Posted on September 19, 2020
Grand paradigms
Questions on paradigms and the video:
- In your view, how might the video relate to any of the ‘Grand Paradigms’ that we looked at today? I think that the video relates to some of the ‘Grand Paradigms’ that we looked at because Buzz realises he is not a real Space Ranger – he begins to question his existence and his purpose in life, which is exactly what some of the paradigms make us think about. He is given reason to believe that what he has thought is the truth, and what he has perceived as the reality is completely false – he is unsure as to where he stands. Paradigms are the way we see and think of the world based on a particular vision of reality, however, this is simply our vision – similarly to Buzz, it is entirely possible that our vision of the reality we are living is false.
- Later in the movie, Buzz gets over the dismay that we see in this clip. (Don’t worry if you have not seen the movie). Why do you think this might be? I think that Buzz is able to get over the dismay that we see in the clip because he sees the world through his paradigm, and understands the world in a way that will never change – no matter how real his vision of reality may or may not be, it will continue to be real for him, and that is all that matters. Although we can never be completely sure as to whether our “truth” is the real truth, and whether our vision of reality and the way we perceive the world is the correct way to do so, our perception will continue to remain our own no matter what, and we will always see the world through our own lenses, and therefore our own eyes. So, finding out your vision of reality is false may be hard to fathom at first, but you will continue to see the world through the paradigms that you create, and that will never change.
- What’s your reaction to these these paradigms? How do they appeal to you /repel you? These paradigms make me think a lot about reality, and how we can know what reality is and what the truth really is. We are constantly believing what we see and what we perceive the world to be, but how can we be sure that we are interpreting what is actually in front of us in the correct way? Being able to think about the world in this way is quite frightening, as it makes you wonder about what is real or what is being perceived as being real. You wonder about your place and purpose in life, as well as the reason behind us all living and perceiving things in a specific manner.
Thanks Advitha. As you say, these ideas can be quite frightening – or perhaps even depressing as Buzz Lightyear found out to his cost. However I think you also nailed the solution to this existential predicament – which is that by noting that all we ever have is our vision. That means we can recognise that’s those visions EW for us to create; And for us to ascribe meaning to.
I think you make a nice distinction between the reality of the world; and our perceptions of the world – which are shaped by paradigms. And of course we can choose our own paradigms; What sometimes we haven’t forced upon us (as Buzz found out).
Well done, nicely written
NA