Week 4

Frege tutorial was as hard as expected. You go to class, thinking that you have a decent grasp of everything... when suddenly question are asked and explanations needed.. suddenly I (and everyone else in the class!) realised how much they just didn't understand.

Getting caught up with technical terms. Bedeutung.

However, not all news is bad news. Ethics tutorial went okay on Monday. Pretty good unit, this is turning out to be, and Mike and I are quite fond of our tutor, Clive. Who, to Mike's delight, is a Linux user.

I also have been working a bit on my Ethics essay due the end of next month. I have about 800 words down out of 3000, and I have a pretty good idea of what is expected. It's just so painstakingly nerve-wracking, because everything I write seems to need a re-write, and I have to make sure there is absolute consistency within my argument.

Today in the mail I received my Letter of Completion and complete Academic Transcript. Not one unit failure, all completed, so I am happy about that. Some grades I just shook my head in shame, but as soon as Philosophy make it's entrance my marks just improved severely. A sign I should be taking the path of the philosopher? Or was Biomedical science just too damn hard? Who knows. I passed everything, I am ready to try and take whatever comes.

Graduation is next month, 16th September. My Mum and Merv are coming up, they've booked motel rooms for both them and for Mike and I so we don't have to rush home afterwards. My brother is able to come as well, and so I am very happy to have him there too. :)

Working on - Husserl, Objectivity and the world of experience.

Door poster inspiration.

"If the way I have shown to lead to these things now seems very hard, still it can be found. And, of course, what is found so rarely must be hard. For if [understanding] were at hand, how could nearly everyone neglect it? But all things excellent are as difficult as they are rare."

- Spinoza

Week 2

Week 2 is currently happening. Last Thursday after my last entry I went onto the first Meaning and Interpretation (M&I) tutorial. It went surprisingly very well. I have studied Plato and Socrates a lot so that knowledge really came useful in class discussion. Within the groups we had, I was one of the most talkative speakers... which is a very rare thing for me! So I applaud myself on that one... now I am trying to study hard so I can do just as well in the next one on Thursday. :)

I have chosen my Ethics essay. 3000 words, due 24th September. Case study is as follows:

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After making several unsuccessful scholarship applications, James Williams has just been awarded a highly competitive and well-paid scholarship to do postgraduate research at the Corporate Social Responsibility Institute (CSRI), a leading international centre in the field. For Williams the scholarship represents the dream opportunity to further his long time commitment to socially responsible corporate practice. He is about to accept the award when his aunt, who has been an anti-smoking activist since her mother (his grandmother) died of lung cancer, tells him that CSRI was set up with, and is still supported by, multi million dollar grants from the world's largest tobacco industry corporation. The acclaim that the corporation has garnered for its support of CSRI has diverted attention from the manipulative marketing methods it is using to target people in third world countries. What would you do if you were in James's position?

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I am not even going to begin attempting to express my point of view just yet. I have ideas, but we learned of a certain step by step way of breaking down the ethical arguments and categorize values, so I hope to do just that by Friday at the latest while all the information is still fresh in my memory.

"PHL472 students will be expected to show an advanced level of conceptual understanding in their analysis, systematic and rigorous consideration of the difficulties inherent in the position taken as well as the merits of alternative positions."

;____; Must work hard! Don't rush! It is worth 35%, so it's very influential on my final mark.

Peta will no longer be taking Ethics tutorials, instead we have a tutor named Clive, who was very nice and informative. Great tutor, so I look forward to more of his classes. I managed to speak up in that tutorial as well, and aside from the dude Mike nicknamed "Philosophy Jock", I was able to get some good points in.

3:19am. Time to read something non-Uni related.

Meaning and Interpretation

At Uni right now... just had the first lecture for Meaning and Interpretation. Anita has taken over Lubica's position as lecturer, she has just recieved her PhD I believe, you could tell she was quite nervous, but good on her. :) Much better job than I could have done if I were in her position!

Just saw Paul walking by and we spoke for a minute.. he was rushing off to a lecture. Green light, good to go! He said. I admitted I was quite nervous, he said that's understandable but this Semester is just like any other Semester with the 2 units I'm doing.

I tried to change PHL472 to PHL272, but apparently I must submit another Honours program form.... something which is annoying and takes time from Paul and the administration... so I'm almost tempted just to leave it how it is. A challenge? Stupid move? Laziness?

Who knows.

Well, Meaning and Interpretation looks good. We are studying Nietzsche one week, so I think I might write about him for my second essay. 3000 words! Gosh... At least it will be good practice for thesis writing.

I also volunteered (or rather, was forced to because of my late Honours submission) to attend the later tutorial at 3pm instead of 1:30pm. Which means I'm here till 4:30pm on Tuesdays now. Sigh. But, this 2 1/2 hour break will become useful for studying and making use of the library seeing as I am not able to just wander down here whenever desired like I used to when I lived in the Canary house.

This weekend:
-PHL472 readings.
-Start thinking about Ethics essay. Choose one and do some light research into it.

Ethics in Practice

Today was first day of Ethics in Practice, Mike and I arrived early enough to buy books and relax before class started. ELC1 the lecture was held, and there must have been about +100 people there! This I wasn't expecting, all my Philosophy PtII units have always been comfortably small, fitting in a small classroom, never enough to half fill a lecture hall.

Confused, I soon realised that this unit had three groups of studies into one; Philosophy, Law and Business. Imagine that! Thankfully though, we have Peta as our tutor, and Philosophy only students in our tute. ... at least... I think so? Law students (who took up most of the place) are to be put in tutes on different day. Lucky!

The unit itself sounds quite interesting, although admittedly, it looks to be a bit tough. This unit has an exam worth 35%! I couldn't believe it, Peta mentioned once in class that she didn't like exams, but I guess this is her collaborating with other head of schools... sigh.. exam... I can never do really well in exams.... goodbye HD?

Good news is: apparently I am able to take one 200 level unit, which means only one of my units has to be at 400 level! This will save a lot of time, for 400 students have to write a lot extra and all throughout the unit guide reminding 400 students that they are to show exceptional understanding more than those of 200 levels. It is great to know I will only have one 400 to do.. can't decide which... but I have a feeling I might make Ethics in Practice as 200.

We will see how Meaning and Interpretation goes on Thursday.

1st Semester Start

Tomorrow is the beginning of the Semester, first one of my two for Honours. I am kind of nervous, I have to admit... I cannot slack off in these two units, I am aiming for at least Dist.+ in these units.

Schedule is okay, 3:30pm start on Mondays through till 6pm for Ethics in Practice. Best thing of all is that I've talked Mike into taking the unit with me! Finally, a unit together with my partner! It's never happened before, I always pictured it as very romantic to study together, although... whether Mike wants to do that or not, we shall see. :)

Thursdays I have my other unit - Meaning and Interpretation, 11:30am - 3pm. Not bad of hours, I'll be able to make it home before dark. I am so happy I have no earlier starts than that... I live so far away, it's takes at least 1 and 3/4 hrs to get to Uni one way. That is a lot of traveling after just waking up!

Got a confirmation email from Paul the other day, I am in the system, he signed my Honours plan, all is set and ready to go! :)