BNW uhh. 10?

1. Why does the director feel that Unorthodoxy is worse than Murder? What does the Director want to do with Bernard Marx?

The director feels that unorthodoxy is worse than murder because it threatens social stability. He tells Bernard that he plans to Dismiss him in front of dozens of high-caste workers to make an example of him.

2. What surprise does Bernard bring to the Director?

Bernard Brings Linda and John to the Director.

Jared Diamond

1. Please describe the background of the dispute between Dr. Samuel Huntington and Dr. Serge Lang.

Both Dr. Samuel Hunting and Dr. Serge Lang are scientists. Dr. Huntington was an academic scholar that was attempting to become a member of the National Academy of Sciences, but Dr. Lang objected to hies request statistics opinion and not valid scientific data.

1. How did Lang respond to Huntington’s “pseudo mathematics?”

Lang responded to Huntingtons "pseudo mathematics" by sending out large packages of documents attempting to discredit Huntingtons data.

1. What aspects of the dispute between Lang and Huntington are “political?” How does the author, Jared Diamond, feel about “Academic Freedom?

"Huntington had done several things that are now anathema in U.S. academia: he received CIA support for some research; he did a study for the State Department in 1967 on political stability inSouth Vietnam; and he's said to have been an early supporter of the Vietnam war." The majority of Huntingtons debates have references to his political involvement. Jared feels that Academic Freedom is unfair, and that is it imposing Huntingtons ability to have free political liberty.

1. Why does the NAS exist? Why does this make that attacks against Huntington seem peculiar?

NAS exsists so that the US could have a purley scientifc group that discussed and could be consulted for various issues. This makes the attacks against Huntington seem very particular because he appeared to be doing exactly what NAS was meant to do, but was denied membership for what he was doing.

1. Why does Diamond find fault in the traditional perceptions of the hard sciences?

Diamond finds fault in the the traditional perceptions of the hard sciences because he thinks that: " the enterprise of explaining and predicting -- gaining knowledge of -- natural phenomena, by continually testing one's theories against empirical evidence." He believes that this can be done in any which way, with a test tube or not.

1. Why are soft sciences difficult to study?

He believes that soft sciences are difficult to study because social variables can not be controlled fully. Also there is the problem that it is impossible to control when social situations stop or arise.

1. How did the NAS need to change in the early 1970s?

In the early 1970s NAS needed to start allowing scholars of social sciences to be allowed membership so that the government would also have consultation for social issues.

1. What are the problems in “operationalizing” a concept?

Operationalizing has many problems because it is more difficult and less exact in the soft sciences since it has so many uncontrolled variables.

1. Briefly describe how Diamond illustrates operationalizing in:

· Mathematics

The amount of bannans in a tree are able to be counted, in order to prove which has more by people.

· Chemistry

The concentration of sugars are able to be measured by people

· Ecology

The foliage hieght diversity index is able to be found by people.

· Psychology

Things like questionnaires and surveys can be used to measure patterns and certain behaviors by people.

10. What were Huntington’s operationalized concepts that provoked the wrath of Lang?

Huntington's operationalized concepts 'provoked the wrath of lang' because Lang felt that Huntington's statistics of frustration and instability were not scientific.

10. Why is the task of operationalizing more difficult and less exact in the soft sciences? Why does it lead to the ridicule of the soft sciences?

The task of operationalizing is more difficult because there is a larger amount of variables that can not be controlled. It leads to the ridicule of the soft sciences because people assume that they must know everything about human nature, because they are human. This is why other sciences are less challenged, for example people don't challenge or ridicule physics because they do not think that they are well informed enough on the subject to have any say in the matter.

10. Why does Diamond believe that Lang might be ignorant of the measurements taken by social scientists like Huntington?

Diamond thinks that Lang might be ignorant of the measurements taken by social science because it is such a new concept that he questions it, without questioning the same methods that he has always been taught as right in other sciences.

10. Does Diamond believe the labels associated with the sciences be replaced? Explain.

Diamond does believe that the labels associated with the sciences should be replaced. He thinks that they convey the wrong idea about each group, and attach bias to them before one can actually inquire what they are about. He also feels that soft sciences are much more difficult than hard sciences and that those names help add to the bias attached to them.

10. Does Diamond believe the soft sciences to be more valuable than hard sciences? Do you agree? Explain.

Diamond thinks that the soft sciences are more valuable than the hard sciences. I personally do not agree with this statement. I do not think that the soft sciences are completly valid because of the large amount of variables that is connected with them

Essay Notes

Delieve/belief

order

glimpsed

chaos ->(perception)

relevent

to what extent

knowledge issues-strengths/weaknesses........how do they know

realitivist argument- NO

Able Notes

We make patterns in History, we create our own framework of what events took place.

theory -> embed in general law

premise that explains qqorld

sets

general idea

blueprint

framework

(positivistis)

we explain strange by familiar

pg 169?

