English 1A

Seminar #4

Note:  Your seminar grade will be determined by the quantity of your responses (how many questions you answer and how many other students you respond to) and the quality (how well you demonstrate an understanding of the ideas you're responding to, how detailed your responses are, how coherent and in-depth they are, etc.)

Directions:
1.  Read the essays listed below.

2. Choose one question for each essay and respond with at least one paragraph per question. Include quotes and/or specific references to the text to back up your responses.

Will  The Equity of Inequality Choose one question from the following:

1.   Class Gap: Why does Will think the increasing gap between rich and poor in this country is good? How does this gap serve both rich and poor, in Will's opinion?

2.  The Problem with the NY Times: What is Will's quarrel with the article posted in the New York Times? Why does he think the article is a problem?

3. Our Self Image: The NY Times says that the increasing gap between rich and poor contradicts our image of ourselves as a society dedicated to egalitarianism. Will says that we are not dedicated to egalitarianism, but rather to equality. What's the difference between the two, according to Will? Who do you agree with - Will or the NY Times? Why?

4.  Your Reaction: Summarize Will's thesis, and give your reaction to his ideas. Do you agree or disagree that social justice can only occur when a country's resources are distributed equally among its citizens? Why?

 

Peter Singer: The Singer Solution to World Poverty Choose one question from the following:

1.  Ultimate Effect: What was the effect of this essay on you? Did it cause you to re-evaluate your approach to charity? Did it make you feel angry or defensive?  Will it cause you to change your behavior in anyway? Why or why not?

2.  Are we All Bob? How effective is the analogy that Singer draws between Bob's choice between the child and his Bugatti, and the choice that the average American makes between material comforts and donating to charity? Did this analogy work for you? Why or why not?

3. Utilitarianism: What does Singer mean when he talks about a "utilitarian" ethic in paragraph 5? How does this utilitarianism influence the practical suggestions he makes here to his audience?

4. Assumptions:  What assumptions does Singer make about his audience, and how accurate are those assumptions? Do they apply to you?

3. Save your work as a .doc or .rtf document and submit your response to the Assignment Chamber by midnight on Monday, March 10.  

4. Post your responses to the appropriate forum by midnight on Monday, March 10.

5. Read all the other students' posts throughout the seminar period.

6. Respond to at least two other student's post (more is better) .  You will have until midnight, Sunday, March 23 to read and respond to the other students' ideas in the website.