Let's say that there's an election coming up for some sort of executive position. It could be Student Body President, it could be Head of School, it could be Mayor of Houston, it could be President of the United States. There are two candidates:
Candidate A) An exceedingly well-educated person of the utmost integrity, who graduated law school with highest honors, who has one Ph.D. in Christian Ethics and another in Economics, who is completely honest and straightforward, who is open and clear about goals and ideas -- in sum, a perfectly virtuous person.
Candidate B) A modern-day Machiavellian Prince, who's memorized Robert Greene's 48 Laws of Power and puts them into practice at every opportunity.
<http://www2.tech.purdue.edu/cg/courses/cgt411/covey/48_laws_of_power.htm>
Who would be the more effective leader?
Who would be the better leader?
Who would you vote for? Why?
Who would you rather be friends with? Why?
Who would you rather work for after college? Why?
Feel free to be creative in your answers! Also, please be sure to spell-check and proof-read your comments (as you should all your submitted work), or your grade will surely suffer.
This post is due by Friday 8AM.
--
Dan Binder
Religion Instructor
Episcopal High School
dbinder@ehshouston.org
aim: MisterBinder
(713) 512 3414
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Abraham and Isaac
Students -
For this blog post, please take a moment and find an image or a video clip of Abraham and Isaac that you think helps illustrate what Kierkegaard writes about faith. Post the image (or a link to it), and write a brief paragraph addressing the following questions:
Why does this image capture Kierkegaard’s ideas?
What do you make of Abraham, given what Kierkegaard writes?
Has your view of him changed?
Has your view of faith changed?
This post must be completed by 8AM on Monday morning.
For this blog post, please take a moment and find an image or a video clip of Abraham and Isaac that you think helps illustrate what Kierkegaard writes about faith. Post the image (or a link to it), and write a brief paragraph addressing the following questions:
Why does this image capture Kierkegaard’s ideas?
What do you make of Abraham, given what Kierkegaard writes?
Has your view of him changed?
Has your view of faith changed?
This post must be completed by 8AM on Monday morning.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Socrates, MLK, and Bobby Kennedy
Students -
Please watch the following clips on YouTube and answer the following questions. This post will be due at 7:30 AM on Monday morning.
Martin Luther King's Last Public Speech — text ( http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkivebeentothemountaintop.htm)
audio of speech (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIaQ5glP-38)
Video of final section of speech (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0FiCxZKuv8)
Robert F Kennedy's impromptu address in Indianapolis announcing MLK's death (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E3-_z5YP0M)
1) Compare the closing paragraphs of Plato's Apology with MLK's final public statement. How do Socrates and MLK seem to view death? Why?
2) MLK compared himself with Socrates thusly:
Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must see the need of having nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men to rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.
In other words, the non-violent protesters of the Civil Rights movement are thus like Socrates - gadflies. What does a 'gadfly' look like in today's world, in today's America?
3) Robert Kennedy, in his address to the crown at Indianapolis, cites ancient Greek poetry and wisdom. Why does he do this? How is Aeschylus relevant to the 20th century? What does this imply about wisdom, truth, and philosophy?
Please watch the following clips on YouTube and answer the following questions. This post will be due at 7:30 AM on Monday morning.
Martin Luther King's Last Public Speech — text ( http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkivebeentothemountaintop.htm)
audio of speech (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIaQ5glP-38)
Video of final section of speech (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0FiCxZKuv8)
Robert F Kennedy's impromptu address in Indianapolis announcing MLK's death (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E3-_z5YP0M)
1) Compare the closing paragraphs of Plato's Apology with MLK's final public statement. How do Socrates and MLK seem to view death? Why?
2) MLK compared himself with Socrates thusly:
Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must see the need of having nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men to rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.
In other words, the non-violent protesters of the Civil Rights movement are thus like Socrates - gadflies. What does a 'gadfly' look like in today's world, in today's America?
3) Robert Kennedy, in his address to the crown at Indianapolis, cites ancient Greek poetry and wisdom. Why does he do this? How is Aeschylus relevant to the 20th century? What does this imply about wisdom, truth, and philosophy?
Friday, August 20, 2010
Discussion Questions -- Week One
Students --
Please read the following questions and respond to each one, in paragraph form. Do feel free to be creative in your responses -- post pictures, video clips, anything that helps answer the questions. You will have the whole period in class, as well as the weekend. Comments will be closed at 7:30 AM on Monday.
What are your own deepest moral values? What moral qualities do you look for in others? Are these things everyone shares?
When (under what circumstances) is it right to tell a lie? Give some examples from everyday life. What does this answer reveal about the scope or relevance of morality in general?
We have talked about moral health. When you think about a morally healthy life, what do you imagine? What about a morally unhealthy life? Give examples.
What is the moral issue that you are most undecided about? Describe the pros and cons in regard to this issue. How do you go about arriving at a decision when it is unavoidable?
Yogi Berra explained his batting technique thusly: “Just watch me do it.” To what extent is this true of morality? Can we teach it to others or learn it by following someone's example? Or must we teach it to ourselves?
Please read the following questions and respond to each one, in paragraph form. Do feel free to be creative in your responses -- post pictures, video clips, anything that helps answer the questions. You will have the whole period in class, as well as the weekend. Comments will be closed at 7:30 AM on Monday.
What are your own deepest moral values? What moral qualities do you look for in others? Are these things everyone shares?
When (under what circumstances) is it right to tell a lie? Give some examples from everyday life. What does this answer reveal about the scope or relevance of morality in general?
We have talked about moral health. When you think about a morally healthy life, what do you imagine? What about a morally unhealthy life? Give examples.
What is the moral issue that you are most undecided about? Describe the pros and cons in regard to this issue. How do you go about arriving at a decision when it is unavoidable?
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| Mr Berra |
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