Rachel Adkins Alpha FYS

June 18
th
, 2007 Dr. Matthews
he e!act relati"nship #etween the indi$idual and s"ciet% is "ne "& c"n&usi"n. '"t "nl% is it
selecti$e t" and di&&erent &"r each indi$idual, #ut the pr"cess #% which it (ust #e &"r(ed is "&ten
(isunderst""d. )n "rder &"r the indi$idual t" &ind their place within "r "utside s"ciet%, the% (ust
understand and e!perience it. *"we$er, the +uesti"n arises "& h"w t" #alance e!perience with
rati"nalit%. " what e!tent sh"uld we si(pl% li$e li&e and learn &r"( it, and t" what e!tent sh"uld
we acti$el% challen,e the w"rld we li$e in- *"w d" we understand s"ciet% with"ut #ein,
c"nsu(ed #% it- )n "rder &"r the indi$idual t" en,a,e in an acti$e, intellectual disc"urse with
s"ciet%, the% (ust &irst kn"w the(sel$es. his pri"r sel& kn"wled,e can "nl% #e deri$ed &r"(
s"cial e!perience &"r s"ciet% is the (a."r &"rce an indi$idual is e!p"sed t" pri"r t" enli,hten(ent
th"u,h rati"nal thinkin,. )t is essential &"r the indi$idual t" n"t "nl% &"r( an accurate #alance "&
e!perience and rati"nalit%, #ut als" t" c"rrectl% de&ine these tw" crucial aspects in "rder t"
understand s"ciet% and (ake a decisi"n #ased "n that understandin,.
)n her n"$el, /ride and /re.udice, Jane Austen e!a(ines these issues e!tensi$el%, particularl%
in respect t" her 0her"ine1 2li3a#eth. 2li3a#eth prides hersel& "n her ideas re,ardin, l"$e and
r"(ance and c"nsiders hersel& t" #e superi"r t" th"se ar"und her, particularl% her ("ther and
sisters. She e!presses the desire t" #e taken seri"usl% and when pr"&usel% re&usin, Mr. 4"llins5
(arria,e pr"p"sal, declares that she is 6...a rati"nal creature speakin, truth &r"( her heart6
7Austen1089. his state(ent see(s t" i(pl% that she has s"(e kind "& #elie& s%ste( "r principle
that in&luences her decisi"ns. hr"u,h"ut the n"$el, the reader sees that 2li3a#eth &eels l"$e
sh"uld #e #ased "n ,enuinel% de$el"ped respect and estee(, rather than "n c"n$enience r""ted
in a desire &"r securit%. She declares hersel& as wiser and ("re intelli,ent than "ther ,irls, due t"
her 6rati"nal6 ideas and &eelin,s. :ut "ne (ust +uesti"n the real ("ti$es #ehind her n"ti"ns "&
l"$e. Are her ideas perhaps wr"n,l% prec"ncei$ed- /ride in&luences h"w 2li3a#eth percei$es the
pe"ple she enc"unters and it is eas% t" ,uess that this sa(e sense "& pride in&luences the
principles "n which she #ases her decisi"ns. Rather than rati"nal th"u,hts, it is her e," which
pr"(pts her t" ," a,ainst s"ciet% (erel% t" pr"$e s"ciet% wr"n,. She challen,es n"t &"r the sake
"& re&"r(in,, #ut &"r the sake "& ,l"atin,. She d"es n"t seek pers"nal identit% #ut rather seeks
sel& w"rth which she deri$es &r"( her pride. She cares &"r her "wn happiness "nl% and see(s n"t
t" care a#"ut the happiness "& th"se ar"und her like her %"un,er sisters. ;hen her sister <%dia is
in tr"u#le re,ardin, her escapade with ;ickha(, 2li3a#eth ,"es al"n, with the rest "& her &a(il%
and desires "nl% t" sa$e <%dia5s reputati"n. =p"n recei$in, c"n,ratulati"ns re,ardin, <%dia5s
(arria,e, 2li3a#eth &eels that 0<%dia5s situati"n (ust, at #est, #e #ad en"u,h> #ut that it was n"
w"rse, she had need t" #e thank&ul. She &elt it s"> and th"u,h, in l""kin, &"rward, neither
rati"nal happiness n"r w"rldl% pr"sperit%, c"uld #e .ustl% e!pected &"r her sister> in l""kin, #ack
t" what the% had &eared, "nl% tw" h"urs a,", she &elt all the ad$anta,es "& what the% had ,ained1
7Austen 2?0@2?19. 2li3a#eth c"uld "nl% &eel relie& at n"t ha$in, t" deal with disreputa#le
relati$es in the &uture. )& 2li3a#eth trul% #ased her $iews "n rati"nalit%, she w"uld care a#"ut
sa$in, <%dia &r"( the pain that will #ec"(e a part "& her li&e as ;ickha(5s wi&e and stuck in a
l"$eless (arria,e. *er attitude sa%s <%dia sh"uld ,et what she deser$es &"r her &""lish acti"ns,
despite that she is "nl% si!teen. *er &eelin,s are selecti$e "nl% t" hersel& and it is n"t #ased "n
the &"ll% "& s"ciet% that she seeks re&"r(, #ut &"r the sake "& declarin, hersel& superi"r. *er ("st
pr"(inent in&luence is the desire n"t t" l""k and act like her ("ther and sisters. here&"re, she
deter(ines t" set hersel& a,ainst e$er%thin, the% are c"nsu(ed #%. She kn"ws en"u,h n"t t"
#lindl% accept their c"ncepti"n "& s"ciet%, #ut she d"es n"t &"r( her "wn c"ncepti"n and
assu(es since what the% #elie$e is wr"n,, the "pp"site (ust #e ri,ht. his is n"t rati"nal
thinkin, #ut (erel% an atte(pt t" #e set apart #% and ,rati&% her pride. "wards the n"$el5s end,
2li3a#eth hersel& ad(its her c"ncepti"n "& realit% was n" di&&erent than that "& her sister5s when
she states she was 0sh"cked t" think that, h"we$er incapa#le "& such c"arseness "& e!pressi"n
hersel&, the c"arseness "& A<%dia5sB senti(ent was little "ther than her "wn #reast had &"r(erl%
har#"ured and &ancied li#eralC1 7Austen 2129. )n the end, 2li3a#eth &inall% reali3es that it takes
("re than c"ntradictin, s"ciet% t" #ec"(e a rati"nal indi$idual.