1. How does Science explain a fact? Please use the entire explanation on. p. 91 and 92.

Science explains a fact by the examples following:

• Definition- Ex. What is photosynthesis?
• Paraphrase- restates the sense in similar or more formal words. ex what does the fire insurance plan mean?
• Rules- Ex will you explain chess to me?
• Analysis- what is logically entailed. ex Why is there no greatest prime number?
• Demonstration- showing how to do something. ex.How do you ski?
• Reasons- provides motives, beliefs, examples. ex. Why did Brutus stab Caesar?
• Universal- would require both refence to the metaphysical reasons in which both substances participate. ex. Why is snow and milk white

Science explains by "embedding it within a general law from which, along with the particular conditions involved, the fact to be explained may be logically deduced."

2. What are some common misconceptions about scientific explanations? How does Abel refute each one?

• Science describes, it doesn't explain: Able discusses how there is a very fine line between description and explanation since one leads to another. For example you can not explain something with out doing some type of describing.
• Science Explains the Strange Using the Familiar: Able disagrees with this idea, and finds it to be exactly the opposite. Things can be familiar, like baseball, but is explained using unfamiliar terms like gravity and friction.
• Scientific explanation is also not the same as understanding what is said. Understanding is more related to knowledge by acquaintance, or knowing how that science works.
• A scientific explanation doesnt have to be casual law, but it may be a law of simultaneous existence rather than order.

3. What does Abel mean when he says: "a law in turn may be explained by another law of wider scope; the greater the generality, the better the explanation." (p. 93)?

Able is basically stating that if generalizations are made then more laws cab be covered and explained by it.

4. What does Abel mean when he says: "Explanation is always relative to a given knowledge situation; you must stop somewhere." (p. 94)?

What he means is that logic can only be explained if you stopped at a certain point, you can ask for directions to a house, but not for directions to the universe.

5. Why are explanatory reductions "economical ways of describing phenomena." (p. 95)?

They take complex events and explain them much more simply by using less scientific vocab.

6. Why does scientific explanation require the concept of system?

It requires a concept of system because the concept must work together unlike a machine working indvidually.

7. Why is the theory of emergence used to explain how anything new came into the world? What counter-claim does Abel provide?

This theory is a remedy that explains how new things come into the world. Able believes that there is no way to predict things based on the points of origin.

8. Why is theory and observation interdependent in scientific explanations?

They are independent because even though a scientist can observe a certain experiment he can create a theory with things that are not directly seen. This means that a theory can existed with out observation.

9. Why is explanation in science theoretically identical to prediction? How does Abel feel about this?

An explanation is identical because you only have explained something only partial decent if you can predict the next step. Able doesn't agree with this because some theories cannot be predicted, but are still good explanations.

10. What does Abel mean when he says: 'The growth of science is not a clear-cut, straightforward progression toward a unique, all-inclusive final truth." (p. 100)?

Able means that there are many many factors that go into influencing the course of science. First there is the choice of what to study, the political and the social pressures, finical rewards, ethical incentives, expediency or state of the discipline, the urgency of the problem compared to its difficulty. Secondly there is the element of chance in the scientific progress. Third there is the element of mystery. Fourthly there are influences on the scientists conclusions, like religion, politics, philosophy.

11. According to Abel, what situations are seen by scientists as requiring explanation?

Able believes that scientist study situations that they find to be puzzling.

12. What is the role of the human element in the progress of scientific explanation?

The use of image is misleading, and we make up rules and patterns ourselves to fit into our ideas. These do not exist in nature and limits our true understandings of things.

13. Abel claims that: "Our perceptual knowledge is delimited by our characteristic biological capacities, and there are limits to the completeness of our theoretical structures. But our observations and our theories mutually reinforce each other....The structure of our science is pragmatically justified; it is the most reliable knowledge there is." (p. 105) Does this hold true in History as well?

This defiantly does hold true in history. When studyign history we place create order or events and what specific event lead to more of an influence to one event over another. We tend to place these patters to them that do not really exists, but it is the only way to make things seem logical.

14. In Bullet form, and using information from this chapter and Chapter 15 (you wrote Study Questions on November 9), please list the similarities and differences between Scientific and Historical explanations.

Similarites:

• both are tried to put into patterns
• Both have to analyze
• Both start off with little knowledge, and must go in depth research to obtain facts
• Both can have theories that can neither be proved or disproved

Differences:

• Scientist focuses more on the generalization of nature
• scientist can just record data and have it still be scientific
• Language plays a huge role in history, unlike science.

BNW chapter 9

1. What did Lenina do when she got back to the rest-house?
She swolledsix half-gramme tablets of somma

2. What does Bernard ask his Fordship, Mustapha Mond?
He asks to bring John and his mother back to civilization with him.

3. What does John say when he is by Lenina's bedside? Why is this significant?

John recites Shakesphere to Lenina, this is not only important because he is expressing feelings that she does not have for him, but also because Shakespeare is the only type of reading he has ever done.

Order Essay

"People need to believe that order can be glimpsed in the chaos of events" (adapted from John Gray, Heresies, 2004). In what ways and to what extent would you say this claim is relevant in at least two areas of knowledge?

This claim is very accurate, since society is created by order. Some type of order controls every moment in our lives, whether it is a schedule, rules, habits, or accepted societal behaviors. This claim is relevant in the areas of knowledge of Social Science and in history

Every moment in or lives have some type of order whether or not we tend to recognize it. Order can be defined in many ways, and all of those apply here. Order can be defined as a set of rules, accepted behaviors, or instructions handed down to us by some type of authoritative means. Or it can be defined as a sequential order of events in which things happen, comparable to fate. It says in the quote that people need to believe in this order. In order to believe anything we have to obtain knowledge about it, then we make the conscious decision on whether or not we believe in it. We obtain knowledge through different means such as authority, deduction and induction.

