Reading Assignments

Books | Introductory readings | Pro and Con Arguments | Paradigms

Books (required for purchase):

Simon Wiesenthal, The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness (Newly Expanded Paperback edition) (1998: Schocken Books) ISBN: 0805210601

Kenton Machina, The Foundations Book

Book (recommended)

Anthony Arcieri and  Green, Marianne E,  Majoring in Success : Building Your Career While Still in College (1999: Octameron Associates)
ISBN: 1575090465

Introductory  Reading

• Kelly Lantau, "Do you see what I see?" Daily Vidette 10/21/97, p. 4
• Steven Goldberg, The Inevitability of Patriarchy
• From "Monty Python's Flying Circus:The Argument Clinic
• Kenton Machina.  "What Is a University All About? An opinionated introduction to American higher education"

PRO and Con Arguments

• Death penalty:
  Craig Aaron, "The Willing Executioner"
  Robert Pambianco, The Guilty Are Being Executed:

• Hate Crime:
  Nat Hentoff " The crime of hate" , The Washington Times, October 9, 2000
  Blake Cornish, NGLTF Federal Legislative Lawyer, "Hate Crimes Legislation and the First Amendment

• Hate Crime:
  Donald Ponder "Remarks on SB390, Hate Crimes Legislation"
  Stephen Chapman "Laws In Search of a Need
• Assisted suicide:
  Steve Duin "Kate Cheney still doesn't rest in peace"
  Bernard Cardinal Law, "Ideas Have Consequences"
• Arts censorship:
  Bob Herbert: "In America: A Chill Grows in Brooklyn"
  Jacob Sullum "Flung Dung,"

• Arts censorship:
  James K. Glassman, "Government Money Makes Bad Art," The Washington Post. July 18, 1995
  Congressman Martin Olav Sabo, "Why America Mustn't Abolish  the National Endowment for the Arts" Minneapolis Star Tribune. September 24, 1997

• Title IX;
  Bobby Cuza "Quota System Hurts Title IX's Intentions"
  Donna A. Lopiano,  "Colleges Can Achieve Equity in Sports"

• Affirmative Action:
  Robert Jensen, "Unearned Privilege: White people need to acknowledge benefits of unearned privilege."
  Walter Williams, "Affirmative Action Can't Be Mended"

• Teaching:
  Howard Gardner and E.D. Hirsch Jr., Two Views on How to Get Johnny to Read and Think, New York Times, September 11, 1999
• New math:
  Lynne Cheney Once Again, Basic Skills Fall Prey To a Fad
  Thomas Romberg  Mediocre Is Not Good Enough
• Reparations:
  Robinson, Randall, "The Case for Reparations: When?,
  Jay Parker, An Apology and Reparations for Slavery?
• Arctic National Wildlife Refuge :
  Mortimer B. Zuckerman, " The Caribou Conundrum," U.S. News & World Report
  Tony Knowles, governor of Alaska, Prepared Testimony
  Joseph Lieberman. S. 411 . A bill to designate a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as wilderness

Paradigms:

• Lawrence Van Gelder, "Thomas Kuhn, 73; Devised Science Paradigm [Obituary]," The New York Times, June 19, 1996, p. B7.
• John Horgan, "Profile: Reluctant Revolutionary," Scientific American 264 (May, 1991).
• Roy Porter, "The Legacy of the Enlightenment", The Enlightenment (Humanities Press International, 1990), pp. 61-3. 
• Nicolas Condorcet, excerpt from Sketch for a Historical Picture of the Progress of the Human Mind.
• J. J. Rousseau, excerpt from "Discourse on the Origins of Inequality...." 
• James McPherson, "Reconstruction Reconsidered"