This blog will be used throughout the semester for primary document analysis, reflection, and classroom discussions. Remember that your posts can be viewed by anyone with access to the Internet. Please maintain proper decorum and civil discourse
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Reflection - Western Civ as Cradle of Learning
What is the main idea of this editorial? What are the strengths of Bennett's argument? What are the weaknesses of his argument? Do you agree or disagree with Bennett? Why?
The main idea is that the university retracting it's curriculum of the foundation of Western Civilization is really bad because in order to have pride and the willingness to protect our country, we need to understand wherenit came from. One of his strengths are explaining why it is important to learn where we came from, but the arguement was weakened when he went off and compared our society to middle eastern society instead of focusing on why western civilization is important in the curriculum. I agree because knowing where we came from is kind of a big deal, and the fact that one of our most esteemed universities are taking that away from its students is disappointing.
The main idea of this editorial was to show the advantages that western civilization has over Islamic civilization and how important it is for students to learn about. The strengths were the real life examples he used like when he referenced the intellectual resources we have. If we want to know something, we can just read a book. Other civilizations might not have those privileges. His weakness is that he doesn't have another perspective. He continually talks about the struggle that people have in Islamic civilization, but has no evidence to back it up. However, I agree with Bennett, people who live in western civilization are very privileged compared to others. We have freedoms and liberties that other civilizations don't have and maybe will never receive.
That western civilization is the best. That is is supirior to Islamic civilization. He brings up strong points about our progress in science and in tolerance compared to islamic states. His weakness was that he realy hated on Islam and went along with the idea that western civilization is supierior. I do and don't. I agree that we handle some things better that the Islamic civilization but they have lived that way for centuries and saying we are superior is to another civilization is arrogant.
The main idea of the editorial was to understand Western Civilization in comparison to Islamic Civilization. I agree that Western Civilization is a more advanced civilization, however I would stray from saying that it is actually better, different people have different ways of enjoying life, and some prefer a more simplistic civilization, rather than an advanced complex civilization. Bennett uses true facts to support his argument, however I think he should also have included some direct comparisons between Islamic and western civilization to solidify his stance, and give more proof of his point.
The main idea of this article is that western civilization is still the cradle of learning. The strengths in his article are his points that western areas have "led to a standard of living unprecedented in human history", and the scientific progress that has flourished in the western world. I think there are some points that I agree with and some that I disagree with in this article. I agree with his point about diversity in the western world, but I think he failed to acknowledge the growing policies and diversity in Islamic and other middle eastern countries.
The main idea is that for some time, the Islamic civilization has remained stagnant while the western civilization has flourished, which has led to many social conflicts. Bennett makes good points on how the Islamic civilization could have prospered in the growing world by using political figures and authors such as Tolstoy and Marx. He doesn't get multiple view points, as he only quotes Berlusconi which gives him a biased view point. i agree with his argument because it seems as while the rest of the world is becoming more diverse and economically prosperous, the Islamic civilization is remaining at a standstill which allows for radical ideologies to appear.
The main idea of the article is that it is to show the importance of learning about the western world so that we can know more about our own. The strengths of the arguement are she quotes Berlusconi's on his opinion on the Islamic world and 9/11 and peoples reactions to his thoughts. Bennett also goes in depth on why Berlusconi is right in what he is saying. One weakness I found is she did not state why the college cut the western civilization courses. I agree with Bennett that it is important for students to learn about the western civilization.
The main idea of this editorial is that Western Civilization is a vital part of history and it should be studied as such. Bennett chooses to support this assertion with the various contributions to society made by Western Civilation, as well as by comparing these contributions with the short comings of the Islamic world. Bennett's argument is strengthened by the comparison between how the Western world views and values democracy with that of the Islamic community. Bennett's editorial may lose some credibility with readers as he fails to support his claim with statistics, a tactic that would be useful in supporting a claim such as the one he makes. I largely agree with Bennett. It is not wrong to state that Western Civiliation places much more emphasis on democracy and liberal values than does the Islamic world. The assessment that basic rights afforded to women in the Western world are not afforded to many women in Islamic communities is also not wrong.
