Mar 23
Philosophical Dialogue
Compose a dialogue between 2 to 5 characters, debating a political issue to achieve a deeper understanding. Some options:
- pit rivals on either side of an issue to show why one side is superior to the other;
- pit a moderate vs. a radical from the same side of an issue to show which political tactic is superior;
- include a neutral party, so the dialogue turns on attempts by either side to persuade the undecided;
Topic: Most of you will likely choose to work on the same issue you focused on for your speech, but you can choose a new topic, so long as you’re prepared to do the necessary research (see HW 5.2 and 6.1 via the Calendar, linked above).
Don’t focus on length! So long as your finished dialogue runs at least 1000 words, your finished dialogue will be judged not for length but for
- accurately representing the terms of the debate as represented by the sources you cite;
- dramatic turns and insights;
- Chicago-style footnote citations;
- final depth of understanding on the topic you discuss.
Format: Use Hanging Indent so that the speaker names stick out to the left of the column of text, like you see when you read Shakespeare or other plays. Consider using single-spacing and skipping a line between speakers to give extra emphasis to the back-and-forth of conversation.
Due by in class on Tue, Mar 23. Turn in via the comments in the appropriate section of Class 9.1 (D4|D5|D6).