Non Sequitur

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Contrary to what some of you believe, understanding how and why something is funny does not, in fact, ruin its humor. I argue that it enhances it. Why is this bizarre little video amusing? Well, simply because it's a current political reference, taking reputable public figures and twisting the dialogue from politic to a string of non sequitur and red herring statements. Bizarre and unpredictable. 

Browse Articles? Whaa?

For your next essay, you will critically analyze the glittering rhetoric of some article. I have a bunch to get you started, but I'm probably going to add a few more and maybe remove a few that are lame. Perhaps you will find one that you'd rather analyze than the ones provided for you. Fine.

Here's a link to that website that I'm supposed to  be phasing out. Find the yellow box called "Rhetorical Analysis" toward the bottom left; articles are located there. Length shouldn't be a factor in deterring or enticing you.

I will explain in more detail tomorrow (Tuesday) and give you The Assignment Sheet (which is epic, by the way) that articulates exactly what you need to do. After we finish the presentations tomorrow, you'll have time to browse and Wednesday will be a day of annotations and analysis.

Right, and we'll do a bunch of vocab on Wednesday, because I've been neglecting it. And I'll collect your scored Jesse Jackson essays. And we'll rejoice that we have Thursday and Friday off.

Except that EVERYONE WILL BE GONE FOR THAT SILLY PSAT TEST! So vocab will just have to wait. Again. Ugh. Look for an update that tells you what to do for your MEA weekend blog post and probably some other stuff, too. 

On Ethics, Philosophy, and College

Window into my undergrad years: I fancied myself something of a philosopher. A yuppie, middle-class philosopher, attending an expensive private liberal arts college (strictly on scholarships and loans, mind you). Remember that metaphor Joan Didion used about the shaky passport and false papers and being afraid of being found out? That probably applies here. I became intrigued with philosophy as a senior on high school. I wanted to know everything there was to know about philosophy, and the world--well everything that was actually knowable, that is. Wait, how do we know what is knowable? According to whom? What is knowledge anyway?

OMIGOODNESSWHATISTRUE?

I was kind of ridiculous. A strange hybrid of too-serious, pseudo-intellectual and selfish, materialistic, semi-entitled suburban kid. Ah, youth. 

This pursuit of knowledge often consumes the undergrad, and for good reason. New surroundings, new ideas, new responsibilities, new opportunities for cultural awareness--it's all very exciting and dizzying. See what you have to look forward to? College is awesome.

So this philosophy stuff. I did an independent study on ethics one semester with this professor who unexpectedly burst into fits of shouting about the ontological argument and the problem of evil: Oh, look! Little pieces of evil! --It was rather entertaining. But we read and discussed Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics and while I can't pretend that I have retained everything from that (or any other) semester, the concept of "happiness" as well being or eudaimonia, has stuck with me. This is what Vicki Hearne was getting at when she went on and on about animals deserving to be happy. She wasn't talking about smiley, giggly, I am so happy happiness; she was talking about living a full life.

I know, you didn't sign up for philosophy lit. and your patience is fading, but guess what? If you're going to write a compelling argument-driven essay, you have to consider virtually everything. Fun, right?

IT IS!

Composition requires thinking. Critical thinking. Clear thinking. Creative thinking--it's mental gymnastics, people. Start training.