Thursday 13 December 2012

Who Is Dean Moriarty?

"There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars."

"On The Road" is an American novel written by Jack Kerouac. I loved this book. I found the storyline fast paced and the language clever yet incredibly readable. The style of writing I really appreciated as it made it easy to dip in and out of the book, I don't have loads of spare time for reading at the moment and this is something which I require in a good read!

The theme of the story is essentially in the title, being "on the road". The protagonist Sal and his crazy friend Dean, travel all over America in search of something missing from their lives staying in one place.

I think the key quote of the book is "We know time." This simply refers to the sensation of realising mortality, realising how little time there is to do everything you want to, how Sal & Dean pack as many sensations into every day as they can, how they go about this by travelling. The book is set in post depression America. I've never been to America and it was fascinating to get a brief snapshot of each city.

Dean ends up having kids and several wives, whereas Sal looks on this with a rather detached viewpoint, and we as the reader have empathy for these women that he leaves scattered across the continent to bring up his children. He never has time for them, and pursues the endless horizon impatiently in search of new things, carelessly ignoring his dependents and instead using all his money on a car.

Jack Kerouac sums up the loneliness of life on the road succinctly in this novel, following the story firsthand from Sal's viewpoint of the ups and downs, the near misses with death, the desperate moments, the excitement, the variety of people, the unpredictability and the adventure. In one sense it makes you want to throw in everything and take off with your dreams, on the other it makes you incredibly apprehensive about all the bad parts!

Human relationships and hedonism are key themes, with "looking out for yourself in desperate situations" trumping friendship in certain cases throughout the book. It makes you think deeply about friendship and travels.

I haven't seen the film but I believe it is also a film now... However, I think the film would have to be brilliant to live up to expectation! A great read even if you have a hectic schedule, you can pick up this book in between things. Five stars.

Tuesday 11 December 2012

Seasons Greetings

What are your favourite ways to prepare for the festive season?

Christmas decorations are out in force and I'm feeling incredibly festive now, which is nice as it's only two weeks away. What I did this year was leave my Christmas shopping until December, which really helps to get me in the mood. I absolutely love choosing gifts for special friends and family. Doing it on a budget forces me to be creative.

It's also my other half's birthday just after Christmas and I'm really excited about his present this year. It's his 21st birthday, and I'm happy with what I chose, I just have to wait to see if he does! Photos to follow...

Our tree went up last night, my housemate, a conservationist, got it from Cannock Chase where she works free of charge. We've chosen a gold and red colour scheme, just the present wrapping to get done now!

Christmas pantos I love, being a kid at heart. I don't think I'll be going this year but you never know. I also love a Christmas carol service in the week before Christmas Day.

It's going to be Festive Friday in our office, I really want to be a Christmas fairy, but we shall see!!


Passionfruit xo


Monday 26 November 2012

Black Friday Apples

Friday 23rd November was Black Friday in the USA. Shopping online meant you could take advantage of “special deals” on selected products from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. One of the big news was that Apple shaved a few pounds off their classic iPad and iPod touch. The 16GB iPad boasted a £31 discount. Now perhaps this looks like a better saving in terms of American dollars but it didn’t seem like a great saving to me, in comparison to the hefty RRP of £368 with discount!

This is a smart move by Apple. The “one-time-only” deal causes customers to make rash decisions in the space of a day, over an item they have perhaps been looking at for a little while. Apple are well known to keep products at full price, so this really is a one off!

Apple have carefully manipulated the technology market in recent years, following the creation of their iPad. The fact that they are the original creators of the tablet has given them a head start where the technology is concerned. The tablet computer has of course exploded onto the market in various forms, with other brands leaping through the window of opportunity, but none have quite matched the standard and cleanness of the Apple design or indeed their desirability to consumers.

The psychological marketing of Black Friday in producing one time must buys correlates with Apple’s fast paced market for technological products. Black Friday aims to sell products at slashed prices, yet rely on the volume of consumers coming through the doors to make a profit.

Another item has been in the news recently, about supermarket promotional discounts. The article suggests that supermarkets are in fact manipulating the buy one get one free prices, so that no discount is actually to be had on the product. How do they do this? They simply raise the standard price to cover the unit cost of two and then slap a promotional label on it. Customers are drawn to any kind of discount, especially those watching their pennies.
The result of this manipulative pricing is that people end up buying more than one of something which they didn’t particularly need in the first place, and the supermarkets make a larger profit. The article also highlighted the interests of the supermarket in getting us to buy in bulk.

Apple are the greatest success story in terms of brand image. The clean, fresh look of each product helps us make that decision between the futuristic, minimalist gimmick and the clunky, two toned copy from HTC. Don’t forget to start saving for the next Apple gadget! Why? Because, of course, in a few months time, your shiny new iPod touch will be obsolete in anticipation of the next big thing.

Saturday 13 October 2012

Perks of Being a Wallflower - The Film of the Book that came to life!

So myself and a good friend went to see Perks film on Friday night. I was bowled over by the way the book was accurately filmed. Of course it helped that the author, Stephen Chbosky was also the director of the film, making the book alive in my eyes.

