On Judgement

What punishments are appropriate for which crimes? Is an eye for an eye the way to go? Really, what is punishment? Cause... and effect. While Pangloss's (Leibnitz's) philosophy was no doubt flawed, he did have one thing right; he knew that "there is no effect without cause." Punishment is supposedly just one of the effects that our actions have caused, the part that comes back to us. Some times, the effect is obvious. Throw a ball at a wall with the intent of damaging the wall, and it bounces back and hits you in the face, that bloody nose is your punishment. But in society, we have chosen to deem people worthy of determining other people's punishments. Since humans have to deliberate for so long to determine the appropriate effect for a man's crime, how can we be sure that their punishment is truly an effect of their actions? Sadly, I do not have an answer to this question. I do know, as did the old lady traveling with Candide and his beloved (I confess I just don't know how to spell her name), that everyone has experienced hardships, and that most of us believe ourselves to be undeserving of such cruel treatment. To the receiver of punishment, the penalties always seem outrageous. But to the disciplinarian, they deserve what they got and then some. So really, as people, we are all to subjective to judge the appropriateness of a given punishment from either end.

The Modern Gadfly

We all (all being everyone in this philosophy class) know (or should know by now) that Socrates is the most historically famous gadfly. He was an extremely critical man, and questioned any presumption that he encountered. His questionings and pestering, while bothersome, prompted his targets to engague in self-reflection. This method, in my opinion, taught people more things about life than any lecture ever did.

On this topic of teaching, I have been lucky to have had some teachers myself whose methods have closely resembled Socrates'.  Like this ancient philosopher, they accepted the fact that they were not all-knowing beings, and that they 1) had the ability to be wrong sometimes, and 2) could quite plausibly learn from their own students. While not necessarily teachers of traditional science, they were scientists in the manner that they did not accept social presumptions, but instead took it upon themselves to examine them and come to some sort of reliable conclusion based on many factors.

To take things a step further, they made me do these things too. A specific example of this examination took place in a math class. My teacher, Mr. X, would not let me use mathematical concepts and properties unless I had proven them first. Once I could present a proof of the theory, I could then use it to solve problems and prove other theories.

These select teachers challenged me. They bothered me. They made me reach conclusions on my own instead of just throwing information in my face. They prompted questioning and examination. They are the modern gadflies.

An Unexamined Life is not Worth Living?

     What is the purpose of life? This philosophical question has plagued man since as long as time. Originally, every living being has the same purpose, to reproduce. Our most fundamental need is to extend our species. But here in 2014, with the human population reaching capacity, procreation is not of supreme importance. This leaves us to speculate why we are here. For most people, those who are not struggling for survival, I question the meaning of the word living. We can go through life eating, breathing, and sleeping, but if we never push boundaries, are we living?
     My intuition is to say no, being alive is not living. By being alive, we have succeeded in fulfilling the bottom portion of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. As members of a first world society, we no longer need to focus on basic survival skills, so we are forced to search for more. The ultimate goal for everyone is happiness, which is really an abstract and profoundly unattainable idea. By striving towards the idea of creating happiness, we will live more worthwhile lives. These two ideas translate because our presumptions regarding the things that will make us happy are ever-changing. To decide which things in life we think will truly make us happy, and are therefore worth our time and effort, lots of self-examination is required. In this process of self examination we are forced to question our presumptions about happiness and about ourselves. By looking inward we will become more adaptable and thoughtful, turning us into better human beings.

Me

     I, Jacqueline Ariel Kromash, like to think of myself as a JAK of all trades. I like to believe that what makes me stand out is not a star performance as an athlete, musician, or student, but a unique combination of talents and interests that are all of importance.
     Thus far in my short life, society would like to categorize me as a student, a senior in high school to be specific. I attended Franklin Fine Arts Center for elementary school, and Whitney Young for middle and high school. In school, I have been trained that good grades will get me far in life, and so I try my hardest in every class to get the highest grade possible. And it's worked pretty well. Outside of school however, is where I form am able to make personal decisions and build my character.
     One of my most prominent passions is dance. I didn't start dancing until about 5th or 6th grade, but I had always been interested in performance arts and activities such as acting, ice skating, and gymnastics. My love of dance blossomed even further when I came to the academic center and now I am a member of Guys and Dolls, and I take classes at the Chicago Multicultural Dance Center 4 days a week. I want to continue my study of dance throughout college.
     My favorite school subject is math, at which I have always excelled. I am on the WY math team, and am considering the possibility of majoring in math.
     Reading is my most unorganized outside of school activity. I love to read for pleasure, but don't enjoy the sickening levels of questioning and analysis that comes with reading for school. I read fantasy, science fiction, and social evaluation books. Some of my favorites include the Harry Potter series, the book Half the Sky, and many of Malcolm Gladwell's books.
     I have attending JCC's camp Chi in Lake Delton, WI since 5th grade. It is a Jewish camp at which I have made some of my closest friends, some of whom are from all over the world. This past summer was my first summer as a counselor for camp.
    Horseback riding is a hobby of mine that I love, but has taken a back seat to dance and school. Growing up, I had a friend whose family owns a  horse farm in Crete, IL where I used to ride every weekend. Now I only go a few times per year, but still enjoy it immensely.
     Some interesting facts about me are that I can burp on command, and have a deep love for everything Beyonce. My favorite tv shows include Breaking Bad, Orange is the New Black, House, Bones, Numb3rs, Criminal Minds, How I Met Your Mother, and Big Bang Theory. I hope to go to medical school to become a surgeon after college.
     While brief, this description gives a pretty good overview of who I am and what I want to be.