Reference no: EM133827434

Assignment: English

Dissoi Logoi

Introduction

In the past several weeks, you've begun an annotated bibliography on a topic that relates to medical humanities. By now, you should have begun to formulate a research question, or perhaps more than one question. By "research question," I mean a question in which something is at stake, a question about which people could argue.

The "Dissoi Logoi" is a rhetorical practice that asks you to explore both sides (or multiple viewpoints) of a given case. In place of a "traditional research paper," in which one usually argues one thesis and supports it with research sources, you will present two theses (if not more) and support both with evidence from your research.

The name for this assignment comes from an ancient Greek phrase that means "contrasting arguments." In order to understand any issue, it is vital to see all sides of the argument as to why/how the issue has arisen and what is currently being done to address it. There are many reasons to do this:

There is the basic, practical idea that arguing both sides makes you learn your own arguments better. If you can anticipate objections to your ideas, you might figure out ways to articulate your ideas more forcefully. Arguing a Dissoi Logoi affords you the opportunity to observe your own idea from the perspective of other people who have their own ideas about what's important and valuable.

But there is a more important (though related) reason for practicing the Dissoi Logoi, which is to acknowledge that there are arguments, or differences, in the first place. The idea here is that looking at both sides (or many sides) makes you better at thinking critically. Once again, it may well be that your position is too simplistic, un-nuanced, and untested, so you need to think through it more carefully.

Finally, another reason, which seems more important than ever: thinking through multiple sides develops your moral imagination. It develops your ability to see an issue from another person's perspective, especially when it's a position with which you disagree.

One point of the assignment is simply to live with the possibility that there can be diverse responses to a complex issue, all of which can be argued with vigor and honesty.

Elements to include

I. Introduction: In an introduction (which should run no more than a page [approx. 350-500 words] and include a couple of paragraphs), you should outline the question(s) you want to start asking in response to the reading you've been doing. Articulate the question, explain how you came to it or what prompted it, and discuss its importance. A key point to consider: what's at stake in answering this question? Why does it matter? Unlike the introduction of a traditional essay, this one should not conclude in a thesis statement. But the reader should be able to see clearly what question you're trying to answer.

II. Body: Discuss at least three different (but perhaps overlapping) perspectives on the subject you've been researching. You may choose to organize the paper into three distinct sections--one covering each perspective. Or, you might find that you want to organize it point-by-point (or thematically) and describe each perspective's understanding of that point. That's fine. The goal here is to describe what other people have said on your subject without endorsing any one argument. In addition, you should be bringing in your sources. All the research and notetaking you've been doing should find its way into this piece.

III. Conclusion: Finally, in a page or so (or a couple of paragraphs), discuss what you might still need to know, reflect upon, and investigate to come to some conclusion about the question you're asking (somewhere down the road). The idea here is to ask yourself what further research you need to do. How might someone apply these considerations in their own lives? How might these issues influence the ways humans interact with animals (individually and as a society)?