Douglass spends his entire life of slavery searching for his enlightenment. Through continual reading and writing, Douglass gradually develops his own thought and reasoning. For the first time, Douglass realizes his life is not subject to anybody else. Besides, knowledge gives him courage to do what other people can’t do. He starts to have rebellious thoughts and think according to his own understanding, without anyone telling him to do so. Eventually, Douglass finds his enlightenment, which is alternately his freedom. Just like Kant states in his essay, “have courage to make use of your own understanding! is thus the motto of enlightenment”(Kant 1). Enlightenment is not a one step process. People must be brave enough to think differently from the people in the past and then act for themselves. In other word, Enlightenment is an ongoing process that one must have courage to abandon immaturity to development his/her personal understanding in order to be an enlightened individual.
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Enlightenment and slavery
In Kant’s philosophy essay, he discusses the cause of failure for enlightenment and what is require from people for enlightenment to flourish. Kant defines enlightenment as “the human being’s emergence from his self-incurred minority” (Kant 1). He further explains minority is the inability to think and judge on your own without rely on other people’s opinion. Kant sets examples such as the government officer, tax officer, and clergyman; unenlightened people obey their order immediately without questioning. However, Kant claims that a society is inevitably enlightened if there is freedom. Freedom is essential to enlightenment because it allows people to “make public use of one’s reason in all matters” (Kant 5). That is, to question what has been set up by the authority and to believe in your own reasoning.
Kant’s philosophy is seen in Frederick Douglass’s autobiography. Douglass is a born slave and he doesn’t have clear idea of what is to be a slave in his childhood since a slave is not permitted to have education. Just like his new master said, “it [knowledge] would forever unfit him for the duties of a slave” (Douglass 10). Douglass is later transfer as a property from his old master to Baltimore to serve his new master. Given the opportunity by his new mistress, Douglass has the chance to learn to read and write. Having an education is the turning point of Douglass’s life of slavery. After he attains education, the thought “I AM A SLAVE FOR LIFE” (Douglass 11) bothers Douglass a lot because he finally realize what he is in the society. “The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest slavery, and my enslavers”(Douglass 11). Knowledge brings rebellious thought against his enslaver and knowledge brings enlightenment to Douglass. He starts to worship freedom, he wants to be free as the white man.” [spirit of freedom] provides a space for the latter to expand to its full capacity” (Kant 10). With the full understanding of slavery, Douglass questions the white man’s power to enslave the black man. Douglass develops his reasoning on his own without anyone’s guidance and eventually determined to escape to find his freedom.
Experience is more important
Although knowledge attains from books can be useful, knowledge gains from experience is more practical and flexible as stated in Locke’s essay that education is based on experience from reflection and sensation. In addition, Mary Shelly’s monster in Frankenstein reinforces this idea by illustrating how the monster quickly adopts to the human culture by exploring and experimenting his surrounding.
Reading ≠ Learning
Books are the learning from the past to prevent mistakes. On the other hand, books can prevent you from thinking individually and exploring new thought. According to “The American Scholar”, Emerson thinks that “books are the best type of the influence of the past, and perhaps we shall get at the truth, — learn the amount of this influence more conveniently, — by considering their value alone” (Emerson 10). Emerson means that books are great instrument to study to past; however, when artists create literature, they inevitably put in their opinion or personal thought biased by the social standard of the time. That is, if ten writers write about a same subject, there will be ten different version of the same topic. Emerson later emphasizes that “neither can any artist entirely exclude the conventional, the local, the perishable from his book, or write a book of pure thought” (Emerson 12). He points out that no writer can completely be objective to the topic when he is writing because it is too difficult to set aside his opinion or judgement entirely. However, when you read too much of what other people think in the past, you restrict yourself from thinking outside of the box because there is a standard or an assumption of what is wrong or right based on the learning of the past. However, if reading is done correctly; that is, to consume only its value, can be beneficial and indispensable. For example, in the text, Emerson states that “history and exact science he must learn by laborious reading” (Emerson 20). He points out that certain kind of certain kind of knowledge must be attain from reading. Emerson also claims that school is essential only if it give us opportunities to create our own thought, and not to foster memorization of the plain text. An independent mind can read critically to pick up the learning message without unconscious biases, thus to create individual understandings.
