Category: Literature

Please watch “The Witch” (also known as Haxan) by Benjamin Christensen and “The Hunt” by Thomas Vinterburg.
Please write a traditional, text-based, analytic paper. Your paper should have a clear thesis statement, present strong support for your argument, cite at least one secondary source and range from 6-8 pages in length (typed, double-spaced with 1” margins and 12-point font). Please use a standard citation model, such as the MLA style guide or the Chicago Manual of Style.
Prompt:
Explore the infrastructure of fear, scapegoating and mass paranoia in The Witch and/or The Hunt. What kinds of discourses do the mobs and masses in each film use to justify their “hunts”? What role, if any, does point of view play in each film? What similarities can you find between the contexts of the medieval European Inquisition and contemporary enlightened Denmark? Please be specific and provide examples.

Please watch “The Witch” (also known as Haxan) by Benjamin Christensen and “The Hunt” by Thomas Vinterburg.
Please write a traditional, text-based, analytic paper. Your paper should have a clear thesis statement, present strong support for your argument, cite at least one secondary source and range from 6-8 pages in length (typed, double-spaced with 1” margins and 12-point font). Please use a standard citation model, such as the MLA style guide or the Chicago Manual of Style.
Prompt:
Explore the infrastructure of fear, scapegoating and mass paranoia in The Witch and/or The Hunt. What kinds of discourses do the mobs and masses in each film use to justify their “hunts”? What role, if any, does point of view play in each film? What similarities can you find between the contexts of the medieval European Inquisition and contemporary enlightened Denmark? Please be specific and provide examples.

Please watch “Another Round” by Thomas Vinterburg and Ruben Ostlunds “Film Majeure”
Please write a blog post responding to one of the following prompts (500-1500 words).
1. Address the depiction of fatherhood and family in Vinterberg’s “Another Round,” Ostlund’s “Force Majeure,” or both.
2. Address the depiction of the fear of death in “Another Round,” “Force Majeure,” or both.
3. Address the symbolism of various characters drinking alcohol in Vinterberg’s “Another Round.”
4. Address the intersections of Falzon’s “Experiencing Force Majeure” and Ostlund’s “Force Majeure.”

PART 1 – Test Case
Discuss either the formula of universal law or the formula of humanity.
Create your own test case following the format presented in Section 4.2 of the text. The text case can be anything you want to consider, but it must be an action such as lying, cheating, or killing one person to save the lives of five others. It can even be an absurd or far-fetched example such as a test case with a maxim that states you will eat a piece of cake any time you sneeze, or that you will sing a brief song every time you blink (These work well when imagining what the world would be like if everyone in it obeyed the universal law).
Follow the numbered steps below to present your test case.
Maxim: State the maxim of your action using first-person singular.
For example: Every time I blink, I will sing a brief song.
Universal Law: Formulate a universal law based on the maxim.
For example: Every time anyone blinks, they will sing a brief song.
The World: Describe what the world would look like if everyone in it must obey the universal law. This step should have a good amount of depth and detail and fully explain the types of behaviors and actions that would occur in this world.
For example: If everyone in the world sang every time they blinked, there would be almost constant singing when people were awake.
Is There a Contradiction? Consider whether there is a contradiction in the world you have imagined. This step is often tricky, so just keep in mind that you are looking for a logical or moral contradiction or paradox—something that would make the world immoral or dysfunctional or absurd.
For example: A world in which everyone sang whenever they blinked would be both dysfunctional and absurd.
State Whether the Maxim Is Moral: If there is no contradiction, then the maxim is moral. If there is a contradiction, then the maxim is immoral.
For example: The maxim is not moral.
PART 2 – Test Case: “Letter From a Birmingham Jail”
Using the same format as above,
Identify a sentence in Dr. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” that you think is consistent with the principles of deontology. Look for sentences that focus on a single idea and above all, sentences that contain an action or can be transformed into an action.
For example, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” is a sentence that falls within the general territory of deontology but does not contain a clear action. To rephrase this maxim with an action, you might state, “Anytime I see injustice, I will fight against it because it is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Place your sentence just below the Part 2 heading, then fill in the five reasoning steps as presented above: (1) Maxim, (2) Universal Law, (3) The World, (4) Contradiction, (5) Conclusion.
Complete your primary post by explaining whether a utilitarian would agree with the conclusion in one of your test cases.

Craft a response (at least 300 words) to one of the following prompts and post it as a reply to the conversation I have started. You won’t be able to see any posts by your classmates until you have posted your reply
Please give your response a unique title
Make sure you post two thoughtful and substantive responses to your classmates.
Prompt 1:
Both Paine and Franklin were ardent believers in an “Age of Reason,” but what differences in temperament and/or tone do you sense between these two thinkers? How does their expression of their belief in reason and logic differ? Include several quotations from each author. Remember, talking about tone requires a careful look at word choice, including thinking about a words denotation (dictionary meaning) and connotation (meaning that extends beyond the dictionary meaning–the feel of the word). Quotations do not count towards the 300 word requirement.

