Miss Daly’s S2 class have been meandering through the hallowed halls of philosophy. We have conducted a personal study into the philosophers we admire and find interesting. Philosophy is all about asking questions and thinking about the answers.
Do you know who Machiavelli was and why he is a main character in a popular game? Have you ever pondered about what your own philosophy on life might be? Do you know about the philosophy of William Blake and what he thought about schools?
We have been asking some big questions! Read on, we have so much to tell you!
One of the most influential and famous philosophers in history is Plato. I chose to study Plato because i think he had an interesting perspective on how people lived there lives. He was born in 429 BC in Athens, he was the anthesis of Socrates in some ways, such as his favor for extensive writing. He is also responsible for almost everything we know about Socrates, having written down the conversations he recalled about Socrates. He believed strongly about the way the government should work as he wrote in the Republic. Basically, he believed that the average person is not equipped mentally to understand what is best for all and that they should not be allowed to vote, but rather a group of the intellectual elite, should govern the rest of the people. Whether this particular idea came from study or simply from the fact that Plato was descended from aristocracy is still being questioned to this day. Plato died n 347 BC. here are some quotes from Plato:
“as the builders say, the larger stones do not lie well without the lesser.” I think this has an interesting quote because Plato is saying that if a society were full of just rich people, it wouldn’t work out work out because you always have to have the “lesser” people to make it balanced otherwise it wouldn’t feel like a proper society. So, the so called small and unimportant people are necessary and have a valid role and shouldn’t be forgotten or ignored or taken for granted.
Great work, Callum! I am very impressed with your analysis of Plato and his ideology. It is so interesting to think that someone living in 429BC could have said things which have influenced so many people and shaped how society is formed and governed!
😀 Well done!
Miss Daly
Benjamin Franklin
Although not a philosopher in the classical sense Benjamin Franklin had a lot of philosophical ideas and quotes therefore I decided to study him. He was not only one of the founding fathers of the United States of America, but also A noted, scientist, musician, inventor, and diplomat. He was born on January 17th 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts bay to Josiah Franklin and Abiah Folger. Franklin’s father, Josiah Franklin was a soap-maker and a candle-maker. Josiah was born at Northamptonshire,England,on December 23, 1657, the son of Thomas Franklin, a blacksmith-farmer, and Jane White.
His mother, Abiah Folger, was born in Nantucket, Massachusetts on August 15, 1667, to Peter Folger, a miller and schoolteacher and his wife Mary Morrill, a former servant.
Josiah Franklin had 17 children with his two wives. He married his first wife, Anne Child, in about 1677 in Ecton and emigrated with her to Boston in 1683; they had seven children together. After her death, Josiah was married to Abiah Folger on July 9, 1689.Benjamin, their eighth child, was Josiah Franklin’s 15th child and their tenth and last son.
Being a very affluent and busy man their are many topics available for those attempting to summarize Benjamin Franklin, however I will try to include only the most important details.
Josiah intended for Benjamin to enter into the clergy. However, Josiah could only afford to send his son to school for one year and clergyman needed years of schooling. But, as young Benjamin loved to read his father made him an apprentice to his brother James, who was a printer.
When Benjamin was 15 his brother started The New England Courant the first “newspaper” in Boston. Benjamin wanted to write for the newspaper, but he knew his brother would never allow it as he was only an apprentice boy. As a result he began sending letters to the paper using the pseudonym Silence Dogood.
Dogood was filled with advice and very critical of the world around her, particularly concerning the issue of how women were treated. Benjamin would sneak the letters under the print shop door at night so no one knew who was writing the pieces. They were a hit, and everyone wanted to know who was the real “Silence Dogood.” When benjamin confessed his brother was jealous of the attention paid to him and scolded him.
When his brother was released after a stint in jail Benjamin ran away, this was illegal and he was in danger. He ran to Philadelphia where he met his future wife Deborah read.
He had three children William Franklin, Francis Folger Franklin and Sarah Franklin Bache.
He made numerous contributions to the world of science and politics such as the concept of cooling and supporting and believing in the Wave theory of light.Franklin is known to have played the violin, the harp, and the guitar. Franklin died on April 17, 1790 at the age of 84. 20,000 people attended the funeral of the man who was called, “the harmonious human multitude.”