Yes, some of the initial scenes were a little cheesy with Charlie's whole naive attitude to everything. However, this is my only negative.

1. The actors chosen were perfect.

2. The soundtrack was amazing.

3. You related to the characters at every twist of the tale.

4. I laughed and cried as I knew what was coming next, for example during the scene when Charlie deliberately doesn't kiss his girlfriend.

5. The parts about Charlie's mental illness come alive in a way they didn't in the book, due to the use of flash backs.

6. Emma Watson was nothing like Hermione, and played the role of Sam perfectly, despite my reservations.

7. I want to see it again...


Thank you, Stephen Chbosky.


Kafkaesque

"Surreal distortions, often marked by impending doom".

So the Kafka museum got me thinking... Here's some notes.

- The Hunger Artist

The man feeds mentally off the crowd's appreciation for his physical starvation. It is easy to starve, no mental effort for him once he has got in the swing of things. The point is that he has to feed off something, whether it be physical or mental. The point when he is past help is marked by the time when he starts to feel sick when offered food.

Agile big cat at the end of the story. Complete contradiction to the cage's previous inhabitant.

Notes on the Kafka museum:

- Inspired by Taoism
- More observational than pessimistic. More realistic than pessimistic.
- Apart from his observations on the city being a cage.
- Wrote a very long letter to his father. This has some significance.
- The Castle (Questions on perception and a rather modern art style interactive exhibit which I wasn't sure what to make of.)
- Prague undergoing huge change. Anti semitic views.
- Died of hunger then of thirst due to TB. It's interesting to note that in the hunger artist he actually says that it is easy to die of hunger intentionally. He wrote the hunger artist during his period of illness.
- "Conversation with the drunk" - oh I still really want to write my own version of this!!
- Lived just opposite the Astronomical Clock.
- Spent time organising a Philosophical Circle.
- Time period when concepts such as Relativity and psychoanalysis were being developed (eg. So much Freud)
- The endless office... the six hours a day in his law firm office "interminable" as he dedicated all his time to writing, his passion.
- Disgusted by his own clothing.
- Broken relationship with his father.
- Leaders and famous writers - Kafka was always good at organising excursions for his friends. I think this was an important thing about his personality.

I also enjoyed the composer Smetana very much on the main video of the Kafka exhibition, though I am yet to discover that particular song I enjoyed again.




Thursday 20 September 2012

Starting out in SEO

I started out in SEO six months ago now, completely new to the field, armed only with a confidence using computers and a little creative writing aptitude.

Search Engine Optimisation is the art of promoting business online. In simple terms, it lifts your search engine ranking, so your business gains higher ground on Google.

When you first become an SEO analyst, it is drummed into you that “content is king” and this is SO true! I thoroughly believe in an SEO approach of quality. There are various “black hat” techniques which can be used, including forum posting, social bookmarking and blog commenting and it is true that a certain degree of black hat SEO is unavoidable. I am all for the power of networking and quality content to get businesses up and running online, as these are the things which are likely to be valued in the long term. By networking, I don't just mean LinkedIn and Facebook, which undoubtedly offer huge potential for businesses, but a whole host of other networking opportunities which may not initially spring to mind. I will write more on this topic later in the blog as it is a key controversy surrounding SEO.

Search engines value quality websites over anything. There are certain shortcuts and people try to get round these in smart ways. However, algorithms are in constant flux and search engines do not disclose details of these to the general public so it is the role of the SEO analyst to keep up to date with these on behalf of their clients.

If you are a small business owner and want to get your business online, it is worthwhile consulting an SEO analyst to see what they can do for your website.


Tuesday 28 August 2012

The three Rs, Reading wRiting and Reality TV!



There are a wealth of new hobbies in the contemporary age, and indeed many more than in the "olden days". I grew up as a 90s kid both reading every night before bed as well as gaming all weekend with my younger brother on our chunky Compaq Windows 95 (and fighting each other for the controls!) It’s debatable whether increased fascination with computer games are a direct result of the decline in enthusiasm for a book.

Undoubtedly there are numerous new things for children to do with their spare time, including the latest video consoles and the explosion of internet social media. Children are likely to do what their friends are into, due to the desire to fit in at school. If books were made “cool”, so to speak then kids would read more widely for pleasure. It is true to say that when a book comes out that becomes a “cult”, such as Fifty shades, Twilight and Harry Potter, then children will flock to read it, as it gains media attention and is the talk of the playground.

There have been reports of kids picking up a Harry Potter book who had never read a full book in their life, but what would make them go that extra effort is the fact that it’s the “done” thing. From this we can learn what encourages a child to read. A little inspiration, a social following and an interesting storyline can be enough to spark an interest.

Yes, overall I do think that the majority of children are reading less for pleasure. There are so many distractions in the modern world and the fact is that computer games along with declining attention spans along with the internet increase the demand for quick pleasure fixes which a book does not provide as easily as a computer game.

It is so easy to watch the film of a book without even having read the book in order to get a quick and accessible idea of what the storyline might be. Children have picked up on this and are not putting the time in to read books once the film has come out.

