Write about a single experience or moment, and ask: how does this moment, experience, or encounter relate to my essential question?”

In week two of exploring Hank Green’s Crash Course philosophy youtube series I came across two theories relating to how personal identity persists over time. Body theory argues that your personal identity persists over time because you remain in the same body from your birth till your death. Memory theory argues that personal identity persists because you retain memories of yourself at different points in your life. Memory theory beats the body theory from a philosophical perspective, but the concept of memory introduces a multitude of other questions because we can’t always trust our memory. It was at this point that I recognized a connection between the ideas of memory, body, consciousness, evolution, and photography. If I remember correctly, Copernicus’s exploration of light and the universe was described in both the crash course series and the cosmos series but both mentioned photography as a way to capture light in time. Photography, in a philosophical sense, can almost be described as time travel, which I thought was really interesting. I found that I resonated with the idea of capturing memories, partially because my own memory often fails itself but mostly because I’ve found that thinking about something creative like photography in a philosophical sense opens up new understandings and interpretations that lead to even more interesting ideas. 

The transition into spring and summer has been increasingly noticeable on Long Island where I’m currently living. In the mornings I can see the beginnings of little green sprouts and flower buds growing on our messy lawn. I’ve found it immensely exciting to watch my neighborhood regrow itself after living through the disgusting and dreary winter that preceded it. I’ve gone on numerous walks with my sister to take pictures. I decided I’d focus on taking pictures that had real value to me, rather than just snapping something quickly that I thought might be interesting. The value, in my opinion, correlates with its value as a memory, which was the goal of this exercise!