Wednesday 24 February 2016

HIS 104 HIS/104 HIS104 Week 2 Discussion 1 Race


HIS 104 HIS/104 HIS104 Week 2 Discussion 1 Race
Enlightenment: Reason, Race, Revolution. Choose one of the three topics below for your initial post.
Topic A: Reason
The concept of reason was central to enlightenment thought. What did reason mean to enlightenment thinkers? How was reason different from other ways of understanding the truth (faith, tradition, empathy, etc.)? How did the Enlightenment construct the idea of a reasonable individual? Did this apply to everyone? If not, who did this apply to and who was excluded?
Topic B: Revolution
One of the greatest historical impacts of the Enlightenment was the way it informed the American, French, Haitian, and Latin American Revolutions. Why did the Enlightenment inspire revolutions? Look at the French Revolution and/or the Haitian Revolution and provide examples.
Topic C: Race
One of the more difficult paradoxes of the Enlightenment was that it coincided with an escalation in the practice of slavery, with people such as Thomas Jefferson espousing the virtues of human liberty while keeping their fellow humans in bondage. What impact did the Enlightenment have on racism? How does the Enlightenment relate to slavery? Why is it that while Europeans were talking about freedom and self-government, they were increasing the practices of slavery and colonization?

Respond to two classmates’ posts by Day 7. In your responses to others, you must address at least one classmate who chose a topic other than the one you chose. Identify something from your classmate’s post that changed your perception of the topic or explain how your perception of the topic is different. Your responses should strive to open up the possibility for further discussion and bring in new information or perspectives on the topic.

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