<p>1) Prompt: Newness has become our obsession. Novelty is more interesting to us than continuing with whatever is "tried and true". We discard the old so we can aquire the most recent model, latest version, the newest and most improved formula. Often we replace what is useful just because it is no longer new. Not only with material goods but also with cultural values, we prefer whatever is the latest trend.</p>
<p>Assignment : Should people always prefer new things, ideas, or values to those of the past ?</p>
<p>2) Prompt : Since we live in a global society, surely we should view ourselves as citizens of the whole world. But instead, people choose to identify and associate with smaller and more familiar groups. People think of themselves as belonging to families, nations, cultures and generations -- Or as belonging to smaller groups whose members share ideas, viewes or common experience.</p>
<p>Assignment : Is there any value for people to belong to a group or groups with which the have something in common ?</p>
<p>For (1) there are many many examples in technology.</p>
<p>Consider:</p>
<p>(1) Facebook based social networking with a large group – or frequent casual get togethers with small groups of friends at home or the local coffee shop.
(2) Use of electronic keyboards with software assisted playbacks – or traditional mechanical pianos
(3) Use of Photoshop to manipulate and enhance photographs – or careful composition and picture taking in the field.
(4) Reliance on sound-byte media to communicate candidate viewpoints – or meeting candidates in small town hall meetings
(5) Shopping exclusively online – or at the local shop in the town center
(6) Replacing outdoor sports and exercise with high intensity electronic visual reality games</p>
Classical republicanism (Greek and Roman republics’ form of government) included small, uniform communities as one of their ideals, with the assumption that people would be more unified if they all had similar beliefs.</p>
<p>Against:
Political parties that can’t agree (debt crisis)
Scientists of the past that broke away from the consensus of the time: Copernicus (Earth revolves around sun instead of sun revolving around the Earth) and Darwin (evolutionism)</p>
<p>This would be a good prompt to break out the personal stories about a group of friends that you had a lot in common with, or a group that you broke away from, or a group you belonged to where you had nothing in common.</p>