Philosophical Meanderings

Have I mentioned how much I adore my philosophy class? CUZ I do. It's an evening class, and even though I SHOULD be tired I find myself so excited to get there. Like, abnormally excited. Kind of giddy, little-girlish excited. I would like to thank Mr. Hurst for killing whatever normalcy I had in me before freshman year (admittedly not much). Now I look forward to philosophy class, and (O Heavens!) homework. This is a slight problem, I think. Eh, who cares. The point is that I take a plethora of notes in philosophy, and they mostly consist of the intriguing things that my teacher discusses. Please bear in mind that my teacher has an awesome Polish accent and I drool slightly whenever she says "Good evening, class" so the quotes are probably much cooler if you hear them in person. SOOO...we are currently studying Nicomachean ethics by Aristotle, and it's all about virtue and a common reason for our actions (happiness) and what makes us good people, etc. etc. Aristotle was a firm believer in free will, the idea that humans can shape their destinies, can consciously be either good or bad people. What an optimistic idea! To think that we control our own destinies (C-O-R-N-Y but true, according to Aristotle). Followed by a brief moment of reflective silence in the class, my professor said this:

"We are not born morally good or evil, we build our character, we become who we are."

How fitting for my blog. Cogito, ergo sum. I think, therefore I am. My conscious thought has the power to create me. I am me...not because of a divine creator's intervening hand nor because of my environment. I am me because I choose to be me. Now, in saying this I must qualify. I do very much believe (as do most humans) that we are products of our environment. Children living in low socioeconomic environments are highly likely to stay suspended on the bottom rungs of the social ladder throughout their lives. I grew up in a Christian background and followed that religion not because of my created beliefs but because my family believed. But see, the beauty and the mystery of it all is that we alone hold power over our virtue. We can choose to do what is morally right, or what is morally wrong. It is a choice, not a circumstance, not something we are born into.

I love you, Aristotle. :)