One of Franklins most famous quotes is “Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one”. This quote is a good example of Franklins quotes about life. I believe it means that anger is destructive and rarely necessary, yet will occur no matter what we do. I agree with this quote and find it thought provoking and interesting as it makes you wonder if your reason for Anger is sufficient enough to warrant these feelings.
Another quote of his that I found extremely relevant to todays society is “To find out a girl’s faults, praise her to her girl friends”. I believe this quote is sadly relevant. It states that we are quick to stop someone believing that someone is perfect out of jealousy and the desire to be better than everyone else. I believe it is true due to the overwhelming amount of vanity and greed in todays society.
Benjamin Franklin was an inspiring man and I find his philosophies thought provoking and interesting.
He was a wise philosopher, Brooke! Well done!
I really liked the quote about jealousy and vanity. Your analysis was very accurate. It really is a great way to put across the point that people can be cruel and unforgiving of each other. It is sad to think that some people tend to focus on the negative aspects of a person and fail to celebrate their achievements!
I was going to suggest you read a book called ‘Sophie’s World’ by Jostein Gaarder. It is a really interesting book about the world of philosophy and one that is worth reading. Miss McGough might have a copy. :0)
Thanks, I will go to the library and ask about that 🙂
Saul Aaron Kripke was born on the 13th of November 1940 in New York. He is an American philosopher and logician. He teaches as a Distinguished Professor of phoilosophy at the CUNY Graduate Centre. Kripke got the 2001 Schock Prize in Logic and Philosophy. He went to Harvard and his only degree was mathematics. One of his quotes is: “For sensation to be felt as pain is for it to be pain” To me, this means that pain is not pain unless you feel it as pain. I chose this philosopher because I like his short quotes.
Hi David!
This was very interesting!
I have never heard of this man before. Did you find out anything else about him? Can you give another reason as to why you like his philosophical ideas?
Miss Daly 🙂
William Shakespeare
Shakespeare was born on 26th April 1564 and he died in 1616 when he was 18 he got married to Anne Hathaway and they had three children.He was a an English poet and wrote plays.He was known as one of the greatest writer in English language.In England he was often called (Bard of Avon).As he wrote lots of plays most of them were translated in to lots of different languages.He was an actor in London and was quite successful.He produced most of his work in 1589&1613.Quote by Shakespeare:\"Better three hours to soon than a minute to late\".
This quote shows that that you have to be prepared and not leave things to the last minute.
Its better to do things earlier,like say sorry to some one
have the courage to do it in case it gets to late and you never get to say sorry at all.
I really enjoyed reading this, Marie. Of all the plays which Shakespeare has written, which do you want to read or see? I loved ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’ There is a film with some famous actors in it. My favourite quote is:
I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine:
There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,
Lull’d in these flowers with dances and delight;
And there the snake throws her enamell’d skin,
Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in:
And with the juice of this I’ll streak her eyes,
And make her full of hateful fantasies. (Act 2, Scene 1, Lines 249-258)
Shakespeare seems hard to understand at first, but once you get used to it it is amazing!
Worth watching ‘Romeo and Juliet’ with Leonardo Di Caprio. I think you will enjoy it! 😀
William Blake
William Blake was a poet, painter and printmaker. Born in London, England 28th November 1757, he was unheard of during his lifetime. He married Catherine Boucher and became a freelance engraver, he was said to have been the best philosopher ever to come out of the UK.
He wrote books such as ‘The French Revolution’ (1791), ‘America: A Prophecy’ (1793) and ‘Visions of the daughters of Albion’ (1793) He wrote poems such as ‘Milton’, ‘Jerusalem’, ‘The Schoolboy’. William Blake was a big inspiration to many people all over the world.
Blake was third of seven children, he was influenced by the Bible, Dante Alighieri, Jakob Böhme and Mary Wollstonecraft. Alot of people considered him mad but others found him very interesting.
‘He whose face gives no light, shall never become a star’
I find this quote interesting because in my opinion he’s telling us that if you don’t put yourself out there and don’t show the world what you’ve got, they’ll never know who you are.
‘Why should a bird that is born for joy, sit in a cage and sing?’
He is implying that going out and seeing the world for yourself is better than learning about it in a classroom.
William Blake died on 12 August 1827.
Hi Lindsay!
