Memories from 9/11/01

I was only four years old on that day. All I remember was being at the playground with my mom, aunt, and cousin. It was eerily quiet.

"The World of Wrestling"

Barthes' "The World of Wrestling" gives a view of wrestling that is uncommon for the most part. Wrestling becomes just as literary as any classic tale. It evolves from two people engaging in physical competition to two adversaries locked in combat. The crowd divides. Each side has their champion. While the wrestlers engage in one competition, the spectators are engaged in another. Theirs is a war of patriotism; it's a competition of who is the better fan. Adrenaline releases. Everyone is on the edge of their seat. The two warriors meet in combat, each with army of compatriots behind them.

"Episteme" & "Techne"

Epistêmê is the Greek word for knowledge and technê is another Greek word meaning craft or art. Here are my comments on the way different philosophers make distinctions between epistêmê and technê.


Xenophon:

Xenophon tends to use the two words interchangeably. Knowledge is needed in order to perform a task or perfect a craft. He's does not make a distinction; they are essentially the same thing.


Plato:

Plato makes a slight distinction between epistêmê and technê. According to Plato, the art (technê) is the means to an end: knowledge (epistêmê). By taking up a craft, you become more knowledgeable in that field. The more crafts you learn, the wider range of knowledge you have.


Aristotle:

Aristotle is the first to make a very clear distinction between epistêmê and technê. There is the theoretical and the practical. There is knowledge as to what can be thought about and discussed (epistêmê) versus what can be actually be used in the real world (technê).


The Stoics:

The Stoics seem to use the two concepts in tandem. Epistêmê is how one knows what is right and what is wrong, and technê is one puts this concepts into practice.


Alexander of Aphrodisias:

Alexanders feels that knowledge is greater than action. Human beings must strive to acquire as much knowledge as they can. If humans reach such an enlightened state, they no longer have any need for technê.


Plotinus:

Plotinus has no need for technê in his worldview. Everything can be accounted for with epistêmê. The two aren't associated as they are in the views of the previous philosophers. However, similar to Alexander of Aphrodisias, knowledge takes precedence.  

"North Room"

Juan Carlos Delgado's North Room is a dynamic and an intriguing work of art. A copper bust of a young girl stands on a pedestal in the center of the room. The room has been outfitted with various cooling apparatuses that creates layers of frost on the bust. North Room is a form of multimedia because Delgado is not restricted to a single medium. He uses the copper bust as well as the ice that forms on top of it. This hybridization creates a unique experience for the viewer.

About Me

My name is Bobby Mairone. I'm from Linwood, NJ, which is about 20 minutes outside of Atlantic City. I'd like to think of myself as a creative person; I tend to look for alternative answers to problems. They say that if you do something you love, you'll never work a day in your life. That's what I want, and I feel that a career in the Digital Arts field will provide it. I expect to think outside the box in this class. I'm excited to get started.