Perception of Beauty

These two paintings are very well-known and considered great works of art. The first painting is by Piet Mondrian, a Dutch painter born in 1872. He was part of a group of artists in his country who valued harmony and order. They wanted to reduce visual compositions down to their bare forms and colors. The second painting is The School of Athens it is one of the most famous frescoes by the Italian Renaissance artist Raphael The picture has long been seen as "Raphael's masterpiece and the perfect embodiment of the classical spirit of the High Renaissance."

Each of these works of art can be considered beautiful by different people, one can say that the first painting is beautiful but another will say that the second painting is more beautiful. Is there something that is considered beautiful by everyone? Or does that not exist? Beauty is different for everyone and the way we perceive beauty is different.

Another interesting angle to point out is emotions. Does emotion have anything to do with beauty? When a mother sees her newborn child she may say 'he/she is beautiful', but isn't the mother driven with emotion like happiness and joy?

It's interesting how beauty and emotions are intertwined and how each persons definition of beauty is different.

Knowledge and Math...

"Knowledge is nothing more than the systematic organization of facts"

Regarding the field of mathematics, knowledge IS nothing more than the systematic organization of facts. Ones individual interpretation of a mathematical problem doesn't necessarily apply in mathematics. For example, one plus one IS two and that's it, there's definitely no rebuking that statement. Facts are facts in math and knowledge in math is facts. In mathematics, you can rarely dispute a problem or an equation because sometimes you can apply it in the outside world, such as nature. For example, the Fibonacci numbers are a sequel of numbers that are also found in nature, because the Fibonacci numbers are even found in nature, no one can dispute them and their validity.

Changing Knowledge

"That which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded tomorrow."

This happens many times in our life, especially in our youth. When we are young we learn many new ideas, perspectives and theories, and we realize that "our way" wasn't correct and I would say this happens mostly in our younger years when are growing and coming out of that comfortable shell and into the world, becoming exposed to many other ideas and perspectives. We start seeing things though a different perspective and these lenses help us realize many new things. We can be living today believing that the world is round due to facts and science but yesterday we could have believed that the earth was flat and that was knowledge to us yesterday but today its discarded for another fact. Hence, "that which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded tomorrow" happens many times in our lives as long as we are open minded and accepting.

Knowledge and Natural Sciences...

"Knowledge is nothing more than the systematic organization of facts"

This statement is true in relation to an area of knowledge such as natural sciences. Regarding the subject of biology or chemistry and physics, facts are facts. 'Gravity pulls you down' or for example 'everything is comprised of atoms' are facts and cannot be rebuked. They also cannot be interpreted in different ways by an individual, for example there is not many ways to interpret the fact that 'your body has blood veins'. That statement is a fact and there is no way to interpret it in another way, unlike the statement 'your body experiences pain'. Now regarding this statement, two people can interpret this is different ways, for example one can say that this means that you experience emotional pain such as grief and depression. But a second person can interpret is as external/physical pain like bruises and wounds. So in the field of natural sciences, knowledge is nothing more than the systematic organization of facts.

Modern Day Slavery?

There are 27 million slaves in this world today. How is it possible that in the 21th century there are millions of people enslaved?

They are forced to work without any pay, are threatened with violence making escape much harder. They can be found in factories, the sex industry, farm fields, construction sites and even private homes.

Many slaves are lured in by traffickers who promise them a job or education. These people who follow them are rarely seen again by their families.

Although slavery is illegal everywhere, it happens everywhere.

How is it that everyone hears about organizations and campaigns to "save the endangered Siberian tiger" or "help preserve the rainforest" but there are people living who dont even know that there are millions of slaves still today? Why isn't this a key issue today? Why doesn't any senator or congressman bring this issue up?

Human life is so precious and dear, why isnt it valued just as much?

 

Playing the Race Card?

Racism is unacceptable and despicable. If anyone in Congress criticizes a black Senator or representative, then they are automatically labeled a "racist".

Barack Obama is the first black President. If anyone like Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity criticizes him what are they called? A racist.

Maybe its because of his leadership and policies that they are criticizing him instead of because he's black?

With all respect for our president, I would like to bring up an important question, so to what extent can I criticize Obama before I will be labeled a racist?

This is an easy way to escape responsibility, if you don't want people criticizing your policies then you just pull out the race card and say "don't criticize me or else you are a racist". This is why so many conservatives who don't agree with Obama's policies get bashed so many times and are labeled as "racists" when it's definitely not the case.

10 Years in Prison and 2000 Lashes

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/10/03/saudi-men-to-get-10-year-sentence-2000-lashes-for-dancing-on-vehicle/?intcmp=latestnews

This man in Saudi Arabia gets sentenced to 10 years in prison and 2000 lashes for dancing naked on the streets. Wow! He most likely will die first from the 2000 lashes before he can even go to prison!

The freedom that exists in USA is definately more compared to other nations, no agruments there but one can ask the question as to when this freedom becomes "too much" and everything becomes legal eventually?

America has more freedom but what are the effects on morals and ideals that America held close just deades ago? Are they dissapearing all too soon? Are social norms evaporating?