Please read all the posts and reply to someone else's comment at least once, if not more, as well. All comments and replies must include your name. The entire class will get a collective participation grade called "Higher Laws Blog" based upon the academic quality, depth, and thoughtfulness of the comments and replies.
Create an interactive, on-line discussion of the merits of Thoreau's ideas on how to reconcile the tension within the human condition in the chapter "Higher Laws" by quoting and explaining in at least 100 words one or two passages that made you really think and/or reflect on life.
Please read all the posts and reply to someone else's comment at least once, if not more, as well. All comments and replies must include your name. The entire class will get a collective participation grade called "Higher Laws Blog" based upon the academic quality, depth, and thoughtfulness of the comments and replies.
58 Comments
Brooke McKenna
3/29/2017 05:10:35 am
"As I came home through the woods with my strin of fish, trailing my pole, it being now quite dark, I caught a glimps of a woodchuck stealing across my path, and felt a strange thrill of savage delight, and was strongly tempted to seize and devour him raw; not that I was hungry then, except for that wildness which he represented."
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Brooke McKenna
3/29/2017 05:12:02 am
This is on page 257, by the way.
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Daniel Chalice
3/29/2017 05:18:25 am
It is such an interesting concept to think that our actions can travel so much farther than their original intent. As we take, we continue to take more and more without a second thought of what is actually needed or what some repercussions could be, thus sometimes leading to an unhealthy surplus. Greed truly is one of the greatest banes of man.
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Dan Chalice
3/29/2017 05:14:40 am
To start off "Higher Laws," Thoreau gives a small anecdote of a time a woodchuck ran across his path. He gets an urge to immediately kill it and then digresses into a description of how he has two sides. "I found in myself, and still find, an instinct toward a higher, or, as it is named, spiritual life, as do most men, and another toward a primitive rank and savage one, and I reverence them both." I, unfortunately, tend to reflect on subjects such as this relatively often when contemplating my mental and physical actions. I begin to question whether I am simply going through a change, or if what is going on is simply another side of my mental state. Could it be that there is something very dark hiding within the depths of all of us?
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Hanna Bronz
3/30/2017 05:30:36 am
This is an interesting question. It is possible that sometimes there is a more primal and instinctual brain within humans. Every animal has instincts and I don't see why it would be different for humans.
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Isabella LeClaire
3/29/2017 05:16:36 am
"All nature is your congratulation, and you have cause momentarily to bless yourself. The greatest gains and values are farthest from being appreciated."
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Ariel
3/29/2017 05:25:27 am
I also believe that people take the little things in life for granted. I feel like even though technology has shaped our future and brought many amazing things to our lives, we should still appreciate climbing a tree, or watching the sunset, or just simply going on a walk without being distracted by our phones.
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Sydnie Avery
3/29/2017 05:37:23 am
I agree with this because a lot of people take things for granted that they should appreciate. For example, people complain when they are asked to put their phone down at the dinner table when they are with their family, I feel like family time is something that everybody should learn to appreciate because you never know how much time you will have with them. People should be more concerned with living in the moment and being with the people around them. When you're with your friends, enjoy the time that you are spending with them instead of worrying about the friends you need to text back. If you always have a screen in front of your eyes, you might miss something.
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Julie Kiger
3/29/2017 05:19:47 am
One passage that made me really think and reflect on life was, "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." This is one of the most powerful quotes in the book, in my opinion. One's worst fear is to reach the end of their life and realize that they "had not lived." In the quote, Thoreau is saying that he doesn't want to waste time on things that aren't necessary. He wants to do something purposeful and meaningful with his life, and leave it with no regrets or unfulfilled ambitions. Generally, I feel like this is something that most humans on this planet can agree with. While Thoreau isn't necessarily saying that to actually "live" you have to isolate yourself in a cabin in the woods, he encourages the reader to fulfill their goals and truly "live" in their own way, so that when they reach the end of their lives, they don't have any regrets.