One thing that is extremely important about order is that we are always striving for it. It is what sets up or society, and how we decide how to act based off of it. With order we feel as though there will only be chaos, and the feeling of not knowing how to respond based off of excepted actions or even non-accepted actions scares us. We know that if we are to commit a crime we are to be punished. Authority has told us this, or we can deduce it from information we have found, or we can also learn this by empirical knowledge of seeing a criminal being condoned for his actions.

However when we are placed in a setting with ‘no order’ humans create it. An example of this is the Stanford Prison Experiment. This experiment took college student volunteers and placed them in an isolated area that resembled a prison. It put some students as guards, and the others as prisoners. There were no rules given, only to do what was necessary to keep the prisoners to behave. Automatically the guards came up with rules, and things like night checks. They placed order into a situation that did not previously have any, nor was it clear that any was needed yet. After the rebellion by the prisoners took place more rules and attempts to create order where placed down in hopes to squash any more chaos that may occur. The guard, as stated before, placed order into the situation from the beginning to make sure that there was no chaos from the prisoners. Their fear of having no order, and that it would lead to chaos is clearly shown here. People fear chaos because then there is no accepted form on how to act. If there is no order then there is no way to justify or devalue any action that has been done by anyone. There would ultimately be no way to judge anybody.

From birth we are filled with biases and our own views on the world that help to shade our perception on the world. When we meet someone, or even something, we make a conscious or unconscious judgment on them based on views that society has placed on us. If there is no order, then we would not know how to place these judgments. The inability to classify things and people in connection with ourselves scares us. If we cannot judge a person then we cannot decide whether or not this person will be harmful to us. It all boils down to human instinct, it is animalistic nature to judge if something is safe or not. The inability to be able to do so, which we feel as though would be created in chaos, scares us because that’s how we are wired as a species to work.

In the article “You’re Bored, but Your Brain Is Tuned In” from the New York Times physiologists ran tests researching boredom. It is stated in the article that boredom over time can ‘become a tool for sorting out information’. Here even in a state of daydreaming we are still trying to put order into our lives. We are ‘sorting out’ information, trying to make sense of it all and place patterns into these bits to create an order to them. In the article it is even stated that we may daydream for the reason being to solve a problem. Just like sorting something out, solving a problem involves evoking some type of order or reason to it.

This aspect of daydreaming is extremely realistic. I know for a fact if I am puzzled about something I try to place some type of order to it to try and make sense of it. If a friend of mine says something odd to me I will ponder over it. I will come up with reasons why this person must have said this: ‘oh he must have said it because of x, y, and z’. By doing this I am attaching some type or order to what this person has said. I am taking past experiences and applying them to the now, and applying some type of meaning to what I may find out about this statement in the future, or what this statement might actually mean in the future. In fact this statement could have had no meaning to it what so ever. It could have just been a statement. However since it was out of my norm, it was a but chaotic for me, so I instinctually reacted by placing order and meaning to it, in order to feel better about the situation.

In history leaders have used order in chaotic times to achieve their goals and objectives. For example during WWII Hitler was able to gain power during the chaos that the German people were going through. Germany had just lost WWI and was required to pay war debts to the other nations that fought in WWI. Germany did not have this money and only created inflation in its nation and larger amounts of debt. ‘Chaos’ arrived here because Germany was now in a state of depression, and became very vulnerable. Hitler came into play and used this chaos and vulnerability to create scapegoats, and create his own type of order. He created jobs with the SS and he created this new world full of ideals and laws and regulations in Germany that had not existed before his rule. The people looked to his plans and found order and structure in them, unlike what they had before. With all of the inflations that were taking place life felt chaotic for the Germans, and once Hitler gave them a glimpse of order and the chance to get back to the lives they once had they followed him. They did not bother to reject any ideas of the holocaust or any of the other monstrosities Hitler had planned, because they were to focus on the order that they felt would lead them from chaos. If Germany was not in debt and perfectly fine there would have been no need from the people to search for the ‘order’ that Hitler presented to them. They would have been content with life as it is.

People fear chaos. They feel that the only way to rid of chaos is to find order. When they are presented with any type of chaos they will find order to fill the chaotic void and make it go away, even if there really wasn’t any order to be found. If there wasn’t then the mind will create a ‘logical’ answer and accept it as truth until another form of order comes to prove it false.

BNW Chapter 8

1. How would you describe John's upbringing? Why do you think he says that he is "Alone, always alone." (p. 137). How does Bernard feel about John?
John's upbringing is extremely interesting. He is constantly hearing stories about the civilized world and how great of a place it is, and he longs to go see it and live there. Also because of his mother he is looked upon as an outsider by the other savages and isn't allowed to participate like the others are. He feels alone because his mother isn't really mother like, and is just constantly talking about her past life, and the savage society does not accept him. Bernard finds him extremely interesting and wants to bring him back to civilization with him.

