Final

This is the only class where I know the majority of the people and a couple of them thanks to this class, I have gotten closer to them and are family. This class is a once in a life time experience, and being able to be a part of it has been the best thing that has happened in a while. I came into this class knowing a couple people and being friends with a few, but now I'm leaving having new friends and strengthening some friendships, and such a different perspective in certain aspects of life. This class has taught me so much, and I could never be more thankful to have a teacher that cares so much about this class and the students.

Quality Dinner

Dinner, is usually a time period when I usually will see how fast I can eat, so I can do my homework which I procrastinated in doing. I won't engage in conversation, I'll just eat and wash up and go to my room to finish my homework. It's this routine that I have done since middle school, and for once today, I just took my time and ate what my dad had made, and for the first time I realized how much work he had put into making this meal. How the food tasted incredible and this whole time I never bothered to even taste it, I just ate it. It took the time to just enjoy dinner, to not think or stress about what will happen, but appreciate the meal for what it was worth. It was something, I would have never done, until I took this class.

Bentham

Jeremy Bentham was an English philosopher and political radical.  He is know for his moral philosophy in particular utilitarianism. Utilitarianism evaluates actions based upon their consequences. 

His moral and political philosophy is based off three things. 

1) the greatest happiness principle 

2) universal egoism

3) the artificial identification of one's interests with those of others.

The greatest happiness principle, is what is morally obligatory is that which produces the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people, happiness being determined by reference to the presence of pleasure and the absence of pain. The absence of pain is what he referred to as happiness. 

He argued that the hedonistic value of any human action is easily calculated by considering how intensely its pleasure is felt, how long that pleasure lasts, how certainly and how quickly it follows upon the performance of the action, and how likely it is to produce collateral benefits and avoid collateral harms. Taking such matters into account, we arrive at a net value of each action for any human being affected by it.

His moral philosophy points out how the primary motivators for humans are pain and pleasure. Bentham does say that humans would seek the general happiness of all because somehow the happiness of others are inter winded with their happiness and serve as boundaries. States that you can measure happiness in terms of people, and how everyone is counted as one which is able to also bring in equality. 

source: http://www.iep.utm.edu/bentham/#H4

http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/5q.htm

Bedtime

This is the first time, I ever had a bath with bath salts, the last time I had a bath was probably six and it was after I had requested one. Well over a decade and I found my self taking a bath once again. It was very different from what I remember it being, this time it was't filled with toy ducks or my mom telling me it was time to get out. This time, my bath was delegated to de-stressing and getting ready to sleep. It felt amazing to just relax and take a moment to just say right now, I don't have to worry about college or roommates, I just have to take a moment to be thankful for everything. I ended up just looking back on everything in life up to this moment, and I was thankful. Thankful, to be able to have warm water to even take a bath, for my family, friends, an education. Sometimes, we get caught up in life and forget the little things that really mean everything and for me it took a bath to be thankful.

Tangerine Party

Few times do we get to go in nature and just enjoy the moment. The tangerine party was a step closer to trying to just reach serenity and one with nature. I mean to go into the middle of a trail near a duck pond and eating a tangerine section by section, I don't know about the vast majority of people,but I know this was a first for me. I can't explain the tranquility of just sitting early in the morning on a spring day and just enjoying a tangerine. It makes you appreciate your surroundings and have an inner peace at least for just that minute.

Nothing can be something

While I was not doing anything for 15 min, it left me having to think about everything. I constantly tried to just not think about anything, but it was impossible. Instead, I stared at my friends painting, how the colors blended and how it was absolutely beautiful. I never really took the time to examine it throughly and just take a moment to appreciate it's beauty, but while having to do nothing I finally had the time to do exactly that. I feel in love with it even more, and was beyond thankful for having such an amazing piece in my possession. Doing nothing is something and it helped me clear my mind and for just 15min escape all the responsibilities I have in hand. It let me appreciate the artwork I am surrounded with.

XII

The five colours make man's eyes blind;
The five notes make his ears deaf;
The five tastes injure his palate;
Riding and hunting
Make his mind go wild with excitement;
Goods hard to come by
Serve to hinder his progress.
Hence the sage is
For the belly
Not for the eye
Therefore he discards the one and takes the other.

This poem is talking about how sometimes having too much can get in the way of seeing things for what they are worth. How five colours make man's eyes blind and five notes make his ears deaf. It's the problem of having to much knowledge that gets in the way of actual fulfillment.