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Julie Kiger
3/29/2017 05:23:30 am
Oops this is not from Higher Laws
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Georgia Richardson-Smaller
3/29/2017 05:40:46 am
awkward
Georgia Richardson-Smaller
3/29/2017 05:36:07 am
I agree, Thoreau is saying that everyone should live life to the fullest, and that everyone has a different idea of how to do that. He isn't saying that everyone must live in a cabin in the woods.
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Ariel
3/29/2017 05:21:59 am
"Why do you stay here and live this mean moiling life, when a glorious existence is possible for you? Those same stars twinkle over other fields than these. But how to come out of this condition and actually migrate thither? All that he could think of was to practise some new austerity, to let his mind descend into his body and redeem it, and treat himself with ever increasing respect."
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Sam Putzke
3/29/2017 05:27:08 am
I feel like when Thoreau brought up John Farmer it was like revisiting his own self. Maybe John Farmer was Thoreau.
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Isabella LeClaire
3/29/2017 05:27:17 am
Yes, I agree. I think that to respect yourself, you definitely need to understand yourself. You should be aware of how you are living your life and how you feel. To respect yourself by living to the fullest potential, you should allow yourself to take up some daunting opportunities in hopes that they work out. You shouldn't discourage yourself from those opportunities if you really have self-respect.
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Sam Putzke
3/29/2017 05:22:38 am
On page 261 in the chapter Higher Laws, Thoreau talks about his self-respect while fishing, "I have found repeatedly, of late years, that I cannot fish without falling a little in self-respect. I have tried it again and again. I have skill at it , and, like many of my fellows, a certain instinct for it, . . . ." I feel like this is a good example of some of the more ridiculous claims that Thoreau makes. It feels like for this chapter that people should not be able to enjoy what they eat. He says, "But put an extra condiment into your dish, and it will poison you." Thoreau does not like the fact that people enjoy good food, and feels like it is a waste of a person's time.
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Sydnie Avery
3/29/2017 05:46:19 am
I think in this quote, Thoreau is also questioning whether or not fishing is humane. I think he feels that people make animals suffer so that they can selfishly enjoy their meat. I don't agree with his claim at all. Animals eat animals and people eat animals. Meat provides a lot of the protein that people need, so I don't think that eating it is inhumane.
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Peyton Scogin
3/29/2017 05:24:13 am
"I believe that water is the only drink for a wise man; wine is not so noble a liquor; and think of dashing the hopes of a morning with a cup of warm coffee, or of an evening with a dish of tea!"
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Brooke McKenna
3/29/2017 05:35:30 am
It seems like Thoreau see alchohol as a distraction and a pleasure that too many over indulge in. With hat being said, it makes since why he would turn to water, tea, and coffee becuase they are, in a sense, pure of the curse of alchohol. I also thought that he was against wine and liquor because it is man-made, but then I realised, so is coffee and tea. Despite that, there is truth in his words about water being the only drink of a wise man, for he who does not will suffer. We need water to survive and it's that one drink that will not cause us any harm. We are made up of so much water, you would be a fool to neglect it.
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Jacob VanderRoest
3/29/2017 05:31:29 am
“We are conscious of an animal in us, which awakens in proportion as our higher nature slumbers. It is reptile and sensual, and perhaps cannot be wholly expelled; like the worms which, even in life and health, occupy our bodies.”
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Peyton Scogin
3/29/2017 05:43:26 am
I totally agree with this. Thoreau says that there is two sides to every man. I really like the examples you incorperated into the quote, like using "Lord of the Flies" and "Full Metal Jacket," this really shows that everyone does have two sides to them, whether it be savage or civil or even at our age, young or old.
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Evan Hotary
4/9/2017 08:42:27 am
I like your comparison to Full Metal Jacket. Also, I definitely agree that the divide between the primitive intentions of humans' past and the higher laws that dictate our lives now is an interesting idea to discuss. Personally, I do agree with Thoreau that these "higher laws" should be put into place, but I also feel it's important to acknowledge our primitive "default controls" and learn why our brain includes these in order to better understand our brains and ultimately, our lives.
