Tuesday, May 6, 2008

On Thinking

On Thinking

“Thinking…is a solitary but a lonely business; solitude is that human situation in which I keep myself company. Loneliness comes about when I am alone without…being able to keep myself company… [In thinking] I am both the one who asks and the one who answers.

“According to Kant, thinking is ‘talking with oneself…hence also inwardly listening.’

“Thus the criterion for action is ‘whether I shall be able to live with myself in peace when the time has come to think about my deeds and words. Conscience is the anticipation of the fellow who awaits you if and when you come home [to yourself].’

“The manifestation of the wind of thought is not knowledge; it is the ability to tell right from wrong, beautiful from ugly. And this, at the rare moments when the stakes are on the table, may indeed prevent catastrophes, at least for the self.”

- Hannah Arendt, Thinking, Volume I of The Life of the Mind [1]

Read:

Thomas Merton, “Rain and the Rhinoceros”
Sarah Orne Jewett, “A White Heron”
Linda Elder, “Looking to the Future with a Critical Eye: A Message for High School Graduates”

After Reading:

As Americans, we sometimes take your freedom of speech for granted. For this essay, you are not writing about “What is thinking?” Instead, you are writing a persuasive or cause-effect essay on the topic of your choice. You need to carefully select your topic, plan your method of development, and use a minimum of three sources to support your thesis. You will need to use Chicago style for referencing and citing your sources.
[1] Ballata, Phyllis. “On Thinking” Writing from Life: Collecting and Connecting. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing, 1997. 56.

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