Summer Wisdom from Walt Whitman

As the school year comes to and end and summer break begins for most of you, the words of

Drawing by Mara Silvers

“Uncle” Walt Whitman seem especially appropriate:

“This is what you shall do; Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body.”

Have a wonderful summer. Experience dirt between your toes, sunlight on your faces, and wisdom in your minds.

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And Some Photos from Greece

Greece is a lovely place to visit.

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Some of My Photos from Turkey

I’ve posted a few of my photos from Turkey on my travel blog for any of you who are interested in checking it out. Greece to follow!

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Summer Wisdom from Uncle Walt

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As the school year comes to and end and summer break begins for most of you, the words of “Uncle” Walt Whitman seem especially appropriate:

“This is what you shall do; Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body.”

Have a wonderful summer. Experience dirt between your toes, sunlight on your faces, and wisdom in your minds.

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Debate Test for Correction

Mr. Pogreba
Debate Class
Ethics Quiz

Section 1: Short Answer
Instructions: Answer each question completely, showing understanding of the concept. You don’t need to write complete sentences, but do need to have complete, clear ideas.

1. What is metaethics‌

2. What are normative ethics‌

3. What is the difference between act and rule utilitarianism‌

4. What did Kant mean by the idea of transcendental idealism‌

5. What does the term deontological mean‌

6. What are two parts of the categorical imperative‌

7. Provide 2 reasons why utilitarian thinking is flawed.

Section 2: Paragraph Response
Answer each question with a full paragraph, demonstrating knowledge and application of the ethical concepts we have learned.

1. You run an animal shelter. Budget cutbacks have forced you to make a decision between firing five of your workers or euthanizing many of the animals at the shelter, something you have never done before. Using either Bentham or Kant as your ethical guide, pick one option and explain what makes it the more ethical choice.

2. You are the principal of an elementary school with an unusual student body. 40% of your students are incredibly gifted students and thinkers, and 60% are far below their grade level in reading and math. One group of teachers believes that you should teach all the students equally so that everyone can achieve, one believes you should focus on the gifted students because they have the most promise, and one group believes that you should focus on the students with special needs because they deserve the attention. Using Betham or Kant as your ethical guide, what do you do‌

3. Analyze what might make application of the categorical imperative problematic in modern society. List specific problems with the philosophy and make the case that it is not a useful framework for ethical decisions.

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