Constantinople 1453
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Grupo EDUC 6609- La Educación en el ideario Hostosiano
He aquí un espacio dialógico cibernético para discutir las ideas de Hostos. Este Blog lo subí hace unos años para un curso de historia mundial AP y se convirtió en un espacio de traer los conceptos, destrezas y contenido de la clase al mundo actual. En mi caso, me gustaría compartir con ustedes durante mi ausencia de 14 días las ideas que surjan en mi contaminada cabeza sobre el texto del profesor, y leer sus impresiones o puntos sobre el mismo. Sería nítido compartir en este espacio... claro, si es que el tiempo se los permite.
He comenzado a leer el texto y me llama mucho la atención el método evolutivo que Hostos desarrolló en Chile. La noción de que la adquisición y desarrollo de destrezas o conocimiento primero era intuitiva, inductiva, y por último sistemática. Por encima, y sin profundidad alguna, me recuerda mucho a ese modelo clásico Freudiano de la división del Id, Ego, y Super Ego- la intuición como guiada por el deseo primario de aprender y curiosear; el ego como la forma de comenzar a satisfacer esa curiosidad y el aprendizaje de metódos/formas/destrezas de obtener el cuerpo/objeto de conocimiento; y la inductiva/sistemática como la aceptación de principios jerárquicos de información, y de selección, crítica, y generación de formas y contenidos.
Excusen la velborrea, pero de pronto conecté con Freud y no pude "let go".
Monday, January 19, 2009
The Historical Significance of Shah 'Abbas
Thursday, October 23, 2008
The Few, the Many, and Us
The humanist, the capitalist, the communist, the engineer, the pragmatist all met in this blog by Miguel. I have to confess that amidst all the tension of quarter grades and Communities of the World my perspective got fussy. I really forgot the reason why I chose to teach at TASIS until I read all your reactions to Miguel’s posting. You make me very proud. As a group, you have hit the core issue: should the state decisions and policies benefit the few or the many?
As you study in Rome, large scale decisions were made for the few in the name of the many. Conquering Gaul was for the “glory” of Rome, but in reality it provided Julius Caesar and his generals more land to distribute among war-weary veterans plus a chip on the shoulder to the would-be imperator. The Caesar boosted his troop's morale and credibility plus secured their loyalty. In China, the Qin Emperor built one of the world wonders for the “security” of the state (and as you remember according to Confucian beliefs, state goes before individual) in seven years. None of you live in a bubble because in your comments there is the awareness that the GOOD OF THE MANY WILL ALWAYS ENTAIL THE NEGLET OF THE FEW. Andy is right, but also Robert. Who holds the wealth and the lever that decides which humans are expendable in the name of the collective well being? Hyper powers like the Roman Empire and the Han made decisions that ended the lives of many but also pushed population, progress, and even peace… of course perishable, yet Pax.
The problem becomes when the expendable few become the many, at this point FOCDoM takes over and the wheel of history goes for a spinning. Is an egalitarian system like communism the cure for this historical fist that has befallen upon the expendable? Is capitalism the ladder towards escaping the unfortunate few “status”? What happens when the monster mutates into STATE-CAPITALISM like China? Are all these economic systems just flawed and bound to do atrocities in the name of the collective well-being?
What is the United States without the genocide of its Native American inhabitants or slavery? What is the United States without its welcoming arms receiving the exodus of starving and persecuted immigrants in Elis Island?
What is the former Soviet Union without the forced relocation of steppe people to state farms and labor camps, its gulags and annihilation of dissenters, and the pogroms (skirmishes) to Jews before WWII? What is the former Soviet Union without crushing Nazi Germany from the Eastern Front and defeating Hitler before any other power?
Caramba, maybe we are all well aware of these contradictions but choose to live in a bubble, like Andy said. Or we are pretty much Confucians yet closeted Taoist (like in Han China): we comply we our Ziggurat/Shopping Mall duties in the name of our trusted economic system and abide the law, yet in our privacy and intimacy we believe that state power is futile, flawed, unnecessary and like Jose Oscar pondered, even capable of destroying its own citizens to achieve its goals.
