Language

This week we had a consensus! Well almost. 2 ways of considering language and our experience of life, the multiverse and everything (Karl, does it matter if the multi is hyphenated - ?)
By the way, I found my Thurs group inspired lyrics - they were " how can you find spirituality in the virtual world" you will need to join me and Boris for a Jam next Thurs lunchtime to hear the full song. The inspiration has been reading 1984 again and watching the movie "network" 1976. Before Helen left, I asked her what her favourite movie was and her first response was "network" it's full of good TOK " I want you to get mad" and " I am an angry prophet denouncing the hypocracies of our time " Semyen, you must have seen this?

Anyways--- consensus. Oh, in case your already bored. Stay here.. look




Theres nothing in it so don't look back! Honestly I learnt a lot/ was reminded of a lot today and yesterday!

Thoughtfish:

Consensus: Our reality is either defined by our language (liguistic determinism) OR our reality is pure and real and the language comes afterwards when necessary (linguistic realism). I think by the way, maybe some of you should begin a wiki group for CAS. Its definitely Service hours and global.

During the exercise on Thurs we listed the 15 words that had to be kept in the dictionary at all cost. We had good debate about the word "God". I would not put the word in my list because I had the word "chance" there. Does this deserve further debate? Now, if any of you just stood up and then forgot why, Boris has a word for that!
Great thinking this week all. See you next week.

p.s. check on ultimatefrizbee at youtube Joeys Thesaurus, interview with Steven Pinker and Osho explaining why word number 14 on my list is the most versatile in the English language.

Read below about the Orca killing a trainer this week...

Killer Whales: do they kill because of slavery?

Click here for full story

This article gives a critical opinion not only of animals in captivity, but perhaps challenges us to consider what we are usually told about life for Orcas at sea parks. Where would you find confirmation of these claims? What credentials do the authors have?

BLOG FOLLOWERS

IN THE COMMENT BOX PUT YOUR BLOG ADDRESS,
NEW WORD:BLOGAMYST: ONE WHO FOLLOWS MANY MANY BLOGS, NOT JUST THEIR OWN (BLOGMONOLIST). LINGUISTIC DETERMINISM? Remember to create your own word for next time we have class. Word and meaning.

Language of newspeak

newspeak dictionary

"The purpose of Newspeak was not only to provide a medium of expression for the world-view and mental habits proper to the devotees of IngSoc (English Socialism), but to make all other modes of thought impossible. It was intended that when Newspeak had been adopted once and for all and Oldspeak forgotten, a heretical thought -- that is, a thought diverging from the principles of IngSoc -- should be literally unthinkable, at least so far as thought is dependent on words." 1984, George Orwell

what the bleep do we know?

Bleep">Follow this link but remember to be thinking about the CREDENTIALS of each of these speakers (end of movie titles).

Brown eyes Blue eyes experiment

This is footage showing a teacher undertaking a daring lesson the day after Martin Luther King was shot. She set up this lesson to teach about the unfairness of discrimination but it allows us to ponder some difficult questions regarding human nature. Click here to view

Digital Media Resources

Here is a blog database of good TOK discussion ideas. This blog was started by students of a former colleague of mine - makes you think what you can build by starting and committing to a blog. Try This for lots of TOK Digital media resources. It's like landing in Aladdins Cave of critical thinking!

Forum: Life, the multiverse and everything!

All Ib students are to register and post a forum topic on a TOK thought to get the forum up and running by next Monday (8th February). You can register and get started by clicking here. Life, the multi-verse and everything!