Emerson’s idea of how people shouldn’t overly rely on what people have to say in the books (books as the reflection of the society at the time) is a reflection of Descartes’s philosophy. Descartes believes books and school creates “doubts and errors” because he realizes books and school cannot take him any further in his education career. Emerson, like Descartes, also thinks that education is not a blind belief of tradition, texts, and authorities. Emerson claims that “[Colleges] can only highly serve us, when they aim not to drill, but to create” (Emerson 20). In Emerson’s point of view, school is a place to create new thinking. On the same hand, Emerson’s philosophy remarks Rousseau’s idea in a similar way. Rousseau believes books are less of a factor when raising his pupil. He points out in his book that “they [books] only teach us to talk about thing we know nothing about”(Rousseau, 20). Rousseau believes nature is more essential to the development of man than the education on paper. In addition, both Emerson and Locke believe that school and books can be a tool for education but they aren’t the only way. Education is based on experience from reflection and sensation. People learn from their experience, what they see and what they do. Likewise, Emerson has similar thought that “thinking is the function. Living is the functionary”(Emerson 28). For him, thinking is education, education is life.
Ignorance is bliss
“Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow” (4).
Describe it.
Victor Frankenstein is a scientific genius who is fascinated with the “secret of life”. Frankenstein is so drive into his subject and eventually, he attempts to go beyond the human limit. His thirst for knowledge pushes him to the next level and makes him to create a hideous monster. The monster becomes a threat to Frankenstein’s life and proceeds to kill his friends and family. However, after he realizes his mistake and where has the thirst of knowledge brought him to, he feels guilty and regret. Frankenstein’s pursuit of knowledge makes him lose everything he valued. Thus, he claims that a man who doesn’t know much about the outside world and believes in what he sees is the only truth is a happier man.
Compare it.
In comparison to Descartes’s ideology of education leads to a certain truth, Frankenstein promotes the danger of knowledge. In Descartes’s “Discourse of Method”, Descartes claims that the education of knowledge makes him “ met with nothing so doubtful as not to yield some conclusion of adequate certainty” (3). He believes knowledge can answer your questions and give you a define answer. Different to Descartes, Victor Frankenstein thinks knowledge can be a bad thing. Frankenstein claims that knowledge can make you uncertain of your decision. When you look very deep into something, you might realize it is a complete different thing than you originally thought.
Associate it.
When I am thinking about Frankenstein’s idea that people who stay within the range of what they can do live a happier life, otherwise, people who try to excess their limit live with a bad end, it reminds me of stretching in the gym. Every person has a certain limit of how much you can stretch. Some people can touch their toes very easily; some people just can’t do it. Depends on the gender, age, and whether you do exercise a lot or not, these elements brings you to a different level. When you are stretching, you know what your limits are. People should not attempt to do more than their own limit and they should not force themselves to do it because they will break their back really badly.
Analyze it.
This quote is meaning ignorance is bliss. Frankenstein states “how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world”, he means that a man with basic knowledge of his environment (“native town”) and does not “aspires to become greater than his nature will allow” can live a happier life because he doesn’t have to carry the burden of knowing the whole world. Frankenstein is saying the harder you strive for knowledge, the less happier you are. However, in other word, I think he is also saying “curiosity killed the cat”.
Apply it.
In real life, I believe sometimes when people know too much of something can lead to a negative consequence. For example, when people are telling a white lie to protect you from something that you can’t possibly handle, lies can be a good thing. Lies told to help another person or to protect someone’s feelings tend to be good for a relationship. If you must know to truth, you might hurt yourself and the other as well at the end. In this case, for some people, it’s better to not know the truth because it gives them a perfect illusion of a happier life; otherwise, reveals the truth and break the illusion will breaks everyone’s heart.
