civilization using RM, a weaponized virus. Although Kira is safe in the protected area of Long Island the partials still remain a threat. However, there is also another threat besides the partials: The Voice. Ever since the war, not a single infant has successfully been born immune to the virus. In order for there to be a great chance, the Hope Act was created which required women at the age of 18 to become pregnant as frequently as possible. The Voice did not approve and therefore rebelled against the government.

Kira along with several others went on a mission outside the defense grid. On their way, they came across explosions that killed a few. They later found shelter and Owen Tovar, a former Marine Corp. Owen invites them into his house. They begin speaking about the war and eventually the Voice. After speaking about the damages from when he was a Marine and someone asking, "How did you receive those scars?" Tovar says that he was a demolition specialist. I suddenly thought that maybe Tovar could be part of the Voice. He showed much interest in Kira's mission as well as the defense system around Long Island along with knowing much information about the Voices. I predict that Owen is part of the Voice and that he will win Kira and the rests' trust enough so that he becomes a dangerous threat to the survival of the last humans remaining.