Beauty

// Beauty: //Socratic Seminar
 * Goal: to synthesize main ideas from multiple sources in order to develop your own point of view on the subject and consider different perspectives on the same subject. **

You have already learned about the historical background behind the practice of the Socratic method; however, we are now going to practice it for ourselves. Complete the following questions on a separate piece of paper. Answer each question with a complete paragraph (use cited evidence, a main idea sentence and explain your examples/evidence, and don’t forget to conclude your paragraphs. See the model under the heading “Sample Grade A Paragraph” on our class wikispaces page if you want to get a sense of expectations.). Use textual support or specific examples that you can cite in class for each answer. Be prepared to share your answers in seminar but keep in mind this is not an opportunity to read your answers. The expectation is that you think on your feet and contribute to the larger conversation as it develops before you in class. Socratic seminars are an opportunity for everybody to come to a greater understanding of ideas in a piece of writing by following a question “down the rabbit hole.” 1. According to Roger Scruton in “Beauty and Desecration,” “Wherever beauty lies in wait for us, there arises a desire to preempt its appeal, to smother it with scenes of destruction. Hence the many works of contemporary art that rely on shocks administered to our failing faith in human nature—such as the crucifix pickled in urine by Andres Serrano.” How do you think you can identify beauty in life if contemporary art mostly shocks our sense of humanity on a regular basis? JMLR 2. If modern art shocks us but has something to teach us, how should we regard it? 3. Is there a good reason to reject Scruton’s old idea of beauty? 4. Do you think Scruton is suggesting we should invoke censorship in order to restore beauty in the world of art? 5. What value do we place on beauty in our culture? 6. What purpose does beauty serve in our culture?

Write three questions to use in Socratic Seminar. These should not be easily answer, fact-based questions, but questions that could lead to a discussion.


 * 1. **


 * 2. **


 * 3. **

In the seminar in class, you will be graded for participation based on ** the goal of the seminar: to synthesize main ideas from multiple sources to develop your own point of view on the subject and consider different perspectives on the same subject. ** You will be completing a self-evaluation form, after we complete the seminar, based on your performance. I will review it and finalize your grade.