posted November 15, 2005
Consider Buber's opening to his 1943 essay "Love of God and Love of Neighbor":
The age-old controversy between religion and ethics which has continued into our days has two basic forms according to which side takes the lead. The advance of ethics generally takes place under the sign of the question: heteronomy or autonomy? The advance of religion generally has as its goal to establish its primacy.
Write a 6-8-page essay that focuses on works by two thinkers from among Cohen, Buber, Fackenheim, and Levinas, and that compares, based on detailed textual analysis, their respective understandings of the relationship between "ethics" and "religion," and the role, if any, that the distinction between "autonomy" and "heteronomy" plays in their understanding of that relationship. For the two thinkers that you choose, what do we learn from looking at them alongside each other with respect to these questions that might not come so clearly into view if we read each on his own?
How this question plays out for any given pairing of thinkers will of course make for a different sort of paper in each case. I encourage you to discuss with me your paper ideas as they take shape.
Along with your essay, please submit an outline that serves as a guide to what you do and in what order.
| As you prepare to write your essay, please consult my "Tips for Writing an Effective Paper" and draw upon what you have learned based on my comments on your Text Preparation assignments and in the writing sessions in class. It might also be helpful for you to meet with a writing consultant--for instance at the Writing Clinic at the Center for Student Development on campus--during the writing process. |
Papers are due on Monday, December 12, in my department mailbox.