The Philosophy of Values: Class #6 - Period 3 - 10/12

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As the students come through the door they are greeted with fresh hot cider, tea and pastries. They are also greeted with test sheets and the promised Blue Books.

“All right, you have the whole class period to work on your test. Please turn it in as soon as you are finished and you may go. No talking, no passing notes, you know the drill. Homework is to read Shakespeare’s “Othello” and be ready to discuss in class next week. Good luck on your tests.”



The Test

The test is broken out into short answer essays and a choice of three scenarios for a longer essay at the back.

Short Answer:

1) In Of Mice and Men which character do you identify with, Lennie or George and why?

2) In the first class I gave you the definition of my reality and how it was based on Do no harm. Think about your own reality and define it to me in no less than three words, no more than six.

3) Who wrote the poem I quoted in class number 2?

4) True or False With great power comes great responsibility? Do you believe that the more power you control, the greater the responsibility you have?

5) How old is the debate over Nature vs Nurture? Do you believe it will ever be resolved?


Essay questions:

Choose one of the following to respond to. Try to weave in as many concepts as we’ve covered in class to support your stance on the issue. I won’t be grading on your stance, only on how well you support your argument.

Question 1) Is great power a tool unto it’s user or is it always destined to control the user in the end? [Cite the issues of Nature vs Nurture, Chance vs Choice and Reason vs Faith. Extra credit for also working in Murder vs Killing and the concept of what might make up a person’s reality in such a situation.]

Question 2) Accepting the philosophy that we are flawed beings, map out the role of our environment vs our birth and how either affects our chances or our choices, the role of our reason vs our faith and come to how these influences in our life ultimately help us determine our reality.

Question 3) Discuss the connection between Control vs Acceptance and Chance vs Free Will. Can you Aceept an outcome and still exercise Free Will? If you exercise Control over a situation, does that negate the effects of Chance and how do your choices affect the Free Will of others around you?

[ooc: Handwavey is of course an option though I will glee and probably squee if you take a crack at some of the answers, even if they end up being totally off the wall ;)]

[ooc: Please wait for Now your favorite and mine, OCD threads are up!]