Answer the following questions:
- Plato uses a binary logic. Identify some examples of this from the text. (e.g. light, dark)
- How useful is binary logic to a contemporary mind? 150 words
- How adequately would we understand the world if we saw it only through cinema? Give some examples
- (200 words)
Also please remember:
- Read Lev Manovich, The Language of New Media, and bring to class in two week’s time.
Post your answers as comments below before next lesson please and also to your blogs
caroline
19/10/2009
1. Plato uses binary logic. Identify some examples of this from the text.
Some of these pairs are exact words taken from text and some are what I think is being implied by Plato.
enlightenment/ignorance
light/shadows (dark)
real/false
truth/nonsense
upper/lower
ascent/descent
upward/downward
good/bad
intelligence/ignorance
rationality/irrationality
clear/confused
escaped/restrained
right/wrong
innate/practice
good/evil
freed/fastened
educated/uneducated
public/private
intellectual/practical
above/below
trivial/serious
fair/unfair
richer/poorer
individually/united
sight/blind
awake/dreaming
best/worst
agree/refuse
pure/impure
rich/impoverished
2. How useful is binary logic to a contemporary mind? (150 words)
On the surface it can appear that the world should easily be divided with binary logic, but this seems an oversimplification in the contemporary world. Firstly, who decides what is right and wrong in the world? Different cultures have different ways of existing which have been passed down through history and there is a lack of understanding from ‘outside’ societies which want conformation. On a more individual level, a person’s beliefs and ideals are their own and so this will influence how they live their life to either approval or disapproval of others. Contemporary societies have become very complicated (for example, through global relations) and so circumstance/context has a strong influence on what is accepted by countries, right down to the individual. For a contemporary mind to be fulfilled, it is necessary to be broad-minded and accept other cultures’ and people’s ideas/beliefs; not just see the black and white, but the grays as well.
3. How adequately would we understand the world if we saw it only through the cinema? (I thought Nick said 300 words, so I’ve done more than 200)
In general the narrative of the cinema is aimed at creating certain emotional responses from the audience, such as excitement, horror, despair. If this was all that people were exposed to then they would have a very limited understanding of how society ‘outside’ worked on a daily basis. The average person’s everyday life would not have the same number of dramatic events, but would in fact be, generally speaking, mundane in comparison.
In a high number of films, there is a lack of consequence and responsibility. For example, a person can be punched so hard, and although in reality the victim would be at the very least knocked unconscious, there is no blood and the person recovers almost instantaneously. The narrative of cinema is very structured and contrived to reach a certain conclusion (whether the story is resolved or not), but this does not happen in the ‘real’ world. Whether expected or not, choices and decisions, influences and desires, circumstances and environment, responsibilties and commitments all strongly affect what the route taken and outcome of an individual’s life will be.
In general, the cast selected to appear in films, alongside acting ability (although this is often dubious), are chosen due to their ‘attractiveness’ (as decided by society). As a result, a person only exposed to this level of ‘perfection’ (with the carefully placed lighting) would not be prepared for individuality and ‘imperfections’ which everyone has in the real world. There would be potential for both discrimination and disappointment for the individual.
Some films adhere to stereotypes and although in reality these are often criticised (or laughed at), if an individual was only exposed to these types of roles and situations then they would expect it to be the same in the ‘outside’.
Tim Lunn
20/10/2009
How useful is binary logic to a contemporary mind?
Well what is right and what is Wong who has the right to say this to each diffent person in this world good and bad are diffent thing denpeing on what you think is true this piece is say that a lot of pople now little to make that chose that there suck in the cave never livening in the real outside world. I fill that the piece is saying they have a open mind and see the world so it will make easier to see what is right and Wong
chn
20/10/2009
• Plato uses a binary logic. Identify some examples of this from the text. (e.g. light, dark)
Light/ Dark ? Fair/ Unfair Best/ Worst Wrong/ Right
Below/ Above Upper/ Lower Poorer/ Richer Knowledge/Ignorance
Bad/ Good Good/ Evil Sight/ Blind Agree/ Refuse
• How useful is binary logic to a contemporary mind? 150 words
Binary logic is useful to a contemporary mind, using an example, just like how Plato said and compared the cave to cinema, and there was something more in life and world than the cave and cinema so I thought it helped and gave clue of there is something more than that cave and cinema into life and that was the real life with all the experiences through senses and learn through the senses to know the real and to a contemporary mind.
