Week 12

Othello

The fundamental question of philosophy is: Is the nature of man good or evil? Every philosopher, politician, and author intends to answer this question. As a teacher, I might also reach a conclusion depending of the day or week I have experienced. William Golding in Lord of the Flies leaves no doubt about his belief: man definitely tends toward evil. Left alone on an island without societal constraints, man will return to savagery, and destroy all who hold to the beliefs of a previous society. Further, evil lies within mankind itself, not in some outside force or "beastie." Psychologist Victor E. Frankl in Man's Search for Meaning asserts that there are "two races of men in this world, but only these two races-- the 'race' of the decent man and the 'race' of the indecent man. Both are found everywhere; they penetrate into all groups of society." Thus the universal idea surfaces again: can good and evil coexist? The answer is yes: Othello is good and Iago is evil.

Have a good week!

Here are your assignments/Agenda for Week 12:

Week 12 MS Word

Week 12 pdf

If you have questions about these assignments, please leave a comment or email me directly. Remember, I will check the blog until 9:59 pm. You know I need my Seinfeld fix.