2. Why does John say at the end of the chapter, "O brave new world!" (p. 139)?

John says this because he is going to enter civilization, which he sees as a new exciting idea that can only bring good.

BNW Chapter 7

1. How does Lenina feel about their appointed guide?
Lenina did not like thier guide, she found him 'hostile and slightly contemptuous' and she thought he smelled.

2. How does Lenina react to "naked Indian"(p. 110)? Does it remind you of anyone else we have studied?
She becomes very confused about him, because she has never seen an old person before, and she thought it was some type of disease. This is very similar to the story of the Buddha when he was still a prince ans saw old age for the same time.

3. How does Bernard react to the pueblo of Malpais?
Bernard states that he wished he had a mother of his own. He also seems excited but upset over this relationship at the same time. He is excited because he views it as a beautiful thing, however he is upset because he will never have that experience. He also tells Lenina that he wishes she had a child of her own.

4. Who is Linda? What is her relationship to Tomakin?
Linda is the women that the director had talked about before, she came from civilization and was lost there, and wanted out. Tomakin is her son.

5. Why does Linda believe that "everything they do is mad"(p. 121)? Please be specific.

Linda believes that everything they do is mad because the society that she has been placed in directly contradicts her own, and the ideas that have been placed into her head about what is right. She doesn't know how they live in such filth, but cannot clean because there is nothing for her to clean with. She also doesn't understand why she should mend clothes when they brake, she views it as anti-social, because she thinks she is doing someone else's job.

Social Sceinces Notes

Observer effect- person involved in the study is aware that they are being watched and they alter their behavior

did it occur with Stanford prison Ex. ?

Deal with this:

Hide the goal of the study

Ethical considerations?

hidden cameras

habituation can you see human actions objectively?

prediction? seeing as/believing as

Karl Popper

Falsifiability

attempt to falsify

Connections in TOK of Works Studied

I do think that these are all connected in the fact that it deals with how humans act when placed in 'evil' situations. All of these references describe how humans are influenced by each other. In the Stanford prison experiment the students claimed afterwards how they would have normally not preformed any of the tasks upon the prisoners like they did in the experiment. Brave New World also shows how humans are influenced by each other. Same with the idea of the cave, also with 18 with a bullet, and the wire. In these everyone knows their place and does not fight it. This can be connected to Hinduism also with the idea of the Caste system, and the idea of darama. All of these people are prisoners, since they are trapped in the reality that society has created around them, and the illusion it creates.

BNW -> CAVE: lenian sees shadow.

Grendel-> 18 w/ A Bullet: Ideas of monsters vs. human qualities. what is a monster?

SOCIAL SCIENCES

2.nat-sci: can replicate experiment but you can

able states impossble for any 2 cent. of h20 to be the same. and tests can be done humans.

3.Nat-sci: can isolate what the hypothesis is attempting to test. But in soc. sci there are to many variables.

but in nat-science they ignore certain aspects of an experiment- they don't isolate every variable.

4. Nat-Sci can predict/accuracy -soc sci cant predict

soc sci -predict about the pope

5. Certain constants in the natural science

able- were all gonna die, except Tyler

6. Humans have past experience that effect and alter thier behavior

9.soc sci aren't reliable because prediction can influence the reslt, self fulfilling/ defeating prophecey.

any human conducting a result

10. Nat science are indifferent to subject matter, but in soc. science are value ridden.

Nat sci deals with ethical & moral issies pol& sci are insperable

Able Chpater 11 Paragraph 10

The natural scientist may be indifferent to his/her subject matter. However a person is hardly detached from the investigation of things like birth control, socialism, sexual freedom, crime, drugs, pornography, and so on. Social sciences are overrun with values. Auguste Comte had the hope of "science of society" which would distinguish the difference between of whether or not something should be done from how to do something.

a) Issues in social sciences may pose ethical considerations, however so does issues in the natural sciences. The both involve moral questions.

b) Judgement of the social scientist may be affected by his/her intrests, however bias does occur in natural sciences as well. [examples: Nazi opposition to relativity physics, Soviet advocacy of Lysenkoism] "Biases may be made explicit and compensated for; scientific procedures are self corrective."

C)

Hommies Notes

Why does slappy act in this way?

• Disfunctional family
• Gang has replaced family/church

Structure:

-look out for eachother

-rules and morals

- protection

-Belonging-here

-Contribute to the cause

-JOB - Drugs, Extortion

-Initiation

-Tattos

-Shaved head

-Beatings

-Participate in Democracy

CRIME:

-No jobs/poverty ->not hiring->added expenses

-Need to get $

-No advancement

-Need for structure

-Gang

Social Aspects: -> Can't measure human experience.

Too many human variables

Every person experiences differently

pt. of view

people aren't numbers

hard to find qualitative conclusions

opinions

Able 15

1. Why is history being rewritten constantly?

History is constantly being rewritten not only because of new facts being found but because of the view that 'history is always written wrong'. With new facts we are presented with new interpretations. Even if new facts aren't presented in a situation different interpretations and reconstruction will appear because of the different views we have on life in comparison to those of the past. "Stories about the dead are inspired by the curiosity of the living."

2. What factors influence the process by which the historian picks and chooses his/her "facts"? Please provide a specific example for each factor.

