Research Paper On Dearest Diderot

In the essay, Disliking Books at an Early Age, Gerald Graff talks about his transition from being displeased and uninterested in literature, to having intellectual discussions about it and even teaching it. He did not begin to enjoy reading until he had discussions about the books that he read, which showed him a different perspective. Overall, his essay explains how readers can only enjoy literature if they turn it into a social activity by freely interpreting and discussing the pieces they have read.

Today, no one seems to give much value of literary works or reading. Not because it doesn’t give anything beneficiary, but because not everyone had the urged to at least finish a book. We now live in a world where social medias almost dominates our daily activities. It’s unlikely to have a place for us to consume a non-fiction or fiction book. As absurd as it sounds but that’s how people often think. We now live in an egalitarian society, where everyone is given the freedom and right of its own.

Northrop Frye 's the Educated Imagination, published in 1963, attempts to bring out the meaning and effect of possessing an educated imagination in contrast to its opposite. Dr. Frye analyses how his theory advances society’s interests and overcomes its limits through the three levels of the human mind. In his essay, the three levels are broken down in a detailed manner, which links it directly its thesis. Frye presents definitive answers to his questions in the beginning of his essay, “What good is the study of literature? Does it help us to think more clearly, or feel more sensitively, or live a better life than we could without it?” Conclusively, the education of an individual’s mind is critical to understand the world we live in and to the advancement of our society. Educating the mind consists of absorbing and modifying literature, understanding and evolving art, and placing science within context without having data as the boundaries of our imagination.

Within our society, there is a growing anti-intellectual sentiment. Bradbury’s book explores the idea of anti-intellectualism through the values of the society of Fahrenheit 451. The society of Bradbury’s novel began to gravitate away from intellectual pursuits and became “runners, jumpers, racers, tinkerers, grabbers, snatchers, fliers, and swimmers instead of examiners, critics, knowers, and imaginative creators, the word 'intellectual,' of course, became the swear word it deserved to be” (Bradbury 55). The desire to become educated and informed simply is outweighed by the struggle one must undergo to do so. For the average citizen of Fahrenheit 451, and indeed for that of our modern day and age, action is easier than thought. The attitude is reflected in student athletes or should I say, athlete students, specifically in America. High schools

Faber knows the importance of independent thoughts and being intellectual. He lives a happy life because of the knowledge he retained and now, passes his knowledge to others. A big lesson that Faber taught Montag was that the destruction of books by themselves is not what caused unhappiness. He explains it’s the knowledge that was within them, and how the same knowledge could be given without books, “It’s not books you need, it’s some of the things that once were in books. The same things could be in the ‘parlor families’ today. The same infinite detail and awareness could be projected through the radios and televisiors but are not”(78). Faber explains that there are plenty of ways to gain knowledge however these ways are silenced by the government on purpose to control the citizens. Faber does express there are other ways to retain knowledge but explains books were the best way. When speaking about the bible Faber says, “Do you know why books such as this are so important? Because they have quality. And what does the word quality mean? To me it means texture. This book has pores”(83). Faber uses the word texture to explain the details of life. He lets Montag know that people need quality information on life and the freedom to be able to apply the information learned. People who do not have the right to retain knowledge

Joan Didion uses rhetorical words in “Morality,” to emphasize her claim as to why she is suspicion of the definition of morality. Throughout, “Morality,” Didion defines and provides varies arguments as to why she is skeptical towards moral principles. Didion starts her essay by describing her location to present an emotional appeal to her particular setting. “As it happens I am in Death Valley, in a room at the Enterprise Motel and Trailer Park, and it is July, and it is hot (106, para 1).” The significance of describing the setting helps the reader become aware of the authors hidden meanings around the individual location, time, and weather. The tone of the setting described by Didion evokes emotions of isolation, despair, and loneliness.

Even though this speech was incredibly difficult, I loved the project and the purpose of the class: to think deeply, to create and discuss ideas, to change and shape our opinions. I uncovered passions for many different aspects of humanities in this class, and that experience combined with my experience captaining an ethical debate team intersect in philosophy. I’ve always been an avid reader but I find that my favorite books--The Fall, The Trial, Sometimes A Great Notion--all incorporate the critical thought I’m drawn to with philosophy. I love to think, and that’s what philosophy is all

In his article “The Neglect of the Intellect: Sloth,” Mortimer J. Adler asserts that the disuse of a person’s intellect is a moral injustice. Adler coins the term “sloth” to describe the people committing this moral crime. He believes that people should use their intellectual abilities for their own personal pleasure rather than for economic or political gain. Adler employs an aggressive tone when describing the abuse of the intellect, and appeals to the reader’s emotion when portraying intellect as a way the only way to live a morally good life. Adler’s purpose is to convince his readers that intellect should be used solely for the purpose of increasing knowledge. While Adler’s article gives a reasonably convincing argument about learning for your own well-being, he fails to support his claims, baffles his readers with the overuse of intelligent sounding words, and neglects to explain why you should be intellectual just for the sake of it.

