IQ 7
Rachel Sargent
1. Socrates claims that you should never commit injustice against a person. Is
this true or are there any mitigating circumstances? What if an injustice to
one person would prevent harm to many others? Or what if not commiting an
injustice to one person was an injustice to someone else?
2. 'Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give up their unjust
posture; but, as Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups tend to be more
immoral than individuals.' Why is this so? Can it be helped?
3. 'I suppose I should have realized that few members of the oppressor race can
understand the deep groans and passionate yearnings of the oppressed race.' Can
people ever truly know what they haven't experienced themselves?
Rachel
Nilima Abrams
King discusses laws as being just/unjust. He describes the criteria which makes
a law just/unjust and says it's okay to break unjust laws if it is done openly
and lovingly. Also, he often praises Socrates. Interestly, however, Socrates
does not discuss the ability to break unjust laws, rather he seems to
dogmatically adhere to laws in general. Compare and contrast these two,
seemingly oppositional views, and give evidence for why King appears to admire
Socrates so much.
Is Anigone a selfless and devoted sister, or does she act (in burrying her
brother) out of stubborn pride? Discuss her interactions with Ismene in your
response.
Compare Antigone to Dr. King, their actions, attitudes etc. Can parellels be
drawn between early Creon and majority American society?
Graham Budd
MLK's writes, "A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or
the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral
law." How are we to determine what the moral law is? When people are split on
questions of morality how are we to tell just and unjust laws apart?
After reading these two texts what should the limits on freedom of speech and
action be if any?
Do you take Antigone's side; fo you think she was right? If so do you likewise
feel that modern religious zealots deserve similar sympathy?
Lauren Barnett
How would Martin Luther King Jr. react to Antigone¹s response to what she felt an unjust application of law? Would he have agreed with her decision or would he condemn it.
Do you think that Antigone reacted out of moral obligation or familial pride? Was her act one of defiance or principle? Would you consider her a feminist?
Were Antigone¹s actions rational or irrational? Is it enough that she may have believed in what she was doing was rational, or do we need to take other factors into consideration?
Zuzana Srostlik
1) Antigone isn't a stand-alone case of political defiance - how do modern day activists (as they could be called) compare?
2) MLK writes his letter from the jail in a way that brings his point of view through a roller coaster ride for the audience reading it - is it effective? did he get his message through?
3) Of the group Socrates, MLK, and Antigone - they all have their own ideas on justice and injustice - how each is defined and what to do about it. Do any parts of their definitions overlap, or sit at extreme poles to each other?
Joe Briggs
1.. The Rev. Martin Luther King compares himself to the prophets who
spread the word of Jesus throughout the ancient world. As a follower of
Jesus, would King have supported sending missionaries to Africa despite
their detrimental effects to the natives, or would he have preferred the
continent be left unspoiled and without the introduction of Christianity?
2.. MLK's civil disobedience was contingent on the city enforcing its own
foolish laws, but had the city refused and just accepted MLK's actions would
he have still succeeded? Was his goal simply to gain equality or would he
not have been satisfied until the state actually changed its official
stance?
3.. At the time of Antigone's disobedience religion was an integral part
of society, politics, and law, so is it really any detriment to her that her
actions were based on faith? Their laws were founded within the bounds of
their religious system, just as ours are based within our constitution and
bill of rights. Wouldn't rebelling for having been denied those religious
rights that were greater than the laws themselves be equivalent to MLK's
rebellion more recently for being denied his civil rights, the current
foundation considered greater than law?
Katherine Cook
1. If we accept instrumental rationality as a reasonable standard, can it be
argued that Socrates uses this sort of rationality in Crito?
2. We were discussing MLK Jr's Letter From A Birmingham Jail in class, and
Prof. Bailly said something along the lines of "if an unjust law is not
enforced, and instead of brutality, the would be enforcers extend some sort of
kindness, such as a pizza, the wind is taken out of the sails of the
demonstrators" Is it rational for the would-be-enforcer to act civilly toward
the demonstrator? If so, why do they act irrationally?
3. In the Apology, Socrates seems to think that when he says he doesn't know
anything that the Athenians will take that as humility. Does it have that
effect, or does it make Socrates seem more arrogant?
Ashley Orenberg:
1.) In what ways does the story of Antigone reflect or not reflect the theme of
principles as an element of rationality? Explain the reasoning behind your
answer.
2.) Knowing what we do know of Socrates, how do you think he would respond to
Antigone's behavior? Do you think he would have supported the way in which she
stood by her convictions or would he actually disagree with her lack of
allegiance to the leader (Creon)?
3.) MLK states that "an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is
unjust and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse
the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing
the highest respect for law." Would Socrates agree with this statement why or
why not? Or do you feel that this is what Antigone accomplished or was trying
to accomplish through her actions or did she have different motives?
Nathan Mahany
1) What are the similarities and differences between the situations of Socrates,
Antigone, and Martin Luther King? What are the differences? Who’s reasoning
is more sound.
2) Is the fact that Antigone deliberately broke a law, the penalty of which she
knew to be death, a disadvantage to her cause? Was she just trying to be a
martyr? Was Socrates?
3) What message can one derive from Antigone and what part does Creon’s sudden
change of heart play in all of this? It seemed to me that, in the end, Creon
acted out of fear and not really out of belief. I don’t think that he ever saw
where he was wrong. What is your opinion?
Liz Guenard
1) "One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty" Martin Luther King Jr says. How is civil disobedience justified in "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" compared to the way it would be rationalized in Sophocles' "Antigone"? How is moral duty and the unjust law defined in each? How might you interpret Socrates' stance on civil disobedience and unjust law in Plato's "Apology?
2) How do Antigone's gendered roles as sister and daughter conflict with moral or state laws? Why do you think she chooses to maintain some principles while deserting others?
3) How does Martin Luther King Jr. use historical references to back his ideas? Why should or should it not be judged as an effective tool in rationalizing his actions?