Simply put, this class covered the ideals of the prominent and most-influential philosophers of Enlightenment-Era England.
As with all of my Honors Seminars, this class wasn’t directly aligned with my focus of study, but it has definitely improved me as a learner. It was a refreshing class set-up; it was less of a lecture, and more of an open discussion. Our professor, Terry Grundy, directed the conversation each week based on the major topics of the assigned readings. While the work was rigorous, the pay-off was worth it. Professor Grundy prepared us for stimulating interactions with Cambridge instructors and prestigious members of London’s intellectual societies. We were able to follow their lectures and ask provoking questions. He had us get the most out of our visit to England, for sure.
I have grown to be more skeptical of authoritative knowledge and be more progressive in my thinking. How can our generation promote positive change in a way that moves our society forward? This question, among many others was brought up throughout the semester which sparked challenging debates. Questions like these do not have a simple or easy solution; many ideas were discussed which helped to expand my view on ethical and political topics. While the conversations were stimulating, there were never and clear answers. To be completely honest, I left the class feeling pessimistic about the fate of humanity with no real direction regarding how to improve it. The next step is on my own, and is something that I am still working on gradually.
As with all of my Honors Seminars, this class wasn’t directly aligned with my focus of study, but it has definitely improved me as a learner. It was a refreshing class set-up; it was less of a lecture, and more of an open discussion. Our professor, Terry Grundy, directed the conversation each week based on the major topics of the assigned readings. While the work was rigorous, the pay-off was worth it. Professor Grundy prepared us for stimulating interactions with Cambridge instructors and prestigious members of London’s intellectual societies. We were able to follow their lectures and ask provoking questions. He had us get the most out of our visit to England, for sure.
I have grown to be more skeptical of authoritative knowledge and be more progressive in my thinking. How can our generation promote positive change in a way that moves our society forward? This question, among many others was brought up throughout the semester which sparked challenging debates. Questions like these do not have a simple or easy solution; many ideas were discussed which helped to expand my view on ethical and political topics. While the conversations were stimulating, there were never and clear answers. To be completely honest, I left the class feeling pessimistic about the fate of humanity with no real direction regarding how to improve it. The next step is on my own, and is something that I am still working on gradually.
For a more in-depth look into the events of the trip, our class made a website/blog that documented our time in London. Click the link below to check it out.
Below is a copy of my final paper for the course. It's fifteen pages so I don't imagine anyone will take the time to read it, because that is quite a commitment. I included it here as proof that we did learned something during the semester and work was, in fact, put into the class.