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Sydnie Avery
3/29/2017 05:32:30 am
"Not that food which entereth into the mouth defileth a man, but the apetite with which it is eaten. It is neither the quality nor the quantity, but the devotion to sensual savors; when that which is eaten is not a viand to sustain out animal, or inspire our spiritual life, but for the worms that possess us." (Page 265)
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Jacob VanderRoest
3/29/2017 05:44:44 am
I find the concept of this quote interesting, and your analysis of the quote was spot on. This quote is very thought-provoking in the sense that it makes me reflect on how much we eat compared to what we actually need. Whether or not his assertions are applicable or not is up to debate, but the concept behind the quote is certainly interesting. Gluttony is certainly a common practice exercised by many (not excuding myself), and Thoreau raises the question is it actually necessary? The idea that we should eat only what is required might be hyperbolized, but the idea supports his claim that we ought to simplify our lives.
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Georgia Richardson-Smaller
3/29/2017 05:32:41 am
On page 260, Thoreau states, "No humane being, past the thoughtless age of boyhood, will wantonly murder any creature, which holds its life by the same tenure that he does. The hare in its extremity cries like a child." I agree with this quote because I think hunting for "fun" is cruel and inhumane. Thoreau is saying that when a boy is young, he doesn't realize that he is taking a life, but once the boy is older, he will understand. According to Thoreau, a humane person would never purposely kill an animal for the sole purpose of killing. He then compares the scream of a hare to the scream of a child, which backs up his claim that an animal's life should be just as important as a human's life. I believe Thoreau is only talking about hunting for fun, not hunting for food.
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Ray Bartlett
3/29/2017 05:43:14 am
I thought it was interesting that right before talking about the inhumanity of hunting for sport, he says that he recommends to make children hunters. Thoreau remembers hunting as "one of the best parts of [his] education," and believes everyone should learn the cruelty of hunting for themselves rather than never experience it.
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Jadin Reed
3/29/2017 05:35:00 am
"A voice said to him- Why do you stay here and live this mean moiling life, when a glorious existence is possibe for you? THose same stars twinkle over other fields than these- " (on the bottom of page 269)
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Ray Bartlett
3/29/2017 05:36:01 am
"I found in myself, and still find, an instinct toward a higher, or, as it is names, spiritual life, as do most men, and another toward a primitive rank and savage one, and I reverence them both."
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Alyssa Hayden
3/29/2017 07:42:26 am
People often forget that we are also animals and I enjoy reading Thoreau's input on that. We have advanced in society which is good but we also need to recognize what kind of beings we are.
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Taylor Conner
4/20/2017 03:51:29 pm
I like how in this passage he explains the two sides of man, one being a sophisticated man and the other being an animal. We often forget about the side of man that's primitive and savage. I like that Thoreau brings back this idea. I agree with his opinion on the value of both.
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Corbin Blink
3/29/2017 05:37:23 am
Something that really made me think when reading Higher laws was actually the very beginning of the chapter. The whole first paragraph of the chapter, Thoreau talks about a time when he was walking through the woods when he saw a woodchuck. Even though Thoreau was a vegetarian, he said deep down he had an urge to ". . .seize and devour him raw. . ." In this passage I feel that Thoreau is pointing out that we, as humans, have instincts no matter what. He gave up eating meat, yet he still had the uncontrollable urge to catch and eat the woodchuck. He also talks about other times when he has run through the woods like a "half-starved hound, with a strange abandonment, seeking some kind of venison which [he] might devour, and no morsel could have been too savage for [him]." This I think firtheres the point that deep down we are all close to the same, we all have the same instincts and driving force, perhaps a more "spiritual life" as Thoreau calls it. This could be applicable to today as many people find the actions of themselves and others detestable when really they could just be instinct and a calling to the higher "spiritual life."