The main idea of this editorial is that western civilization has still been able to flourish, while Islamic civilization is stagnant. The strengths are that Bennett describes many points in his editorial that show why western civilization has flourished. The weaknesses are that Bennett also shows why that some Islamic civilizations remains valuable, instead of showing why Islamic civilization is stagnant. I agree that western civilization has flourished because we can see throughout the world that western civilization has a major impact.
The main idea is why it is important to teach western civilization. One of Bennett's strengths is how he explains why western civilization flourishes. Western civilization has democracy and liberty and they question and debate ideas all the time. I think that one of his weaknesses is that Bennett focused too much on why some people believe that Western civilization is superior to Islam and this argument doesn't really help to get his point across. He uses Islam as a model of a civilization and then tells how western civilization is different but that doesn't make it better. I agree with Bennett in that western civilization should be taught to students so we can learn how our civilization was created and how it has become what it is today.
The main idea of the editorial is that western civilization has flourished while the Islamic world has remained stagnant. The strengths of Benett's argument are that western culture promotes questioning and progress as well as equality. The weakness of his argument is That not all of the western world has had a democracy to promote progression for very long. I agree with his argument the western world has been progressing very well compared to the Muslim world and it continues to develop today.
The main idea of this editorial is that a University is trying to alter the curriculum of its course, "Western Civilization". The University will be cutting down on the amount of information taught in the course, and will akso be limiting the amount of students allowed to take the course. In my opinion, Bennett was correct in stating that we learn about different concepts from different people, like capitalism from Marx and warfare from Homer. I disagree, however, with the statement that western civilization is superior to islamic civilization. While there are advantages and disadvantages to both civilizations, neither one is superior to the other.
The main idea is asking whether it is important to include certain civilizations in a course of study. I think it is a bit bizarre that the University of Chicago would not consider using Ancient Greek and Roman culture into their course of studies. The Greek and Romans influenced a bountiful amount of cultures. Most people in the world have been influenced by at least one of these two. If these two important civilizations were not studied, students looking to learn about western culture and understand how their cultures came to be would be at an disadvantage. I think we should study all cultures so that we can understand how our own civilization came to be, and how we can make our civilization better for future generations.
The main idea of this article is that we must preserve Western Civilization due to the importance and superiority of it. A strength that I found was the reason to knowledge ourselves about Western Civilization and our past, so we understand why it's important to protect and fight for Western Civilization. I do believe for the most part with Bennett. I do believe that we need to fight to preserve Western Civilization
The main idea of the article was a defense on the importance of learning about the history of western civilization. His strengths come from ignorance and a use of patriotism combined with convincing the reader to have more self pride. Assuming he was writing to a large white audience he tries to make the reader feel proud of their heritage without providing much reason as to why Islam is an inferior culture. His weakness comes from only touching on the lighter side of western civilization history and ignoring any of the many downfalls of the west. Though this easily plays in his favor to an ignorant reader. I disagree with him because I think every civilization has had up and down hills as far as progress in society and science.
The main idea of the editorial is that young kids should be learning about their own civilization so they can better understand the truth and be willing to protect their civilization militarily and intellectually. One strength Bennett has in his argument is that he gives good reasons to why the West flourished and influenced a lot of the other civilizations. One weakness to his argument is that he does not say why the other civilizations have not flourished as much as the West has and why they are weaker. I would agree with what Bennett has to say.
The main idea of his editorial was that Western Civilization is and remains the center of modern progress for science, society, and every other good an noble field. He uses this idea to serve as an argument for why students need to learn more about their own culture so that they can be prepared to defend it intellectually or militarily. His weakness is that he doesn't provide specific examples of how life is worse under Islam than westernism. I agree with Bennett, largely because I feel knowing our own history is something important and that we should be able to make intelligent arguments between ourselves and other people.
