CORE 390 Midterm

Dual nature of man (Ernest Becker)

Man is both a god (mind) and an animal (body).

Madness (Ernest Becker)

Addictions and obsessions used to escape the reality of death.

Anality (Ernest Becker)

Reminder that humans are animals and creatures.

Annihilation anxiety (Ernest Becker)

Lurking fear of death.

Repression and psychological rebirth (Ernest Becker)

Transcending the Vital lie and breaking through, often leading to psychosis.

Healthy- vs. morbid-minded argument (Ernest Becker)

The argument that everyone possesses a morbid mindset due to the fear of death.

Fear of life and death (Ernest Becker)

The fear of both living and dying.

The vital lie (Ernest Becker)

A psychological mechanism to deal with the terror of death.

Experiential burden (Ernest Becker)

The weight of accumulated experiences.

Heroism (Ernest Becker)

A reflex of human nature in the face of death.

The wager (Pascal)

The belief that believing in God has everything to gain and nothing to lose.

How to find faith (Pascal)

Faith is felt by the heart, not by reason.

Methods of "diversion" from wretchedness (Pascal)

Hunting, gambling, and dancing as distractions from misery.

Thinking reed (Pascal)

A metaphor for the fragility of human existence.

Man's two natures (Pascal)

Humans have a mortal and immortal side due to the original sin.

How we can know God (Pascal)

Faith is the way to know God, not reason.

Pascal's view of atheists

Considers their lives unworthy because they lack faith or seek it.

Humanity's place in nature (Pascal)

Humans are in a middle place, between the massive and minuscule.

Will to Live (Schopenhauer)

The universal desire to persist in one's existence.

Schopenhauer's view of human life (Schopenhauer)

He sees it as a mistake.

Philosophical pessimism (Schopenhauer)

The belief that life is fundamentally negative or unsatisfactory.

Becoming but never being (Schopenhauer)

The constant striving for more, never reaching satisfaction.

Past, present, future (living ad interim) (Schopenhauer)

The present is the only thing that should exist, as we spend our time working and supporting our lives.

Historical background/reason for arrest (The Wall)

Arrested for involvement in the Republicans during the Spanish civil war.

Each character's attitude toward death (The Wall)

Tom (philosophical fear), Juan (fear of physical pain), Pablo (stoic acceptance).

Role of the Belgian doctor (The Wall)

To study the characters' reactions to death, not to console them.

Physical appearance of the 3 prisoners (The Wall)

Cold and rattled.

Symbolism of the Wall

The wall represents death, the unknown beyond.

Ending of the story (The Wall)

Pablo gives false information and experiences disenchantment.

How all creatures are different and the same (Yang Chu; Chinese Hedonism)

Life may vary, but in the end, everyone ends up as rotting bones.

Hedonism's claims about human existence (Yang Chu; Chinese Hedonism)

Pleasure improves life, while suffering worsens it.

Immediate bodily pleasure versus long-term goals (Yang Chu; Chinese Hedonism)

Pursue immediate pleasures when possible, as long-term pleasures are laborious.

Futility of pursuing fame (Yang Chu; Chinese Hedonism)

Fame cannot be enjoyed after death, making it pointless to pursue.

Reasons we should not fear death (Yang Chu; Chinese Hedonism)

Death is the absence of sensation and happens to everyone.

Not plucking out a single head of hair (Yang Chu; Chinese Hedonism)

We should do anything that is not enjoyable to save lives.

Stoicism (Seneca)

The cultivation of virtues.

Leisure (Seneca)

Focusing on leisure allows for service to posterity.

Living long versus existing long (Seneca)

Grey hair does not mean a long life, only an existence. Fill time with meaning and philosophy to truly live.

Our "most valuable possession" (Seneca)

The present moment is the most valuable thing we have.

Examples of how time is wasted (Seneca)

Living a life full of vices is wasting time, while focusing on virtues allows for its use.

The best use of our time (Seneca)

Focus on achievable goals that create short and long-term rewards.

Characters from Ivan Ilyich

o Praskovya Fyodorovna Golovina (Ivans Wife): Greedy, selfish, calloused

o Pytor Ivanovich: Ivans friend, studied under him, fellow judge, people as a means to and end

o Schwartz: Icans friend that wants to get out of the funereal to play cards, Very similar to Ivan. He is empty

o Vasya and Liza (kids of Ivan): are respective clones to their parents, Vasya does know how to form empathic bonds tho and is understanding of Ivan

Lessons/themes of the story (Ivan Ilyich)

Materialism, work as an escape, compassion and pity as the right life.

What happens to Ivan at the moment of death (Ivan Ilyich)

He realizes the artificiality of his life and feels sorry for his wife and kids.

How Ivan became ill (Ivan Ilyich)

He fell off a ladder and was diagnosed with a floating kidney.

What Tolstoy wants to show us through this story (Ivan Ilyich)

To live an authentic life with real relationships and deep connections.

Characters from Morrie

o Mitch: former student, journalist, and narrator

o Morrie: ALS, teaching Mitch the meaning of life, shares emotions

o Charlotte: Morries wife, MIT professor through his illness

o Janine: Mitch's wife, sings for Morrie and he cries

o Peter: Mitch's Brother, In Europe for his cancer treatment, doesn't want help from his fam but eventually warms up to a relationship with Mitch

o Charlie: Morries dispassionate Fathe from Russia.

o Eva: caring immigrant step mom to Morrie, Instills in Morrie his love of books and education

Death as the great equalizer (Morrie)

People only care about each other when faced with death.

Morrie's thoughts about marriage and children (Morrie)

Children are important, and marriage should prioritize emotional connections and communication.

The fear of aging (Morrie)

Aging can bring wisdom and personal growth, and should not be feared.

Friend who dies of cancer/forgiveness (Morrie)

Morrie learns forgiveness from a friend who died of cancer.