Great work here! I loved the quote about becoming a star. I think it means that people benefit from letting their talents show because it allows others to appreciate their thoughts and ideas. Imagine if William Blake had decided to be a farmer and not a poet/philosopher because he was too shy or didn’t believe he was good enough?!!
🙂
Epicurus
Epicurus was an ancient Greek Philosopher.He was born 4th february 341 BCE and he died 270 BC.When he was a boy he studied philosophy for four years under the platonist teacher, pamphilus. At the age of eighteen he went to Athens for his two year military service.One of his quotes are ”do not spoil what you have by desiring what you not ”. I think what he is saying is that we have to appreciate what we have got.i find philosophers interesting and especially Epicurus i think he is inspiring .
Well done, Amy!
I love the quote you have chosen! It is so important to remember to be aware of what we have already and appreciate it right now. It is so easy to list the things we have not got. I think it is still good to dream of things we would like to have, but just not to let it get in the way of appreciating the what we already have.
Good work! 🙂
Oscar Wilde
I decided to do Oscar Wilde as I found one of his quotes interesting and as I found out more about him the more I admired him.
Oscar Wilde was born on the 16th of October 1854 in Dublin, Ireland. He died on the 30th of November 1900 in Paris, France. He married Constance Lloyd and had two children Cyril and Vyvyan Holland. His parents were very smart and taught him fluent German and French as a young boy.
After attending Trinnity Collage he went to university and proved himself to be and outstanding classicist, first at Dublin then at Oxford. He wrote drama, short story, journalism and diologe. He later became one of Londons most successful play writes of 1890.
One of his famous quotes is “always forgive your enemies- nothing annoys them as much.” This is telling us that it is better to forgive your enimes as all they are trying to do is lower your self esteem. Another of his quotes is “A dreamer is the only one who can find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he see’s the dawn before the rest of the world.” This means that as everyone is waking up to start the day, the dreamer is just settling down to go to sleep.
Hi Kayley!
I love Oscar Wilde too. I like how he is so witty and ironic. Have you watched the film, ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’? It is based on his novel of the same name and is a really famous story about vanity.
His plays are worth reading/going to see, if you can. He made fun of the silly conventions of Victorian society and was (ironically) celebrated by those very people!! He sadly died after being in prison. His poem, ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol’, is all about how he felt when he was in prison and is a poignant poem.
Hope you enjoyed researching him!
Miss Daly :0)
Hi miss Daly
haven’t seen any of the films or read the books but they sound interesting and I would mabey like to read one one day. I am glad I chose him as my philosopher.
I have chosen the philosopher Aristotle as I like his quotes. Aristotle is one of the most influential philosophers in all Greek history. Aristotle was a Greek man, born in 384BC. They say that the majority of his writings are now lost and only about one-third of his original works have survived. Aristotle also studied physics, metaphysics, poetry, theatre, music, rhetorics, politics, government ethics, biology, zoology and others. Two of my favourite quotes from Aristotle are, “Poverty is the Parent of revolution and crime”. This quotation explains that people that do not have a lot of money may steal things which is a crime that can cause a revolution in society. My other favoutite quote is, “Education is the best provision for old age”. I like this quote because it simply explains that the better education you get the better job you have, the better knowledge you gain and the more money you could make to provide a secure financial future in old age.
Really interesting work, Alex! I had not heard the one about poverty. It is a profound point about how poverty can drive people to crime or to create change. Revolutions happen when people stand up for what they believe is right and change the way a country is run. The one about education is also interesting. I took it to mean that your knowledge will be precious in old age because you will be able to give advice about what to do, or be able to use your knowledge to keep you entertained when you are retired! I love how philosophy highlights how two people can read the same thing and get something different from it!
😀
The philosopher I have chosen is William Blake.The reason I chose him is because he has many different philosophical ideas about life and other things.
William Blake was an English poet born on the 28th of November 1757 in London and died on the 12th of August 1827 aged 69.He is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age.
One of Blake’s quotes is”It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend”.I think this means that if you forgive a enemy it doesn’t really matter because they are an enemy but it will be harder to forgive a friend because they are your friend and they are close to you.
Another quote is”Both read the Bible day and night, but thou read black where I read white”.I think this means that two people might read the same thing but have different opinions.
Hi Samantha,
I really enjoyed your study of Blake. He was such a talented writer. I wondered if you had ever read the poem he wrote called ‘Tyger’? Well worth reading and you should see the illustrations he did to go with it!
