Del, I don't flat out tell student how to live, but I do ask them to reflect on opinions they hold. So, while I wouldn't consider such an answer a complete answer, I do not personally find it inappropriate.
What is the purpose of higher education? I still subscribe to the idea of a liberal education where learning is encouraged because it makes us better people. I do not think that the pursuit of more money is an adequate justification for academia. I wonder if in response to the student's question about mobility it would make sense to move into a discussion of the structure of American education, how it has changed, and the sociological impact of that change. Brian Del Thomas Ph. D. wrote: > Brian, > > Do you consider it appropriate to answer a student who questions > mobility.... with > > "only the examined life is really worth living?" > > Do you tell students how to live? > > Del > > > > Brian Burchett wrote: > >>Del Thomas Ph. D. wrote: >> >> >>>Hi, Glad to see that some of you are awake. Mine is not an examined life >>>:-) . At least I try not to. >>> >>>This thread started with student reaction to the "myth of upward >>>mobility"...suggesting that students who question the data should be >>>told "I would tell the student >>>that only the examined life is really worth living" is to be >>>encouraged? Not only does it cut off learning but it is inappropriate. >>> >> >> >>Sorry, I normally just lurk, but I happened to look up from reading >>Plato to see the admonition to examine one's life labeled 'inappropriate.' >> >>I thought it was rather ironic, and couldn't stop myself from sharing. >> >> > > > > > -- Brian Burchett Manager, Classroom & Cluster Services Office of Information Technologies University of Notre Dame 230 DeBartolo Hall 1.574.631.6503 [EMAIL PROTECTED] |------------------------------------------------------------------| |"There's a statistical theory that if you gave a million | | monkeys typewriters and set them to work, they'd eventually | | come up with the complete works of Shakespeare. Thanks to | | the Internet, we now know this|isn't true." | | --Ian Hart, British actor | | |------------------------------------------------------------------| --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Teaching Sociology" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/teachsoc -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
