I start my Humanities class today

[s1mp13m4n]

It is back to online college for me today and the start of what I am sure will be a fun and interesting class.....Humanities 101 the study of western culture. The reason I am bringing this up here in the forum is that in my first discussion board post We have a few questions to pick from to write about so I am going to write on this one: We defined “values” as the central ideas that bind a culture together. We also defined values as “things worth living for and dying for.” As you look at contemporary culture, what things fit this definition?

Now does anyone see a huge opportunity here to share our passion for guns, the 2nd Amendment, and our gun rights? In the post we are limited to three paragraphs and 250 words causing you to get to the meat, present your thoughts, and not ramble on and on. Now after I do this post we also have to respond to two other classmates with a 100 word reply with a agree/disagree stand and be able to back it up. This will be a fun assignment. I would like your thoughts and input and ideas as well.

[Coldshooter]

My son tells me most of his profs will defend your right to agree with them to the death. We well reasoned as you may have have to defend your grade if you are penalised for a politically wrong position.

[s1mp13m4n]

Originally Posted by Coldshooter

My son tells me most of his profs will defend your right to agree with them to the death. We well reasoned as you may have have to defend your grade if you are penalised for a politically wrong position.

Are you saying that basically if my professor does not like my topic they will find a way to pick it apart? Hmmmm, I did not think of that.

[Steve in Vermont]

Back in the 70's I returned to finish my degree through the LEEP. A number of us (LEO) attended classes at the University of Vermont and we were placed in classes with young students, mostly female who were entering "Human Services". Needless to say there were many interesting "discussions" between the Idealist and the Realists.

[Coldshooter]

I'm thinking that if you are given a failing grade for political outlook someday you may be before the department Dean trying to get a passing grade from a perfectly good effort. Students are constantly getting bad grades not for content or technical reasons but for political views. Little constitutional issues like freedom of speech and freedom of association are to often ignored in today's classroom setting.

[s1mp13m4n]

My online professor is female. LOL

[Bat Guano]

I would take the natural law approach--Aristotle's "Ethics" (I really like Martin Ostwald's translation) and Aquinas. Tons of material there re ethics, morals, Judeo-Christian thinking, rights and duties, all of which are squarely in the Western tradition. Plenty of ways to back up the idea of the right of self-defense.

No matter how the project comes out, I guarantee you that the "Ethics" will be the best thing you will ever read, period.

Good luck and good hunting.

[s1mp13m4n]

Originally Posted by Bat Guano

I would take the natural law approach--Aristotle's "Ethics" (I really like Martin Ostwald's translation) and Aquinas. Tons of material there re ethics, morals, Judeo-Christian thinking, rights and duties, all of which are squarely in the Western tradition. Plenty of ways to back up the idea of the right of self-defense.

No matter how the project comes out, I guarantee you that the "Ethics" will be the best thing you will ever read, period.

Good luck and good hunting.

Thanks for the encouragement. I am looking forward to the class as we can always learn from the past and from the failures and triumphs of other cultures.

[GaryS]

Originally Posted by s1mp13m4n

Are you saying that basically if my professor does not like my topic they will find a way to pick it apart? Hmmmm, I did not think of that.

They'll find a way to give you a poor grade. The only thing that people in most colleges are allowed to disagree about is how much they agree with each other.

[bushmaster1313]

Question: Why are the academic battles in university humanities departments fought so fiercely?

Answer: Because the stakes are so small.

[7shooter]

Originally Posted by bushmaster1313

Question: Why are the academic battles in university humanities departments fought so fiercely?

Answer: Because the stakes are so small.

I sent your joke to my nephew who is finishing his Ph. D. in Humanities at a prestigious east coast ivy league university which borders some pretty seedy areas.

He was mugged recently at gun point by two urban youths so his liberalism may be getting a bit tarnished.

[Mustang5L5]

Believe it or not, some of my favorite classes were some of my humanities courses. I was in an engineering program, so after 7 classes of math, it was nice to have a change of pace.

Despite the common myth, no brain-washing occurred, no political spew was mentioned. I never had my ideas challenged. I actually...*gasp* enjoyed the debates.

Btw..engineering students tend to be more conservative by nature. A bunch of us used to go trap shooting regularly between classes.




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[Cooter Brown]

Glad to hear you had that good experience, Mustang. It's not always the case.

When I was in school almost 30 years ago it was not a lot different than it is today with respect to the mostly liberal inclinations of the profs.

When I started a new class in humanities/literature etc. I would try early to get a read on the teacher and the first paper I wrote would be completely antithetical to their point of view, no matter how I felt or whether I agreed with them or not. If I had to write something the opposite of what I felt, I did that. I could write a good essay on either side of anything.

That let me gauge whether or not the prof was going to grade based on the quality of the argument and the writing or on what I thought. I could then decide whether or not to stay in the class and play the game for a grade or dump the class and take another.

This little exercize will tell you a lot about a professor.

[s1mp13m4n]

I go to Liberty University Online which is a conservative college but modern. I have received one reply to my main post. The reply came from a female who admits to be scared of a gun because she does not know how they work. She did however support gun rights and the 2nd amendment and feels that the law abiding gun owners should not have their rights taken away. Humanities is not about brainwashing but rather the study of culture, values, and civilization over a period of time using history.

[s1mp13m4n]

I just got a 100% on my first test. I am enjoying this class.