Journal 5

Shaniyah Frazier

Ideas in Antiquity

Chapter 5

Journal

Reading the Chapter Monday:

At the beginning of the chapter, I like how it identifies the five scenarios where we as people are most likely to dehumanize other human beings. The five scenarios are when we have power over them, when we have harmed them, when we have witnessed them being harmed, when we regard them as a member of an out-group, and when we regard them as physically disgusting. I really thought about this and could picture each of these scenarios happening. When you have power over someone you get power hungry and controlling. Abuse of power is such a slippery slope and I can see how a boss could be dehumanizing at times. Then when we have harmed them is the only one that I can not clearly see. I’m thinking if you harm someone you are already used to hurting them so you will forever treat them as hurt. If you have witnessed someone being harmed I can definitely see how you can put a stigma on what they cannot do because you know they have been harmed. When we regard them as a member of an outgroup is a big one for me because, in high school, I remember learning about the psychological aspect of why it was so easy for the Nazi soldiers to do such cruel things to the Jewish people. It was because it was not happening to someone they recognized as their own, so it wasn’t seen as inhumane to them. I think this mindset is so embedded in human nature, I find that even myself does this type of disassociation on milder levels. When we regard people as physically disgusting I think it is easier for people to treat them disgustingly. These five scenarios are the ugly truth of human behavior.

Passage One:

It is to my understanding from the lesson that Philoctetes was really mistreated. In New York, where I am from, we would say he was done “grimey” because he truly was. He was fighting in the trojan war for the Greeks, giving his whole life for their agenda, just to get dumped and abandoned because of an injury he got fighting for this war. And Odysseus was supposed to be one of his soldier brothers at the time and his mates just collectively dumped him on an island. Did not even have the courtesy to take him home. Treated him as if was trash, and now he is being treated as recyclable trash because they need him now. I would be so petty if I were him. In the first passage, they find his home, and the first thing Neoptolemus and Odysseus does is judge. As if he is not in the wild on a stranded island where he was left. The audacity. I can see they are viewing him as disgusting right now and really degrading him based on purely his attributes. This is so sad, but I know everyone still does this to this day. Not gonna lie, I have walked into someone’s house and if the kitchen is dirty I automatically presume the person was not properly raised because that’s how I was raised. I don’t know if that is the same as what they are doing to Philoctetes. I do know people who have androids are automatically characterized as broke, especially teens in the newer generation.

Passage Two:

I do not like Odysseus in this play. In the Odyssey, I liked him because he was shown to be wise and keen but to monsters, not to his fellow people. I guess that was me being subject to the five scenarios. When reading the Odessey I was okay with Odysseus acting the way he did because he did it to an out-group. Monsters and gods, but not that he is acting the same way to Philoctetes I do not like it. He is very cunning and is trying to manipulate him into doing what he wants through Neoptolemus. Maybe people who view other people as monsters, do not mind what happens to them or their families. I remember when Donald Trump was first under fire, and a comedian made a joke about his son. They thought it was okay to do so because he was Trump’s son and Trump is seen as a monster so there were no boundaries.

Passage 3

Neoptolemus is being shown to be more of a leader than Odysseus inthis play. He states “It is not in my nature to achieve anything by means of evil cunning, nor was it, as I hear, in my father’s. But I am ready to take the man by force and without treachery, since with the use of one foot only, he will not overcome so many of us in a struggle. And yet I was sent to assist you and am reluctant to be called traitor. Still I prefer, my king, to fail when doing what is honorable than to be victorious in a dishonorable manner.” I think it is in this passage where Neoptolemus starts to show his leadership and I like this quality about him. He is not just following Odysseus’ rules blindly, but challenging their logic. I think that is an important quality ina leader.

Passage 4

In passage four I find it interesting to note that Philoctetes is aware that he is always being dehumanized and judges. He specifically states, “ And do not shrink from me in fear, or be frightened by my savage looks. No, pity one so wretched and so lonely, a castaway, so friendless and so miserable. Speak to me, if indeed you have come as friends.” I think that is so sad. I really feel for Philoctetes, yet he is acting civilized and not savagely.

