Plato

            The ideas of ignorance, intelligence, and truth are values that span nearly every culture, religion, and philosophy. The struggle to obtain absolute truth and to eradicate blindness is one that many would view as very important, but they would also disagree on how to go about this. In The Republic and Timaeus, Plato’s thoughts on these subjects were discussed, and there were some very obvious similarities to both the Christian faith and previous readings that we have done.

            Starting with the metaphor of the cave in book 7 of The Republic, Socrates shows how education and thinking bring about the rise in understanding. The ascension of the people in the cave into the outside world was characterized by the acquisition of a deeper comprehension of the world, and the steps to reaching this involve changing one’s entire way of life. Both pieces essentially compare ignorance to living in darkness, and it is alike to not even being able to think for ourselves. Stepping out of the cave is gaining knowledge and reasoning for yourself, allowing one to have their own beliefs and ideas. This relates, in a way, to Christianity as well. The world is constantly searching for a source of truth to cling to, and they never find it in worldly things. As Christians, we find our truth and beliefs based in the Lord, and we are able to be absolutely certain about what to believe. In a way, this allows us to “step out of the cave” and to have a greater understanding that we know is grounded in truth.

            The texts also talked about the importance of education in the world. As the people left the cave, their increase in knowledge symbolized the effects of education. Learning led the people to higher philosophical position which is similar to how Holmes discussed education in The Liberal Arts. In this, Holmes explained how education not only is important in our lives but can actually teach us more about God. This is very similar to how the people that leave the cave and gain knowledge reach a higher state, almost as if they are getting closer to God.

            Another thing that I found interesting is how Socrates believed that only certain people should be involved in higher thinking and bringing other people out of the cave. I definitely agree that we need to bring people “out of the cave” and show them the truth, but I don’t really think that it should be exclusive. This is just like how, as Christians, we need to bring others to know God.  It is our job, as anyone that has “stepped out of the cave” and knows God, to reach others to be saved also.

The Iliad

            I have always thought that mythology is very interesting whenever I have had the chance to look into it. I know very little background, characters, or stories, but I am always intrigued by them. The opportunity to get a look into a different culture and belief system with knowing relatively nothing about it is very eye-opening for me. I think that it gives a perspective that is very hard to normally achieve, and it allows us to draw comparisons to our own thought process and beliefs. Through this, I always notice the extreme portrayal of emotions among characters. Whether it is inseparable love, unrestricted rage, or incapacitating grief, every relationship and event holds a strong emotional importance.

            Characters are brought together and humanity is shown through common emotions that they experience. Grief and sorrow are very present in the Iliad due to the despair and cruelty of war, and it is something that many of the characters experience, often bringing them to a place of humility. This is especially true of Priam and even Achilles, seen in Book 24. Priam comes to Achilles, who had killed his son, and begs him to at least give up his body for a proper burial and respect. This plea from Priam “stirred within Achilles a deep desire to grieve for his own father” (592). Priam’s mourning and begging instilled a shared emotion in Achilles, and brought him to be much humbler and even more human. Despite being enemies on the battlefield and having a very bad relationship in the past, Priam and Achilles are both able to ignore that for a short time and share in their grief and emotions. Even more remarkable than this is the fact that Achilles takes a temporary step down from his pedestal, showing a more human side of him that he does not normally act on.

            The people in the Iliad also collectively depend on and value family, and many events are based around this. Much of the conflict between the two sides is driven by what happens to different characters family members, and family ties fuel much of the plot. Despite the Iliad being mainly centered around a war, the idea of peace and the simple things of life are clearly valued. By contrasting the harshness of the war and how many of the people are treated with the values of the time, we are able to see what these people were willing to give up in order to fight. Along with the other emotions and relationships shown, I think that this is a very strong and important point that the Iliad makes. It shows that, although we have disagreements and wars, but beneath it all we still feel the same things. We are all humans, and the same heartbreak, loss, or pain affects us all. We need to understand that not only are we connected, but we need to recognize these emotions that we all experience.

Exodus

            When I was reading through Exodus, it quickly became apparent that it was very much a time of development in the relationship between God and his people. Having read this story many times through the course of my life, I was surprised at how much the Israelites and Egyptians experienced. We are first introduced to the enslavement of the Israelites and the hatred of the Egyptians, and the weight of the situation fell upon Moses.

            Throughout the text, I was repeatedly faced with challenges to the way that I thought about God. First of all, the thought that God would allow his people to be enslaved and to have to go through such trials. The Israelites had been through an incredible amount, and it is no wonder that they were a bitter people. Also, the fact that it says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart that he would not believe Moses was hard for me to accept. Further, it all of the plagues that were sent upon Egypt, and the deaths of many Egyptians seemed over the top to me. The extent of many of Moses’ and God’s actions were questionable to me.

            When I reached the end of Israel’s exodus, however, I was more clearly able to see the point of all that had happened. In the end, Exodus is a story of redemption: the deliverance of God’s people from slavery, and the creation of a new relationship. Through repeated miraculous acts, God was able to demonstrate to the world, without a doubt, that he is the only God. We often need to realize the true power of God and, in this case, God showed this power through drastic and influential acts. When it comes to how God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, he knew how Pharaoh would act on his own, and he just utilized this to further his own objective. He shows us that when we commit to follow God through everything we do, he will always be there to protect us and love us.

            Other things that stood out to me as I read include that God does not only call the best or most qualified people to serve. Moses insisted that he was not prepared to speak for God, but God persisted and helped Moses to achieve everything that he had planned. Also, the Israelites were not always happy about what God was doing in their lives, and they often were angry. While it may not always seem like God’s plan is right, or that specific incidents in our lives are good, we need to be able to trust that God does have a plan and that it includes our best interest.

            When it comes to education, especially with students going to college, it is very common to wonder how what is being learned applies to our actual lives. As we go to a university such as Olivet, and have to take courses that cover more topics than those only involved in our major, it is easy to think that it is pointless to learn things that aren’t “essential” for our future careers. This is exactly what Holmes addresses, challenging our natural reaction to this education style. Holmes claims that a liberal education allows us to learn “what it is to see and think and act like the human person God made (us) to be” on page 45. I tend to agree with this point, especially after reading Holmes’ other claims. I like his educational goals in particular, and I agree that an appreciation of the past and creative participation in the future are crucial to improvement to society. There is more to a well-rounded education than simply learning career-specific traits, and it is skills like these that hold great value when it comes to thinking and growing in humanity.

            In Dewey’s passage, I really appreciate the beliefs about the nature of thought that are expressed. I especially like the definition that is presented on page 1: “acceptance or rejection of something as reasonably probable or improbable.” To think includes the ability to form judgements based on observations that are made, often based on a “ground of proof” (3). This goes hand-in-hand with Holmes’ assertions regarding thinking related to liberal arts education. Dewey claims that a certain ability to make judgments is deeply involved in thought, and Holmes explains that a liberal education has the potential to expand these skills. Both writers look into the effects of one’s ability to learn from the past in order to impact the future positively. By learning reflective thinking and being capable of making changes in the future, thinking gives us possibilities to further ourselves both as individuals and as a whole. Utilizing a liberal education that expands critical thinking and reasoning, we are able to develop our abilities to make rational judgements, taking part in the process that defines thought in its entirety.

            In conclusion, Dewey looks into what defines thinking in general, and makes some very good points regarding how this plays into judgments and assumptions. Holmes, on the other hand, relates this to verifying the validity of a liberal arts education, and in many ways the two pieces work together.