read Thucydides.On Justice, Power, and Human Nature and write a HW log about this question : in the time of the plague, what are the signs that society is disintegrating? See the description of the br

Homework Log # 1

Hector feels an obligation to continue to fight on the front line out of pride and an unwillingness to shame the Trojans were he to hang “…back from battle like a coward” (6. 463-466). To fight for such noble causes, both for the honor of his father and people respectively, is quite the admirable trait. Most people would take an intervention such as that of Andromache and listen closely, but Hector weighs his options and deems the pain of potentially losing Hecuba, Priam and many men as secondary to what he would feel if Andromache were enslaved. Hector thereby echoes the previous sentiments of Andromache, who states: “When I lose you, Hector, There will be nothing left, no one to turn to, only pain” (6. 433-436). Homer does a fantastic job of exemplifying the close relationship between the spouses by making it abundantly clear that neither of them would wish to exist without the other.

While the strong feelings Hector has for Andromache are what primarily drives him to continue to fight, there exists an interesting dynamic between his overt devotion to her and his own ego. In the epic, Hector considers himself the best warrior that Troy has to offer and puts his perception in the eyes of the people in the highest regard. Naturally, one would think that it would cause some conflict between him and his wife. However, this proves not to be the case in the slightest. While Hector tends to come off as valuing his own status above all else, his devotion to his wife and son in particular shine through in the narrative. In that regard, the element of conflict exists not between his devotion to his family and his ego, but rather between his passions for excelling in combat and protecting his loved ones and his people from harm. He wishes for his son to grow up to surpass him as a warrior, praying for Zeus to make him “…foremost among Trojans, Brave and strong, and ruling Ilion with might” (6. 501-503). This leaves no doubt to how intertwined his thirst for battle and devotion to his people are; he wishes for them to live so that they may continue Trojan conquest if he cannot.

Works Cited

The Iliad. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company Inc., 1997. Print.

Katie Olives

November 4, 2010

Ladakh Study Question #1

While living in Ladakh, or ALittle Tibet,@ Helena Norberg-Hodge seemed most impressed by the people=s attitudes towards life and other living things. The culture she describes in her book, Ancient Futures: Lessons from Ladakh for a Globalizing World, seems unbelievable compared to WesternCspecifically AmericanCculture. The stories Norberg-Hodge relates to us and the people she encounters are so impressive that we cannot help but wonder what makes the citizens of Ladakh so incredibly different from people around the world?

Norberg-Hodge opens her book describing the harshest of climates in the land of Ladakh. It is the belief that the name ALadakh@ most likely derives from a Tibetan word meaning Aland of mountain passes,@ probably because the old kingdom lies Ain the shadow of the HimalayasY[and] is a high altitude desert, criss-crossed by giant mountain ranges@ (Norberg-Hodge 10). She goes onto explain Ladakh=s weather and climate in more detail, relating that Alife in Ladakh is dictated by the seasons@ (11). The land is Ascorched by the sun in the winterY[and] the entire region freezes solid for eight months in the winter, when temperatures drop to as low as minus forty degrees@ (11).

With such unbearable conditions for most of the year, why is it that the people of Ladakh so downright happy, carefree, and satisfied? As a spiritual people, one might say they benefit from these long winters. Since the conditions are so ridiculous, the people do not do much during the eight-month long winter besides partake in many celebrations and tell folk stories. This also gives them a lot of time for prayer and meditationCmajor parts of the Buddhist lifestyle. It seems that their religion of Buddhism gives them an inner peace. While often Americans are described as busy, pushy, and impatientCfor example, we don=t slow our lives down for snowstorms and constantly complain about weather inconveniencesCthe people of Ladakh seem content with waiting eight months for Mother Nature to finish wreaking havoc. In this way, Buddhism seems to influence the people=s dispositions. In almost no other culture today would a family feel safe, comfortable, and compassionate enough to invite an outsider into their home and have them sit at their table like it was nothing out of the ordinary. As Helena Norberg-Hodge describes that she Afelt at ease with these people,@ it is completely apparent that their religion is simply the core of everything in Ladakh (18).

Works Cited

Norberg-Hodge, Helena. Ancient Futures: Lessons from Ladakh for a Globalizing World. San Francisco:

Sierra Club, 2009. Print.

Brian Webber

Mosaics- Section 70

Dr. Lee

October 6, 2010

Oedipus

In Sophocles= tale, Oedipus, a city is confronted with a plague that can only will lifted by the gods when the former kings murderer is brought to justice. Oedipus, full of pride and now king, takes on this responsibility to bring justice to the land and relinquish the plague. However, as a tragic hero, Oedipus=s venture into the truth brings him to his certain doom. During his journey, Oedipus has many chances to stop his investigation and at each turning point is ask to his questioning. Unfortunately, his pride and stubbornness that hold true to the flaws of a tragic hero lead him to discovering the horrific truth.