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Evan Hotary
4/9/2017 08:51:55 am
I like your quote about Thoreau's acknowledgement in the woods. Furthermore, I agree with your contention that some people's "detestable actions" may be in reality the primitive needs Thoreau discussed. Whether they be primitive or not, I also believe that the higher laws Thoreau mentions are the more appropriate option, since we as humans, have the intellect to differ between these options.
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Julie Kiger
3/29/2017 05:38:52 am
One quote from Higher Laws that really made me think was, "Every man is the builder of a temple, called his body, to the god he worships, after a style purely his own, nor can he get off by hammering marble instead. We are all sculptors and painters, and our material is our own flesh and blood and bones." This can be found on page 269. This quote is powerful to me because it states that every individual is responsible for essentially creating themselves and flourishing into the person they are. This statement still rings true today, especially with body image issues becoming more and more prevalent in today's society. He's arguing that body is indeed a sacred thing and that it has been given to us for a reason, for a purpose, and that nobody but yourself has the ability to shape it.
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Corbin Blink
3/29/2017 05:46:32 am
I really like this quote too, I feel it points out the fact that you and only you can shape your own character, no one is going to do it for you.
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Alyssa Hayden
3/30/2017 07:34:50 am
This is a great quote. He really captures the idea of how humans grow as people.
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Josh Schutzenhofer
3/29/2017 05:39:52 am
In Higher Laws on pages 262-263 Thoreau states, “The fruits eaten temperately need not make us ashamed of our appetites, nor interrupt the worthiest pursuits. But put an extra condiment into your dish, and it will poison you.” This is where I feel Thoreau is trying to describe the connection between people and the want for more stuff. He’s basically saying that it’s okay to have the necessities in order to live but don’t take too much. That still reigns true in today’s society because everyone wants to have more stuff. They want to have as much as their neighbor. It’s sort of like a small competition. If people just stuck to the necessities, then people wouldn’t be looked at as greedy.
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Emily Myers
4/9/2017 06:30:03 pm
This idea ties back to his overarching want for simplicity. He believes that simplicity is the key to a happy life. Greed is only created through the jealousy of what our neighbors have, people must exercise restraint, eat temperately so you are not ashamed of your actions later.
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Alyssa Hayden
3/29/2017 07:38:39 am
"Every man is the builder of a temple, called his body, to the god he worships, after a style purely his own, nor can he get off by hammering marble instead. We are all sculptors and painters, and our material is our own flesh and blood and bones." (269)
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Gabrielle Doughty
4/6/2017 11:52:54 am
I found this quote really interesting as well, the idea that "the body is a temple" is one that is really prevalent today, that people should take care of their bodies as they would take care of a temple and be respectful of their own self as they would be of a temple of whatever god that they pray to. This also suggests that every person is the god of their own temple.
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Rachael Roberts
3/29/2017 11:29:34 am
From "Higher Laws," page 260, I chose the quote "No humane being, past the thoughtless age of boyhood, will wantonly murder any creature, which holds its life by the same tenure that he does." I agree with what Thoreau is saying here. Thoreau is saying that no one past a young age will just cruelly murder an animal. They may not understand how cruel the act is as a young child; however, as they mature they will eventually understand the horror that lies behind the act that they committed. The last part that Thoreau states I believe that he is saying that an animal has the same value of life that the boy (in the case of this quote) has. He compares an animal's life to a human's, and furthers this when he compares the cry of a hare to that of a child's.
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Lelaina Boyce
3/29/2017 11:30:40 am
"Who has not sometimes derived an inexpressible satisfaction from his food in which appetite had no share? I have been thrilled to think that I owed a mental perception to the commonly gross sense of taste, that I have been inspired through the palate, that some berries which I had eaten on a hill-side had fed my genius."