1. Our interests change: Things that in the past may or may not be interesting to us any more. In the past we may have been more interested in European History, however now Middle East History is what has our curiosity because of the situations in the world today.

2.Our conceptual apparatus changes: We have different physiological views like the Marxist hypothesis, and the Freudian views.

3.Our View of the basic historical segment changes: Many different people from different times periods would disagree on which piece of history is the most important.

4.The 'personal equation' (interests and idiosyncrasies) of the historian changes.

5.The audience for whom he writes changes: this could change his selection and or organizatino

3. What is the "Baconian fallacy?"What would the Positivists think? Would Carr agree with Namier?

The "Baconian Fallacy" is the idea that "all the historians have to do is to collect the facts." (pg 166). The positivists would directly agree with this idea because they believe that history should be taken as a science. That it should not have any influence of bias or perception. Carr would not agree with this statement. Carr believed that historical facts are only useful when they are perceived and interpreted.

4. How does History differ from Geology?

"History differs from Geology in that the historian attributes meaning to his data." pg. 166 Geology is as it is. You can't change it through perception. A mountain is going to be there whether or not you see it as being there or not. However history is facts that can be interpreted and placed together however its interpreter wishes

5. According to Abel: "The patterns to be found in past events are selected by the historian; like the hypothesis of the scientist, they may be suggested, but are neither imposed nor dictated, by "the facts (p. 166-7)." Based on your experience with the Cheques Lab, how far do you agree with this explanation of history?

I was absent on the day of Cheques Lab. However based on what I have heard in class i do agree with this statement. As humans we are drawn to create patterns so that we can better justify our interpretations to fit what we perceive to be right.

6. In your opinion, "how will future historians so elect to describe what is going on now(p. 167)?"

I think we are going to be described as the age of overly outward and slightly paranoid tactics. First there is the war on terrorism, the huge go green actions, the constant commercials on TV for underprivileged children in other countries, and the over reactions to the Swine Flu. The stance on going green and Swine Flu is that if it is not gonna be fixed now, well its bad, who knows what will happen. Also I think that many of the things that seem extremely important now will go unnoticed, and deemed as unimportant in the future.

7. What is historical pluralism?

Historical Pluralism is the large amounts of events that make up larger components that don't necessarily connect and become inter-related. They "[deny] that every event is related to every other event." pg.168

8. The list of events (or non-events) listed on p. 168 makes Abel ask the question: "Is there, then, no hard core or bed-rock of indisputable facts that the historian must recognize." Does it matter if there ever was a man named Trotsky

It does not matter that there was a man named Trostsky. All that really does matter is what occurred based off of his decisions. It could have been any other man that made the same decisions and it would not have happened. Or, even though it is impossible to know this, there is always possibility that what happened to the people surrounding him could have still happened with out his influence.

9. How is a historian like a physicist?

In History just like physics because there will always be out lying variables that will never be known. It is impossible to know everything about both. Also both have to go "beyond the evidence" to explain the results that have occurred to connect them their ultimate results. Also both have to select certain facts and present them in the best way that they felt they are able to describe them.

10. What are the Five Frameworks or Hypotheses of History? Please provide an example from your HL or SL history class of each.

1. Ecclesiastes: Everything gets repeated. Like the treatment towards the Jewish people in the nations that they have lived in.

2. Functional: the idea that some things are isolated and others are stressed. Like race and cultural differences. This can be related to the difference between the Jews and Arabs in Palestine, which is what is greatly focused on when discussing the Palestine Mandate.

3. Progress:The idea that history is fairly new

4. Christian View: History is a drama of sin and redemption

5. Living Organisms:all cultures are 'organically' related.

11. Do you believe in Historical Inevitability?

I do not believe in Historical Inevitability. it is the idea that history has a plot. That people could figure out every historical fact there was to know and could somehow figure out the future events. This cannot be true because people do not act according to plan. Also there is the problem of piecing together these 'plot events' there is no way that human perception would not play a role in this. Hindering any possibilities to correctly view the outcome of anything correctly.

12. What does Abel mean when he says: "No crucial experiment can test the validity of a theory of history, any more than than it can the truth of a metaphysical theory (p. 174)."?

Able is trying to tell us that there is no way to verify history, or any philosophies that come from it. Historical events can not be repeated in exact replica ever so it is impossible to test any of the theories that it has created.

13. Abel writes: "Macaulay regards history as a branch of literature (p. 174)." How would Jill Lepore of Just the Facts, Ma'am respond? Please provide to specific quote from the article to justify your claim.

I dont remember

14. How does the footnote at the bottom of page 175 relate to the Shaper from Grendel?

The footnote at the bottom of the pg at 175 relates to the shaper because it is giving different ideats and views of the past. All of these different views depends on who it is being shared to. Just as the shaper does, he changes the interpretation on events based on who he is telling these stories to.

