The Questioner November 2, 2018
Megan Demko Volume 1, Issue 1
EDT 180A
The Questioner
INTO OURSELVES
Often in life, many people live just going through the motions, following their condition-
ing and social stigmas that developed as they were children. Some question why? Others
question how?
Why are we living? There are several different approaches that come to answering these
questions.
An abstract concept that tries to explain life is absurdism. The outlying idea of absurdism
is that people continue to live the same cycle of life each and every day without a purpose
and that human beings lack the conviction to make decisions for themselves besides
their basic nature.
Uniquely, the idea of objectivism, introduced by Ayn Rand, provides the philosophy that
every person’s action is in their own self interest and there is no higher power that domi-
nates over individuals. Even charity work can be seen in this philosophy for working
toward self interest since the positive impact of helping others ultimately leads toward
personal satisfaction.
Transcendentalism, or questioning the existence of morals, also attempts to answer the
question of why people exist, which is basically for no reason. Transcendentalism high-
lights on the idea that human life is an anomaly and there is no purpose to life.
With so many perspectives, there are many ideas that attempt to explain the purpose of
WHAT’S PHILOSOPHIZING
life. As individuals, we are responsible to take initiative to understand our existence and
IN THIS ISSUE?
to thus explore ourselves in several ways.
Who Are You? ..........................2
Ayn Rand Philosophy ..............2
MY INSPIRATION Religion ....................................3
As a freshman in college at Arizona State University, I have begun to question many of Absurdism................................4
my thought processes which I have explored and decisions that I have made in the past
Transcendentalism ..................4
few months. With more freedom than I previously had at home, it is easier to start
thinking for myself, and I have the ability to discover myself in new ways I never would The Questioning Corner ..........4
have envisioned prior to becoming a college student. Socrates ....................................5
I hope this first volume of The Questioner is enthralling and allows for you, as a reader,
to have your perception of life broaden across spectrums you may not have considered WHAT’S THIS ISSUE ALL
before. Please enjoy and remember to question life. ABOUT?
• Discover new content to read
that will be enlightening and
Image on top by Geralt on Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/en/question-mark-note- philosophical.
duplicate-2110767/
• Explore new philosophies
you may not have known
prior.
• Find what philosophy best
fits you.
WHO ARE YOU?
Going through life, I often question who I part of who I was, and I feel as though the
am, and it is difficult to find an answer. I identity I once had is slowly changing, and
do not want to label myself as any stereo- slowly, I am becoming more and more
type– I find labels to be quite limiting in understanding of myself.
enhancing our humanity to its fullest ca-
It is very difficult as human beings to fig-
pacity.
ure out who we are and who we want to
As a child, I always identified myself as a be. We are always evolving and changing
particular white schoolgirl who limited as we grow up and allow ourselves to ex-
herself to learning and occasionally having plore new things. So, as for me, I would
fun. I didn’t really branch out of my com- like to remain undefined. If you want, you
fort zone at all, and I felt as though these can define yourself but I– I choose to re-
labels I had and that people insinuated on main undefined.
me caused me to limit myself in ways I did
Image on left by Geralt on Pixabay:
not start to understand until now.
https://pixabay.com/en/question-
I held onto my identity very closely. It was question-mark-request-1441184/
“I do not want to label myself as any stereotype– I find labels to be quite
limiting in enhancing our humanity to its fullest capacity.”
ANTHEM REVIEW
Author of Anthem, Ayn Rand AYN RAND PHILOSOPHY
explores her ideas of objectivism
Have you ever heard of Ayn Rand? Do you know what her philosophy on life is called or
through the novel.
what is was about?
Rand sets her characters in a com-
munist scene who live in a society
Ayn Rand inspired a new way of thinking for her time: selfishness. Her theory on selfish-
where there is no individualism ness is called objectivism. She theorized that as human beings, we act in our own best
and they do not use personal pro- interest, to satisfy ourselves. Some may argue that she encourages people to be thought-
nouns such as “I” and “me” but less and uncaring. However, this is not the case. Rand feels that acting unjustly is against
instead “we” to avoid personal the best interest of people, which is why only people who are mentally perturbed to an
identification. extent are mass murderers.
