Posted: September 16th, 2017

Reflective Journal.

It is Reflective Journal.

2-there are 5 different topic, each entry should be about 2-3 paragraphs in length (that is, about 250-300 words, typed, double-spaced). So, for the topics, each topic I’m going to be providing a link, which could be a video or a reading that the writer has to listen to or go over the reading in order to write the reflective journal

3- Here is what I’m looking for in terms of content/structure:
-Everything on ONE document (not a different document for each entry)
-Entries clearly separated by several spaces
-Date and question/issue clearly marked IN BOLD at the beginning of each new entry
-Discussion in 2-3 paragraphs (individual entries should be no less than 250 words each—and no more than 300 words in total)
Entries should discuss the relevant question or issue and what they think about it.

4- engages with the issue in a way that shows that the writer is really thinking about the question at hand/goes beyond obvious dichotomies and really tries to think about the issue from a balanced, more subtle perspective/clearly engages ideas from the readings in a way that shows depth of analysis and sustained thought/is aware of alternative answers to the same question and incorporates some of that into one’s own perspective/etc

Here are the journal entry topics (by date):

Journal Entry #1: Tuesday, January 13th— Watch the video by Adkins and comment in your journal on whether you agree or disagree with his view of science as truth [and explain why].

Journal Entry #2:Tuesday, January 27th— Read the Pinker-Wieseltier exchange in the New Republic and comment in your journal on who you think has the better argument. Who do you agree with more [and explain why].
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/114754/steven-pinker-leon-wieseltier-debate-science-vs-humanities

http://www.universityaffairs.ca/the-black-hole/the-public-scientist/

Journal Entry #3: Tuesday, February 10th—Read the article by Diamond. In your journal discuss whether [and why] you agree or disagree with Jared Diamond’s assertion about agriculture.
http://www.ditext.com/diamond/mistake.html

Journal Entry #4: Tuesday, March 10th— Watch the Turkle video. In your journal please make an entry which discusses whether social networking websites [such as Facebook] represent’ real’ community. Has the advance in communication technologies enhanced human relationships?
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/306868/

Journal Entry #5: Tuesday, March 24th— Read the debate between Kurzweil and Bill Joy. In your journal please elaborate on whether you agree with Kurzweil’s assertion that we cannot refrain from technological development (and why!!).

Transhumanist Declaration (take a moment to check out their website)
http://humanityplus.org/philosophy/transhumanist-declaration/

Freeman Dyson, “Our Biotech Future” in The New York Review of Books, July 2007
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2007/jul/19/our-biotech-future/