Our last regular day of class... I can hardly believe it. Today was the last time we had to go to Appel Commons early to print papers, and we only have one more meeting for breakfast before class.
Our lecture today was on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Dr. King draws heavily from the New Testament and St. Thomas Aquinas in arguing that we do not have to obey unjust laws. The Letter from Birmingham Jail was essentially Dr. King justifying his actions after being condemned by fellow clergy men. X, on the other hand, is almost the exact opposite of Dr. King. He clearly advocated violence. These two thinkers are much like two from the first week of class: Augustine and Aquinas. They are not similar because of what they advocate, but because they are two individuals who took very different stances on the same topic. (For Augustine and Aquinas it was Christianity; for King and X it was racism.) At the end of the lecture Professor Kramnick pointed out that despite the time and topic difference, they were still asking the same questions.
It seems like we have been in and out of review sessions all day. I am nervous about the final, but that is just my nature. No matter how much I study, no matter how prepared I am, I always get nervous before tests.
*Ramiah
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You learned a great deal and this program exposed you to what is ahead for college. Working hard every day becomes the norm. This was a great way to introduce you to the world that will become your existence in just one year. So I am glad that you got a lot out of Kramnick's course.
ReplyDeleteI have been swamped with work during the past few days and have been unable to do exhaustive replies to the posts. However, I have read all of them. Nonetheless, I tip my hat to all of you and I appreciate your discipline and hard work.
Have a great final and a safe trip home.
Take care.
Charles T. Ramsey, Esq.
School Board Member
West Contra Costa
Unified School District
Ramiah,
ReplyDeleteQuite a set of polar opposites. Where do you fit in? Can you see yourself embracing either side on either issue? Do you think that someone has to embrace either side in its entirety or can they pick a little from Column A and a little from Column B and make up their own dogma?