Sophie's World, as a novel, has really lost all interest and hope with me. All it has to offer is nonsense that claims it to be the opposite. Personally, I prefer books that make sense while explaining the supernatural happenings and not using a cheap cop out like 'this is not reality, we are a figment of someone's imagination'. At first I found it kind of cleaver, as if Sophie's World was using different philosophical thoughts to explain the weird, if not stupid, events that had happened to Sophie herself. We had talked in class about taking on the view that we could be imaginary, and I thought that Sophie's World could this plot point to their advantage. But then I began to see that the author was going about it in the wrong fashion, using fictitious characters to somehow enhance the feeling of 'unease' or a dream-like sensation. After using this method over and over it got boring and thus the at first cleaver plot point of being imaginary fell flat in a not so dramatic and somewhat predictable way. I don't really mind that this happened because the whole book started going downhill long before this point was revealed.
In class we're learning about other philosophers viewpoints and questioned whether or not it was right to kill animals based on the view that they are sentient beings, as well as whether we would treat ourselves to luxury items or spend money on not so nice things while spending an equal amount as to donate to charities. On the animal topic, I don't completely know if they have thoughts, feelings, etc. however, I have read quite a bit about evidence suggesting that they do. But this does not mean I would quit eating meat if it was proven. Meat may be a 'luxury item' in some cases, and I don't personally feel any guilt with eating an animals flesh if I want to. I do know, however, that there are boundaries, and I won't cross them. To expand on the luxury item topic, I already have that mentality in me to not spend much money on unnecessary things. I don't want much out of life, therefore I don't spend too much money on nice shoes or pretty clothes. I do give in to temptations once every so often but not so much on items that would be deemed 'luxury'. As I stated that meat is a luxury item in some cases (in the way that we do not necessarily need it to survive) I find it different than household items. Meat is fuel. It is food from which we can function and though I won't give up the luxury to eat it I do respect the animals it comes from.