Miss Daly 🙂
William Shakepeare was an English poet and playwright. widley known as the greatest writer in the English language.at the age of eighteen, he was married and lived on to have three children.
Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613. he was a respected poet and playwright in his own day, but his reputation did not rise to it’s present hieghts unti the 19th centuary.
Shakespeare wrote about life, love and heartbreak. some of his famous quotes are,
“Better a witty fool than a foolish wit”.
This quote is saying that it’s better to get something wrong because you are not clever enough to know.
“Expectation is the root of all heartache”.
That quote tells us not to expect too much from someone beause if it goes wrong, you will be the one who gets hurt.
This is really good, Alix. I love Shakespeare! His plays are really good and full of quotes that have become so famous.
His sonnets are very famous too. Let me know what you think of this one:
SONNET 116
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.
Hope you like it! 😀
Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. He became one of the most popular playwrights in the early 1880’s. Until he was nine, Oscar Wilde was educated at home, where a French bonne and a German governess taught him their languages. Oscar became fluent in French and German early in life. After university Oscar moved to London as a spokesman for aestheticism. He published a book of poems, in the United States of America and Canada on the new English Renaissance in Art and then returned to London where he worked professionally as a journalist.
“Always forgive your enemies nothing annoys them so much”
If you forgive your enemies it will annoy them more, rather to react in a certain way and give them the reaction they wanted.
“I am not young enough to know everything”
This shows that when you are a teenager you think you know it all and that you are always right but when you grow up you realise you don’t.
Oscar Wilde is one of my favourite writers of all time. He wrote wonderful plays that made fun of Victorian society. Look out for them. He had a wonderful sense of humour. One of my favourite quotes is from a play he wrote, ‘experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.'( Lady Windermere’s Fan).
He wrote thenovel ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ which was turned into a film recently.It is a really great story about vanity, well worth watching if you can.
🙂
Plato
Plato was a classical greek philosopher, mathmatition, student of socrates, writer of philosophical dialogs and founder of the academy of athens, the first institute of higher learning in the western world. along with his mentor, socrates and his students, artistotle, plato helped to lay the foundations of western philosophy and science.
Some of his famous quotations are
‘Be kind, for everyone you meet if fighting a hard battle’
that quote i find intersting as its saying life is hard and all of us have the same hardships in life at one point or another.
Another quote i find intresting is
‘All men are by nature equal, made all of the same earth by one Workman; and however we deceive ourselves, as dear unto God is the poor peasant as the mighty prince’
this quote is saying all men are equal regardless of how rich or poor they are.
Platos ideology was quite simply he beleved everyday was a school day and the fantastic capability of the human mind.
Great work here,Emma!
He was one of the first philosophers and people still talk about him today. He tutored many of the other great philosophers in the academy and is a fascinating figure because of how wide his influence is and was.
I really liked the quote about being kind to people! Did you read Ross and Andrew’s studies of Machiavelli? He was a philosopher with a very different appraoch!!
Hope you enjoyed researching Plato. See what you think of Machiavelli and let me know!
Miss Daly 😉
The philosopher I have chosen is William Blake because we learned a bit about him when we were reading the novel Skellig by David Almond.
Blake was born on 28th of November 1757 and died on 12th August 1827. He was a English poet, painter, and print maker. He was surprisingly unrecognized when he was alive but now Blake is considered a seminal figure in history.
I have read a few of his quotes many of them a philosophical but the on that stuck out for me was \’art is the tree of life. Science is the tree of death\’. I like it because just by reading that one quote you can tell what a philosophical person William Blake really was.
I agree with allot of the things Blake has said, He was a really inspirational man in his lifetime. I really like him because he shred his views on life through poetry. I enjoy reading his poems and beginning to understand more about them.
I’m glad you enjoyed finding out about William Blake. He is really one of the greats.
Have you come across the poem ‘Tyger’ by Blake? It is a really good poem, particularly if you see it with Blake’s illustrations.
My favourite stanzas are the first two:
TIGER, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies 5
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?
Check online for the image of the poem as it was orginally published. The art work really beautiful.
Let me know how you get on!
Miss Daly :O)
NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI
Niccolo was a man who, let’s just say, wasn’t scared to get his hands dirty. He was born on the 3rd of May 1469 and lived until 21st June 1527 in the city of history, Florence.