A book requires effort and motivation on the part of kids that cannot read as well, and problems such as dyslexia can make this learning to read process even more arduous. Incentives should be provided by parents and a passion for reading inspired by parents. If your mom and dad spend more time in front of the telly than with a good book, chances are you will be the same. It is about getting the balance right and reminding a child that reading is fun. Still, parents who put value on their child’s education surely see the benefits of reading widely as well as having a healthy balance of games, TV and outdoor play.

Having overseen the kids reading scheme in the children’s library last summer I know that there are still those bookworm children like I was who devour a book a day for pleasure. We cannot discount the fact that there is so much to be gained from books and some kids and parents know this. I am not by any means suggesting that all children are reading less but I think as a general statement it is true simply by the fact of new distractions and new ways to spend time.

I know that there are parents who put in the effort to educate their children about reading and actively encourage picking up a book on a daily basis, but sadly children may neglect their reading in future years in favour of more technical hobbies. Is this a problem? Yes and no. Children are becoming more and more technologically literate than adults, showing great adaptation to the modern world of technology. It’s an essential to be technologically aware. Growing up around computers opens a world of possibility but reading should not be completely neglected in favour of computers, as a basic grasp of language is a pre requisite for any job.

What can we do for kids who prefer the computer? Encourage reading articles online, signing up to an online magazine, playing literacy games on educational websites. There are ways to make the learning to read process fun and parents simply need to get inventive about it!
Children are reading less for pleasure but it is not all down to computer games. The increase in time spent on the internet over the past decade or so is having an impact on our youth. Children want to play interactive games online, they want to have a Facebook page, they want to watch videos on Youtube. All of this time previously could have been spent on more conventional hobbies such as reading.

The rise of problems such as ADHD could be contributing to this lack of effort spent on reading. The truth is a child will not get as much enjoyment from a book if they have not fully mastered reading. Are children reading less for pleasure because they have not spent enough time learning the basics? Who is to blame for a lack of time spent with a good book? A combination of the modern world and not enough time and effort spent on getting children to read. A trip to the library weekly is a good way to start and opens a whole world of possibility and imagination!

(Won current issue essay of the week over on Ciao!)

Monday 20 August 2012

Crazy Stupid Love: Film Review



Crazy, Stupid Love is a film about a couple falling out. From the start of the film we see Cal's life fall apart as he learns that his wife cheated on him. He promptly moves out, dividing his time between having his kids round the flat for half the week, and heading to the same bar nightly trying to move his life forward. Down this very bar he meets a smooth character named Jacob who teaches him tricks about pulling ladies. Following this series of events, life takes a turn for the better and for the worse, and the film tracks the lives of several different characters in several different situations caused by love.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this rom com but it was a hilarious watch and thoroughly entertained me. I would give this film 4 stars as the plot was slightly badly thought out in places, with a random character introduced halfway through (Cal's daughter) to give the plot an extra twist, which didn't quite work as I felt she should have been at least a small part of the story of their family in particular from the beginning of the film, even though she appeared briefly at the beginning of the film!

This film is available to rent on Blockbuster (where I get all my films - as you will know if you read my film reviews!) and also online at Amazon, play.com, HMV for between £5 and £10, depending on where you shop. I would recommend this film as a light hearted look about some of the more serious problems that someone can experience with their love life.

From young characters (Cal's son) to older characters (Cal) falling in and out of love, and exploring sides to themselves they didn't know they had all in the name of love!

I felt that the film took a realistic look at the world of relationships for the most part, and explored the harsh realities of getting dumped and not being wanted by the person you are crazy about, all those things that most people have to go through at some point! Would you do ANYTHING to get someone back? What happens when the person you have been married to for 20 years takes off with someone else?

The ending of the film is slightly blown up and ridiculous and there were moments when I felt that they focussed too heavily on making it funny, where they should have toned down the in-your-face humour slightly. However, overall I give it four stars for entertainment value and this very watchable film.

Get this film for a fun and light hearted look at relationships!

Wednesday 15 August 2012

"Hope can drive a man crazy" - The value of freedom of choice.

Shawshank Redemption is an incredibly moving film centred around the characters Andy and Red, both convicted murderers serving life sentences in Shawshank prison. The film explores a few issues; the brutality and discipline of certain prison systems, relationships between the inmates and the shocking effects on mental health of institutionalisation.






The film spans the 19 years that Andy spends in Shawshank and follows his struggle against prison life and his attempts to improve life for his fellow inmates. An important thing to note is that though he was convicted of murdering his wife and her lover, throughout the film he restates the fact that he is innocent.

We do not find out for certain until near the end of the film whether he is innocent or not and in the interest of not providing a spoiler, I won't describe what happens. The ending of the film surprised me in more ways than one, I wouldn't have expected the chain of events to occur as they did, and this is one of the reasons why I give this film five stars.

The value of freedom of choice is a key theme in this film, as what Andy does for the inmates is increase the value of their time to themselves with a book (bettering the library) and gets them beers after work (by bribing the prison guards with his lawyer knowledge). He himself dreams and dreams of the Pacific Ocean which "always forgets" and a hotel he would set up on the coast of Mexico where the sea would be so blue.

