Marx Alienation

When I was looking stuff up for the debate I found this video. I think she does a good job explaining Marx's theory of alienation in a more understandable/relatable way

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvp-tlLyoWo&feature=related

"We're all mad here." - Cheshire Cat (Alice In Wonderland)

 Karen's blog  reminded me of a question that I've had for a while...


How can we be sure that we aren't all crazy? I guess we can't ever be sure of the answer but the possibility that I could be the one who's actually crazy and everything I am seeing is just all in my head is a scary thought. A schizophrenia sees and hears thing no one else does but how do we know it's not actually there? For all we know what ever they are seeing is what's actually real.
In the book The Giver by Lois Lowry people could only see in black and white and only the Receiver of Memory (Jonas) could see color. Does that make Jonas crazy? I would answer no to that question only because color is a normal part of our society but to the people in the story it was an idea beyond their comprehension. Just like many of the ideas of the people regarded as insane by our society. So how does someone just go crazy (by societies definition)? Have they reached a level of knowledge that we can't even being to comprehend? So where does that leave the rest of us...are we the crazy ones for not being able to see it?

Definition of philosophy...

"Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it" -Andre Gide

First quarter reflection

"There is only one thing a philosopher can be relied upon to do, and that is to contradict other philosophers." - William James

One thing that bugs me about philosophy is that there is never a straight forward answer. In every other class every question has had one definite answer and I have become accustomed to that. But in philosophy no matter how much we debate one theory another one by a different philosopher is just as plausible. This annoys me. I feel like we aren't getting anywhere. But at the sometime that's something I'm actually starting to like about philosophy. In a way it's nice to know that a question has a billion answers and not one is wrong. 

Trying To Understand Hegel

  I never really questioned the possibility of my existence if  others weren't there before I learned about Hegel and his theory of mutual recognition. Though it was an interesting question it still makes no sense to me. This is where I agree more with Descartes that because I can think and reason I know I exist. I don't need people to come to that conclusion.
There's no way to prove that anyone exists and just because I recognize someone is there's doesn't mean anything. I can't read anyone's thoughts...for all I know everyone could be robots or a figment of my imagination and maybe I'm the only human on earth...scary thought. So the only thing I can ever be sure of is that I have thoughts and therefore I must exist...at least to some extent.