Machiavelli studied various things and was a very intelligent man. He was a Political Philosopher,Writer and Poet. Machiavelli was skilled at coming up with good quotes. He was also hired to carry out missions all over europe and was reported to have visited Germany and France.
Machiavelli is still famous to this day for his mind challenging words. Also, he is remembered because Machiavelli is still used in games such as the Assassin’s Creed sequences, playing a ruthless man helping the City of Rome against the French, by any means possible. His quotes are also used in this game.
It was not until 1519 Niccolo machiavelli was commissioned by Leo X to use his skills in writing and to write up the state of Florence at that time. He and the rest of the public, however were surrounded by distraction’s because with the French invading, Italy was helpless and Machiavelli had strong views towards this. As they got ever so closer to Florence, on there way to invade Rome, Machiavelli wanted to do everything in his power for them not do such a thing. The Florentines were again successful and drove out the previously powerful Medici Family that once dominated the city of Florence!
Machiavelli, unfortunately was not aloud to take any part of this so called revolution as his health was quickly decling and sadly passed away.
Here are some examples of the quotes Machiavelli has left with us-
“Before all else, be armed.”
This quote is a personal favourite and I think he is relating to the fact that before anything else happens you must be armed and equiped with a sword to deal with situations. At a deeper level I think it means that we should be prepared for life’s challenges.
I also think the following quote makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
“If an injury has to be done on a man, it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.”
I think this quote means if you’re willing to do damage to someone it should be so severe that the man/woman simply cannot come back for revenge. i.e. being killed or severely injured.
Machiavelli truly inspires me in the way he sees life. I think we need people like him in our generation, with his brains, determination and ruthlessness. I appreciate that he’s not scared to open up and get straight to the point. We are lacking that now. I do not think that violence is by any means the right thing to do now but back then, when he lived, it was. It was normal to go to war, to fight battles and kill. I find his quotes very thought provoking as well.
I enjoyed researching this particular individual because I have played his character in games recently and I already had a small understanding on how interesting this man was.
By Ross Wilson
Hi Ross,
This is a really impressive account of a very controversial figure in history. I know what you mean about how Machiavelli’s determination to succeed is commendable. I struggle with the violence that is implied by most of his comments.
The Godfather films quote Machiavelli often, so you might enjoy watching those when you are old enough. The books, however, are excellent. You should ask Miss McGough if she has them in the library and have a read.
Glad you enjoyed your personal research into this philosopher!
Miss Daly :0)
Thanks for the compliment, i did find it hard to get my head around his quotes and how most of them resort to violence. I did very much enjoy learning more on him, hes one of those people who you just keep finding out more and more things on him:D
I also have seen the godfather movies, the third one is slow to get into, i didnt realise his quotes were in the movie
I have chosen David Hume because he was a famous Scottish philosopher. David was born on the 7th of May 1711 and died in Edinburgh on the 25th of august 1776 at 65 years of age. He grew up on a farm in Berwickshire in the Scottish borders. He was only 2 years of age when his father died and therefore was brought up by his mother. She had high hopes of him becoming a lawyer but he had different ideas and gave up his studies in law to pursue his studies in philosophy and literature. By the time he 25 he had his first publication with his Treatise of Human Nature in three volumes. The Treatise explored topics such as space, time, passions, free will and morality, often with a very sceptical explanation of these topics. These Treatises were not well received in the literally world of philosophy and further publications took on other formats.
During my limited understanding of my research on this man I have become very aware that he was very inquisitive into the world of religion questioning all sorts of morals and ethics, questioning peoples reasoning for following religious beliefs, Hume’s take on religion is that it’s all a silly superstition.
“Beauty exists in the mind that contemplates them”
“A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence”
“To hate to love to think to feel to see; all this is nothing but to perceive. What a peculiar privilege has this little agitation of the brain which we call thought”
Well done, Clare! He was a great Scot who should be celebrated for his contribution to philosophy. Many people would have found his ideas at that time provoking and challenging.
What do you think the quotes you have chosen mean? I’d like to hear what they mean to you!
