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Activity Wall Discussion #3 (Due 11/1, Follow-Up 11/4)


DISCUSSION #3 on ACTIVITY WALL

(Initial comments by November 1st; follow-up comments by November 4th)

Core Readings: 

Michel de Montaigne’s “That To Study Philosophy is to Learn to Die” essay

Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, Part III, Chapter X

Walter Kaufmann’s “Death without Dread” Essay

Lucretius’ On the Nature of Things: “Folly of the Fear of Death”

After completing Unit 3, please post your comments on the following philosophical issues on the P2PU Activity Wall for this study group:

  • Explain how one’s philosophical attitude about death affects one’s philosophical attitudes in life.
  • Argue for or against the moral and philosophical appropriateness of ending one’s own life.
  • Describe how philosophers and writers such as Lucretius, Montaigne, Swift, and Walter Kaufmann frame contemporary attitudes about death.

Post your initial comments on the P2PU Activity Wall by midnight (Eastern time) on November 1st   Then, between November 1st and November 4th please make certain to read the comments of other study group members and post a few follow-up comments that engage your colleagues’ comments. Please make sure to reply to the initial posts by midnight (Eastern time) on November 4th.  As this is the official end of the study group, thank you for your time and please take a moment to provide your feedback by completing the survey in the last Task item. 

Task Discussion