Brave New World Chapter 6

Part I
1. Why does Lenina think Bernard Marx "odd" - please use specific references from this chapter in your answer.
She found it odd that he wanted to do things in private, she could not understand that there were things that could be done in private. When she suggested that they go for a swim then out to dinner he stated that there would be to much of a crows. Also when she suggested Electromagnetic Golf he said that it was a waste of time. Her response was "then what is time for?". He wanted to go on a walk in the Lake District, to be alone to talk. She found this idea of being alone and talking extremely odd. She ended up persuading him to see the Semi-Demi-Finals of the Women's Heavyweight Wrestling Championship, however he was not happy about this since it meant being in a crowd. He wouldn't talk to Lenina's friends nor would he take any soma. "id rather be myself"

2. Please provide more lines from Lenina that she learned from hypnopedia (there are some great ones in this chapter!). Do any of them remind you of sayings that we may use - please don't use commercial jingles. i.e. "1-800-54-Giant!"
"A gramme in time saves nine" "Remember one cubic centimetre cures ten gloomy sentiments" "A gramme is always better than a damn." "After all, everyone works for every one else. We can't do without any one. Even Epsilons..." "Everyone is happy nowadays" "never put it off till to-morrow the fun you can have today" "when the individual feels, the community reels." "our ford loved infants". The quotes about the soma reminds me of the saying 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away' both are telling us that eating a certain thing will keep us happier.
3. What is Fanny's explanation for Bernard's behavior?
Fannys explanation was the extra alcohol they put in his surrogate.
Part II
4. What did the Director tell Bernard about his own trip to the Reservation? Why did it initially make Bernard feel uncomfortable?
The director told Bernard about how once he had the same idea as him and had taken a girl to see the savages. However while he was sleeping the girl vanished and after a huge search he was unable to find her. It made Bernard feel uncomfortable because the Director was talking about his past, and that is something that is normally not done in this society. Also it made him uncomfortable because he did not picture the director to be someone who would 'commit so gross a solecism'.
5. What does the Director threaten Bernard with if he doesn't change his behavior? Why does it elate Bernard?
The director threatens Bernard that if he does not stop acting so emotional he will be sent to a Sub-Centre most likely in Iceland. However this leaves Bernard elated because he has been reconized as an individual.
Part III
6. How does the Warden describe the Reservation?

The warden describes the reservation as having large electric fences surrounding the outside of it. The warden also goes into explanation about how people are born in the reservation and how that is a revolting fact. The Warden states that there is no way to know how many people are living in there at the time, but they can only guess. It is described as having infections diseases, ferocious animals, and venomous lizards. The whole time the Warden is describing the reservation It is described as being inhabitant by people who are savages, and everything is described as gross or in a derogatory term.

Brave New World Chapter 5

1. What would Michael Pollan (Remember? The Omnivore's Dilemma) say about the first paragraph in Chapter 5?

Michael Pollen would say that the World State was trying to get rid of the issues of the Omnivore's Dilemma by having the 'Internal and External Secretion Trust' was deciding what the people were eating. Since the buildings name has trust in it you can deduce that the people in the World State trust what ever this building produces. Since it is taking in cattle to used for their hormones for milk and their raw materials. There materials are then processed in the factory at Farnham Royal. The society does not seem to have any play or interest in this act. This gives the reader the impression that they just accept what is given to them to eat. The way it is written almost makes the meat of the cow seem unimportant, since it is just compared to 'raw materials'. Michael Pollen would look at this as that they do not have a huge abundance of food in from of them to chose, and that healthy food is already laid out in front of them.
2. Do you see any similarities with World State views death as compared to the Hindus? How does Lenina's remembrance of hypopedia compare with Plato's Republic?

The world state uses crematoriums in order to create 'phosphorus recovery from the bodies. This way peoples bodies are useful in making plants grow after they are gone. "Fine to think we can go on being socially useful even after we're dead. Making plants grow" Henry says this and it is similar to the Hindu idea of being reborn, and having a purpose in the existing world after death. Also they do not fear death and just see it as a cycle. Lenina remembers one night when she woke up to the sleepers talking in her ear and she realized that she was under the influence of these things but there was nothing she could do about it. This connects to Plato's republic because of the cave idea in which the people are 'whispered' thoughts while they are all chained down and viewing certain things. Here the people are not chained down but they are asleep, making them just as unable to respond or react as if they were chained down.
3. What do you think of Lenina's and Henry night out on the town?

I found their night to be extremely odd. It want odd because they went to listen to music, but it was odd because they went there just to feel. It created a fake atmosphere that took them further away from their reality. "But Lenian and Henry had what they always wanted...They were inside, here and now-safely inside with the fine weather, the perennially blue sky." Their night wasn't a night to experience something new or get to know each other better but just to be lost in a 'somma holiday' in which they would have further detachment from real feelings.
4. Why do you think Huxley uses the word "pneumatic" to refer to some female characters?

He uses this to refer to them as machine like and having no feelings.
5. What is Solitary Service and what are Bernard's feelings towards it?

Solitary Service is when a group of people come together to 'worship' Ford and wait for his coming. It is also a giant orgy where they all take soma and 'become one'. Bernard does not really like it. Hes sees it as an obligation rather than something he would enjoy doing. He fakes hearing Ford and the whole time he can only focus on the girls unibrow rather than the ceremony. Afterwards he does not feel connected and whole like everyone else, but instead he feels lonely and empty.

