GNED 101

essay 15%

Over the course of the term, we’ve been looking at a wide range of readings covering a
variety of topics. For this essay, you’ll pick ONE of the readings listed below (all available in
the weekly folders on Blackboard) and write a short essay in response to it. Your essay should
be approximately 2-3 pages, about 500-750 words long.
The essay is due by 27 November and should be submitted, in Word format, through
Blackboard.

In your essay, you should:

1. State which article you’ve chosen to write about and indicate what you find
particularly interesting in that article.
2 Offer a brief summary of the relevant aspects of the reading (i.e. the part(s) that
interest you, and that you’re responding to). Be careful not to devote too much of your
essay to summarizing the reading – a short paragraph should be enough.
3. Explain/describe what is interesting about these specific aspects of your chosen
reading. What claims/statements are being made by the author? What wider
significance might these statements hold? Do you agree with the author? Why or why
not? Express your own opinions but be sure to back them up with evidence. This
section should be the main part of your essay.
4. Conclude with a brief restatement of your argument.
CHOOSE ONE OF THESE READINGS:

“The Allegory of the Cave”

“Religious Responses”
“The Ethics of Belief”
“The Evolution of Life”
“Is ‘Do Unto Others’ Written Into Our Genes?”
“The Complexity of Identity”
“Gendered Viewpoints”
“Capitalism: Where Do We Come From?”
“What Makes Art Such a Problematic Concept?”
“Consolation For Not Having Enough Money”
excerpts from Nietzsche