Jump to content

Menu

Sophie's World


Recommended Posts

My ds is reading Sophie's World and recommended that I read it. I don't think he has recommended a book to me in years. This one isn't even written by Palahniuk, and it was an optional book. We discussed the allegory of the cave last week. He was explaining Plato to me. :eek: I read and debated Plato way before this child was born. I am excited to see the spark of questions in him.

 

Remember when you first "discovered" philosophy?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

... and I share his enthusiasm. I'm unearthing answers to lots of questions. And I'm truly enjoying the process.

 

I have that book on my shelf, but haven't cracked it open yet. The Teaching Company's Great Minds course and Russell's texts are gobbling up the few-n-far-between minutes that I personally have to devote to the topic.

 

I honestly suspect that single itch has been the thing that has made me particularly edgy for the past few months.

 

Question please - if you would...

It seems to me (and I REALLY am not sure about this so ANY input that you have would be appreciated)... it seems to me that a study of history, literature, and government that HANGS solidly on the study of philosophy is the most efficient method of working through the rhetoric stage. It seems like philosophy is the strongest spine - the jumping off point for the other topics (history, literature, government, art, music, etc). But it seems to receive only casual treatment from most (scope and sequence, programs, etc) resources that I have - sort of a "oh - and by the way....," but to me it seems like those guys, their ideas, the way their ideas were poured into their societies and either rejected or embraced along with the intensity of that acceptance or rejection (which seems to propel governments, literature, the arts, etc) - THAT seems to be the pegs upon which the rest of this hangs. Master those pegs. Understand their chronology and the "stuff" of which they are made - and I'm starting to suspect that the rest of these folks and their work will SO much easier to absorb, filter, and digest.

 

But is this just me? Is it just the work of a sciencey-kind of mind that wants to convert everything into a work-able model? Am I crazy?

 

Is it too, too much to expect of a teen to appreciate ANY of this? Am I just fascinated by this because it MEANS something to a 40+ year old gal who has been immersed in Western Civ for almost ten years. Sometimes I am just SO aware of the bubble-stage of life that I'm in right now. And I just DON'T trust the bubbliness of it. (Meditation without application can lead one astray.) I study. I read. I learn. I dig and study some more. I seem to never tire of it. Then I interact with my kids. I try to teach very difficult things that it took me years of patient application in order to unearth. I fear that it might be too much for them, but they just take it in as if it were no biggie. "Oh. That makes sense." They spit it back. "Neat, mom. That's cool. So that means that....." They have it - no struggle. And therefore no particular wonder about all of its implications. It's just more grist for their mill. And they seem to incorporate it into their system with no issues.

 

I suspect that they really are just so much smarter than I am.

 

Here's the big issue though. TIME.

 

I just can't shake the notion that this philosophy "stuff" is important. It counts. There should be time for it. Because it seems to be the core of what I'm trying to share with them. But all of these other "high-schoolie" things seems to take so much darn time.

Which book have you read?

Which historical event have you studied?

Have you written out your vocab cards?

Have you finished that essay?

You have a Biology test on Friday... and a Spanish quiz on Thursday... and we are a week behind in Geometry.... and twelve pages behind schedule in your grammar workbook.

All of those things are important in a "sea" of important things.... this muddle of objectives and goals and "importanty things." The things that require years of patient application in order to master. I KNOW that they are important. We do them.

 

I guess I'm just frustrated by the looseness of the many, many bits of things to be mastered - another story.

 

Back to my questions of importance....

WE DON'T HAVE TIME to discuss Greek Worldview and the role that Euripides played in challenging gender roles... (I KNOW because I'm doing it any way - and it PUTS US BEHIND!!!!!!! The bits that are floating around in the "high-school" intellectual soup start screaming at me!!!)

 

We don't seem to have the time to talk about the climate that occurs when you live in a society that is fighting AND losing a war (Athens vs. Sparta) even though you are convinced that you are the good guys. What makes a good guy good? What makes a bad guy bad? What is it like to be a Rousseau? And was Euripides like Rousseau? And don't you have to deal with the pit of notions that Plato interacted with if you are going to ramp up to the Republic? And shouldn't you at least take the time to touch on the way you FEEL about Medea after she goes through with her plan for revenge? Why are you disappointed with her? Why is it that Achilles was a victim and receives your pity, but Medea is the object of your disappointment in the human condition? There is more going on here than just gender, isn't there? What role does the chorus play? And what does the chorus represent?

 

Good stuff.

It seems like it is worth our time.

 

But it puts us behind.

 

 

AND I have no one to bounce THAT issue around with - the time issue.

No one wants to talk about it with me.

They shrug. And say, "I never learned any of that."

They wait

for me to draw the conclusion... "so therefore it must not be important."

They seem sure of that.

But edgy as they wait for me to agree....

 

So time problem solved....

Right?

don't bother.

Just do high school biology.

And get an A - that matters.

 

Understanding the human condition

and the human-heart

that

always

wants

its

own

needs

met

first

 

is for later.

 

 

 

Or never.

 

So what do you do? I never studied this, so now that I'm beginning to uncover it, I truly understand how much it was missed.

I was (and still am) thirsty for it.

 

But maybe it isn't for the young.

 

Did YOU understand it when you interacted with these ideas? Did it mean anything? Or was it just more ya-da, ya-da, ya-da dumped on you by the "adults?"

 

Thanks for your input!

Truly thanks.

I'm so hungry for SOMEONE to tell me that I'm not crazy for trying here.

 

 

But willing to accept the judgement that I am.

That it needs to be set aside - for more efficient things.

...because it really isn't important.

 

Peace,

Janice

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll get back to you. We spent a fall reading Sophie's World and I felt the same way (or at least, as far as I can tell by my quick scan of your post). I also feel like we've been pretty successful at not letting this high school stuff get in the way of education. So the short answer is: no you are not crazy, and yes, it is well worth it.

-Nan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My oldest is taking Intro. to Philosophy at our local university (concurrently as a 12th grader). He is absolutely loving it! Several years ago I taught all 3 years of World Views of the Western World in which philosophy played a huge part. He didn't take my class because he was too young at the time, but I kept encouraging him to study philosophy knowing he would really like it. I think he viewed my mere suggestion as meaning that it would entail a lot of work for him :-). I did 'require' him to take the philosophy course this spring and it is his favorite class. So, mama knows best after all!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...