Monday 26 September 2011
A human being is a part of the whole called by us "the universe"
Albert Einstein wrote, "A human being is a part of the whole called by us 'the universe,' a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening the circle of understanding and compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty." Einstein's passage reflects the idea of empathy as we have seen it examined in several videos and other sources. Explain how (or if) empathy might free us from what Einstein calls "the optical delusion of consciousness." Use at least six of the works from: (Martin Luther King JR.- Letter from Birmingham Jail John Rawls - A Theory of Justice Henry David Thoreau - Civil Disobedience Ralph Waldo Emerson - Self-Reliance Ruth Benedict - The individual and the Pattern of Culture Howard Gardner - A Round Version : The Theory of Multiple Intelligences Steven Pinker - Thinking Machines V.S. Ramachanran - Neuroscience : The New Philosophy Stephen Gould - Nonmoral Nature Francis Bacon - The four Idols as support for your argument, along with any of the videos from TED: Michael Pollan on Also, Leopold's ideas and looking at nature from another species's point-of-view, Jeremy Rifkin on empathy and mirror neurons (an RSA video on TED talks), Sam Richard's "A Radical Experiment in Empathy," and VS Ramachandran on mirror neurons. Be sure you EXAMINE how and why others we have read would agree or disagree with Einstein's claim that we must embrace an ever-widening circle in orders to free ourselves from the prison of delusion. As part of your overall argument, include your own response to these ideas. Be sure the essay has a thesis.