A $er% i(p"rtant &act"r 2li3a#eth "$erl""ks in her &inal c"nclusi"ns is e!perience. '"ne "& her
ideas ha$e #een #ased up"n pers"nal e!perience since she has n"t had the chance t" &ind l"$e
%et. *er ina#ilit% t" rec",ni3e &eelin,s "& l"$e sh"w her ine!perience where l"$e is c"ncerned
and it is "#$i"us Mr. Darc% is her &irst seri"us r"(antic enc"unter. he (an she l"$es pr"(pts
the (assi$e chan,e she under,"es which indicates that her lack "& e!perience and hast%
.ud,(ent c"ntri#utes t" her (isc"ncepti"ns. <"$e is n"t a (atter t" #e taken li,htl% and
2li3a#eth cann"t trul% see this since her desire &"r l"$e c"(es n"t &r"( wantin, t" e!perience the
p"siti$e, #ut &r"( n"t wantin, t" e(#"d% the ne,ati$e. *er e!perience with (arria,e c"(es
&r"( dreadin, a li&e with"ut l"$e, n"t en$%in, a li&e with l"$e. ;ith"ut ha$in, e!perienced l"$e
she atte(pts t" &"r( an accurate c"ncepti"n "& it, thus, she is decei$ed #% her pride as a result "&
her lack "& e!perience. She has n" direct pers"nal c"nnecti"n t" the &ield in which she clai(s t"
#e superi"r which all"ws the reader t" see thr"u,h her and reali3e h"w shall"w she reall% is.
/hil"s"pher Rene Descartes als" e!a(ined the +uesti"n "& indi$idual principles and their
pr"cess "& deter(inati"n in his writin,s, Meditation I. =nlike 2li3a#eth, his desire &"r identit%
within s"ciet% see(s ,enuine and pr"(pted #% care&ul th"u,ht and plannin,. here is passi"n
#ehind his w"rds that assures the reader "& a rati"nal th"u,ht pr"cess. *e ackn"wled,es he d"es
n"t kn"w e$er%thin,, and rec",ni3es he (ust put &"rth e&&"rt in "rder t" ,ain understandin,. *e
0was c"n$inced "& the necessit% "& undertakin, "nce in AhisB li&e t" rid Ahi(Bsel& "& all the
"pini"ns Ahe hadB ad"pted and "& c"((encin, anew the w"rk "& #uildin, &r"( the
&"undati"nD1 7Meditation I hand"ut 19. Yet, Descartes takes n" i((ediate acti"n t"wards
riddin, hi(sel& "& (isc"ncepti"ns. )t was "nl% in his retire(ent that he #e,an t" &"r(ulate "ne
ke% principle "n which he #ased his w"rld $iew. *e did n"t deal with each "& his prec"ncei$ed
ideas indi$iduall%, #ut rather started "$er instead "& takin, a ("re s%ste(atic appr"ach "&
dispr""&. *e has appr"ached his decisi"n with a ,reat deal "& cauti"n and reas"n. :ut is this
reall% a ,""d thin,- *is (eth"d is certainl% a &ascinatin, and th"u,ht pr"$"kin, "ne. )t see(s as
th"u,h it w"uld #e +uite e&&ecti$e and rati"nal %et, is it p"ssi#le the (an wh" su,,ested it
(isused it- Descartes d"es n"t tell the reader what c"nclusi"ns he &"r(ed at the end "& this
pr"cess, #ut it is sa&e t" assu(e his &eelin,s w"uld ha$e chan,ed. ;hat i& his ideas had taken a
drastic turn and he ca(e t" reali3e e$er%thin, he en,a,ed in, #elie$ed, and supp"rted, had #een
,r"unded in a principle directl% "pp"sed t" his new rati"nal (eth"d "& thinkin,- *"w d"es "ne
li$e their li&e with the kn"wled,e that "ne $er% well (a% #e li$in, a lie- *"w can the indi$idual
ackn"wled,e the ind"ctrinati"n "& s"ciet% %et li$e li&e with this c"nstant kn"wled,e- )s it en"u,h
t" paci&% "ne5s sel& #% kn"win, "ne da% e$er%thin, will (ake sense- ;h% w"uld Descartes
ch""se t" endure the a(#i,uit% "& this li&est%le, cau,ht in li(#" #etween s"cial c"ncepti"n and
pers"nal identit%- )t is di&&icult t" understand Descartes5 ("ti$es since the reader can "nl% see