Passage 5

This entire passage Philoctetes is practically begging for help. Again, he is aware and notes how he is viewed as disgusting, but he wants to escape the island he was abandoned on. I feel like this passage shows his human side and emphasizing that he is human wit emotions. He really shows his emotions in this passage. My favorite line in this passage is, “Say yes, by the great god of suppliants, son; be persuaded! I supplicate you at your knees, I am an infirm wretch, and lame! Do not leave me desolate like this, far from the paths of mankind! No, bring me safely to your own home, or to Euboea, Chalcodon’s seat; and from there it will be no long journey for me to Oeta and the Trachinian heights, and fair-flowing Spercheius, so that you may show me to my beloved father, though long I have feared that he may have departed me.” I do not like how Philoctetes is being treated. He is being humiliated, and taken of his nobility. He is treated like an outsider and I feel his pain.

Passage 6

I love passage 6 because i feel this is where Philoctetes finally gets his glory that he deserves. For one, he was one of the best Warriors and got treated like he was a regular joe. I appreciate Hercules (I’m gonna use the Roman spelling because it is the one I grew up with) for motivating Philoctetes to fight and gain his dignity and respect back. To have a god and someone as well knows and admired as Hercules come down to speak to you, is beyond admirable. It also gives him back his dignity. Agammemnon and Odysseus can’t say anything to him or make him feel ashamed now. He has a personal relationship with a god. They can’t say the same. This is what he deserved. I also wanted to note how proud I was of Neoptolemus for mending his relationship with Philoctetes and doing what was right. Stealing his bow back from Odysseus was the right thing and this peaked in his leadership development.

Notes on Tuesday’s Class September 22

In class today we talked about Odysseus’s viewpoint on how it doesn’t matter how the job is done, you just have to get it done. I found it so bizarre that in my international relations class, we were talking about something similar. We were talking about the book called The Twenty Yewars’ Crisis by Edward Hallet Carr who criticized Woodrow Wilson fo rhaving such good faith in humanity when it comes to the international world. In this book Carr basically says that it is in human nature that we do to the extent of anything, to get what we want. Thinking about this in my major, which is international relations, countries exploit other countries and do not care what it does to those people, as long as it betters their own. In the movie Platoon, you see a clear conveying of what dehumanization in all five scenarios. In this movie it was about the horrors of the vietnam war and not only do the leaders of these countries not care about their soldiers dying for their selfish cause, the American soldiers to not care about the vietnamese civillians who are their fellow humans because they see them as animals and do disgusting things to them. There is a lot of dehumanization in the international relations world and it all started with colonization.

I like how the professor brought up the story “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” because this was a huge debate in highschool. It is the idea of one suffering for the greater good and bliss of others. I am still not sure where I stand on this topic because from an outward point of view I would say how I could never do such a thing, but I believe everyone would say that. In all reality, if we actually lived this life I am not sure. If I wasn’t chosen it would probably be out of sight out of mind. It is sad but it is how the world works.Lastly I would like to emphasize the beauty of Philoctetes’ name. He is someone dearer than a possession and I truly believe that is beautiful. His name is a little hard to spell, but nonetheless beautiful. It has me thinking, what is more dearer than a possession? And to me, that answer is love. Whether in a form of a friend, lover, family, or a passion. I believe the relationship that Philoctetes and Neoptolemus developed was better than the possession. I believe that the bow alone could not have saved Troy, but it was the man who weilded the bow as well. The symbolism in his name is endless and it truly is fitting and powerful. To think the man who was initially viewed as nast, disgusting, uncivilized, unwanted, and who was abandoned is now the dearest person to Troy. I think that beautiful and is a transformation of character if I’ve ever seen one.

I have learned a lot about my own personal development as a leader and I need to work on it some more. These last two lessons have taught me that being a leader is not just about guiding someone through life, but it is your overall character. I always make starwars references in my journals, but you almost have to be a jedi. I feel like Jedi’s are free of evil thoughts such as dehumanization. They never dehumanize. Their prodigees come from all different back grounds. Annakin was found as a slave in a dust mine. He was a little rascal, but OB1 saw his potential beyond that. Dehumanizing limits your perspective on other;s potential and it is not right. I find that I do this subconsciously. Even if people do not admit it, i believe everyone does this. I need to work on myself and become a better verson of me because I do not wish to treat someone like Philoctetes ever. It is like that saying, a diamond in the rough. You will never find a diamond if you cannot look through the rough.