The title of this article is slightly misleading to the overall message the author is trying to get across. This author is criticizing the University of Chicago for decreasing the graduation requirements for western civilization classes. What he is trying to say is that our western culture is superior to other cultures because we invented protocols to expand the areas of thought of the popular conscious. Now of course, the west is not the best in means of learning (because knowledge can be forced upon people through mandatory schooling). Also, the Islamic world is not the only culture incompatible with western values. Instead of saying "learning" he should have talked about these values. The values that yes, if one chose, he could pursue a life of science and reason. However, the true greatness of the west is to also allow that man to believe in pseudoscience, and any other thoughts not supported by an established system. It is the true value of the west that we allow questioning of the seemingly-correct consensus. This makes western culture superior to most others, but not for the same reasons he outlined.
Overall, the editorial was discussed the impact of the University of Chicago changing the core curriculum in Western Civilization. To be more specific, the school was cutting one out of the three courses offered. Additionally, the new courses of study would not include Ancient Greece, and Rome. These eras are crucial in the beginning of Western Civilization. In my opinion, some strengths that Bennet had in his argument was his resources. He pulled out different opinions on the topic from reliable and well informed sources. Also, he used different examples in support of his stance on the issue. Despite his strengths, Bennet also struggled in some areas of his article. Personally, I felt that he struggled to remain entirely objective. At times, he may have put too much of his personal opinion rather than facts into the article. I do agree with Bennet.
The main idea is that children should learn about their civilization and what it offers. It is also saying how western civilation is a big part of history and grew over the years. The reading also stated that the Islamic civilization did not grow nearly as much as they did. Also, they said that the history on the Islamic civilization is not as important. His argument was strong because of the evidence he showed to prove how important the civilation is. It stated that basically the western civilization is superior to the Islamic civilization.
The main idea is that the university retracting it's curriculum of the foundation of Western Civilization is really bad because in order to have pride and the willingness to protect our country, we need to understand wherenit came from. One of his strengths are explaining why it is important to learn where we came from, but the arguement was weakened when he went off and compared our society to middle eastern society instead of focusing on why western civilization is important in the curriculum. I agree because knowing where we came from is kind of a big deal, and the fact that one of our most esteemed universities are taking that away from its students is disappointing.
ReplyDeleteThe main idea of this editorial was to show the advantages that western civilization has over Islamic civilization and how important it is for students to learn about. The strengths were the real life examples he used like when he referenced the intellectual resources we have. If we want to know something, we can just read a book. Other civilizations might not have those privileges. His weakness is that he doesn't have another perspective. He continually talks about the struggle that people have in Islamic civilization, but has no evidence to back it up. However, I agree with Bennett, people who live in western civilization are very privileged compared to others. We have freedoms and liberties that other civilizations don't have and maybe will never receive.
ReplyDeleteThat western civilization is the best. That is is supirior to Islamic civilization. He brings up strong points about our progress in science and in tolerance compared to islamic states. His weakness was that he realy hated on Islam and went along with the idea that western civilization is supierior. I do and don't. I agree that we handle some things better that the Islamic civilization but they have lived that way for centuries and saying we are superior is to another civilization is arrogant.
ReplyDeleteThe main idea of the editorial was to understand Western Civilization in comparison to Islamic Civilization. I agree that Western Civilization is a more advanced civilization, however I would stray from saying that it is actually better, different people have different ways of enjoying life, and some prefer a more simplistic civilization, rather than an advanced complex civilization. Bennett uses true facts to support his argument, however I think he should also have included some direct comparisons between Islamic and western civilization to solidify his stance, and give more proof of his point.