Please watch “Another Round” by Thomas Vinterburg and Ruben Ostlunds “Film Majeure”
Please write a blog post responding to one of the following prompts (500-1500 words).
1. Address the depiction of fatherhood and family in Vinterberg’s “Another Round,” Ostlund’s “Force Majeure,” or both.
2. Address the depiction of the fear of death in “Another Round,” “Force Majeure,” or both.
3. Address the symbolism of various characters drinking alcohol in Vinterberg’s “Another Round.”
4. Address the intersections of Falzon’s “Experiencing Force Majeure” and Ostlund’s “Force Majeure.”

Please watch “The Witch” (also known as Haxan) by Benjamin Christensen and “The Hunt” by Thomas Vinterburg.
Please write a traditional, text-based, analytic paper. Your paper should have a clear thesis statement, present strong support for your argument, cite at least one secondary source and range from 6-8 pages in length (typed, double-spaced with 1” margins and 12-point font). Please use a standard citation model, such as the MLA style guide or the Chicago Manual of Style.
Prompt:
Explore the infrastructure of fear, scapegoating and mass paranoia in The Witch and/or The Hunt. What kinds of discourses do the mobs and masses in each film use to justify their “hunts”? What role, if any, does point of view play in each film? What similarities can you find between the contexts of the medieval European Inquisition and contemporary enlightened Denmark? Please be specific and provide examples.

Please watch “The Witch” (also known as Haxan) by Benjamin Christensen and “The Hunt” by Thomas Vinterburg.
Please write a traditional, text-based, analytic paper. Your paper should have a clear thesis statement, present strong support for your argument, cite at least one secondary source and range from 6-8 pages in length (typed, double-spaced with 1” margins and 12-point font). Please use a standard citation model, such as the MLA style guide or the Chicago Manual of Style.
Prompt:
Explore the infrastructure of fear, scapegoating and mass paranoia in The Witch and/or The Hunt. What kinds of discourses do the mobs and masses in each film use to justify their “hunts”? What role, if any, does point of view play in each film? What similarities can you find between the contexts of the medieval European Inquisition and contemporary enlightened Denmark? Please be specific and provide examples.

PART 1 – Test Case
Discuss either the formula of universal law or the formula of humanity.
Create your own test case following the format presented in Section 4.2 of the text. The text case can be anything you want to consider, but it must be an action such as lying, cheating, or killing one person to save the lives of five others. It can even be an absurd or far-fetched example such as a test case with a maxim that states you will eat a piece of cake any time you sneeze, or that you will sing a brief song every time you blink (These work well when imagining what the world would be like if everyone in it obeyed the universal law).
Follow the numbered steps below to present your test case.
Maxim: State the maxim of your action using first-person singular.
For example: Every time I blink, I will sing a brief song.
Universal Law: Formulate a universal law based on the maxim.
For example: Every time anyone blinks, they will sing a brief song.
The World: Describe what the world would look like if everyone in it must obey the universal law. This step should have a good amount of depth and detail and fully explain the types of behaviors and actions that would occur in this world.
For example: If everyone in the world sang every time they blinked, there would be almost constant singing when people were awake.
Is There a Contradiction? Consider whether there is a contradiction in the world you have imagined. This step is often tricky, so just keep in mind that you are looking for a logical or moral contradiction or paradox—something that would make the world immoral or dysfunctional or absurd.
For example: A world in which everyone sang whenever they blinked would be both dysfunctional and absurd.
State Whether the Maxim Is Moral: If there is no contradiction, then the maxim is moral. If there is a contradiction, then the maxim is immoral.
For example: The maxim is not moral.
PART 2 – Test Case: “Letter From a Birmingham Jail”
Using the same format as above,
Identify a sentence in Dr. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” that you think is consistent with the principles of deontology. Look for sentences that focus on a single idea and above all, sentences that contain an action or can be transformed into an action.
For example, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” is a sentence that falls within the general territory of deontology but does not contain a clear action. To rephrase this maxim with an action, you might state, “Anytime I see injustice, I will fight against it because it is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Place your sentence just below the Part 2 heading, then fill in the five reasoning steps as presented above: (1) Maxim, (2) Universal Law, (3) The World, (4) Contradiction, (5) Conclusion.
Complete your primary post by explaining whether a utilitarian would agree with the conclusion in one of your test cases.

Please review the prescribed reading and watch all 3 videos.
Reading:
What are the steps that Chris Anderson recommends to deliver a killer presentation?
What stands out to you from the article?
Videos:
Please review the videos:
a) What stands out to you in Ken Robinson’s talk- link Chris Anderson’s article to his speech and through this lens dissect this speech. Why do you think this has emerged as one of the most watched TED talks from so many great talks?
b) What message do you take away from Ms. Adichie’s talk?
c) Please briefly summarize Chris Andersson’s video on “secrets” to a great TED Talk?
d) Please share details of a positive high impact speech you remember as making an impact on you- it can be a speech that is well known or one you experienced in a team or your own setting. (If well known, feel free to share any links). Please share why it made such an impression. Come prepared to share these details in class.