Do Candide's punishments fit the crimes?

The punishments dealt to Candide are rather ill fitting in my opinion. His first punishment was his banishment from the castle because Cunegonde kissed him. This was extremely unfitting- the kiss was innocent and inspired by their ignorance to the realm of romance. Then he was forced into joining a militia and when he tried to leave he was condemned to nearly endless flogging. In terms of the auto-da-fe he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. None of his punishments have been just or taught him anything other than that perhaps Pangloss's teaching were not true. It seems that every time he is punished the punishment manages to get him into more trouble and lead to more punishment. The banishment led to the flogging and the auto-da-fe led him to reunite with Cunegonde and kill two men. The severe punishments Candide has been given have taught him that when something goes wrong he had better run or he will be faced with death. So now when Candide does something worthy of punishment he runs instead of staying to face it because the punishment will be irrationally harsh. 

So (yes I'm a twelve year old girl from Libetyville) no, I don't think the punishments fit the crimes. 

Who is the Modern Gadfly?

Who is the Modern Gadfly?

This is a difficult questions to answer. The present is sadly devoid of prominent gadflies. So while I'm not exactly sold on my answer, I have to go with Michael Moore: super-duper-leftist film maker extraordinaire. I love this man, but I know for a fact that many people do not. The thing that makes him a gadfly, rather than just a man with a camera and an opinion, is his willingness to be the guy no one wants to talk with at a party. When he wants he can be crazy annoying, but it's always to get his point across. In his movie Bowling for Columbine (probably his best received work) he took three survivors of the Columbine high school shooting to the kmart from which the bullets that were still lodged in their flesh had been purchased. They bought out the entire stock to keep those bullets from being sold to potential murderers. But that was definitely not enough. Moore brought the survivors to a Kmart flagship store in an attempt to return the merchandise embedded in the flesh of these young people. Moore and the victims were able to meet with Kmart executives and the next day the corporation announced they would be taking ammunition off their shelves. Still,. Moore had to bother frazzled employee after employee for hours and hours before getting a chance to speak with the execs. Most of Moore's antics are not this successful. Moore can often be seen on the steps of a capitol building, or in a boat full of 9/11 volunteers approaching Guantanamo Bay, shouting at the unseen powers residing within through a megaphone. After gaining admittance to Charlton Heston's home and challenging him on his pro-gun views and NRA statues, he was promptly kicked out. Some people are annoying just because they like to watch people squirm, some activists are overly polite because they don't want to be disliked- Michael Moore is neither of those things. Moore attempts to be as polite as possible while still not letting anyone off the hook, and he catches it all on camera. While Socrates wasn't concerned with preserving his dialogue, Moore is. By putting a camera in the situation people become self-conscious and not wanting to be portrayed in a bad light, they often reveal exactly what they are trying to hide.

Even if you disagree with Moore's politics you have to admire the way he unashamedly confronts people that need confronting and his effectiveness as a gadfly.

Is the Unexamined Life Worth Living?

Is the unexamined life worth living?

I think it definitely can be. The unexamined life is not one I wish to live, but I try not to judge those that do. I think sometimes it can even be beneficial. If a person is truly happy with their life, the universe and their place in it and doesn't wish to mar that outlook with deeper consideration- good on them. Now I'm not necessarily going to respect their opinions or expect them to make sound decisions, but I think there is something to be said for their life. Just because a person doesn't analyze their existence doesn't mean they cannot do good or contribute to society. Some people cannot handle too much self examination or become depressed by it and sometimes it is better overall for them not to question.

Sometimes there are people who do not examine their life but are still unhappy. They don’t examine this unhappiness because they are afraid they will only find more sadness. I have run into a lot of these people and I think they ought to serve as an example to the rest of us. Sometimes people make themselves even sadder by pretending that they aren't. Simply accepting things is not the answer; it will not make you happy. Happiness has to come from you and if you are not already happy turning a blind eye to it will not change it.

I believe leading an examined life is very important, but I do not believe that an unexamined life is worthless. Even the simplest, worst things have worth.

Me

Hello. I’m Gianna.

I’m really super excited about this philosophy class. I really enjoy thinking about abstract ideas and discussing them so I’m anxious to do so in a class setting. Also, I have a lot of expectations for this class because McCarthy is, of all the people I know, the most fitting to teach a philosophy class. When I took his American Lit class Freshman year he’d often let ideas and discussions from his philosophy class creep into our curriculum. Don’t tell Fanning but I was ecstatic when I found out McCarthy got this class back.

When I’m tasked with introducing myself I automatically think about theatre. It’s always my response to ‘So what do you do?’. I’m an active member in the Young Company and I hope to study acting in New York next year. I’m also a Young Ensemble member at Lookingglass Theatre downtown. I also enjoy dancing and singing despite being relatively mediocre at both.

My entertainment preferences are often a little nerdy. I grew up on Star Wars and my cats are aptly named Luke and Leia. I’m a huge Harry Potter fan. Emily Hawkins and I even went to a Harry Potter convention a few summers ago. I really into Battlestar Galactica, Doctor Who, Supernatural, Hannibal, and a few other shows. My little brother is significantly nerdier than me and a Freshman at WY, so feel free to penny him.

My celebrity crush of late is Taye Diggs. There’s also something about Ethan Hawke.

I am a vegetarian.

I have a coffee addiction.

I think Sylvia Plath is lovely.

Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill, Le Tigre and Julie Ruin is my idol.

Thanks,