ReplyDeleteThe main idea of this article is that western civilization is still the cradle of learning. The strengths in his article are his points that western areas have "led to a standard of living unprecedented in human history", and the scientific progress that has flourished in the western world. I think there are some points that I agree with and some that I disagree with in this article. I agree with his point about diversity in the western world, but I think he failed to acknowledge the growing policies and diversity in Islamic and other middle eastern countries.
ReplyDeleteThe main idea is that for some time, the Islamic civilization has remained stagnant while the western civilization has flourished, which has led to many social conflicts. Bennett makes good points on how the Islamic civilization could have prospered in the growing world by using political figures and authors such as Tolstoy and Marx.
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't get multiple view points, as he only quotes Berlusconi which gives him a biased view point. i agree with his argument because it seems as while the rest of the world is becoming more diverse and economically prosperous, the Islamic civilization is remaining at a standstill which allows for radical ideologies to appear.
The main idea of the article is that it is to show the importance of learning about the western world so that we can know more about our own. The strengths of the arguement are she quotes Berlusconi's on his opinion on the Islamic world and 9/11 and peoples reactions to his thoughts. Bennett also goes in depth on why Berlusconi is right in what he is saying. One weakness I found is she did not state why the college cut the western civilization courses. I agree with Bennett that it is important for students to learn about the western civilization.
ReplyDeleteThe main idea of this editorial is that Western Civilization is a vital part of history and it should be studied as such. Bennett chooses to support this assertion with the various contributions to society made by Western Civilation, as well as by comparing these contributions with the short comings of the Islamic world. Bennett's argument is strengthened by the comparison between how the Western world views and values democracy with that of the Islamic community. Bennett's editorial may lose some credibility with readers as he fails to support his claim with statistics, a tactic that would be useful in supporting a claim such as the one he makes. I largely agree with Bennett. It is not wrong to state that Western Civiliation places much more emphasis on democracy and liberal values than does the Islamic world. The assessment that basic rights afforded to women in the Western world are not afforded to many women in Islamic communities is also not wrong.
ReplyDeleteThe main idea of this editorial is that western civilization has still been able to flourish, while Islamic civilization is stagnant. The strengths are that Bennett describes many points in his editorial that show why western civilization has flourished. The weaknesses are that Bennett also shows why that some Islamic civilizations remains valuable, instead of showing why Islamic civilization is stagnant. I agree that western civilization has flourished because we can see throughout the world that western civilization has a major impact.
ReplyDeleteThe main idea is why it is important to teach western civilization. One of Bennett's strengths is how he explains why western civilization flourishes. Western civilization has democracy and liberty and they question and debate ideas all the time. I think that one of his weaknesses is that Bennett focused too much on why some people believe that Western civilization is superior to Islam and this argument doesn't really help to get his point across. He uses Islam as a model of a civilization and then tells how western civilization is different but that doesn't make it better. I agree with Bennett in that western civilization should be taught to students so we can learn how our civilization was created and how it has become what it is today.
ReplyDeleteThe main idea of the editorial is that western civilization has flourished while the Islamic world has remained stagnant. The strengths of Benett's argument are that western culture promotes questioning and progress as well as equality. The weakness of his argument is That not all of the western world has had a democracy to promote progression for very long. I agree with his argument the western world has been progressing very well compared to the Muslim world and it continues to develop today.
ReplyDeleteThe main idea of this editorial is that a University is trying to alter the curriculum of its course, "Western Civilization". The University will be cutting down on the amount of information taught in the course, and will akso be limiting the amount of students allowed to take the course. In my opinion, Bennett was correct in stating that we learn about different concepts from different people, like capitalism from Marx and warfare from Homer. I disagree, however, with the statement that western civilization is superior to islamic civilization. While there are advantages and disadvantages to both civilizations, neither one is superior to the other.
