Enlightenment Critique Presentations

11/29/2013

Your assignment (20 points):
A.) Choose a thinker you didn't study for this project. Watch at least two presentations on that thinker's critique of the Enlightenment.
B.) Write a one-paragraph (minimum 5 sentences) evaluation of that critique. Want extra credit? Respond to someone, substantively.

<Note: They should all be up by 4:30 Friday.>

EDMUND BURKE - The Conservative Critique
http://prezi.com/c9aqqvlll6lx/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share
http://prezi.com/3noxpkl11vyq/edit/

KARL MARX - The Capitalism Critique
karl-marx-ufq3-cv-cnxj.zip http://prezi.com/wzrakd0vlpdv/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share
http://prezi.com/jlzz0v7idnrc/copy-of-karl-marx/#

MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT - The Feminist Critique
http://prezi.com/wggd4-or7lgm/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

MICHEL FOUCAULT - The Postmodern Critique
http://prezi.com/b8vize4p1zex/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share
http://prezi.com/g_kmkjq-1ycg/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy
http://prezi.com/1beh6sj-xh4-/untitled-prezi/

THEODORE ADORNO - The Cultural Critique
http://prezi.com/wxh7va5hc3dq/adorno/

edmund_burke.ppt
File Size:	854 kb
File Type:	ppt

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michel_foucault.jpg
File Size:	168 kb
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6 Comments

Amy Cavallo

12/1/2013 09:58:43 am

In response to Haley, Katie, Bridget, and Zack's presentation on Burke's conservative critique, I definitely share some of their opinions. First of all, I agree that there is a time and place for slightly more conservative ideas/actions, such as in the professional workplace or schools. However, I think our modern world should be focused on fading out conservatism and bringing in liberalism. In the presentation, they mentioned how the conservative view point saw human imperfection as a problem that made humans untrustworthy with freedom. I don't believe this to be true. Perhaps, the fact that no two humans are alike, causing all people to be "imperfect" and unpredictable, just further enforces the greatness of the individuality presented in the concept of liberalism. Lastly, their point on Anti-Democracy intrigued me for sure. I stand by the fact that peace should be one of the top priorities of a society. At the same time, it should not come before the happiness of well being of the people. I understand you can't keep everyone happy, but the joy of the majority is quite important for maintaining peace. Therefore, I think a ruling presence needs input from those it presides over in order to keep peace. Overall, I mostly agree with Haley, Katie, Bridget, and Zack's opinions.

Adel Soliman

12/1/2013 10:44:20 am

Theodore Adorno was correct about how the world would become zombified with the amount of emphasis that was put on technology. A recent issue covering globe is texting and driving. People are paying to much attention to technology it is putting their lives and others in danger. Like Mike's group said, technology puts society back into tutelage in which people just surf the web for answers to life. Instead of thinking for themselves, they just seek out the answer that is now easily available to them. Adorno was also right in saying war will be the end of the worlds structure. Our obsession with advancing in technology allowed us to create the Atomic Bomb which destroyed an entire city within a second and nuclear missiles which can leave an entire country in ruins. By becoming dependent on war to solve our problems, the human race will kill it self off before solving anything. By centering our life around money and materialistic items, we have lost all culture. If we continue with our ways, everything will just result with anarchy like Adorno warned.

Jazz Graham

12/1/2013 10:07:19 pm

Before reading the article on Michel Foucault, I thought that I would agree with him, but I realized that his theory is a little extreme. He believes that society produces medication, and surveillance to keep people from expressing creativity. Michel Foucault thinks that medication and surveillance causes people to seem "crazy", when in reality, they are simply expressing creativity. I do not agree with Michel Foucault because, medication and surveillance was not invented to tame creativity, it was invented to tame the ability to harm something. Medication was created to make people who could potentially cause harm, not want to. Surveillance was created to keep people who could cause harm in check. Medication, surveillance, and other antidotes, are created to ensure safety, not destroy creativity and selfness.

Amy Thomas

12/2/2013 08:16:22 am

I agree with Edmund Burke's opinions, summarized in the presentation by Luke, Samantha, Quinn, and Anthony. Things shouldn't be rushed because there is a time for everything. Also, Burke believed that if something were rushed, in this case politics and the economy, it would fall apart, which is so true seeing that the Enlightenment didn't fully work out as planned. Things in life shouldn't be rushed, such as nature. Plants can turn really nasty if you rush its natural growth pace. Even with people, if you rush someone, say to hurry and get out of the house, they tend to forget to grab one last thing or do something. It may not sound too dangerous at first, but what if the last thing they had to do was turn off the oven or stove after cooking something? Next thing you know, the house is on fire. So I definitely agree with Burke that gradual change is better.

Mya Alexice

12/2/2013 09:10:25 am

I understand that there is no way to explain all of Foucault's philosophies in a powerpoint/prezi, so if I disagree with him, it might be because I have not read all of his reasoning for a specific thing he says.

For example, I feel as if he's a little biased towards mental institutions and officials in power and medication when these things sometimes (not always, of course) help. They're not *always* terrible. At the moment, we live in a society where a tremendously schizophrenic person cannot function to her/his fullest potential without a harsh backlash from the community, if that makes sense. For example, a person with an uncontrollable case of multiple personality disorder would probably benefit from the sanctuary of a mental institution. Unfortunately, we do not live in a society where said person would be able to function as they wished outside of an asylum. Okay, that was me going off on a tangent.

Overall, I enjoy Foucault's ideas regarding sexuality and the over sexualisation of the female body and his outlook on society. Though I feel his experiences weigh very heavily on his philosophies, I cannot tell is this is detrimental to his logic or not.

Jose Montealegre

12/2/2013 09:44:38 am

(Mr. Biggs, I had a problem viewing all of the prezis. I was only able to see the last two presentations and so I had to choose Foucault)

After viewing how Elijah’s group organized their information, I also agree that he was biased about medication and surveillance. Yes, medication was used for people with illnesses, but Foucault believed that it took away their ability to be themselves. He might be partially right, but I am one of those people that would agree that it was intended to not risk the possibility of them harming others. I mean, I wouldn’t want the possibility of them harming me. I don’t think anyone would. Now, when talking about the surveillance, I believe it is also a good thing. The cameras make us act in a certain way (polite) so that everyone is in a safe environment, and if someone does something wrong, then we have the cameras to prove who it was, right? Surveillance changes our manners to provide a safe environment for people, and I’m fine with that. Overall, I agree with Elijah’s group’s critique.

English and Philosophy