SFC / The Human Condition

sfcreview-humancondition While these are good reviews, they are always in the process of change.

Second Part of Junior Faith:
The Human Condition

Section Review and Test Preview

Content assigned: Section in Reading Books on the Human Condition, Thomas Jefferson's "Letter ot Peter Carr," M. Scott Peck's "Choosing a Map for Life."

Videos:

What The Blank Do We Know?"bridge from this section into section on Reason
Bill Moyers' PBS Special The Truth About Lies
handout Harold Kushner's When Bad Things Happen to Good People
Fr. Gary Braun's homily on audio "Imagine There's A Heaven"

Know the short story of Socrates and the Delphic Oracle. Why did the Oracle deem Scorates the wisest man alive?
List and explain five aspects of the human condition. Be able to cite at least five sources from the course and be able to explain and evaluate each well.
What ideas presented in this section about the humna condition do we see presented historically in Bill Moyers' PBS Special The Truth About Lies
What is the classic, philosophical problem of evil? What is Rabbi Kushner's response?
Optional but encouraged: What is the Catholic response offered by Peter Kreeft? Click these two links so you can see that this has been a major challenge for theologians and philosophers for years becasue it is a major challlnege of most people at some time in their lives.
Summarize the key ideas of Rabbi Kushner's When Bad Things Happen to Good People. This can be done as a section assignment.
Summarize what these historical figures have said aboout the human condition: Pascal, Marcus Aurelius, Buddha, Fromm, Plato and Aristotle.
What does the Christian doctrine of original sin offer about the human condition? Would the above thinkers agree or disagree with this view of man?
List and explain three effects of original sin.
According to Christian theology, what are the four last things every person faces?
Be able to solve snail questions. What does this have to do with the human condition? How are these metaphors for real learning?
Thomas Jefferson's Letter to Peter Carr
1. Jefferson lists many important things in life. What is first, second, and third on Jefferson's list? Why?
2. When a person is tempted to be dishonest or immoral, what does Jefferson suggest that the person do?
3. Jefferson compares physical exercise of a limb to moral exercise of one's character. Do you agree with this comparison? Why or why not?
M. Scott Peck's "Choosing a Map for Life"
1. According to Peck, why are "maps" important tour lives?
2. Why is it difficult to update our maps of the world?
3. Why are self-discipline and truth so important to Peck?

Terms you should know: transference, human condition, original sin, concupiscence, the problem of evil.

Web assignment for the Human Condition section

Do ONE of these options due the day before the section test at the begining of class. This should be your web page and a hard copy should be handed in with the weekly test. Remember that I am open to contracting with you if you have another assignment that you want to do that will help you better understand this section.

A self-reflection: An example of maps/transference in your life Make sure you give M. Scott's Peck's description of transference and why is it something of which we should be aware. Then give a significant, personal, example showing you know this idea, understand and have applied it to your life.
My Human Condition Take some time to reflect upon your human condition. Reflect upon a few of the most important aspects of the human condition that affect you and what are the effects of this upon you. Which of all these ideas apply to you best? Which of these help you better understand your self and your life?
Living a Deliberate Life Henry David Thoreau spoke of living a deliberate life. " I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived ... I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life ..." Aristotle said that most men lives lives of ships in the sea without rudders. Plato said the unreflected life is not worth living. Pascal believed most men busied themselves with distractions in order not to face the major questions of life. What about you? To what degree are living a deliberate life? To what degree are you guiding your own ship?

Journal

usually due the day of the section test at the begining of class. This should be your web page and a hard copy should be handed in with the section test. Five parts, rubric grading: 1) One paragraph summary of the key idea summarizing the topic of the section 2) List and explain three of the most important ideas you want to remember from this section. week. Explain in a clear and complete manner. Explain in a way that someone reading would be able to know and understand the ideas appreciate its worth. Make it clear why you think these are worth remebering. 3) One image of that reminds you of the topic. Attribute, link, your source. 4) One good question you should keep with you to ponder. OR Suggest to me a fourth thing to do that will help you review section, thing more deeply about issues you choose and prepare for the test

Good examples of Journals from the first section:
Matt Vonderheide | Steve Portnoy | Joe Hoffmann | Tim Rudolph | Jack Pitts | Brendan Steinway

Recommended extra credit

Check the extra credit web page. I think there are some that you might find very interesting. Remember that you can contract with me if you have any good ideas.

Look on to one of these great websites and choose a program that is relevant to the contents of this section.
- View a Frontline program and write a summary of it. Show which key ideas it illustrates.
- Listen to a Speaking of Faith radio program and write a summary of it. Show which key ideas it illustrates.

Two I'd recommend Hearing Muslim Voices aftter 9-11 and Moral Man and Immoral Society: The Theolgy of Reinhold Niebuhr or The Problem of Evil.

Let me, and your classmates, know if there is anything missed on this review.