ReplyDeleteThe main idea is asking whether it is important to include certain civilizations in a course of study. I think it is a bit bizarre that the University of Chicago would not consider using Ancient Greek and Roman culture into their course of studies. The Greek and Romans influenced a bountiful amount of cultures. Most people in the world have been influenced by at least one of these two. If these two important civilizations were not studied, students looking to learn about western culture and understand how their cultures came to be would be at an disadvantage. I think we should study all cultures so that we can understand how our own civilization came to be, and how we can make our civilization better for future generations.
ReplyDeleteThe main idea of this article is that we must preserve Western Civilization due to the importance and superiority of it. A strength that I found was the reason to knowledge ourselves about Western Civilization and our past, so we understand why it's important to protect and fight for Western Civilization. I do believe for the most part with Bennett. I do believe that we need to fight to preserve Western Civilization
ReplyDeleteThe main idea of the article was a defense on the importance of learning about the history of western civilization. His strengths come from ignorance and a use of patriotism combined with convincing the reader to have more self pride. Assuming he was writing to a large white audience he tries to make the reader feel proud of their heritage without providing much reason as to why Islam is an inferior culture. His weakness comes from only touching on the lighter side of western civilization history and ignoring any of the many downfalls of the west. Though this easily plays in his favor to an ignorant reader. I disagree with him because I think every civilization has had up and down hills as far as progress in society and science.
ReplyDeleteThe main idea of the editorial is that young kids should be learning about their own civilization so they can better understand the truth and be willing to protect their civilization militarily and intellectually. One strength Bennett has in his argument is that he gives good reasons to why the West flourished and influenced a lot of the other civilizations. One weakness to his argument is that he does not say why the other civilizations have not flourished as much as the West has and why they are weaker. I would agree with what Bennett has to say.
ReplyDeleteThe main idea of his editorial was that Western Civilization is and remains the center of modern progress for science, society, and every other good an noble field. He uses this idea to serve as an argument for why students need to learn more about their own culture so that they can be prepared to defend it intellectually or militarily. His weakness is that he doesn't provide specific examples of how life is worse under Islam than westernism. I agree with Bennett, largely because I feel knowing our own history is something important and that we should be able to make intelligent arguments between ourselves and other people.
ReplyDeleteThe title of this article is slightly misleading to the overall message the author is trying to get across. This author is criticizing the University of Chicago for decreasing the graduation requirements for western civilization classes. What he is trying to say is that our western culture is superior to other cultures because we invented protocols to expand the areas of thought of the popular conscious. Now of course, the west is not the best in means of learning (because knowledge can be forced upon people through mandatory schooling). Also, the Islamic world is not the only culture incompatible with western values. Instead of saying "learning" he should have talked about these values. The values that yes, if one chose, he could pursue a life of science and reason. However, the true greatness of the west is to also allow that man to believe in pseudoscience, and any other thoughts not supported by an established system. It is the true value of the west that we allow questioning of the seemingly-correct consensus. This makes western culture superior to most others, but not for the same reasons he outlined.
ReplyDeleteOverall, the editorial was discussed the impact of the University of Chicago changing the core curriculum in Western Civilization. To be more specific, the school was cutting one out of the three courses offered. Additionally, the new courses of study would not include Ancient Greece, and Rome. These eras are crucial in the beginning of Western Civilization.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, some strengths that Bennet had in his argument was his resources. He pulled out different opinions on the topic from reliable and well informed sources. Also, he used different examples in support of his stance on the issue. Despite his strengths, Bennet also struggled in some areas of his article. Personally, I felt that he struggled to remain entirely objective. At times, he may have put too much of his personal opinion rather than facts into the article.
I do agree with Bennet.
The main idea is that children should learn about their civilization and what it offers. It is also saying how western civilation is a big part of history and grew over the years. The reading also stated that the Islamic civilization did not grow nearly as much as they did. Also, they said that the history on the Islamic civilization is not as important. His argument was strong because of the evidence he showed to prove how important the civilation is. It stated that basically the western civilization is superior to the Islamic civilization.
ReplyDelete