Nacirema

1. What happened yesterday? Why couldn't we recognize our own culture?

Yesterday we read the Nacirema article. This article was a description of our American culture based off of what would be an outsiders view if they were totally unaware of anything American. I had read this article previously to this class and so I had a different reaction then the rest of the class. However the first time I had read this I found the culture very very strange and defiantly did not realize it was our own. Since it was presented in a different way that we would normally view our culture we were unable to recognize it. The wording and different views of how our normal day activities are presented us made us look at the culture as if it was privative.

2. What does your answser say about the the strengths and weaknesses of the Social Sciences like Psychology, Sociology and Anthropology?

My answer shows that there is a huge amount of weakness to anthropology. By not being used to something the anthropologist in the situation has a personal bias of seeing the situations as odd and abnormal.

Brave New World #4

Part 1
1. What puzzles Lenina about Bernard Marx's behavior?

Bernard Marx was very puzzled about Lenna's behavior because she was so forward about the whole arrangement. He had asked her so many times and had only ended up being rejected. She had come up to him in a public place and accepted his offer out loud, louder enough for the surrounding people to hear, making it public. It upset him that she made it such a public event. She also did not understand his behavior "he couldn't of been more upset if i'd made a dirty joke, he asked him who his mother was, or something like that."

2. Please provide examples of Lenina using what she learned from hypnopaedia.

"What a hideous color khaki is"

"I'm glad I'm not a gama."

3. Where are Lenina and Henry going?

Lenina and Henry are going to StokesPoges to play obstacle golf. Its their form of a date.

Part 2:
1. What makes Bernard Marx distressed? Why?

"Those who ment well behaved in a same way as those who ment badly." (pg 65) Bernard Marx is upset over the fact that everyone acts exactly the same as everyone else. He does not like the fact that nobody has any individuality to them. It distresses him because them is no emotion to anything, no real feeling, nothing for him to connect to. He is also distressed over the fact that Lenina is constantly referred to like a piece of meat. This distresses him because it is just another example of how people are not treated like people but rather as something to own or to have.

2. Where does Helmholtz Watson work? What is his job?

Helmholtz Watson works at the College of Emotional engineering. He works as a lecturer. He also works as an Emotional Engineer.

3. What does Bernard have in common with Helmholtz Watson?

Both Bernard and Helmholtz were born as individuals. They are looked at as different from the rest of society. Helmholtz was born with some sort of mental excess, while Bernard was born with a physical defect, he is shorter then the norm. Both seem to view the world differently, Helmholtz feels as though something is wrong, and he has something to say but does not know how. Bernard does not like the way society is set up, but can not place his frustration clearly.
4. What is troubling Helmholtz?

Helmholtz feels as though he has something to say, and the power to say it, but he does not know what it is he needs to say. He wants to be more violent, more real, and have more importance to his life. He wants to find a way to write with piercing words but can not figure out how to say something about nothing.

Brand New World #3

In Chapter 3, we begin to learn about how the World State. Please explain how the following areas are different in the World State as compared to our world in 2009.

A) Sex, Monogamy & Romance

In the World State it is socially acceptable for little kids to involve them selfs in sexual activity, modern day these things would not be allowed, and extremely frowned upon. In the World State these 'games' are just looked upon as normal childs play, while childs play to us would be playground play, barbies, or sports. Dating is really open, to the point that it is encouraged to be with more then one person at once. There is no Monogamy and Romance, one of their proverbs is 'every one belongs to everyone else.'
B) Sports

There was no sports introduced in this chapter. In fact when the children are playing in the beginning of the chapter the people found it weird that children used to amuse themselves with sports like they do now.
C) Entertainment

All entertainment is in forms of 'dating' or flying or 'obstacle golf', things like reading for fun are frowned upon. Entertainment now has many many forms including reading and sports.
D) Parenthood

The children did not live with their families, they couldn't imagine what is was like to live with a mother or farther. "Try to realize what it was like to have a viviparous mother." "try to imagine what 'living with one's family' meant." When asked what a home was none of the people could respond. This is extremely different from life in our world. Not only are most children raised by their own parents (or some type of parent like guardianship) but family time is something is extremely important now a days. Constantly on TV is their ads for having 'family game nights' or making sure to have a sit down family meal. Also anybody could define what a home is.
E) Materialism

"I do love new clothes" is whispered in their ears by the sleepers, materialism is extremely huge and is how they live their lives. "Ending is better then mending. The more stitches, the less riches." "...compelled to consume so much a year. In the interests of the industry." Materialism leads their life. People are thought of as 'belonging to each other.' In our world today people are defiantly materialistic but not to the point that it defines us, nor to the point that we classify other people as belonging to eachother
F) Religion

The believe in Ford. He is like their version of God, but not a holy or spiritual figure, and is the only version their is. They have never even heard of Christianity, they do not have a God. They do not believe in heaven, and have never heard about it before. They also did not have an idea of the concept of the soul or imortality
G) Intoxicants

Pregnancy substitutes are something every women takes and they have a "regulation supply". They do not drink much alcohol. However they have this intoxicant called somma, which apparently gives the effects of alcohol without the after effects. In our world 'pregnancy subsitues' are used but not required. Also there is no such thing as soma, and alcohol is greatly used.


Finally, to the best of your ability, provide a brief history (a paragraph) of how the World State came to be.

