Monday, March 14, 2005
3 down, 1 to go
I feel as if a huge burden has been lifted off my shoulders. My philo oral exam is finally over and done with. Sure, it's not as if I actually did great in that exam, but to my credit, I didn't have a nervous breakdown afterwards this time. Actually, I was laughing as I left the Philosophy Department. Don't ask me why. I was just, er, overcome by giggles. Hey, Migs (yes, I'm gonna copy Ina and Yumi's term for him, since it's a hell of a lot shorter) was laughing, too. Probably coz I was already bloodless by the end of that horrible 15 minutes.
Here's how it began:
Miss Bernal (Mary Anne?) was the one who had orals right before me, and we had been chatting before Migs came to fetch her for her orals. When she came back out, I looked at her, and muttered, "Shyet", because it meant that it was my turn. Unfortunately, Migs was just right behind her and heard my muttered curse.
Migs: Are you swearing at me, Miss Santiago?
Me: No, sir, I was swearing at HER. (gestures at Miss Bernal)
Migs: Oh. Ok.
Hehe...
I got thesis statement #9. My being-for-others is a fall through absolute emptiness toward objectivity. And since this fall is an alienation, I cannot make myself be for myself as an object; for in no case can I ever alienate myself from myself. Thus, the experience of being-seen-by-another puts me in danger, shames me, and even enslaves me. “Hell is other people!” The only thing I recognized in that statement was the "Hell is other people" part.
Migs asked me if I agreed with Sartre. I said that, yes, in a way, hell could be other people, and I explained why. I said all that stuff about having others as mirrors and seeing yourself, the real you, not the one you deceive yourself to be, through them. But hell could also be not being with other people, because that would get lonely. But then, he said, "But *some philosopher whom I cannot remember* said that loneliness, needing companionship, is a form of cowardice because you need companionship. What do you have to say to that?" So, I argued that alienating yourself would be a form of cowardice too. So, either way would actually be part-cowardice, part-bravery.
Then, he said that stuff about being a creative writing major and that I should know the answer. I countered by saying that I'm not a creative talker. Couldn't stop myself. I've been wanting to tell him that for a long time.
He connected that to other statements too. I managed to bluff my way through, though I just made things up as I went along.
Oh well. I'll probably get a C, max, there. But what can I do? I'm just glad it's over. Plus, I was able to submit my theology paper this morning too. And the VMM finals ended last Saturday night. So, that's three down. One more to go. Tomorrow, I'll be taking the theology exam. And then, I'm finally out of here!
# Lyn found a missing piece @ 12:43 PM 