I was gripped to this lengthy film (two and a half hours long!) from the beginning and felt that it really grabbed my attention and drew me into the story, so much that by the more emotional scenes near the end of the film I felt like I was Andy, as the story was told so convincingly and paid attention to details.
At the end of the film I was left questioning many things such as how prisons should be run and what happened to the manager of the prison to make him so evil and money hungry.

The film educated me on life on the inside, though I don't know how "real" it actually was, though they did a convincing job of portraying life, they showed the men going about their everyday tasks. I would imagine that this would be something like a high security institution today, but not a standard prison.

The uplifting part of this film is that the message "hope can send a man crazy", as voiced by Red after their dear old friend Brooks (the ancient librarian who has lived in the prison for 50 years on a life sentence) struggles on the outside after finishing his sentence, is changed by the end into "hope is good and necessary, a man needs hope". So throughout the despair of the hopeless situation, there is a positive note that can be taken.

The friendship of Red and Andy is one of the central parts of the film and the story is told entirely from the point of view of Red, as he closely watches his friend and the changes that happen as a result of him.

I would go as far as to say that this is one of the best films I have ever seen, as a result of the thoughtful nature of the film and the questions it caused me to consider, as well as the way the story is told, the way two and a half hours seemed like no time at all and the gripping nature of the storyline itself. Prisoners really do have a story to tell.

It caused me to consider whether prisoners value free time more than anyone else, or whether the degree of institutionalisation they undergo in prison makes them a different person unable or unwilling to make their own decisions after so long formulating their behaviour to do exactly as told. I would come to the conclusion that it depends how long you have been in prison.

I will add more to these thoughts when I have the time as I think there is so much to think about from this film.

--Meaning of the title--

The word redemption means to be saved from sin or evil, and Andy and Red in trying to improve prison life, find their own redemption, though as they are serving life sentences, it is impossible to redeem themselves in the eyes of the law.
The unexpected occurrences towards the end of the film offer another interpretation of redemption!

--Things you need to know--

You can get this film from Blockbuster as I did or online at under a fiver! I can't recommend this film enough and would suggest that it is suitable for a wide range of audiences, though not for young children who get troubled by violence as it is packed with violent scenes.

One of the best films I have ever seen. Five stars!

Friday 10 August 2012

Film review: The Help

I was recommended this film by a colleague who said it had made him cry! I had to find out what was so emotionally moving about this film as I love films that really get you to relate to the characters. I rented this film off Blockbuster but it is available from HMV, Play.com, Amazon.co.uk and the usual film outlets online and offline.

It's quite a recent film as it came out just last year (2011). It's also quite a long film, so I watched it in parts as I don't often have the time to sit down and watch a three hour film! This didn't detract from the enjoyment of the film and I found myself easily picking up the storyline where I left off and really feeling the emotions of the characters.

It is an adaptation of the book by Kathryn Stockett, though shamefully I didn't read the book before seeing the film!

The director is Tate Taylor, who is also an actor. The leading actresses are Emma Stone who played Skeeter, who I hadn't seen before, but have recently seen in "Crazy, Stupid Love" which I will be reviewing shortly; Viola Davis who played Aibileen and has since been in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" which I have read the book of and will be soon watching the film of, and Octavia Spencer who plays Minny and has also appeared briefly in the Big Bang Theory!

--Plot--

This film is about the racial divide in North America in the 60s. The film is set in Mississippi and the storyline primarily follows the lives of white American journalist Skeeter and black servants Minny and Aibileen.

Skeeter comes fresh from college deciding she wants to write to make a difference somewhere. She sets about on the difficult task of interviewing black servants and gaining perspective of their lives and hardships to publish in a book and effect social change.

Her reason for wanting to do so is her appreciation for the black woman who brought her up as a lifelong family servant, and her outrage at finding that her mother fired the woman who raised her. Her mother is ill and she feels obliged to stay at home with her first and put everything else second. We learn that Skeeter has a distaste for dating idiots and is intensely career minded.

The plot explores the characters of the snooty southern ladies and the submissive servants who toil to keep their homes and families together, often bringing up their children.

There is an element of comedy in the film under the deep issues explored, as the snooty southern ladies finally get their come-uppance and Skeeter dates an idiot and shows him who's boss! Minny, the black servant, is a character with such attitude, she is very lovable.


Skeeter experiences hurdles along the way as she finds out how difficult it is to get servants to risk their jobs and livelihoods over speaking out. The dark times are captured in this unwillingness to divulge scandalous information on the parts of the servants, as they know full well the severity of the consequences and the extent of the wrongs in the eyes of the state.




--Personal opinions--

The main reason I enjoyed this film so much was because it both educated me about the history of civil rights in America and engaged me thoroughly with the characters. At the end of the film I wanted to meet the characters and this is how you can tell a good film from a bad film!!

I found the film went into a lot of depth with developing characters and explaining the storyline, which is what makes a good film for me.

From what I know of the history of black rights in the deep south, this film really captures what it was like to be in a life of servitude in this era.

