1. What is sensualism? Sensualism can be defined in two ways. The wiki definition is a philosophical doctrine of the theory of knowledge, according to which sensations and perceptions are the basic and more most important form of true cognition. Cognition is the process of acquiring knowledge, and understanding it thoroughly through thought, experiences and senses. Sensualism is also defined as excessive pursuit of physical pleasure. In the reading, Paulo explains how reading beyond the texts creates a certain sensualism that links reading, writing, teaching and knowing.
2.) I agree with this statement. Paulo and Myles began this thought by describing how knowledge is endless, or unfinished. There is always more to learn. However, in my experience, there is a difference between reading and understanding. I remember in high school being assigned a reading and having to reread it at least three times because I thought it was so boring that while my eyes were reading the words, my mind was wondering what was for lunch. So I could never quite grasp the information like I would if I was taking lecture notes. I've always been that student that loves to hear a lecture. I loved the way it was like story telling. For some reason I couldn't get that from reading. In the reading the authors explain how it is a teacher's job to direct their students through the knowledge. I also agree with this statement. It wasn't until I got to college that I had a professor teach me the correct way to read; how to acquire knowledge. Once I mastered this skill, reading was a like a new world, like an alternate reality I could escape to. I couldn't read something without wanting to know more, like what happened next or what happened first. Then the craziest thing happened, the things I was reading about began to pour into my regular life. That alternate reality became real. That is the sensualism of reading and understanding; it leaves you vulnerable and thirsty for more. An example would be when I read The Code of Hammurabi for the first time. I was assigned to read it in a history requirement course my sophomore year of college. What made it real for me is that is was real for people that came before me. It was the first known written law code. It was crazy to think that there were people here thousands of years ago way before the world came to be what we know it to be today. And these people dealt with alot of the same things we deal with today, bu their outlook on life was different. It made me question my life today, how much society has developed, and how much it has stayed the same. It fuels my love of history and society. It drives me to want to know more about people and where they come from. This sensualism and drive for knowledge derived from reading one reading.
3.) How important is it to develop a love of reading? Do you have to like to read in order to completely understand the reading? Paulo answers this in chapter 2 by saying "I discovered that reading has a loving event."
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