General Electric
Please choose one of the following topics for your essay: 1. Chapter II of On Death and Dying* by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1973) presents a modern perspective on death. Read “Society’s Contributions to Defensiveness” (PDF pages 1-9) and compare this perspective with Socrates’ attitude toward death in the Apology. Do you believe that Socrates’ view of death is relevant today, or has his way of thinking become obsolete? 2. “Semiautomatic” is a children’s story about memory loss and recovery. How is recollection as portrayed in “Semiautomatic” related to the geometry lesson in Plato’s Meno? Compare the girl in the story with the boy in the dialogue — both remember, but in different ways. Look for an underlying structure in the words and images of the story that parallels what we see in Meno. 3. In the spirit of Socrates, write a fictional dialogue between two characters who attempt to determine if SHU consistently upholds its values. For example, one can argue that SHU’s relationship with military contractors such as General Electric is incompatible with the values of the New Testament (e.g., Luke 6:27-37). Similarly, you can write a dialogue in which two characters debate whether a Catholic university is justified in charging high tuition rates. Read SHU’s core values and consider whether the University could defend itself against a modern-day Socrates. Feel free to have one character criticize SHU to the utmost, but be sure to use Socratic reasoning (specifically, the elenchus) as a model. Use the same format that we see in Meno and similar dialogues. 4. HYPER-REALITY is a motion picture that presents a dystopian world submerged in layers of images. How is the vision of the future portrayed in HYPER-REALITY related to the allegory of the Cave? Discuss differences and similarities. 5. In Book VII of the Republic, Socrates states that the majority of cities in his time are governed by “people who fight over shadows” (p. 192). Why does he state this? Are there people today who “fight over shadows” as well? Do you agree with the solution that is presented in the Republic? Your essay should be at least 700 words (maximum: 1,000 words). Feel free to use and develop comments that you have posted in a discussion. In addition, you may cite comments posted by your classmates. In the latter case, or when citing any material from outside the discussions, please use the MLA citation format (see the MLA Formatting and Style Guide for more information). Course textbooks and online texts should also be cited. Let me know if you have any questions about citing or if you prefer to write on a different topic. * Source: Kübler-Ross, Elisabeth. On Death and Dying. Routledge, 1973. SocINDEX. Accessed 19 July 2019. Guidelines: In your essay, quote and discuss several relevant passages from the assigned texts. Page numbers for each quotation should refer to the texts specified in the syllabus. Write a paragraph that discusses a possible weakness in your argument, and briefly address this weakness. This can be done after you present your main argument in the body of your essay. For example, if you agree with Socrates, briefly discuss an argument that opposes him. How would you respond to this opposing argument in defense of Socrates? Remove grammatical and typographical errors. Summarize your main points in the first paragraph of your essay. Your first paragraph should provide an outline of the body of your essay. Use topic sentences to introduce each paragraph. Each paragraph in the body of your essay should develop one of your main points.