Argue for and against it.
I am supporting Frankenstein’s idea that keeps a simple mind makes you a happier person. I think when people have too much information about something, they will get confuse or even get lost. For example, when Frankenstein just find out the beauty of science, he loves it and he is happy to study it. However, when he gets into certain degree, he becomes isolated and science becomes his only value. He doesn’t talk to friend or family when he is too focus on his research. He slowly lost the connection to the outside world. At that point, Frankenstein no longer feel happy to working on his experiment, rather, the experiment becomes the only thing he can do. Science has overwhelmed his life. I believe when there is too much of anything is a bad thing, including knowledge. When you know too much of a subject, it can make you forget your original purpose of exploring that subject.
Danger in Knowledge
In our precious reading, “Discourse of Method”, Rene Descartes points out that education is a process that will answer your questions and remove your doubts. Descartes also believes education would lead to a certain truth. In part three of his discourse, Descartes states “I was successful enough; for, since I endeavoured to discover the falsehood or incertitude of the propositions I examined, not by feeble conjectures, but by clear and certain reasonings, I met with nothing so doubtful as not to yield some conclusion of adequate certainty”(3). Descartes explores the world to find the necessary knowledge to answer his questions He thinks the education he gained from his traveling and experience can clear his mind and provide him with the certainty that he is eager for. In Descartes’s point of view, knowledge is a good thing.
However, in this week’s reading, Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, Victor Frankenstein has different views about knowledge. Quite opposite to Descartes, he thinks knowledge is a dangerous thing. In the beginning of the book, Victor believes science is the only route to find truth. “In other studies you go as far as others have gone before you, and there is nothing more to know; but in a scientific pursuit there is continual food for discovery and wonder”(4). However, as he digs deeper and deeper into his subject, he is so fascinated and he attempts to go beyond the human limit and he find out the secret of life. Victor’s thirst for knowledge drives him to create the monster with strength and intelligence. However, he is too late to realize where his pursuit of knowledge has brought him. The monster ends up murder his family and destroys the things he valued. Victor finally realizes what he has done results in deathly consequences and is dangerous.
In addition, Victor Frankenstein’s monster challenges Descartes’s ideology by presenting the danger of knowledge. The monster lives in an isolated environment after he vanished. He doesn’t know anything about the human world and he doesn’t realize that he is unnatural. Starting with no knowledge at all, the monster learns to keep warm and find food to eat as he’s exploring the nature. The monster learns to speak the human language by listening to his neighbors and tries to understand them by their gesture. As the monster knows more about the human culture and sensation, he wants to learn more about it and he wants to be like human. “Of what a strange nature is knowledge! It clings to the mind when it has once seized on it like a lichen on the rock”(13). The monster urges to learn more about the human world; the more knowledge he has, and the more he wants to become a human being. However, even though he tries so hard to attain knowledge, he can’t escape from his fate of being a monster.
Response to “What Lies Before Us?”
In response to Jenny Chou’s post “What Lies Before Us?”, I find some similar feelings and some contradictories to Jenny after I read Jean Jacques Rousseau’s “Emile: or a Treatise on Education”. Firstly, I agree with Jenny about the way Rousseau explains how a happy childhood is important to a child. According to Rousseau’s word, “let them run, jump, and shout to their heart’s content” (6). Children should be allowed, not forbidden, what they want to do and what is really interested them because that is what makes them happy. In addition to Jenny’s response to the text, children, like Rousseau says, do not understand thing behind the surface of its meaning, they should not be forced to do or learn anything that he cannot understand or it has no use for him at his current age. In Rousseau’s word, “No one, not even his father, has the right to bid the child do what is of no use to him” (6).