Hope yuo enjoyed your research piece. Miss McGough was impressed that you had chosen David Hume. 🙂
The philosopher i have chosen is william blake because we studied him recently in class and i found his philisophical ideas very interesting. blake had very negitive ideas about schools an examle of this is shown in his poem \’the school boy\’ a quote from the poem is
\"But to go to school in a summer morn,
O! it drives all joy away;
Under a cruel eye outworn.
The little ones spend the day,
In sighing and dismay.\"
this quote shows that the school boy is a joyfull person until he arrives at school and all this is driven away under the eye of his teacher.
Another poem i found by blake was ‘The Cradle Song’ i found it to be a very sweet poem that is a sort of lullaby here is a part of this poem:
Sweet dreams form a shade,
O’er my lovely infants head.
Sweet dreams of pleasant streams,
By happy silent moony beams;
I find william blakes writings to be fascinating and enjoyable.
Great work, Hannah! I love the quotation about the dreamer. It is such a lovely way to think about how people who dream (poets and artists) live in a different world. Blake is saying they live in the land of dreams which is lit by moonlight and is a wonderful place to inhabit because in dreams anything is possible. The dreamer suffers because they have to watch the dream world being taken over by the dawn and the harsh reality is a barrier their creativity.
😀
One of the most visible philosophers is William Blake. I chose William Blake Because of his excellent poetry. William was born on 28th November 1757 and died on 12th of august 1827.He was also a painter.William focused his poetry and art on Romantic Age.He was the greatest artist Britain ever prodused.His paintings and poetry have been characterised as part of both the Romantic movement and a quote from one of his poems is ‘Oh my children! do they cry,
Do they hear their father sigh
Well done, Taylor. I loved the poetry that came out of the Romantic movement. Blake was one of the most important poets from that time. He was was writing at the same time as two other great poets you might have heard of, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Wiliam Wordsworth. They all celebrated the beauty of nature and their poetry is about paying attention to the natural world. They thought that going for a walk in the woods and looking at the detail of the animals and trees was something that was a great way to help people feel better about their lives.
Have a wee look online and see if you can find a poem called, ‘Christabel’. It is a brilliant poem and one I think you will enjoy!
Let me know how you get on.
Miss Daly 🙂
Francis Bacon was the son of Nicholas Bacon , the lord keeper of the seal of Elisabeth 1 , He joined Trinity College Cambridge at age 12 . He was born in 1561 and died in 1626.
One of his famous quotes was “They are ill discovers that think there is no land , when they can see nothing but sea” which means don’t judge a book by it’s cover. I choose Francis Bacon because he is very interesting.
I think your quote from Bacon was a really thought provoking example of philosophical ideas. I took it to mean that people should not be blinded their present circumstances. Bacon is saying that we should remember that just as when a sailor is lost at sea, he might think that there is only water and becomes hopeles, but he should remember that there is land and that he should try to find it. So, in other words, present circumstances can and will change.
😀
Jane Austen was born on the 16th December 1775 and died at the age of 41 on the 18th of July 1817. Jane was an english novelist and he earnd her place as one of the most read writerss in English literature. Austen wrote alot of books uncluding Sense and Sensibilty,Pride and Prejiduce, Manifield Park etc etc…In 1869 her nephew’s brought out a memory of Jane Austen and tnat introduced her more to the public because in her lifetime she only had a little fame until her nephew’s brought out the book.
One of Jane Austen’s best quotes is “One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other”. This means that poor people dont understand what a rich persons life is like and how they live. Another is, “To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment.This quote means that on a nice sunny day you can sit in the shade and look at all the green fields and trees and see that it is refreshing.
Stephen! Jane Austen is one of my all time favourite authors. She was a brilliant writer who had to overcome obstacles in order to get published simply because she was a woman. In those days, respectable women were not supposed to work and her family/society frowned upon it. Her novels are very funny and she is famous for her clever turns of phrase.
There was a film recently about her with Anne Hathaway and James Macavoy. Well worth watching if you want to understand the world she lived in. I love how her quoatations about people and society are still accurate and funny to this day.
I love this quote, ‘I cannot speak well enough to be unintelligible.’ It means that people who are thought to speak very well usually say things that people can’t understand. This implies that people compliment a speaker for seeming clever and don’t try to understand them. Jane Austen was famous for being witty and ironic about conventions in society.
Miss Daly 🙂
hi
just to say i have read your comments and i might go to bolckbusters and get the film do u know what it is called ?