The book follows an objective Rand believes instead of thinking of immediate wants and needs, that it is important to
hero’s story as he secretly discov- think of long term goals and where you want to go in the future. Faith, in Rand’s mind,
ers ideas of humanity and begins also holds people back. It causes them to worship in something they are not sure on.
to keep them for himself, without Therefore, they are trusting an unknown to guide them through life. Rand was not much
others knowing as well as mischie- a believer of a higher power, but she basically thought that people are in control of their
vously falling in love. The journey own destiny.
the hero takes is quite astonishing
Self-esteem is also important to Rand. She values the idea of people having confidence in
and remarkable in many ways as
themselves and that self-esteem is earned, not given. To earn self-esteem, people must
he finds himself in a world where
build confidence and trust in themselves.
community is so prevalent.
As people, Rand thought our greatest goal in life morally should be to pursue our own
This book is a good read and effec-
happiness. Working in our own self interest as people will cause us to be happy and hap-
tively exploits on the idea of objec-
tivism.
piness will lead to morality. This is a continuous cycle. If we take care of ourselves, we will
eventually reach ultimate happiness by indulging ourselves in our life choices.
As individuals, we must trade skills in relationships to pursue our best interest for our-
selves. Our relationships should be mutual and productive, as a result, and where one
individual lacks, another individual can substitute in exchange for something else.
Rand wanted us to take care of ourselves to suit our own best interest. Will we?
Source info: https://www.aynrand.org/ideas/overview
2
THE GREEK THEATER
AND CHRISTIANITY
Christianity today relates to the
ancient Greek theater in many
ways.
There is a parallel between sacri-
ficing animals on the altar for
Dionysus, which relates nearly
directly to Jesus sacrificing him-
self for humanity and Catholics
honoring him by bowing to the
altar at the front of church.
Both have the goal of emotional
catharsis which allows people the
ability to enter the community
with issues but to leave feeling
more energetic with peace and
resolve of their worries.
Each also honors a god in the
hopes of receiving a benefit or
positive effect of some sort. Most
people going to these destinations
are seeking something, and they
obviously continue to go due to
Jesus, a prominent figure in religion, plays a meaningful role even today for Christians . receiving what it is that they are
Picture by James Shepard on Flickr. looking for.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/biblevector/5264271568/
The bond that happens in religion
and the Greek theater is quite
profound and meaningful. Choos-
RELIGION ing to believe in a higher power
allows people to have a safety net
and to come to peace with them-
Religion has been around for a long, long time. While many of you may know what reli-
selves.
gion is, it is still a great topic to discuss in The Questioner because it does attempt to ex-
plain why we are here. Both the Greek theater and reli-
gion seem to bring people to peace
Religion has much diversity, as many of you may know. There are Christians, Lutherans,
and have positive benefits for all
Catholics, Muslims, Jews, and many more. While all their ideas and concepts may be
of the people involved.
different, the broad idea of all of these religions is to explain why exactly we are here.
Source info: https://
Some religions believe in multiple gods while some believe in one, or sometimes none,
www.ancient.eu/Greek_Theatre/
such as in Buddhism. Many people identify by their religious values and ideologies. For
Christians, they are here on earth beyond for their own purpose of living: they are here to
contribute their life to God and to live like Jesus. Jews, however, believe they live their
lives to worship God but believe God is yet to return, while for Christians, Jesus already
provided this. Although the two religions are very different, they serve the same purpose:
to grow and love in a great community.
The main purpose that religion serves is gathering a community to experience
“emotional catharsis” as Aristotle said about the Greek Theater. Whether we are in an-
cient Greek times or now, religion and the Greek theater are tightly connected in their
purpose to create bonds and enrich the community in enlightenment, making us feel like
we are part of something bigger.