• How adequately would we understand the world if we saw it only through cinema? Give some examples (200 words)
There would be so many things you could see and help to understand world but I think we would not understand the world completely and fully, if we saw it only through cinema. There would have been no feeling on senses. You would see things that you have not experienced in life things such as tasting food, touching fluffy animals and smelling flowers. Theses few examples I mentioned are for sure not going to be experienced or known by us humans, if we were only seeing and understanding world through cinema. Maybe it would help only depends on what you were going to see in the cinema. For example you would see the relationship between people that you watching in the cinema, like good relationships, happy, sad, upsetting, aggressive and a lot more but it will all go back to the reality and who you would see and what kind of relationship you were going to end up having with the other person. But back to the senses, its only sight and hearing senses you use in cinema so you would not be able to see the 3D world and specially touch and taste and smell senses. And I think you would understand the world perfectly if you are able to use all the senses.
Silas
21/10/2009
Plato uses a binary logic. Identify some examples of this from the text. (e.g. light, dark)
*NIght and Day
*Sun and Moon
*Sunlight and Darkness
*Confused and Clearly
*Congratulation and Sympathy
*Uneducated and Intellectual
*Trivial and Serious
*Awake and Dreaming
How useful is binary logic to a contemporary mind? 150 words
Binary logice is very useful to a contemporary mind as it leaves the mind to be open and able to accept views from both sides of the coin, finally allowing the person recieving or accepting the binary logic to make up their own minds in regards to certain issues after weighing up both views based on the issue. In this day and age it’s pretty hard to determine what is wrong and what is right and there are so many ways to justify why you acted in such a way and this is due to the understanding of Binary Logic. Using binary logic shows you are educated enought o understand there are two sided to every story and that two opposites can in actual fact, appear in the same place and at the same time.
How adequately would we understand the world if we saw it only through cinema? Give some examples
If we were to see the world through cinema the phenomenological way of learning would be at it’s peak. the way in which many actors and actresses act out their feelings is awesome.
the cognitive style of learning wouldn’t be as great as worldly issues would be viewed from a biased point of view. The directors/producers, of the films watched in cinemas, views on a cultural issue would out weigh their op[positions views, thus not giving the other sides version of events i.e. the film farenhiet 9/11.
Feelings towards human beings and how to show affection would come as second nature, but the issues which are front page news and special news bulletins wouldn’t be so frequent thus resulting in one not kowing or seeing the bigger picture and not thinking outside the box. Through films we have learnt how to show appreciation towards loved ones, how to laugh and enjoy ourselves with the company of others and also how to communicate with immediate effect.
Alot of emotion and anger would be vented out easily through aggression or shouting at the screen the element of fear in horrors would be overcome by the end of the film. Watching a film can sometimes give the viewer mixed emotions, thus resulting in the viewers being able to cope and accept wht certain things happen…
basiaska
21/10/2009
How useful is binary logic to a contemporary mind? (150 words)
In my opinion, nowadays binary logic is something very powerful. Politicians, mass media are trying to convince us that world is either a good or a bad place, people are smart or stupid , ugly or beautiful , somebody is wrong and somebody is right, grey zone is the action towards ‘improvement’ (why not checking your IQ online? In case you’re stupid,you can always develop your brain by buying a Nintendo DS game, buy a new shampoo that will make your hair look thicker or eye shadow that will make your eyes look bigger, Iraq is evil, we’re the good ones, so we have to attack it). I think most of the people actually believe it. It’s hard to resist publicity as it’s represented by people we cannot ‘touch’ or personally talk to. We think they’re more important because they’re somewhere ‘out there’, chosen by many.. How sad that many modern ‘visionears’ are trying to convince us we’re still in ‘the cave’.. I think that this is changing though.. People are looking for other ways of communication.. we put videos on YouTube, we write blogs, put our music online. Suddenly we can ‘hear’ each other from far far away. True thinkers can be heard. On the other hand, how many people in this world don’t have internet? How many people want to be heard, but can’t. What are the boarders of our knowledge? And again.. should we make any boarders.. Perhaps some things should be left alone, perhaps curiosity really killed the cat.. Should it be all or nothing when it comes to our knowledge? All or nothing.. sounds like binary logic to me..
basiaska
21/10/2009
How adequately would we understand the world if we saw it only through cinema?
World through the cinema? Melodramatic, romantic, unexplainable, science fiction.. What’s impossible would become possible, things we regret could be reversed. No wasted time, no mistakes, no wasted lives, no death. And how about freezing he moment or being in two places at once? Colorful or black and white.. Fake hair, fake moustache, fake smile. Or on the opposite.. let’s make our our life a documentary.. where everything is too real, let’s violate our sense of aesthetics, presume the truth, search ‘the real’.. In my opinion we cannot understand the world through the cinema..as cinema barely understands the world. And we cannot forget that the cinema is actually a product of our own perception and imagination. And so by making any kind of cinematic piece, we assume a certain perspective to life. If we refused to see the world with our own minds and treat it as cinema all along we would simply loose our point of reference.