I would describe the film as being a film you could watch without having to concentrate too much, as the lives of the characters are illustrated so convincingly, you don't need to know any background information about the time period. With it's smattering of comedy, it's a real emotional rollercoaster of a film, I laughed and cried at The Help!

I have read a few reviews suggesting how the film lacks historical accuracy and is therefore not the way 1960s America should be portrayed in the film, so for this reason shouldn't be considered a great film. I would say in response to this, and in defence of my four star rating for the film, that it is a light look at servitude in 60s America and a feel good, subtly educational film which can in turn provoke an interest in the history behind the story. The film does not need to be 100% accurate, though of course a little attention to historical detail is always a bonus. I may revise my conclusion on this with a second viewing but for now I will put it down to "poetic licence". For what it's worth, I really enjoyed the film, and wasn't sure what to expect when renting it, and the idea of cinema is to entertain!

--Pricing--

As the film is recent, it won't be at the lowest price for DVDs yet. The lowest price I have discovered is £7 on asda.com, though you should browse the shops as well and there are probably second hand copies floating about on eBay for less.

--Verdict--

Watch this film for a thoughtful take on the era just before social change in the deep south.

Thursday 9 August 2012

Natural belief - makes my mind bend...

"Critically discuss Hume's notion of natural belief. What are we to think when we find our natural beliefs undermined by philosophical reflection?"

So…What is natural belief?

David Hume’s notion of natural belief is the phenomenon of people naturally holding common assumptions through habit without necessarily examining why they are believed to be true. Hume considers natural belief inescapable in the interpretation of our world. When we find our beliefs undermined by philosophical reflection, we must examine the roots of our beliefs meticulously to find out whether these foundations are valid.

Hume was one of the most famous empiricist philosophers of the seventeenth century, and his ideas still influence our modern thought on matters such as religion and existence. Empiricism emphasizes the role of experience and evidence in the formation of ideas over the notion of innate ideas and traditions.
In this course of this essay, I will explore Hume’s ideas about natural belief and the impact of natural beliefs on our human understanding.

One of the main topics Hume discusses in his “An enquiry concerning human understanding” is the derivation of knowledge and belief from the world. What is the difference between knowing something and believing something? Where does the concept of natural belief fit into different epistemological ideas?

Belief: Ideas, Impressions and Hume’s Fork.

Hume begins his enquiry with a distinction among our mental contents. His two categories are impressions, the direct, vivid products of immediate experience, and ideas, weak memory copies of these original impressions. For example, the black colour of the text I am reading right now is an impression, whereas the memory of the colour of my cat is merely an idea. Since every idea must be derived from an antecedent impression, Hume says, it makes sense to inquire into the origins of our ideas by looking at their original impressions. Through this process, we can examine the origins of our natural beliefs.

A second distinction Hume makes in his enquiry is that of Hume’s fork; the distinction of objects of human reason into relations of idea or matters of fact. He defines relations of ideas as intuitively certain propositions, such that we could deduce their truth simply by the definitions of the words in the sentences.

An example of a relation of ideas would be a mathematical proposition; ““7 x 6 = 42” or “a hexagon has six sides”. Non-mathematical propositions also work: “All mothers are females.” They are “self-evident” and abstract.

Matters of fact are not intuitively certain, nor “self-evident”. They are propositions deduced from logical inference by observing the world around us, and so assert the existence of non-abstract entities. Hume’s favourite example of a matter of fact, presented in his enquiry, is “the sun will rise tomorrow”.
It is always logically possible that any “matter of fact” statement about the world is false, hence the contrary of a matter of fact is always logically possible, for example it is always logically possible that the sun will not rise tomorrow. This is not so for relations of ideas.

Often, when inquiring into the origins of our ideas, we find there are many “natural beliefs” or commonly held, unjustifiable beliefs at the root of our ideas. The matter of fact that the sun will rise tomorrow is an example of a natural belief. As philosophers, we need to know about the foundations of our ideas and the extent to which “natural belief” can be considered true knowledge. This brings us to the problem of induction, an important philosophical problem of the modern world.

Hume’s problem of induction

The problem of induction is the philosophical questioning of whether inductive reasoning leads to knowledge. Inductive reasoning is making “natural” assumptions about what will happen, from what has already happened, such as in the case of the rising of the sun. Sometimes, our assumptions can be misleading, and can lead us to the wrong conclusions.

A real-life example of the problem of induction would be “all swans that we have seen are white, therefore all swans are white.” before the discovery of black swans. However, it would be illogical and impossible to predict black swans without any evidence of them.

A more valid statement than “all swans are white” would be “all swans I have seen are white”, but we tend to use the former statement when coming to a conclusion based on empirical evidence. Is this rational?
The problem of induction is highly relevant to our philosophical problems of the modern world; and is the strongest argument against the validity of natural belief.

It considers that we cannot know anything for certain from repeated experience, but only as accurate an assumption as our logic limits. Our knowledge from empirical evidence is also subject to sensory flaws and perceptive errors.

When we find our natural assumptions undermined by philosophical reflection, we can only improve upon these beliefs through common experience.

