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| Abelard and Heloise surprised by Master Fulbert (Wikipedia) |
Note: This may be the weirdest love story you've ever heard--and it really happened!
Get Ready: What do you think is a fitting punishment for a man who marries a woman against her parents' or guardians' wishes?
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| A cemetery in Algiers (1899) (Wikimedia) |
Note: This story has also been published under the English title, The Outsider--perhaps a better description of the main character's relationship to the world.
Get Ready: How important are other people in your life? Too important? Not important enough? Or just right?
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| Cover of the first edition (in Norwegian) (Wikipedia) |
Note: When it was first published, this philosophy text disguised as a young adult mystery story took the world by storm. Give it a try and see if you like it!
Get Ready: Have you ever studied philosophy? did you find it interesting, or boring?
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| "...across the farmlands..." (based on this photo at Wikimedia) |
Note: This devastating story by Ursula K. LeGuin asks the question: can the benefit of the many justify the abuse of the few (or even one)?
Get Ready: Look at the question in the "Note." How would you answer it?
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| "A passage was dug into the grave..." This mound is the modern tomb of Confucius (Wikipedia) |
Note: This story teaches us that even an emperor should not trifle with the powers of a great scholar!
Get Ready: Do you believe in ghosts, or in curses from beyond the grave? Do you feel that the burial places of our ancestors should be treated with special respect?
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| Seneca (a "double herm" with Socrates behind) (Wikipedia) |
Note: Seneca promoted a philosophy called "Stoicism"--though he didn't exactly practice what he preached! Witness his hypocrisy in this lesson.
Get Ready: Who do you think is happier, rich people or poor people?
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| Aristotle (Wikipedia) |
Note: In the olden days, it was hard to distinguish science from philosophy; but Aristotle was a master of both. See some of his theories in this lesson.
Get Ready: What causes a scientific theory to be disproven? I mean, why is it that things people believed about scientific ideas long ago are no longer believed?
