Blogpost 1

Part 1

Hello everyone! My full name is Rownak Choudhury.
I look forward to learning together and from all of you in our journey together through this class and major. I moved to New York about ten years ago from a small country in Asia called Bangladesh. After much consideration I came to choose this major/course of study and hope to do well in it along with all of you!

Part 2

Technology has evolved over many centuries in our human civilization! The invention of a wheel to the invention of a remote control LED light bulb is nothing short of genius. Somewhere in the human mind is the desire to evolve, to discover the wonders of our physical world, and to make a mark on the history of our planet. From this desire roots our invention of technologies over the centuries. Technology in our everyday world today allows us to do extraordinary things which are humanly impossible. Forward thinkers of our world have allowed us to fly in the sky, cross the Pacific Ocean, and become immune to life-threatening diseases such as influenza. Almost everywhere you look today, you will find an extraordinary creation of man.

Language is the verbal/nonverbal expression of a being with implied meaning. From the movement of one’s hands and feet to the weird constructed noises which escapes from their open mouths can all be considered language. Different cultures considered to be civilized have their own ways of forming these odd noises. What you are trying to convey has to be meticulously organized in your own mind and then understood by your audience once conveyed. Unless you both have an understanding of the same language, it becomes hard to convey any such thing.

Part 3

“Why does the soul, intended to soar through the heavens, settle on earth? It is because of a fault of the wing, which should be nourished on beauty and goodness; but, when deprived of this food, it wastes away and loses its feathers. This, however, is not the only source of evil that may befall a man; there is also one of the horses that is ignoble—the black one.”
–Page X, Phaedrus by Plato

— I believe that the author of this passage is explaining to the reader his personal understanding of the human soul in a philosophical manner. Our author is telling us that the human soul is born at the purest form and becomes stained as it gains more years in life.
— I also believe that the author is correct in his explanation of the soul’s journey through space and time  in our realm. As it is exposed to the harsh realities of our world where stained souls are already present, a pure human soul will start to become washed in selfish human desires.
— It is indicated in the introduction that the nature of the human soul’s impurity is something to be avoided. I feel otherwise on the subject in this aspect. Good cannot exist without the bad. A soul needs to experience corruption before it can attempt to better this said corruption. I feel that my faults are necessary in all parts of life in order for me to be able to appreciate the goodness of all things.

“Hocart reports seeing a “primitive” tear off a stick from a tree, sharpen the end with his teeth, and dig for a tuber.’ Even as I write, report comes from Australia of a hitherto undiscovered tribe, the Bindibu, who “used their feet as clamps and anvils, and their tightly clenched jaws as a combined vise and knife during tool-making operations”-even flaking stones with their teeth.”
Page 375, Man the Finder by Lewis Mumford

— The author of this piece expresses a surprised and awe-filled tone to the reader as he unfolds intricate details of primitive tribes in his writing. Mumford expresses to the reader that mankind in its most primitive form was intelligent enough to use what was readily available to him or her in order to survive; the physical body. He goes on to indicate that we are not above such actions now as a civilization. Even in today’s age, a civilization in a secluded region of Australia is capable of perfectly functioning by using what is their absolute one and only possession; the physical body.
— I can intellectually respect the usage of one’s body to survive in nature without being reliant on corporate monopolies to provide us with food and shelter. It seems to be an  extremely challenging task to us in today’s age, as it might be something you would only expect to see on reality TV shows. If conducted by a person on a daily basis, I think being self-reliant on one’s physical body is enriching to the mind and body.
— It fills me with overwhelm and respect, just as Mumford might have experienced while conducting research, when I read about the daily hardships and choices of life that a primitive man might have faced.