English Class Rocks!

What do Utopians believe to be the purpose of life (hint: pg 91-93) & how is this to be achieved?  Does this seem like a reasonable plan of life? What would More say about contemporary ideas about pleasure?

“There’s a delightful image in Plato, which explains why a sensible person is right to steer clear of politics. He sees everyone else rushing into the street and getting soaked in the pouring rain. He can’t persuade them to go indoors and keep dry. He knows if he went out too, he’d merely get equally wet. So he just stays indoors himself, and, as he can’t do anything about other people’s stupidity, comforts himself with the thought: ‘Well, I’m all right, anyway.’”

     Is Hythloday correct in this analogy? Or is More right when he says, “If you can’t completely eradicate wrong ideas, or deal with inveterate vices as effectively as you could wish, that’s no reason for turning your back on public life altogether. You wouldn’t abandon ship in a storm just because you couldn’t control the winds?”

Give a description of your idea of a utopia. 

While it is anyone’s guess as to how many people have actually read The Prince, it is so well known that Machiavelli’s name has entered our language.  Machiavellian is defined as ‘characterized by expediency, deceit and cunning’ and carries a very negative connotation.  Does Machiavelli deserve this connotation?  Explain.

Politicians are often criticized for adding “pork” (lots of goodies for special interests, etc.) to the national budget. What might Machiavelli say about this kind of generosity? What would be the practical effects of giving the citizens too much of what they ask for?

Machiavelli wrote The Prince while in exile, yet in his preface he spends a lot of time praising the very ruler that had him banished from the city of Florence. How do Machiavelli’s actions here reflect the political advice he gives to the rest of us? Is he following his own precepts or is he being hypocritical as he “sucks up” to the ruler?  There are some who would say that Machiavelli wrote The Prince solely as a way to end his exile from Florence and that the book is therefore ‘false’ or ‘fake’ - any thoughts on this opinion?

Which is more important for a nation - stablity or ethics?  Why?  In answering this question, please give me what you think and what Machiavelli would say.

Welcome to Masterpieces of the Renaissance!

     As we go through the semester, we will be using this blog to continue to discuss some of the big ideas that surface during our class discussions as well as using it to take a look at some ideas we will not get to during class time.

    Your participation in this blog will count towards your class participation grade.  A new question will be posted every Thursday and you will have 1 week to comment on the question.  You can (and should) be reading the comments posted by your classmates as well.