Short Answer Writing Choices: 1

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Short Answer Writing Choices:

• 1.) Ancient Greek children were taught morals and ethical lessons about heroes from reading stories like the Iliad and the Odyssey, and Ancient Roman children were taught the same lessons by reading the Aeneid. These stories taught readers about admirable qualities like courage, honor, virtue, bravery, and leadership. Qualities like "arete" are described in detail in these tales. In your opinion, what stories do children look to today for the same types of ethical teaching? Do we emphasize the same qualities today, or are there other skills besides bravery and honor that matter more? What do you think defines the term "hero" today? 
• 2.) In Unit 1, we learned about the Greek Philosopher Aristotle. He championed the ideal of ethics and virtue; namely, that a living a virtuous life meant living an ethical and honest one. Aristotle emphasized that virtue is practical, and that the purpose of ethics is to become good. Thus, in his book, Nicomachian Ethics, Aristotle presented the idea of ethical dilemmas: remember that Ethical Dilemmas are situations in which the best moral course of action is not always clear-cut. Aristotle advocated using the Golden Mean, which means finding the middle ground, and not choosing any extremes for our decisions (don't fall into extremes of justification or temptation for your behavior). If you found yourself in a scenario like this, what would you do, and what do you think Aristotle would advise you to do? Would your actions align with Aristotle's advice?
  • You have been struggling in your Economics class. The content does not come easily to you, so you have put in countless hours to understand and do the assignments. There is another student who breezes through these same assignments, getting high marks for the work he turns in. You know for a fact that he has used his older cousin (who already has a degree in Economics) to do some of the assignments for him. You don’t know how many assignments were turned in this way, but you are certain that he, in fact, did not do all the work. Your frustration increases over the last assignment that you worked overtime on, but did poorly. Of course, this other student scored well on the same assignment. You could drop the teacher a note about the implied cheating on the part of this other student. It might get the teacher to slow down a little, and help you in the long run, but you run the risk of getting caught being the author of the note. What do you do? 
• 3.) In Unit 1, we learned about the Greek Philosopher Aristotle. He championed the ideal of ethics and virtue; namely, that a living a virtuous life meant living an ethical and honest one. Aristotle emphasized that virtue is practical, and that the purpose of ethics is to become good. Thus, in his book, Nicomachian Ethics, Aristotle presented the idea of ethical dilemmas: remember that Ethical Dilemmas are situations in which the best moral course of action is not always clear-cut. Aristotle advocated using the Golden Mean, which means finding the middle ground, and not choosing any extremes for our decisions (don't fall into extremes of justification or temptation for your behavior). If you found yourself in a scenario like this, what would you do, and what do you think Aristotle would advise you to do? Would your actions align with Aristotle's advice?
  • You have a major research paper due in a few days for your English class. If you don’t do well in this class, your financial aid will be compromised—you can not afford school otherwise -- and you likely won't be able to stay at the college. A friend tells you about a website that creates custom papers for a small fee. You are guaranteed an “A” on the essay if this works, and but you have no guarantee that you won’t be caught. If you are caught, you'll fail the entire course. What would you do -- cheat and take your chances, or play it safe and write it on your own?
• 4.) In Unit 2, we learned a great deal about the Middle Ages, why it was considered "dark," and how the Catholic Church rose to power and kept that power secure. Other than the power of the Church, what do you think is the most significant difference between the early Middle Ages (time of the beginning of Christianity) and the high Middle Ages (right before the beginning of the Black Plague)?
• 5.) Machiavelli is one of the most controversial and enduringly popular philosophers of all time. His book, The Prince, remains a source of political intrigue even today. His words influence politicians, CEOS, business leaders, and bosses around the world. What do you make of his three most controversial claims:
  • Do you agree with Machiavelli that all people are inherently selfish and evil, and only care about themselves? Why or why not?
  • Is it better to rule through fear, rather than love? Explain your answer thoroughly. 
  • Do you agree that in order to be a leader, you must be "sly like a fox and tough like a lion?" What does that description mean to you/how do you interpret Machiavelli's words in today's society?
• 6.) Who do you believe is the greatest of the Renaissance artists we studied in this course, and why? Choose from Giotto, Da Vinci, Donatello, Michelangelo, or Raphael to make your case. Be specific about their art, and why you believe your chosen artist deserves this title. Go beyond just "I like the art" as your rationale.
• 7.) If you had a time machine, would you go back to visit the Ancient World, the Middle Ages, or the Renaissance? Explain your choice. What would you do in that time period, who would you see, what would you want to experience?
• 8.) Put yourself in the shoes of a newly literate person in the dawn of the Renaissance. You are coming out of the Middle Ages, and you are getting your first look at reading the Bible for yourself, rather than just listening to your local parish priest at Mass each week. You have obtained a copy of Martin Luther's 95 Theses, freshly printed on the printing press..... Do you agree or disagree with Luther's objections to the Catholic Church? Why?