Bios

Benjamin, Xylina

I am a 21-year-old college Junior who decided to spend most of my parents’ and some of my own money on studying linguistics and the creative process (or how to write). Somehow, along the way, I’ve developed (and life has sort of also guided me to) multiple interests outside of writing, both in the arts and in philosophy/religion. I am not a master at any of my practices, but I indulge myself in learning and applying what I know. Over the course of a few years (probably two), I’ve allowed myself the privilege of researching the lives and philosophies of Jean-Paul Satre, Alan Watts, and Soren Kierkegaard, even Sadhguru (although, as his name implies, he is a guru) which allowed me to embrace the multitude of ideologies scattered across different fields at both present and past times. Lately, I find myself trying to understand how people reinterpret their experiences within themselves and the world and maybe even with God in order to create art and philosophies and religions as those which have been created. I often attempt to understand these interpretations of the self in relation to philosophies set forth by the aforementioned philosophers. As a result, I will try to manifest art off the questions these philosophers provoke within me.

DeRosa, Jose

As a writing major, I’ve become used to the notion of an infinite and expanding abyss of nothingness and misery, at least in part because those seem to be roughly equivalent to the available job prospects I face once I graduate!

But, as I learned after half-assing a freshman philosophy class, philosophers take this to a whole other level.

The endless and curious trove of philosophical works out there will make you question every facet of our late-capitalist society, including whether or not we can ever escape it. Slavoj Zizek, the philosopher and anthropomorphic trash-racoon with whom I’ve taken a major interest lately, is particularly adept at picking apart the many contradictions of modern life. When I’m not writing or trying to find a suitable cardboard box in which to live after graduating, I often read his and others’ works on how ideologically murky and self-contradictory the modern world is.

Pascale, Robert

My name is Robert Pascale, and I am 24-years-old. I am a graduating senior at Western Connecticut State University, and upon graduation I will be joining the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) as a Catholic missionary. Both myself and my philosophy are heavily influenced by my faith, and it is reflected in my choice for philosophers. Saints Augustine and Thomas Aquinas being two major influences of mine (along with countless other saints). I hope, in this blog, to be able to represent the saints and their philosophies in a way that would make others desire to learn more about them on their own, and to experience philosophies they may not have otherwise been exposed to.

Perry, Lawrence

So I’m Lawrence Perry. I like to talk a lot and I have a bunch of questions. Of course Philosophy interests me! I always wonder why things are the way they are. Why do humans suck? Why does life seem to have no meaning? Or is life full of meaning that we haven’t found yet?

I also wonder why things have to be the way that they are. Should we always respect our elders, even if they’re wrong? Should we always follow the rules, with no regard to why the rules were formed, or if the rules even make sense? Conversely, is it foolish to break a rule for the sake of breaking a rule? To paraphrase South Park, is it conforming if you conform to nonconformity?  

Because these questions are so metaphysical, there are no true answers. There are just a bunch of people putting in their two cents. That’s why I enjoy great thinkers like philosophers: they all offer a unique perspective that you wouldn’t think of.

Voltaire advocated for the freedom of expression and against the abuse of power(then in the form of organized religion). John Locke offered his take on the human mind, believing that all knowledge is preceded by our senses interacting with the outside world. Even religious figures like Christ or the Buddha proposed a solution to human misery and confusion.

I think that all of this is fascinating. The ideas that I just mentioned, plus all of the ones I don’t have time to mention, have all been absorbed in our collective wisdom. Even if I disagree with the ideas, even if the ideas contradict each other, even if the ideas were later disproven, the ideas inspire a never ending discourse that enriches us as a species. Each idea is a step that led us to what we know today. My sincere hope is that we can not only take a look at the previous steps taken, but take a new step into something new.