Some may find religion to be fallacious, but it still holds values in the people’s lives who
are religious. Religion allows people to discover themselves, and for some, it produces a
lifetime of joy, serving God to their full potential in hope of afterlife– being part of some-
thing bigger than what they are.
3
WAITING FOR GODOT
Samuel Beckett, the author of ABSURDISM
Waiting for Godot, explores the
Absurdism is the idea that we go through looking for nothing indeed, besides some-
idea of absurdism between two
life as human beings without a purpose thing imaginary that they made up.
men in a tragicomedy who live the
same life every day waiting for
and continue to do things out of habit. We
Life is ridiculous in absurdism and for
Godot, a character who they do go through this continuous cycle due to
them, life makes no sense whatsoever.
not even remember the purpose of lacking the conviction to change our na-
Absurdist novels are placed in ridiculous
or why they are waiting for him. ture and because we generally are waiting
settings that ultimately do not have much
for something, rather than living in the
For these men, they dedicate their meaning, just as life is perceived to them.
moment. Absurdism is a branch of tran-
time waiting for what appears to scendentalism that is a bit hopeless, stat- Source info:
be nothing and do ridiculous ing a sad truth that in life, we as people http:www.newworldencyclopedia.org/
things to pass the time. They con- have no purpose and all continue to live entry/Absurdism
tinue to live the same lifestyle and the same lives. We are a product of our
also run into a man with a “pig” own choices and essentially, everything we Image on left of Waiting for Godot Re-
who is a human but is subservient do is meaningless. prododuction by Burns Library, Boston
to the man to make him feel bad. College on Flickr: https://
They also cause havoc on each Our tendencies as human being tend to be www.flickr.com/
other. very repetitive, and we live day after day in photos/44412176@N05/4496710561/in/
a void of sameness. Although minor things photolist-7RmPor-e4h7uv-aEcEuT-
Both groups of men live the same
may change, our lives are basically static KGxjzX-295R4rK-K6jdUp-4bmtAD-
life over and over again without
and do not develop much. 6VvoZX-5fQkYC-nLX2fs-7yAjcS-SFQjQk-
the conviction to change anything.
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At the same time, people can re- For many people who are looking for
late to this constant waiting for
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meaning, they are, in an absurdist’s eyes,
nothing, as it appears that the
purpose we are waiting for is yet
to be discovered.
TRANSCENDENTALISM
Source info: https://
The theory of transcendentalism is that life has no direct purpose and that morals are set
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
by our society around us and do not exist in a set way. Transcendentalism focuses on the
Waiting_for_Godot
idea that people are products of their own choices and that there is no reason for living, so
we as people should follow our nature and do what makes us happy.
For many people who believe in transcendentalism, the truth to life is something they must
find for themselves and that there is nothing particularly special about human kind. Alt-
hough this view of life may seem a bit dark, it attempts to explain life more based on hu-
man nature and tendencies and thus regards religion as a tendency. Transcendentalism
attempts to answer the question of life in a way that is rational and realistic.
Source info: https://www.britannica.com/event/Transcendentalism-American-movement
THE QUESTIONING CORNER
Consult The Questioner for guidance on what philosophy works best for you by using
our contact information on page 6.
Dear Questioner,
I have been particularly sad lately and have not been able to find true happiness in life. I
have tried many different ways of exploring philosophies on life, primarily through life.
However, none seem to speak to me. Please give me advice on what to do.
-Severely Confused
Dear Severely Confused,
Life can be very difficult sometimes and figuring out which ideology is best for you may
be difficult. However, I find it in your best interest to live life and apply your reading to
your life to try to discover the best ideology for you. Maybe try to do something out of
your comfort zone or try something new and see how it goes. Best of luck to you.
4 -Questioner
SOCRATES
A great sophist, Socrates introduced to the world many new ideas of thinking, such as not
depending on the gods for everything that happens in life. For the time in ancient Greece,
this idea of philosophizing was unique and was a profound way to think. Socrates was quite
revolutionary in his thoughts and attributes. He attributed a lot to the Greek society and also
questioned the belief in leaders, which caused him death by hemlock.