what Descartes ch""se t" re$eal and, there&"re, can "nl% atte(pt t" &"r(ulate the"ries re,ardin,
his ("ti$es. Descartes states that up"n the reali3ati"n that 0this enterprise appeared... t" #e "ne
"& ,reat (a,nitude, AheB waited until AheB had attained an a,e s" (ature as t" lea$e Ahi(B n"
h"pe that at an% sta,e "& li&e ("re ad$anced AheB sh"uld #e #etter a#le t" e!ecute AhisB desi,n1
7Meditation I hand"ut 19. Descartes5 wish t" attain (aturit% ("st likel% had (uch t" d" with
desire &"r e!perience. =p"n his &irst reali3ati"n that his (ind was n"t as independent as he
th"u,ht, e!perience was a lar,e en"u,h &act"r &"r hi( t" put "&& pursuin, rati"nalit% until (uch
later in his li&e. /erhaps the &ear "& (istakes and wr"n, d"in, pr"(pted hi( t" en,a,e in this
s"rt "& phil"s"phical, deli#erate pr"crastinati"n. /erhaps he w"uld rather succeed the &irst ti(e
rather than tr% a,ain and a,ain t" arri$e at a c"nclusi"n. Assu(in, Descartes was dri$en #% the
desire n"t t" &"r( &alse c"nclusi"ns, he is (istaken in thinkin, that a$"idin, intellectual
(istakes will #e the (eans #% which he can achie$e this. :% li$in, li&e in essential indi&&erence
and re&usin, t" challen,e s"ciet% until retire(ent, was Descartes e!cludin, hi(sel& &r"(
ne,ati$e e!perience- h"u,h Descartes und"u#tedl% e!perienced li&e, that is n"t en"u,h. rue
e!perience in$"l$es #"th set#acks and ad$ance(ent which is #uilt up"n th"se set#acks. his n"t
restricted "nl% t" the ph%sical w"rld, #ut als" applies in the (ental real(. )t is n"t en"u,h t"
e!perience the ups and d"wns that c"(e naturall% with li&e. )t is als" necessar% t" e!perience the
critical anal%sis that th"se ups and d"wns pr"(pt. ;restlin, with ideas d"es n"t (ean en,a,in,
in sel& de#ate and alwa%s pr"ducin, what is ri,ht. Descartes5 strate,% "& puttin, "&& this
e$aluati"n d"es n"t per(it hi( t" en,a,e in de#ate that all"ws ,enuine (ental de$el"p(ent. Just
as in the ph%sical real(, the indi$idual (ust tr% thin,s and learn &r"( #"th c"rrect and inc"rrect
e$aluati"n. )n "rder t" c"(e up with the ri,ht ideas, it is necessar% t" c"(e up with the wr"n,
ideas and then stri$e t" i(pr"$e the(.
:% re&usin, t" en,a,e in all aspects "& e!perience, #"th (ental and ph%sical and #"th p"siti$e
and ne,ati$e, Descartes and 2li3a#eth decei$e the(sel$es thr"u,h their (isc"ncepti"n "&
e!perience which leads t" a (isc"ncepti"n "& rati"nalit%. he dich"t"(% "& the indi$idual and
s"ciet% is (ade e$en ("re c"(ple! #% the &act that the indi$idual (ust #e a part "& s"ciet% t"
#e,in the pr"cess "& #reakin, awa%. here&"re, the tw" are s"(e what interdependent. 2li3a#eth
and Descartes &ail t" see that the% cann"t &"r( their "wn identit% unless the% e!perience and
understand all aspects "& the w"rld the% wish t" &lee. ;ith"ut e!periencin, s"ciet%, the
indi$idual is le&t al"ne in a state c"(pletel% disc"nnected &r"( #"th s"ciet% and the(sel$es.
he% (ust #e a part "& "ne "r the "ther and, in "rder t" transiti"n #etween the tw", there (ust #e
&ull understandin, "& #"th.
;"rks 4ited
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. <"nd"nE /en,uin :""ks <td., 1??8.
Descartes, Rene. Meditation I. :ard *i,h Sch""l 2arl% 4"lle,e First Year Se(inar *and"ut.
Fall 2008.