Graff believes that intellectualism is good and should be used in students reading. He stated in his essay, when he went to college he hated books and was more interested in sports. He

What is the value of studying the humanities in a business or technical curriculum? How might a topic such as ancient art enhance contemporary life?

The deeper that one understands the reality of the intellectualism that many “street smart” people have they will preserve the importance of the individuals. This is vital for the public to understand that “Real intellectuals turn any subject, however lightweight it may seem, into grist for their mill through the thoughtful questions they bring to it, whereas a dullard will find a way to drain the interest out of the richest subject.” (Page 1) In “Hidden Intellectualism” Gerald Graff explains the overwhelming importance for the “street smart” people and the pretentious intellectuals. In Hidden Intellectualism, Gerald Graff starts with the age-old contention of the distinction between "school smarts" and "street smarts." Graff clarifies that by and large, these book smarts can take different structures and stow away in what individuals call road smarts, subsequently the "concealed" intellectualism. For him, he understood that he was mentally skilled when he saw that he was utilizing reason and factious techniques while talking about games with companions. Graff depicts that through his contending and thinking, he was demonstrating his scholarly side. He additionally gives the peruser another illustration of the revelation of shrouded intellectualism by telling the tale of Michael Warner, a man who likewise understood his scholarly side through his contending aside from rather than games, he was contending the Christian Pentecostal perspectives of his guardians.

In James V, Schall’s A Students Guide to Liberal Learning, he addresses the idea and importance of an authentic liberal arts education. Schall inquires about books and scholars of which centralize around the idea of a liberal education and of which has shaped our society. Schall examines the works of several authors who are in his opinion the guides to learning, and his essay serves as a fundamental building block for the creation of a “Personal Library”.

The knowledge gained from a single book lent him power; the capacity to reveal his innocence, self, and of course his unique brilliance. Once again, Aldous Huxley teaches a valuable lesson: the enabling power derived from literacy. Instead of just instructing our students (or more suitably labeled our future leaders) that reading is good for you, show them. Hand them books, perhaps then they can unmask their natural curiosity and creativity. This solution is not derived solely on prediction, but through a funnel of subdivisions from education to literacy to book distribution. Each layer of complexity further narrows down to simple solution for a fundamental problem: the ever-growing issue of education rights. The right to a proper education proves elusive when of all times it need be accessible to all, no matter of privilege. Learning through literacy and reading provides a economic and effective approach to resolving a continuing problem. Ensuring the right to education is worthy goal to undertake, doing so prepares the world collectively for future trials and tribulations by crafting the better, sophisticated generations

In “An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory” Bennett and Royle, explore topics such as subjectivity and ideology. In the Chapters “Me” and Ideology”, Bennett and Royle are able to define the terms as well as suggest how they are interrelated or interconnected. Bennett and Royle contend that literature replicates structures of ideology while encouraging subjects to question personal idenitity. They believe “subjects – people – make their own ideology at the same time as ideology makes them subjects” (Bennett and Royle 202). Stevens exemplifies Bennett and Royles contentions by building his ideologies around his profession as a bulter at the risk of losing himself to the subjection of his ideologies in which he can never be alone and cannot exist without his profession or the justications of his profession.

Allow me to begin this paper with a quick story. Going into this semester, I knew absolutely nothing about philosophy, and I thought that with this class being a Gen Ed, that it was going to be a cakewalk on my way to just getting it out of the way. I quickly learned how wrong that my mind frame going into the class, as it was quickly finding itself digging me a deep hole to crawl into, grade wise. I never realized how deep the roots of philosophy ran, from government to art. This class has opened my eyes to the world around with more depth than I thought was possible. From Plato’s dualism to Nietzsche’ tragic optimism; there are just so many different facets to the realm of philosophy that I have just started to learn about. All in all, Its been successful semester and taking this course has helped open my eyes to the larger world around me, as well as help me decide where I stand on my own philosophy. But before I get into that, allow me to describe to you a few of the things I learned in this class, as well as where I stand on a few of the hotter topics in the world of philosophy.