"Something Needs to Change": Re-Enacting the Enlightenment

As we've studied the European Enlightenment, six themes have emerged:

1. Authority & Liberty
2. Changing Frames of Reference
3. The Search for Order
4. A Clockwork Universe
5. Certainty Unbound
6. Republic of Letters

I've covered these in a lecture (audio recording here) combined with a Prezi presentation

Now, I want my students to do a midterm activity in which they apply their understanding of these themes. Is it possible to re-enact the Enlightenment?
Step One: Finding Parallels to the Enlightenment
Obviously circumstances today differ much from those of the 17th and 18th centuries, but in other ways history provides a pattern for us and we can in fact find many parallels. So, we will first brainstorm together regarding such parallels. Come prepared to class on Monday with notes about parallels to the Enlightenment that you can share with a small group. These parallels should be on a general societal level. I will provide some connections in a lecture about how our digital civilization of today is heir to Enlightenment ideas.

Step Two: A Dogma to Doubt
Following our class discussion and lecture on Monday, 2/23, I want my students to imitate the skepticism of Enlightenment thinkers by calling into question an established system, organization, or ideology. In short, where is the need for liberation from authority? In a blog post of about 200-300 words, define and doubt a given dogma. This should be something that is relevant to you personally, such as a reigning way of thinking within your intended career field. Find something that people have taken for granted, describe how this is in fact a set of ideas whose authority may be due more to custom than any better reason, and question its underlying assumptions. But this is more than just being contrary in a flippant, teenager kind of way. No, this needs to be reasoned and systematic doubting like that of Bacon, Hobbes, Descartes, or Locke. So, as a basis for calling something into question, be sure that you refer to a changed frame of reference that lays bare prior assumptions that may no longer hold true.  This post --and comments in response to other student posts -- will be due on Tuesday, 2/24 at 9pm.

Step Three: Reasoned, Written Debate
The Enlightenment thinkers communicated their ideas about change through writing and debated and refined those ideas through exchange with others in the "republic of letters." Starting with commenting on fellow classmates' posts, engage others in a discussion of the dogma you are doubting. But use care that your discussion isn't just rhetorical or that it doesn't decline into derogatory discourse. Go beyond fellow classmates' and communicate with others -- including those you don't know and who are at a distance from you -- about this topic. This will require some research and some tactful choices about communication. For Friday, 2/27, report on this interaction and how it is developing your ideas about things to be changed.

Step Four: Propose a New Way on New Grounds
The Enlightenment thinkers were not just radicals or anarchists; they made passionate and reasoned arguments for re-establishing things upon new grounds (new ways of knowing, and new methods or systems). Prepare a two-minute speech that you will give to fellow class members during class on Monday, March 2nd. This will be a call to change speech, and should set up the context or problem, and give reasons that are based on the epistemology or methods that derive from the new frame of reference.

Step Five: Video Argument
Based on feedback received from your peers in class on Monday, make a video of 1-2 minutes (no more than this!) in which you call for change. Post this on YouTube and embed your video in a blog post on Blogger. Preface the blog post with some brief words about your development of this idea and speech. This is your Tuesday blog post, due at 9pm on 3/3/15.