QUESTION THIRTEEN
13. In what ways was Flynn a "philosopher"? Be specific.
being a philosopher, means contemplating and questioning things that one experiences. of course this kind of loose definition would make everyone a philosopher, but everyone IS a philosopher; most of them just don't realize or intend to make it an occupation.
flynn was a philosopher, because in fulfilling his hedonistic life, he pondered and questioned events that he encountered. not just that, he also analyzed those events so he could obtain a rational answer for his questions. these analysis can be seen in the remarks he made with regards to a situation that he is facing. he refuted the thought that he's ignorant by making a strong claim in the prologue: "what makes anyone think that i am less concerned for the verities of the world than anyone else? was it all a prank that i went to loyalist spain, that i sided with castro, that i've plumbed the sea depths, and traveled the world?" (flynn 22)
even at young age, he made an amazing philosophical remark, although he probably has yet to realize it, or maybe just because he was naive. in the incident where he hooked up a half-dozen ducks with a greased string, his father called him a "cruel little devil," a remark which he replied with "you cut open animals all day long in your laboratory. what did i do wrong?" (flynn 32) that astonished his father. young flynn might not realize it, but at this age he was confused at what is right and what is wrong. he figured this much: if someone does something over and over again and no one complains about it, then it can't be the wrong thing to do.
another example was during his affair with maihiati, the young girl he found in the jungle, when he was having moral guilt over having a relationship with a native. flynn got over his guilt and concludes that there is no reason for him to follow the dictates of people "who lived in other lands on the other side of the world." flynn also develops a contemplating mind, as he said: "i had already been wondering about the various sets of moral values that we humans put around our emotions, most of them so varying in different cultures and backgrounds."
his letters to his father was also a media for him to channel his pondering mind. in one of the letters, he came to a conclusion that "the most vital thing in life is to be able to undertand something about it." (flynn 101)
flynn's best friend, koets was considered a big influence for him. maybe in a way that they had gone through many things together, but at the end of the chapter "seven seas to england," flynn made a remark that koets. to flynn, koets had been a great help in understanding more about life, which eventually shaped his hedonistic character. flynn said in reference to koets: "he showed me the difference between cupdity and generosity. he showed me the complete irrelevance of the existence that we humans have while on earth. from koets i learned to take from this brief span the unimportance of being earnest. i learned from him to laugh at the worst disasters." (flynn 175)
being a philosopher, means contemplating and questioning things that one experiences. of course this kind of loose definition would make everyone a philosopher, but everyone IS a philosopher; most of them just don't realize or intend to make it an occupation.
flynn was a philosopher, because in fulfilling his hedonistic life, he pondered and questioned events that he encountered. not just that, he also analyzed those events so he could obtain a rational answer for his questions. these analysis can be seen in the remarks he made with regards to a situation that he is facing. he refuted the thought that he's ignorant by making a strong claim in the prologue: "what makes anyone think that i am less concerned for the verities of the world than anyone else? was it all a prank that i went to loyalist spain, that i sided with castro, that i've plumbed the sea depths, and traveled the world?" (flynn 22)
even at young age, he made an amazing philosophical remark, although he probably has yet to realize it, or maybe just because he was naive. in the incident where he hooked up a half-dozen ducks with a greased string, his father called him a "cruel little devil," a remark which he replied with "you cut open animals all day long in your laboratory. what did i do wrong?" (flynn 32) that astonished his father. young flynn might not realize it, but at this age he was confused at what is right and what is wrong. he figured this much: if someone does something over and over again and no one complains about it, then it can't be the wrong thing to do.
another example was during his affair with maihiati, the young girl he found in the jungle, when he was having moral guilt over having a relationship with a native. flynn got over his guilt and concludes that there is no reason for him to follow the dictates of people "who lived in other lands on the other side of the world." flynn also develops a contemplating mind, as he said: "i had already been wondering about the various sets of moral values that we humans put around our emotions, most of them so varying in different cultures and backgrounds."
his letters to his father was also a media for him to channel his pondering mind. in one of the letters, he came to a conclusion that "the most vital thing in life is to be able to undertand something about it." (flynn 101)
flynn's best friend, koets was considered a big influence for him. maybe in a way that they had gone through many things together, but at the end of the chapter "seven seas to england," flynn made a remark that koets. to flynn, koets had been a great help in understanding more about life, which eventually shaped his hedonistic character. flynn said in reference to koets: "he showed me the difference between cupdity and generosity. he showed me the complete irrelevance of the existence that we humans have while on earth. from koets i learned to take from this brief span the unimportance of being earnest. i learned from him to laugh at the worst disasters." (flynn 175)
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