Natural assumptions are essential in our “trial and error” understanding of the world around us. Through the process of induction we are at least able to improve our accuracy of understanding, even if we cannot reach any absolute certainty. Hume’s stance is that we should accept our limitations of knowledge, and seek to question the foundations of each of our beliefs analytically to produce greater accuracy of understanding. He thinks that the most important thing for an idea to be valid is that it must have a corresponding impression.

Is there a God? Is God the ultimate cause?

Hume’s writings on religion are some of the most influential writings on the topic. He advances a skeptical critique on religion, which may have contributed to the decline of religious belief in the aftermath of the Enlightenment.

The main problem was that Hume’s empiricism was incompatible with the idea of there being a God. The deist beliefs of the seventeenth century brought with them contradictions; the idea of there being a clockwork God as the essential root of any system appeared to contradict the rise of modern science. This is because the laws of Newtonian physics gave rise to new ideas such as that of cause and effect.
Hume believes that we can only form ideas based on our impressions of the external world. There is no solid impression of a God from the external world and therefore God does not exist. Because of this, he argues that it is not rational to assume existence of a God, even though this was a widely held natural belief of the time.

Hume advocated the theory of cause and effect; the fact that everything that happens in the world has a necessary cause. However, he recognizes flaws in the theory.

A belief in causal action is a natural belief, says Hume, because it is through habit that we naturally suppose these ideas. Having observed the way in which events repeat themselves, we come to naturally expect the same effect from the similar cause. He says in his passage on “connexion” in his enquiry that connections between cause and effect are not derived from impressions; and therefore we must make an assumption of the link between the cause and the effect.

He says these patterns formed are always a result of habit, as we form associations in our mind based on observations of the external world; and not from any impression of the relations between external objects. There is no self-evident relation between cause and effect as each idea is distinct and separable. This natural belief we must take to be true in order to explain many scientific phenomena. Yet, we cannot prove it with absolute certainty.

A popular counter-argument to Hume’s writings is that there must be a necessary cause that begins the chain of cause and effect. This necessary ultimate cause is God. However, in the example of cause and effect with the billiard balls, we can see the impression of the cause, the first billiard ball hitting the second, we can see the impression of the effect, the other billiard ball moving. We cannot see the impression of God as our initial cause. Is it irrational to assume existence of a God? Hume would say it is.

Does the external world exist?

What are we to think when we find our belief of an external world undermined by philosophical reflection?
Another example of a natural belief would be belief in the external world beyond our mind. The external world is apparent to us from sense-experience. We naturally assume its existence as we carry out our day to day activities. The argument for an external world is that something must be causing this “impression” of a world on my mind. If there is nothing, how could there be an impression?

The problem is the same as that of our belief in the sun rising tomorrow. Our natural belief in the reality of an external world is based entirely on inductive reasoning. When we believe the sun will rise tomorrow we base this belief on our sense-experience of the past; when we believe that there is an external world we base this belief on our sense-experience of the past.

There exists an impression of the world in my mind. My belief of this external world depends upon the way things appear to me and an assumption that the way things appear to me is a reliable indication of the way things are. Again we must take this natural belief to be true, otherwise the essence of our scientific understanding disintegrates.

There are evident philosophical flaws in the assumption of an external world. But, it is instinctive and necessary to assume existence of the external world. Therefore, we should assume existence of an external world.

Do we know that we exist? The ultimate epistemological question…

Belief in the body is a natural belief. It is part of the human instinct to suppose existence of the body. However, upon philosophical reflection, we find again that this is natural assumption with no concrete basis of absolute certainty.

Descartes and Hume both agree that though we assume existence, there is no proof.

Descartes’ Cartesian dualism reasons that the mind and body are distinct from each other. He thinks that the only thing we can be certain of is that we exist, so if the mind and body are distinct from each other, we cannot possibly “know” that we have a body, but only the existence of thinking.

Hume thinks that we can only ascertain existence from our sense impressions. He argues that though it is natural to assume existence, we do not have an impression of the self. His question is “from what antecedent impression is our idea of the self derived?” His answer is that there is no antecedent impression, we are never directly aware of “I”; the closest we can get is a succession of separate ideas.

He concludes that the self is just a bundle of perceptions, and we have no proof for the idea of a persistent self, despite the fact that belief in our own reality is natural. I would argue that we must pursue the natural idea of a persistent self despite the lack of evidence in favour of this, because our entire human experience, science and habit, seems to base itself upon the idea that we exist, we existed in the past and we will continue to exist in the future.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Hume supposes our natural beliefs are not rational. The examples I explored in this essay of natural belief in a God and natural belief in an external world cannot be supported as relation of ideas or as matters of fact.

According to Hume, what we call definite is nothing more than a measure of the strength of conviction produced in us by our experience of regularity. But habit and instinct are the foundations of all natural science and belief.

His conclusion is that the most reasonable position is to accept the limitations of human knowledge, while pursuing logical mathematical and scientific aims to interpret our world as best we can. Without delving into the philosophical foundations of the derivation of natural belief, we will naturally assume things in everyday life no matter how lacking in rational justification. I conclude in agreement with Hume’s position, because of the unavoidable nature of natural belief and that in many cases we do not have any basis of belief apart from of what is assumed naturally.

