Reference no: EM13886817

Part A-

1. Which of Francis Bacon's "Four Idols" do you find most difficult to understand? Try paraphrasing portions of Bacon's explanation in the text, that is: explaining what he has to say using your own words to come up with relevant and contemporary examples of the kinds of "misunderstanding" he addresses to make his theories clearer.

2. In the first paragraph of "Non-moral Nature," Stephen Gould asks, "If God is benevolent and the Creation displays his ‘power, wisdom, and goodness,' then why are we surrounded with pain, suffering, and apparently senseless cruelty in the animal world." How does this question reflect your own beliefs about the role of suffering and God's Supreme Power in determining creation's fate? How does this statement reflect a religious mindset? How does this quote reflect a view of someone who does not believe in God?

Part B-

1. Of the readings which we have discussed so far in the class, which have had the most influence on the selection of your research paper topic? Explain how the views in the essays have directed your focusing the general subject of poverty in America to a more usefully narrow topic.

2. Many people believe that America is "The Land of Opportunity," and that anyone can succeed if he or she just tries hard enough. Explain how you agree or disagree with this claim. Use detailed examples, public and private and personal, to support your opinion.

Part C-

1. Define "feminism." Explain what the Women's Movement has in common with other important movements for social change, such as the Civil Rights Movement or the Labor Movement. Discuss the issues that women lobbied to secure in America. What motives does the feminist movement share with other minorities who were without a political voice?

2. Choose from several of the earlier readings which relate to Virginia Woolf's ideas about women's place in the home, in academia and the arts, and in the business community in "Shakespeare's Sister." What similar or differing views do the authors hold regarding common topics? Discuss the opportunities women have today, and how this compares with Shakespeare's Renaissance culture, as well as with Virginia Woolf's 20th century England?