{good interpretation}

Tiresias, the blind prophet, is the first person to tell Oedipus to stop his investigation. He states that he will not speak and reveal a horror that will only cause Oedipus pain. Unable to accept this Oedipus cruelly jousts at Tiresias ability as a prophet and his physical handicaps. In anger Tiresias foreshadows Oedipus=s tragic ending by remarking, Athe double edge sword of your mother and fatherY..will hound you out of this land, and then your keen eyes will see only darkness@ (79) {. Punct. at end} Tiresias also reveals that it is Oedipus=s fault for the plague.

Oedipus continues on with his investigation but his purpose has shifted from the city to his own enlightenment. Driven by anger he hastily seeks out Creon for questioning. Creon {=s} provides Oedipus with words of wisdom. He suggests that a man {in} who makes decisions too quickly can be dangerous, and when you reject a noble friend they cast away everything they hold dear in life. Creon is suggesting to Oedipus to stop his investigation for the time being until he can clear his head from his emotions that could lead him to an unfortunate ending. Instead, Oedipus continues on with his investigation.

{good interpretations above}

As Oedipus continues to reveal more information that begins to lead him to his tragic ending, he is continuously told to stop his questioning. When his wife Jocasta comes to the realization that they have a past that was intertwined, she pleads with Oedipus to stop his search, for the truth could be unbearable. When Oedipus follows up on a lead with a Corinthian, he is told that it clear that he doesn=t know what he is doing. In both of these interactions Oedipus has a choice to stop his investigation. He continues on and discovers that he is the son of his wife and that he had killed his father when he was enraged. Upon returning home and finding his wife/mother dead, he blinds himself and is banished from his kingdom.

Sophocles uses dramatic irony to embellish Oedipus=s anger and stubbornness in creating the tragic hero=s imperfection. While Tiresias foretells of his blindness and incest, Creon reveals how his flaws have only brought him trouble. Then in anger he kills his father and discovers the horrific truth. Sophocles use Oedipus to bring across a deeper meaning to the audience of how actions can have consequences that do not have to happen immediately. This brings forth the values of treating everyone as equals and with respect which we see Oedipus fail to do with encounters with his father, Tiresias and Creon.

{PLEASE ADD WORK CITED}

Katie Olives

November 30, 2010

Mosiacs I

Homework Log B The Bhagavad Gita and the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Wandering through the rooms filled with art from Asia and India, I couldn=t help but let myself be wrapped in exotic wonder. Each piece of stoneworkCbattered by the trying earth and time itselfCseemed to hold a story for me to discover and interpret. Mystery emanated from every painting, carving, piece of pottery, and sketch, but I could connect the art to the stories we had read in class. Since, for me, The Bhagavad Gita was more a more fantastical story to read than the other works we have studied lately, I could relate some of the lessons I learned from the story to the artwork from The Philadelphia Museum of Art.

There was one piece especially that caught my attention. I must have stared at the watercolor image depicting the final battle of the Mahabharata for what seemed like a long time, desperately trying to soak in all I could from the painting named AArjuna and His Charioteer Krishna Confront Karna.@ I tried to make sense of the bright, joyous, almost whimsical colors that showed a brutal, gory battle. Arjuna and Krishna, both giant compared to the other figures in the paintingCincluding elephantsChad a content, peaceful expression about their faces. To their oppositeCacross a line of blood-spewing bodies, loose limbs, and lost headsCArjuna=s main opponents also wore similarly relaxed appearances. To me, this was a testament to Krishna=s overall lesson for Arjuna throughout The Bhagavad Gita. Regardless, Arjuna must fight because it is his duty, or his action in life. Arjuna, his soldiers, and his competitors are all peaceful as they go to battle because they know, either way, that they will continue living in some life.

As I stood back to soak in the painting one last time, I felt I understood the attitude that Arjuna had when arriving at battle. He knew that he could not fight the inevitable, and instead brought peace of mind to his soldiers in such an awful situation. It is often more honorable to accept your duty in lifeCwhether you like it or notCthen to try to fight what has been planned for you. In the painting, ArjunaCwith the guidance of KrishnaCdisplays this wisdom.

Tessa King

HW Log

One of the most interesting things about Ancient Futures is how appropriate the lessons learned by the author are lessons that can easily be taken and applied to America. This book describes a culture that seems to lag behind the modern world in terms of Aprogress.@ Despite this, these people were incredibly happy. They possessed this inner happiness that wasn=t dimmed for long by even the most traumatic of events. Fortunately{,} there are things we can learn from this beautiful culture and hopefully apply towards our own lives and our own society that in the largest sense may help save ourselves and our planet.

One of the most important lessons that can be taken from the Ladakhi people is the idea of ecological sustainability. The people of Ladakh learned over generations the best way to live off the land and make the absolute most of what they had. Scarce water is controlled through schedules where households are given allotted time periods to irrigate their crops. When robes have been mended to the point where more mending is impossible{,} then they would find another use for the robe such as packing it with mud into a leaking part of a levee. Even dishwater isn=t wasted. Absolutely everything has a purpose and, most likely, two or three.

