“The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth…”
“Believe only half of what you see and nothing that you hear.” (Edgar Allen Poe) How do we decipher between fact and fiction; the objective verses the subjective; and can we ever be truly partial in certain or any situation(s)? So, how do we know what to believe? How can we decipher between opinion and fact? The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle referred to and named three major components of argument: Ethos, Logos, and Pathos; respectively, Character (You), Logic (Evidence), and Emotion (Narration or your story). Our class will use the ancient Socratic method of argument and debate and employ Ethos, Logos, and Pathos to debate controversial arguments that have stood the test of time. Issues will include: The drug epidemic and the legalization of marijuana, racism and privilege, mass media involvement, crimes of hate and scape-goating, acts of homeland security / terrorism and genocide.
- Teacher: Colleen Shaughnessy