Frankl-ly Speaking/Thankful for a Classmate

I like history. European history, American history, Latin American history, Asian history...just give me history and I'll love it. I thought I was pretty informed and educated about WWII. It is possibly one of my favorite periods of history, people often do not understand why but they do not understand or see what I see amid all the troublesome images. Frankl was able to give me a more personal meaning to their sufferings. His book is a first, where he did not go in depth about the horrors of life as a inmate in a concentration camp. No, he took his time to explain to us what kept him alive. His wife and the manuscript were what kept him afloat at the camp. Frankl mentioned that many of the inmates did not commit suicide because they had that someone or something for them out there, or so they hoped. I liked how Frankl went over the different stages that prisoners went through when first arriving at the camp. I was vaguely aware of them but the way he went out explained them really made me understand the reasons behind it. Frankl did not just explain life at a concentration camp, he showed us how many prisoners, including himself, were able to survive such a life. They all found meaning in their suffering, it was the only way that they could keep on living. 

Thankful for a classmate. I am thankful to have Sydney in my class. I have never had a class with her before but this year I have two with her, Philosophy being one of course. I am thankful for her because she always contributes to the conversation and because she was probably one of the four people I knew in that class. I always have someone to talk to during group discussions. Shes very outspoken and funny. I am thankful that I got to know her more through this class because she cracks me up every day. 

A Direction the Class Needs

I honestly like the way class is going right now. There is always a lot of discussion and view points, everyone so far has been respectful of everyone's point of view. I like the fact that the class is not a one-man show or a two-man show. I do not know what there could be less off...maybe changing group work to just individual work? That's all we do, and I think it is much faster to get through. Though, sometimes working as a group can help clarify questions about the reading. So maybe that is a good thing.
Even though I keep quiet during class, I pay attention to everything everyone is saying. I have agreed with a majority of the things said in class, and I haven't reached the point where I have to speak out my opinion just yet. I don't really think there is anything in the class that there should be less. I like the direction the class started in and the direction it has stayed. It should stay the same, as long as the participation of people keeps being like it is at the moment.

Voltaire and Camu Vote for....

The 2012 U.S Presidential elections are nearing. Next Tuesday, November 6th a large number of Americans will vote. 

I do not see Voltaire voting for any of our two big parties, he is not going to vote for Romney or Obama. Voltaire will go up to the polling place and either vote for a third party, such as Gary Johnson. Voltaire values civil liberties, something that in his earlier life had been severely restricted. Voltaire criticized everyone and their mother in his books, and under Johnson his personal freedom would still be protected. The government under Johnson, as Voltaire sees it, be more efficient. Either he'll vote for a third party or do his own write-in candidate. Who knows, he might write himself in. 

Camu would not show up to vote at all. I feel like Camu sees no point in going to vote. The views that any parties showcase are not something that he would be attracted to vote to. He gave raise to the idea of Absurdism, which states that it doesn't matter how much or long we try to look for the meaning of human life we will fail inevitably. So, I do not think that Camu would show up to vote at all.