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Hanna Bronz
3/29/2017 11:41:32 am
"It is a significant fact, stated by entomologists, . . . and they lay it down as “a general rule, that almost all insects in this state eat much less than in that of larvae. The voracious caterpillar when transformed into a butterfly,” . . “and the gluttonous maggot when become a fly,” content themselves with a drop or two of honey or some other sweet liquid. The abdomen under the wings of the butterfly still represents the larva. This is the tid-bit which tempts his insectivorous fate. The gross feeder is a man in the larva state; and there are whole nations in that condition, nations without fancy or imagination, whose vast abdomens betray them" (262).
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Thea Johnson
3/30/2017 04:34:52 am
I found this passage to be very interesting as well. In addition to what you wrote, it seems like Thoreau's words can be applied to greed and materialism. Especially in today's world, and in the United States in particular, people constantly want more and never are completely satisfied with what they possess. As Thoreau has demonstrated throughout his book, he despises such ideas and believes that we should try to live with greater simplicity and appreciation. On that matter, I do agree with him. We are blessed with so much, and, unfortunately, it can be difficult to overlook that fact.
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Claire Conley
3/29/2017 11:43:56 am
"Who has not sometimes derived an inexpressible satisfaction from his food in which appetite had no share? I have been thrilled to think that I owed a mental perception to the commonly gross sense of taste, that I have been inspired through the palate, that some berries which I had eaten on a hill-side had fed my genius." (pg.265)
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Chloe Cassidy
3/29/2017 11:45:01 am
"We are all sculptors and painters, and our material is our own flesh and blood and bones. Any nobleness begins at once to refine a man's features, any meanness or sensuality to imbrue them." (269)
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Emily Myers
4/9/2017 06:25:53 pm
I also love the analogy that ties man to art. I love the thought that we can construct ourselves in a way that reflects beauty and shape the way we are seen in the eyes of others. It just kinda makes me happy on the inside.
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Thea Johnson
3/30/2017 04:24:19 am
One passage from “Higher Laws” that I consider interesting to ponder upon is as follows: "Every man is the builder of a temple, called his body, to the god he worships, after a style purely his own, nor can he get off by hammering marble instead. We are all sculptors and painters, and our material is our own flesh and blood and bones. Any nobleness begins at once to refine a man’s features, any meanness or sensuality to imbrute them" (269).
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Rose O'Brien
4/6/2017 08:23:27 pm
I used this particular quote as well becuase I love the meaning and signifigance behind it in today's world. It is important to remeber and consider the true meaning of "beauty" and unique individuality. Being kind and "noble" are becoming more and more undervalued in today's society.
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Gabrielle Doughty
4/6/2017 11:48:20 am
"We discourse freely without shame of one form of sensuality, and are silent about another. We are so degraded that we cannot speak simply of the necessary functions of human nature."
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Rose O'Brien
4/6/2017 08:21:33 pm
One passage from “Higher Laws” that struck very deep with me was:"Every man is the builder of a temple, called his body, to the god he worships, after a style purely his own, nor can he get off by hammering marble instead. We are all sculptors and painters, and our material is our own flesh and blood and bones. Any nobleness begins at once to refine a man’s features, any meanness or sensuality to imbrute them" (269).
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Evan Hotary
4/9/2017 08:26:10 am
In general, I believe Thoreau wrote Higher Laws in order to better define the moral and ethical rulings surrounding how we [humans] interact with our environment. Moreover, distinctions between primitive animality and the "higher laws of the human race" are identified throughout the chapter. For example, on page 260 Thoreau states: "He goes thither at first as a hunter and fisher, until at last, if he has the seeds of a better life in him, he distinguishes his proper objects, as a poet or naturalist it may be, and leaves the gun and fish-pole behind." Furthermore, I believe the quote stated above emphasizes the importance of fulfilling the certain "higher laws" that come with being a human, which in Thoreau's mind, is the most superior species. In short, I believe the quote previously stated is a good interpretation of Thoreau's views of the human responsibilities regarding the environment we live in. Who would want to willingly kill animals when there is a more humane approach to getting food? It's this idea that Thoreau clearly exhibits throughout "Higher Laws." Moreover, I believe it's Thoreau's idea that's helped define modern day hunting laws, and environmental regulation.