The world state was founded by T. Ford. It was founded based off of the idea that society should be stable. The DHC hid all books, any thing religious, or anything that would give people new ideas. This way no one would question the way things were, creating social stability. Social stability is the main goal of the World State.

Brave New World #2

1. How do babies sent to the Neo-Pavlovian Conditioning Rooms develop an "instinctive hatred of books and flowers?" Why were Deltas exposed to such treatment?

Babies sent to the Neo-Pavlovian Conditioning Rooms develop and instinctive hatred of books and flowers by placing them in a room that had lots of flowers and books placed in it. It was also a well lit room with a window that the room let in a lot of sunlight. The babies were placed in this room. They then noticed the flowers and books and went towards them excitedly. They all then received a mild electric shock. The babies now connect these things to pain, and would want nothing to do with them. The Deltas are exposed to this treatment because if they spend their time reading books it is considered a waste of the communities time. "you couldn't have lower-caste people wasting the Community's time over books, and that there was always the risk of their reading something which might undesirably decondition one of their reflexes." . In the past Dela's had been conditioned to like flowers in order to let them have the desire to view the country. However this need to view the country became to great of a need and thats all they did. So now they decondition the Deltas from this.
2. What is a State Conditioning Center? Does it remind you of anything from Plato's Republic?

The State Conditioning Center is where the children are raised. When they are there and they go to sleep the 'sleepers' whisper things to them. This limit their views and teaches them how to view the world. For example Alphas are whispered different things then the Betas, which helps to separate them in society. This process tends to eliminate any free thinking. This reminds me of the cave idea in Plato's Republic, and how the people in the cave are only shown certain things. They are taught everything from an outside source by a puppet show.
3. What is hypnopaedia? Why wasn't it used for Science? What was it used for? Does it remind you of anything from Plato's Republic?

Hypnopaedia is the idea of sleep teaching. It wasn' t effect in the use of science because the children would merely repeat what they had heard in their sleep with no understanding or concept of it. "You can't learn a science unless you know what it's all about." It ended up being used for moral education. Instead of just stating facts the sleepers would act like a conscious and state the views that the children should have and why. This also reminds me of the cave idea from Plato's republic.
4. How does the Caste system work in the World State? What are the similarities and differences between this and the Hindu Caste system?

Like the Caste system in the World State in the Hindu Caste system it is something you are 'born' into. When the eggs are produced in the World State they are specifically designed so that they will fit into their Caste and will have no other want to be in another Caste. Similarly in Hinduism the people accept what they are placed in because of how the way society is set up. Also in both societies the other Castes are accepted by each other, and the system is accepted as being the best way for society to function. The Hindu Caste system has more levels to it then the World State does. Also Hindu people believe in the idea of reincarnation, and they think that their Caste may change in a different life. Since the people of the World State do not believe in this they only feel that they can be what they are determined to be and nothing else.
5. What does the Director mean when he says, "Not so much like drops of water....rather, drops of liquid sealing wax."?

When the Director says that he is talking about how the sleepers effect the children's brains. He uses the metaphor of granite in comparison of the children brains, water (or the Hypnopaedia system) would only create an imprint in the child's brain, but not enough to effect its thinking or actually 'stick'. However the wax (or the idea of moral sleep teaching) sticks to the child's mind and molds with it becoming part of it. This way it becomes a part of them. Just as wax does unlike water when it is combined to any substance.

Brand New World #1

1. What is the World State's Motto?

Community, Identity, Stability
2. Please describe Bokanovsky's Process. Why does The Director call it the "major instrument of social stability?"

The Bokanovsky's Process is a type of egg that will bud, proliofaye, then divide into a range of 8-96 buds. So ninety-six adults will grow out of what would have normally only produced one adult. This is done by a series of arrests of development. The eggs would have to go through processes of x-rays, chilling, and alcohol. The director calls it the 'major instrument of social stability' because now there can be 96 identical people doing 96 identical jobs. Creating the same people, not having any differences in society to worry about.

3. Why did the doctor wish to keep the Epsilon "embryo below par?"

The doctor wants to keep the Epsilon embryo below par because all people have their set place in society. Since the Epsilon is lower then the Alphas in society they should not have the same abilities as them so that they do not try to 'break the ranks'. "Hasn't it occurred to you that an Epsilon embryo must have an Epsilon environment as well as an Epsilon heredity?"

4. What does Mr. Foster mean when he says: "We condition them to thrive in heat...that is the secret of happiness of virtue - liking what you've got to do. All conditioning aims at that: making people like their unescapable social destiny."? How does this connect to what is happening in Rack 10?

Mr. Foster means that they introduce elements to the embryos that they will have to experience in the life they are pre-determined to lead. By introducing them to these things it will automatically make them feel comfortable in their future jobs because they are now surrounded by things that have been with them since birth. Almost like a baby will like similar things to what their mother ate or listened to when they were in the womb. This connects with Rack 10 because in Rack 10 are the next generations chemical workers. They are being trained to tolerate lead, caustic soda, tar, and chlorine. Since they are being trained to tolerate these elements it is also becoming they are something that they are comfortable with. Because they are being trained to be comfortable with these things from before birth they are going to not only be able to tolerate these chemicals but will also automatically like what surrounds them.