Every idea has an antecedent impression so we must look to its impression to see whether the idea is valid. As long as we pursue this reasoning as far as is humanly possible, we have not left anything out in our pursuit of knowledge.

References:
  • Many discussions in CafĂ© Nero Manchester
  • A couple of three hour train rides
  • My friend Tom
  • www.humesociety.org
  • An Enquiry into Human Understanding
  • Spark Notes
  • Wikipedia
  • Philosophytalk.org

Thoughts on Scottish Independence

Arguments Against

- Scotland is reliant on Britain for defence since the dismantling of the Scottish regiments.
- Scotland could not manage by itself financially, the numbers just don’t add up. Scottish taxes bring in less revenue than is spent by the Scottish government.
- Scotland would be unable to compete on a global scale. There is strength in numbers, especially in this increasingly globalised economic market. Globalisation means that small countries with little economies of scale will suffer compared to BRIC countries.
- A United Kingdom has more sway in global and international politics.

Arguments For

- Patriotism – Scotland have always been able to manage themselves well.
- Scotland were a forerunner of the Enlightenment with many great thinkers coming from Scotland.
- The country prides itself on entrepreneur-ship in times of adversity.
- Scotland’s oil revenues have been wasted in the south-east of England and haven’t benefitted Scotland.
- Public favour. More people voted for the SNP than ever before. This could be a demonstration of dissatisfaction with the way things are down in Westminster with the coalition.
- Originally, Scotland’s ruling aristocrats were bribed into giving up power. There has always been negative feeling towards the common parliament and monarchy.
- Having a Scottish parliament in Scotland would help Scottish taxes be distributed fairly in places where it is needed.
- Imperialist propaganda affects government adversely.
 
I am in favour of Scotland remaining a part of the UK.

While I can see why many Scottish citizens are feeling that they would prefer an independent Scotland from past measures, I believe that having this discussion and having the pressure of potential independence will cause the UK government to rethink their priorities regarding Scotland. They will be forced to think about the remaining oil reserves in Scotland and invest money from this into Scotland for a less unequal spread of wealth to work on public government satisfaction.

There are problems, but they would not be outweighed by the costs of Scotland leaving the Union so I would be in favour of Scotland staying. This is due to the problems that would be faced should Scotland leave the Union including less weight given to the individual countries on international affairs and lack of authority in international trade.

I think that in response to concerns voiced by Scottish citizens, that the national government should remain in Westminster but that more money should be allocated to be spent on a local level and more power given to the local governments as Scotland is so far away from London that social effects cannot be fully appreciated by those enforcing the policies.

My personal verdict on the issue is that there are strong arguments on both sides, but in the end an independent Scotland would cause more problems than benefits in the long term.

Q&As:

To responses of readers:

1. "International trade is not currently the main priority for the UK." Yes, but my response to this is that we cannot ignore what the situation may be like in the long term.

2. "Surely even if Scotland were to leave the UK, they would still be able to enjoy some kind of alliance." Perhaps, but none of these alliances would be as strong as the bond we previously enjoyed as a United Kingdom, so in both international and domestic affairs, there would be rivalry between the nations causing mutual problems for both countries.


Wednesday 8 August 2012

An insightful read on the topic of North Korea

"Nothing to Envy" by Barbara Demick is a collection of personal true life stories about lives in North Korea. Before reading this book, I knew little about the nation, apart from the fact it was ruled by a dictator.

This book really opened my eyes to things going on in this forbidding nation. The harsh economical realities of being a nation relying on external support are explored in this book with personal accounts from North Koreans.

--The stories--

The stories are a collection of personal accounts from people the author has encountered in her research on the country. These tell stories of lives in North Korea including very romantic love stories affected by social standing and laws of the country.

--Personal opinion of the book--

It was a page turner, I really couldn't put this book down. I was recommended it by my other half for an insight into North Korea. I found out so much new information about the country, including how false the displays in Pyongyang are for Westerners visiting the country and how many people risked their lives to take themselves and their families across the border to China and the extent of the famine in the country, with people eating everything they could, even resorting to cooking sticks and dirt.

The story turns to that of a lady, whose family is dying about her of starvation and of prosecution for civil unrest. It tells of the rise of the black market produce and how people made and sold things on illegal markets to feed their families.

A beautiful love story tells of a couple who are in different social classes, one has to go away to a military school in Pyongyang and one who works as a school teacher in the countryside watching her pupils gradually starving to death unable to do anything.

The struggle is encapsulated by the storytelling of the desperate measures people took to hear news from the outside world, including listening to an illegal radio turned down incredibly low under cover of darkness in order to get some news from China.

The story gives a real insight into life in North Korea, that shadowy nation including all the details of propaganda inspiring passion for the leaders and the lies believed by the nation as to the greatness of their country and the masked famine problems.

It really explains how the nation has got away with its policies so far, and suggests varying opinions on the leadership from first hand experiences.

What stands out about this book is the personal accounts. It is incredibly difficult to find people who are willing to talk about their country due to the nature of the oppressive regime, it is dangerous to talk, especially for those with families left behind. The author did a great deal of research around her topic which made the book fantastic.