However, I want to add on to Jenny’s view of how we cannot be guaranteed a desired life even if we spent so much time on education. Like Rousseau states in the text, “a man were born tall and strong, his size and strength would be of no good to him till he had learnt to use them” (1). I think education can actually help a fully-grown man to his desired future, because he has learned how to use his knowledge and his strength to build a life from his experiences. However, education has less of a meaning to the young children because their paths of life have just begun and they do not have the ability to perform from their knowledge. Beside, children are not ready to absorb a bunch of knowledge all at once. They have to learn little by little, day by day, from their surrounding, not by books. This leads to another argument to Jenny’s view. She believes “reading is the key and essential route to stimulating imagination and creativity”, however, this statement is only true when you can fully understand your reading and know the meaning behind the text. Young child like Emile, since he just start to know how to read, can possibly misunderstand to reading and get the wrong idea that wasn’t the author’s intention, which might affect Emile’s judgment of right and wrong, good and evil.
Truth
In both piece of reading, Rene Descartes and John Locke provide ways to find the truth. In “Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting the Reason, and seeking Truth in the Sciences”, Descartes addresses four principles to seek truth: first, not to believe in anything until you have evidence to prove it; second, divides problem into many smaller part so you can solve it easily; third, starts with to easiest problem and work you way to the most difficult one; four, to review the progress in order to make sure nothing is left out. I agree with Descartes about his four laws of finding truth because it makes truth more objective, especially in the Enlightenment Era, without technology, there is very little way to prove something. Descartes’s way to seek truth in more on the general level, you can apply to almost everything. In the other reading, “An Essay concerning Human Understanding”, Locke points out that it is not just enough to have evidence to support you belief so you call it the truth, you have to give reason to it. I think what Locke trying to say is that you must make “your truth” make sense to you. Truth is not what you want it do be and you must give reasons for your beliefs. In my opinion, Locke’s idea of truth is rather subjective compares to Descartes; since Locke says truth is come from reasons and reasons are self-evident beliefs.
Interest and Education
James Marcus Bach is a high school dropout who becomes very successful in his life. He is invited to perform a speech to the “at risk” high school kids to explain the importance of education. During his speech, Bach talks about how important is education in one’s life, but he emphasizes that school is not the only way to get a good education. “Education is important. School is not” (pg. 1). When the teacher responds to Bach’s speech, she comments that Bach’s speech is “dangerous” to her students because it encourages students to not work hard in school and don’t care about school at all. Bach replies, “I think any of your students can do what I did – in high tech, journalism, business, art, or any number of different fields. And they have a lifetime to develop their talents” (pg. 5). Bach means that her students can possibly be somebody who will surprise her one day if they are not restraint to what they can do and do what interest them. For example, Bach finds something that is fun for him, and he learn all about it, and now he gets paid for the fun things he does with his mind (pg. 4) When people do what they like and learn about the things they want, they have motivation to learn more and try more. Bach also points out that people can actually learn from life, not just in school. In his own words, “perhaps they will accidentally educate themselves by starting a new business, building things, or doing theatre, music, or sports… They will learn and grow from anything that happens, unless they believe there is no hope” (pg. 6). Bach believes everything in life can teach you something. And what you are interested in and want to know more about it you should seek out to look for the answer. School is not the only place to attain knowledge and most likely school cannot provide the knowledge that you wish to learn about. If that is the case, school means nothing.
On the other hand, in the article about rapper/artist, Kanye West believes school is the place for higher education. West says, “It is true you can be successful without [college], but this is a hard world, a real world, and you want every advantage you can have” (Para.3). He thinks college can provide people the necessary opportunity to be successful and people should grab it tight. West says, “There’s poetry classes, but why aren’t there rap curriculums?” (para. 7). Although Bach and West have different ideas about school, they do have some overlaps. Both Bach and West believe people should learn about what they like and develop from there. The interest in that field will motivate people to work harder and go deeper into it and that’s what makes people to be successful.