It is called ‘Becoming Jane’ and a really interesting look at what life was like in the early 1800’s. James MacAvoy is brilliant in it.
William Blake was the philosopher that i chose.
William Blake was an English poet born on the 28th of November 1757 in London and was the third of seven children. Blake died on the 12th of August 1827 aged 69. William is now concerned a seminal figure in history of poetry and also visual arts of the Romantic Age.
One of Williams quotes is ” How can a bird that is born for joy sit in a cage and sing?”. In this quote William is referring to school, as in a child cant sit in a classroom all day, they should explore the world to find things out.
Another quote of Williams is “Both read the Bible day and night, but thou read black where I read white”. This quote shows that everyone has a different opinion, we could all do the same thing but none of us would have the same opinion.
Hi Kelsey,
This is a good post about Blake. Do you think school is such a bad place? Remember, school in Blake’s day was a very different thing all together. Teachers back then were incredibly strict and many of them used the belt to punish pupils!!
Have a look at the posts the other have put up and see what you think of the people they chose to write about.
Miss Daly 🙂
1) Aristotle was born in a aristocatic family in 384 BC.His father was his own Physician to the king of Macedon.He was born in a small town on the northern coast of Greece!In 367 BC, Aristotle went to Plato’s Academy as a pupil (student), but he became a teacher there a few years after.After Pluto’s death in 347 BC, Aristotle renewed his time to the Macadonian Court and became a tutor to the king’s son, the future Alexander the great.When he turned 17,Proxenus sent him to Athens so he could get high education!Aristotle maintained a friendly relationship with Greek Philosopher Plato.In 322 BC, just a year after being in Chalcis to escape Prosecution under charges of inpiety, Aristotle had caught a disease of digestive organs and had died!I picked Aristotle because I thought that he was interesting and good to read about.I really like him and wish to understand him better in the future time!:D!
BY LYNDSAY KAY FORD! 2CH1
Well done! He was a very interesting philospher and his quotations are still well talked about to this day.
I love this quote from him:
Anybody can become angry – that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way – that is not within everybody’s power and is not easy.
Aristotle
What do you think of it?
Miss Daly 🙂
that was a good 1 I have one too! here is one:”All human actions have one or more of these seven causes:chance,nature,conpulsions,habit,reason,passion,desire!
Did you like mine miss Daly!:)
Lyndsay Ford!:D
OOOH, very good! He was a clever guy. That one is really interesting when you think about why people behave in certain ways.
Great work! 😀
William Blake
William Blake is a famous philosopher, and was gifted with poetry and philosophy. He was born on the 28th of November 1757 and died on the 12th of August 1827; William Blake told people that he had mystical visions throughout his, life he said that he saw angels in his own garden. He did not attend school, instead, his own mother home schooled him; he had philosophical views about proper schooling, which he thought it was a bad idea because he believed that the real educational experience was being out and about in the world. He simply believed that metaphorically a classroom was like a cage and that also metaphorically the young child forced to learn in this cage is like a bird. One of his poems is an example of this.
How can the bird that is born for joy Sit in a cage and sing? How can a child, when fears annoy, but droop his tender wing, and forget his youthful spring?
This poem by William Blake is explaining that basically the child is the bird, and that the classroom is the cage. He is actually saying that how can a child which is born to learn sit in a classroom and learn without actually being out in the world.
He painted picture of paranormal things such as angels. William Blake was also used as an example in a novel called ‘SKELLIG’.
I like this certain philosopher because I thought his ideas were very wise and smart and I also liked his poems.
Hi!
You have explained Blake’s ideas about school and schooling very well. I like how you mentioned the novel that led us onto this personal study of philosophy. Blake really was a great writer.
Have you read any of his other poems? Look out for ‘Tyger’ as it is one of his most famous and celebrated poems.
Remember to have a look at the work posted on here by the others and send them a reply during our GLOW Response sesssion next week.
🙂
thanks miss i read some of his other poems and looked at his art work he was very talented
yes miss I\’ve read it, i don\’t really understand it though, it confuses me a bit and i seen the picture of it, is it the one with the big tree and the tiger below it? thats the one i seen its amazing!:)
No worries, Lucy. I’ll go over it with you and see if we can work it out together. 🙂 Thanks for getting back to me!