--Where to buy and price--

I think ours cost about a tenner for a large paperback copy. You can get it from Waterstones and Amazon. I have just discovered you can get a copy from eBay for £2.45! Someone buy that copy quick!
It was worth every penny (had I bought it, it belongs to my boyfriend but I think he felt the same way :))

There is also a website at for those interested.

--Verdict--

Read this book!! It was absolutely brilliant and kept me hooked from start to end.

One Starry Night I read this book.

I was recommended "The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh" by a close friend as an insightful read into the life of one of the greatest artists to have lived. Vincent Van Gogh wrote thousands of letters in his lifetime, most notably to his brother Theo Van Gogh whom he was very close to in childhood. This could be because his mother Anna Van Gogh was also an avid letter writer, or it could be due to the fact that he led a lonely and solitary existence as an artist and letter writing was an outlet of conversation with his family.

For those of you who don't know a great deal about Van Gogh, but perhaps recognise his famous paintings, I would highly recommend this book of letters as an intimate introduction to his life story. Critics have formed their own opinions of him over the years and so you will find many biographies of his life and critical examinations of his work by art critics. Even if you choose to read one of the biographies, I would recommend reading these letters as well, as they are the best resources we have to examine his life because of the autobiographical and highly personal nature.

The tragedy of the life of Van Gogh is that his art was not recognised until after his death, and he went through life suffering on account of what he thought were failures on his part to match the standards of his predecessors. We learn through his writing what a productive life he had after choosing to become an artist and he writes to Theo with extra details and notes on his studies as well as providing us details of his religious and emotional turmoil.

He suffered through his life with mental illness, eventually dying a premature death by suicide at the age of 37. He recounts long episodes of religious fanaticism to Theo imploring him to read the Bible more closely, possibly a product of his upbringing by a pastor father.

Emotional problems he suffered were possibly as a result of poor health and an unhealthy lifestyle, with drink, the local brothel and little food featuring heavily on his agenda. He was always short of money and as a result was often writing to Theo requesting funds, with the understanding that Theo, as an art dealer, would benefit once he made a breakthrough as a painter.

He fell in love more than once and these episodes were described to Theo, and we can see on paper feelings he had towards his parents after falling out with them over his girlfriend Sien. Sien was a pregnant prostitute who he fell in love with and supported for a period of time. However, this relationship was doomed to fail as Sien and Vincent inevitably fell out over the lack of financial support amongst other things. Vincent's parents were outraged at his lifestyle, having already gone down in their esteem with his peasant like lifestyle, and subsequently cut him off from the family.

Vincent loved more than anything to produce artwork with the subject of the commoner as the main feature. He wanted to portray the peasant lifestyle in his work, and the pains of humanity. This theme comes through in his letters as he writes to Theo explaining how he made extensive drawing studies in the fields of the French countryside.

A little known fact is that he studied drawing for years before finally moving on to painting. This delay could have been a result of lack of finance, a fact which comes through strongly in his letters as he talks of his financial struggles. Once he had adopted paint as his preferred medium he would work continuously, becoming excited at the results he saw, and this is what resulted in those last six years of highly productive work, forming his modern reputation as a genius.

The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh provided me with a with an in depth look into every aspect of his life, professional and personal, and sparked an interest in his artwork, causing me to visit the Van Gogh Gallery in Amsterdam and get a lot more from his work than I would have without having read intimate details of his life. I felt like I could understand his work more and related each piece of work to a period of his life as written about in the letters.

The book features snapshots of the art to complement the text and copies of the letters in Vincent's handwriting complete with doodles and illustrations. Obviously these are in the original Dutch but they provide you with the original article and complement the English translation as the letters refer to drawings.

The book is a deceptively long book as I found myself wanting to look into every last detail of the artist's life as a result of reading it. I have read other books about the artist since, notably "The Yellow House", an in depth account of the time when Van Gogh shared his house in Arles with Paul Gauguin in an attempt to set up an artist's colony in the south of France.

This book is a powerful insight as it contains personal accounts of life and the personal reflections of Vincent Van Gogh making these letters an invaluable resource when we look at the life of the artist.
I suppose the one drawback is that you do not get an account of his earlier life at home, as he was living with his family so did not need to write to them. However, I would consider this not a bad thing, as the letters focus on the period of life we are most interested in when he is working on his great works of art. It would be useful to see some personal autobiographical sources from his younger years but we have other sources we can consult to see what effects his upbringing and education had on his art.

The letters track his downward spiral into mental illness with his letters to Theo becoming saturated with desperation and despair.

As with most Penguin classics, if you buy this version you get an analytical introduction and notes on the text. (Which are both worth the read!)

I was hooked by this book from start to finish and I would highly recommend "The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh" for those interested in reading more about the best artist that lived. I would recommend it to you even if you do not have a strong enthusiasm for art, as this book will change your opinion on a lot of things! If you are interested in art then this is an essential read.

You can buy this book from Amazon if I have interested you, at a discounted price of £8.39 though the book is to be found for £11.99 in bookshops such as Waterstones.

Five stars from me.