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Emily Myers
4/9/2017 06:22:44 pm
In the chapter "Higher Laws," on page 269, Thoreau makes a very interesting analogy, "Every man is the builder of a temple, called his body, to the god he worships, after a style purely his own, nor can he get off by hammering marble instead. We are all sculptors and painters, and our material is our own flesh and blood and bones. Any nobleness begins at once to refine a man’s features, any meanness or sensuality to imbrue them." This passage made me question man and his capability. We are the sculptors of our own bodies and our own futures. People are not like houses crammed side by side in uniformity, but rather unique skyscrapers and landmarks that populate the globe. He then speaks of nobleness and how this may refine man's features for the better and how meanness degrades one's qualities.
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Marlaina Leo
4/10/2017 10:01:46 am
The quote that truly stopped me in my tracks while reading was “Nature is hard to be overcome, but she must be overcome.” Instead of relating this quote to philosophy, it reminded me of some research I assisted with at Hope College on the evolution of viruses. I am a pretty big science geek and am absolutely obsessed with the possibility of outsmarting nature in relation to natural selection and evolution. These viruses are rapidly changing because as soon as a species is able to evolve to make antibodies against one form of the virus, it evolves, making the antibodies worthless. This dance is very intriguing. The reason this quote stopped me was because it is incredible to think how I can relate this new concept to a relatively old philosophical quote.
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Darien Carson
4/13/2017 11:22:47 am
I think that Thoreau expresses the idea that the most valuable aspects of life can’t be taught unless through experience: “Perhaps the facts most astounding and most real are never communicated by man to man. The true Harvest of my daily life as someone as intangible and Indescribable as the tense of morning or evening. It is a little star-dust caught, a segment of a rainbow which I have clutched.” Thoreau is basically saying that some things can’t be communicated and eventually they are lost with time. His life is like this. Wisdom can not be taught it has to be achieved on an individual level.
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Claire Stannis
4/13/2017 05:19:46 pm
Within “Higher Laws,” Thoreau describes how humans interact with the world around them. More specifically, how we are tempted to “seize and devour” the things that tempt us (similar to the primal instincts of animals). In this way, Thoreau elaborates on how the human spirit and mind are manipulated. A quote that I found interesting reads as follows: “There is unquestionably this instinct in me which belongs to the lower orders of creation . . . The gross feeder is a man in the larva state; and there are whole nations in that condition, nations without fancy or imagination, whose vast abdomens betray them” (262).
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Kierstyn Stoin
4/17/2017 04:59:49 pm
The quote from "Higher Laws," that stuck out to me can be found on page 265: "Not that food which entereth into the mouth defileth a man, but the appetite with which it is eaten." This passage particularly interested me because of the older language used. I believe that in this passage Henry David Thoreau is saying that it's not the action that a man does, but the intention he has when doing it. Just because someone does a good deed that doesn't make them a good person, you have to also look at his alternative motives. It's funny how a man's writings in which he wrote almost 200 years ago are still relevant and can be applied today.
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Taylor Conner
4/20/2017 04:03:15 pm
The quote that stood out to me the most in "Higher Laws" is found on page 269 where Thoreau states: "Every man is the builder of a temple, called his body, to the god he worships, after a style purely his own, nor can he get off by hammering marble instead. We are all sculptors and painters, and our material is our own flesh and blood and bones." I like how Thoreau says "after a style purely his own," implying that no one else can shape or alter a man's "temple" or body. I also like how Thoreau views it as a work of art. We're painters and sculptors, and our work of art is our body. I think that it's a beautiful way to view the human body.
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Peter Palazzolo
4/24/2017 07:09:30 am
"We are so degraded that we cannot speak simply of the necessary functions of human nature."
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