But if we are not in a bubble, and like Siddhartha, we have realized that this is a world of suffering, and like Emperor Asoka (of the Mauryan Empire) we decide to open temples and multiply good deeds, that this is our time to clear Karma, maybe we are humanists. Take for instance Fafi and Andy, they both participate in drives and fundraisers to help those in need. Although Andy never brags about it, but he and his mother participate in many activities aimed at the improvement of those “expendable” few. So do all of you in school through community service and other efforts. Now, one thing that we will all disagree with Siddhartha is his detachment to the flesh- but that’s another debate.
I think that the most important thing is to be humanist (like Fafi stated), and perhaps, be a contributing or positive factor to counter act the moments when the collective well-being threatens the powerless. Gabi’s soccer ball is a beginning. Yet we should live in a state of doubt like Osqui, we ought to be pragmatic like Miguel, capitalist like Andy, communist like Robert, and… well, you get the notion.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The Way and its Power
Daoism ,like Confucianism, is exactly that.
In the core of Daoism, the Daodejing stands as the core text of the philosophy, not religion, with small verses of nature, simplicity, how to live life, what philosophically Daoism is, excetera.
The verse in our History book ,in p.212, talks about simplicity, and completely motivated me to find more verses from the Daodejing. Here are three verse from the Daodejing about Qualities, distractions and the continuity of Tao. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
Comment and make your own interpretation on those and any other poem that connect to you personally from the site: http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/core9/phalsall/texts/taote-ex.html
Distraction
Too much color blinds the eye
Too much tone deafens the ear
Too much taste dulls the palate
Too much play maddens the mind
Too much desire tears the heart.
The sage provides for the belly, not for the senses;
He lets go of sensation and accepts substance.
14. The Continuity of Tao
Looked at but cannot be seen - it is beyond form;
Listened to but cannot be heard - it is beyond sound;
Grasped at but cannot be touched - it is beyond reach;
These depthless things evade definition,
And blend into a single mystery.
In its rising there is no light,
In its falling there is no darkness,
A continuous thread beyond description,
Lining what can not exist,
Its form formless,
Its image nothing,
Its name mystery,
Meet it, it has no face,
Follow it, it has no back.
Understand the past, but attend the present;
In this way you know the continuity of Tao,
Which is its essence.
Qualities
When Beauty is recognised in the World
Ugliness has been learned;
When Good is recognised in the World
Evil has been learned.
In this way:
Alive and dead are abstracted from growth;
Difficult and easy are abstracted from progress;
Far and near are abstracted from position;
Strong and weak are abstracted from control;
Song and speech are abstracted from harmony;
After and before are abstracted from sequence.
The sage controls without authority,
And teaches without words;
He lets all things rise and fall,
Nurtures, but does not interfere,
Gives without demanding,
And is content.
Go to the link and read poems # 1, 4, 10, 16, 25, 29, 34, & 60. They'll help you grasp what Daoism is better (if a definition can be grasped).
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Over Population, China a window of our future?
Now, many people might say that sometimes you have to sacrifice a few percent (which may still mean a big amount) for the benefit of the majority. This will mean losing some of the key rights of the individual. I just want to hear what you guys have to say about this, and come up with solutions (be creative) to the problem of overpopulation which your children may have to face since the population is expected to more than double in the next 60 years. Soon it won’t be only China and India who will be facing this problem. HAVE FUN!!!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Critics and Critiques of Athenian Democracy http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/greeks/greekcritics_01.shtml
P.S. Don't forget to "click" next after you have finished the opening page, it is a set of 5.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Olimpics : Then & Now
Link : http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/greeks/greek_olympics_01.shtml
P.S.:
Sorry, I'm not that skilled at this so I do not know how to post a link.