Niccollo Machiavelli
Niccollo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was an Italian philosopher, humanist, and Historian. He was based in Florence, during the Renaissance, and between 1503, and 1506 he was responsible for the Florentine militia, including the City’s defence.
Much of Niccollo’s writings are based on war, leadership, and violence, which some people may find extreme. I however, I am fascinated by his concepts. I find this quote in particular very interesting ‘If an injury is to be done to a man, it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.’ In this quote Machiavelli is stating that if you are going to cause an injury to somebody, it should be to the extent that they cannot / will not come back for revenge. I also like the quote ‘It is much more secure to be feared than to be loved.’ Here, Niccollo is saying that it is safer for people to fear you, than it is for people to love you, e.g. If you are loved, your guard will most likely be down, meaning you are more vulnerable to attack. However, if you are feared, people will be too terrified to attempt to harm / kill you.
I have known a small amount about Niccollo Machiavelli previously, as he is in the Playstation games ‘Assassins Creed 2’, and ‘Assassins Creed Brotherhood’. However, I did not really like him in the games. Now that I have actually researched him, on a larger scale, I admire the way he speaks of leadership and courage.
William Blake
I picked William Blake because he has excellent poetry. William was born on the 28th November 1757 and was brought up in London and sadly died on August 1827 and he was aged 69 . His wife name was Catherine Blake. Catherine was born in 1782-1831 at age 49 she sadly passed away.
This is one of Williams quotes ‘ Always be ready to speak your mind, and a based man will avoid you.’ This quote explains if you be yourself and say what you feel there will be no trouble and no one will make hassle.
Francis Bacon
He was an Irish born British painter well known for bold, graphic and raw imagery that he produced.
In the middle of the 1960’s, Francis mostly produced portrait heads of friends and family.
His very artistic output often saw him concentrate on single themes for some periods including his crucifixion and Papal Heads.
A quote from Francis Bacon;
Men fear death as children fear to go into the dark ; and as that natural fear in children is increased by tales, so is the other.
I think that this quote shows that in the same way children become more scared of the dark as they hear tales, men become more scared of death as they grow up and learn about the world.
Another quote From Francis Bacon;
Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not ; a sense of humor to console him for what he is.
I think that this quote shows that humans have an imagination to imagine they can be anything. Also, humans have a sense of humor so that they can laugh at themselves and realise what and who they are.
I found these two quotes interesting and i find that Francis Bacon sounds like a very good philosopher.
Peter Abelard!
He was born on 1079 in little village called Le Pollet. He was a brilliant teacher of philosophy and literature. He later became a monk .
His nationality was French.
‘It is by doubting that we come to investigate, and by investigating that we recognize the truth. ‘
‘The key to wisdom is this – constant and frequent questioning, for by doubting we are led to question and by questioning we arrive at the truth.’
the philosopher i chose to research was oscar wilde.
oscar wilde was born 16th october 1864 in dublin.He died 30th november 1900 aged 46 in paris.His occupation was a writer and philosopher.He wrote drama, short stories, dialogue, and journalism.Some of his philosophical influences were plato, aristole, william shakesphere and john keats.
some of his philosophical quotes were \’Anybody can be good in the country.there are no temptations.\’
this quote means that anyone could be good in the country as there is no evil things to temp them to become evil/bad.
another one of his quotes is;
every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.
This quote means that a saint could have done something bad and a sinner could go on to do something good with their lifes.
Aristotle
Aristotle was an ancient Greek Philosopher who wrote on many subjects which included Physics,Poetry,Theater,music,politics. He is one of the most important figures in western philosophy. Aristotle views also shaped medieval Scholarship but were replaced by Neutonian Physics. Most of his original works are now lost and only one_third are left. One of his quotes I find most interesting is \" A great city is not to be confused with a populace one\" this quote means that a city is not determined by how many people there are in it but how they act and behave. How they live and what they build.
In zoology some of his observations were confirmed to be correct in the 19th century. He had profound influence in Islamic and Jewish Tradition and continues to influence christian theology. He was the teacher to Alexander the Great. Another of his quotes is \" All human action are because of one of these seven causes: Chance, Nature, Compulsion, Habit, Reason, Passion or Desire\". Aristotle is saying by this quote we are all just Animals that do things out of instincts and don\’t think about it. I agree with his philosophy although his work is often considered out dated