Socrates’ teaching still remain prevalent today. His rebellious nature allows him to have a
creative outlet to teach his students the truth, which later resulted him going to a trial for
corrupting students as well as denying the gods. Socrates was a believer in an autocratic
government which ensured more safety for the people and allowed for him to revolutionize
even how we think in society.
The Socratic method, which was inspired by Socrates, provides students in classrooms the
ability to think creatively and to discover truths within themselves.
Source info: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Socrates
Image of Socrates by Glenn Strong on Flickr: https://pixabay.com/en/question-question-
mark-request-1441184/
“The Socratic method, which was inspired by Socrates, provides students
in classrooms the ability to think creatively and to discover truths within
themselves.”
WHY WE MAKE CHOICES
It’s a complete mystery why we make Ultimately, making choices is discovering
choices. There honestly is not a clear an- our own DNA and helps us try to under-
swer why we do what we do or feel the stand who in fact we personally want to
way we feel or choose what we choose. be. Choices do not define us however. It is
Humans have the ability to make choices what we do with our choices that makes
for themselves which allows for originali- us who we are.
ty and creative outlet.
Image of path by Gorfor on Flickr:
It is in our nature to make choices for https://www.flickr.com/
ourselves and we have to accept this. If we photos/44412176@N05/4496710561/in/
never made choices, the whole purpose of photolist-7RmPor-e4h7uv-aEcEuT-
life would be meaningless and we would KGxjzX-295R4rK-K6jdUp-4bmtAD-
live in a continuous cycle of sadness. 6VvoZX-5fQkYC-nLX2fs-7yAjcS-SFQjQk-
erbUPn-6ZKGRz-5i6Kru-okqvum-aVrgba-
Choices also allow for us to discover our-
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selves. If we never made mistakes, there
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would never be anything to learn and we
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would live in a circular cycle of endless
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sameness and perfection. This lifestyle
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would have no variety and could potential-
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ly be boring beyond belief.
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We also make choices to define ourselves jwexEt-gjGegM-6L5ESZ-UUt3a1
and to connect ourselves with the rest of
humanity. Even our choices of who we
hang out with or what we wear can desig-
nate how we identify and who we are. The
style we decide to portray allows for us to
define ourselves in set ways that give us
comfort in who we are.
5
QUESTIONS...
CHOOSING OUR OWN PHILOSOPHIES
Our goal is to provide you with
new philosophies so you personal- At times, it is difficult to choose our own philosophy on life, since each can be justified and
ly can discover what you believe rationalized in its own way. We must stick true to ourselves as human beings and follow
in. Whether it be objectivism, our hearts with what is right.
transcendentalism, or essential-
While your friends and family may have different philosophical viewpoints than you, it is
ism, it is important to figure out
important for you to remember to make choices that are best for you and will lead to your
what you philosophy about life
ultimate happiness rather than conforming to the ideologies of the people who care about
that you personally identify with.
you.
Sometimes, the best way to under-
In different situations, it is hard to make judgement on which philosophy is best. One day,
stand an ideology is to ask ques-
transcendentalism may seem completely true and the next day, essential may seem valua-
tions and to wonder, rather than
ble. As a result, choosing ideologies takes time and is not something that happens immedi-
to believe what you grew up with
ately– it is something you must become acquired to over time.
as a child. Other times, research-
ing philosophies you grow up with For each of you, it is important to discover what ideology works best for you and to stick
help you to feel even stronger than with what you feel is right, despite the consequences. Making this choice is very difficult,
before about what you believe. So but it is very freeing and will have great benefits in the end.
remember, never stop question-
ing! Please contact The Questioner for feedback or if you need any guidance in deciding your
philosophy.
The Questioner PLEASE
PLACE
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HERE
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Phone: 480-828-2338
Fax: 382-443-2665
E-mail: mkdemko@asu.edu
The Questioner
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