Here in the United States there are a couple of examples of people that have a lot in common with Ladakhis. The Amish are an extreme example. They completely reject most forms of technology and live only on what they themselves as a community can produce. The Native Americans of the past were very similar as well. Today{,} many Native American cultures have been watered down to the point of being unrecognizable in some cases. Some groups are making an effort to reconnect to their past and in the process reclaim their cultural identity and rebuild their communities. On one hand, the Amish represent a group of people that refuse to be modernized and on the other hand our own cautionary tale from the Native Americans. The Native American community is perhaps the worst-case scenario for what can happen to a culture suddenly exposed to modern civilization.

Ecological sustainability is not the only lesson learned from Ancient Futures, but it seems the underlying idea that can eventually lead to solving many of today=s problems. By living mostly on what the planet can provide you with from a reasonable distance away, all sorts of things happen. You support the people that worked to provide that item. You reduce the pollution associated with transporting that item. Most importantly you deprive the global corporations and industries of their influence from a far off place on our own lives. {This is a great quote, below, but it needs an intro to make a smoother transition.}

We can also see that the most effective way to alleviate a whole range of seemingly disparate symptoms- from deforestation to pollution, from poverty to ethnic conflict- is to change the dominant economy.

(Norberg-Hodge 195)

The key here is changing the dominant economy. Going back to live off the land completely as the Ladakhis did is not possible since we can=t turn back time. We can, however, learn from ancient cultures like Ladakh about ways we can move forward that don=t damage our planet and ourselves.

Lauren Pratt

HW Log 11/04/10

1.) Though according to our Western standards the people of Ladakh live arduousAbackwards@ lives, in reality they are a healthy and happy people with a strong sense of community, tradition, and religion. The Ladakhi people lead agrarian lifestyles centered around physical labor and survival which Westerners see as being indicative of sadness and poverty. What Westerners do not realize is the personal liberation and societal freedom this type of lifestyle can bring to a community. By living what the West would call a primitive lifestyle, Ladakhis have become sensitive to their environment and thus live in harmony with the land and with each other.

The religion of Ladakh is Buddhism, a religion that teaches freedom from desire and a oneness with the earth. It is thanks in part to their Buddhist faith that the Ladahkis lead such a peaceful existence. Ladahkis surround themselves with reminders of their faith, marking the entrances to their cities with pillars called Chortens, A[t]he whole structure represents the fundamentals of Buddhist teachings. A crescent moon cradling the sun at the very top symbolizes the oneness of life, the cessation of duality, thus reminding passers‑by that all things, even the sun and the moon, which seem so far apart, are inextricably related@(Norberg‑Hodge 16). The descriptions of these structures themselves give hint to the deep‑set religious values of the Ladahki people who strive in an environment of Aoneness@ and exemplify the importance of that way of living.

What struck Norberg‑Hodge so profoundly was not the mere survival of these people in such harsh a land, instead it was the unity of a people. The Ladahkis could be described as one body, working in tandem to progress forward throughout life. Suddenly, Norberg‑Hodge realizes that the people of Ladahk find happiness in the work that sustains them because it is a community affair. The sowing season in Ladahk fits into a very narrow time period between the rainless summer and the subzero winter. In Western terms, this would mean a stressful time of great toil and hurry during which there would be no time for anything other than work. Instead the Ladahkis accept work as a part of a daily routine that brings the community together. Everyday is a day to celebrate whether one is working or not. AWork and festivity are one. People drink chang from silver‑lined cups, and the air hums with sounds of celebration. A monk in robes of deep maroon chants a sacred text; laughter and song drift back and forth from field to field@(20). Even here, Norberg‑Hodge describes how every element of Ladahki culture is proliferated on a day to day basis. Religion, work, and celebration are one and are shared equally throughout the community.

In accordance with Buddhist teachings, the people of Ladahk live lives that are untouched by the allure of the material world. Possessions are communal and character is valued far more than appearance. ALadahkis patch their homespun robes until they can be patched no more. When winter demands that they wear two or three on top of each other, they put the best one on the inside to keep it in good condition for special occasions@ (25). The conservative modesty of the Ladahki people allows them to live together without competition or envy, a task that is difficult to undertake for Westerners. Since almost everything is shared, unlike in Western culture, there is little need for any one member of the community to vie for the possession of another. This way there is harmony, and a strong sense of unity between the people of Ladahk, A[w]e have to live together@ (45).

The ways of the once uncorrupted Ladahkis are not easily understood by Westerners for the fundamental belief systems between the two cultures are not the same. While those of the West are taught to seek happiness through the material, the Ladahkis sought it through human connection. Life was not reduced to the number of things one could collect, instead connectivity above all else was prized. The people of Ladahk achieved this balance thanks to their steadfast Buddhist faith, but that does not mean that one needs to be Buddhist to achieve the same thing. There is a suggestion here that perhaps, if everyone could learn to focus on the things that really mattered such as family, friends, and community, the world could be a better place. People would no longer deceive one another because the deceived would be too close at heart. Thus much can be learned of freedom from desire and even more can be benefitted from the practice of it.

{Great insights! Add works cited, please.}