Socratic Seminar/Round Table
Questions
What is a socratic seminar?
Socrates, a greek philosopher, was convinced the best way to attain reliable knowledge was through the practice of disciplined conversation.
Thus the creation of the idea Socratic Seminar was created. Through analysis of a text and thought-provoking questions, you and your classmates will share your thoughts.
By adding the “Round Table” as a class we will be open to all as a collective group and will discuss the questions below.
Debates, in nature, are typically more argumentative or oppositional- defending your stance at no cost, there will be no arguing, or criticizing of thoughts, on the contrary, you will be able to share your POV and counter ideas of others by means of making meaningful connections.
You may respond with the expectation to improve the idea or thinking not to threaten it, offend, or alienate the original speaker.
All discussions will remain open-ended, there may never be a definitive answer identified.
Part I:
The Stanford Project: In 1971, psychologist Philip Zimbardo conducted a now-infamous experiment at Stanford University to examine whether putting individuals in power over others would affect their behavior.
The Stanford Prison Experiment, as it came to be known, randomly assigned participants the role of either prisoner or guard.
The experiment was supposed to last two weeks, but the researchers shut it down after just six days because the participants playing the roles of guards had become so abusive to the “prisoners.”
Research this project, https://www.prisonexp.org/ The Stanford Project https://youtu.be/iXv91xFipLM
How do the conditions and results of the experiment compare with the boys’ situation and behavior in “Lord of the Flies”? What argument can you make about human aggression?
Part II:
Aggression and Bullying (Fight Club for Flies and) by Boys and Girls: Both the study described in Mr. Gorman’s article and “Lord of the Flies” focus on aggression among males.
However, as this 2010 article, “ The Playground Gets Even Tougher,” makes clear, girls often exhibit aggressive behavior and bullying as well and this recent piece, “ Mean Girls in Retirement Homes,” suggests bullying can happen at the other end of the life span as well.
Fight Club For Flies Questions
Mean-Girl Bullying Trickles Down to Grade School – The New York Times.pdfOpinion Mean Girls in the Retirement Home – The New York Times.
Do you think an argument can be made that aggression is gendered?
Could you argue that males are morAe aggressive than females? Or Vice Vera
Do you think aggression is biological or learned/environmental?
Why or why not? Is aggressive behavior always bad?
Part III:
Aggression Among Athletes: With the age of social media, there have been a number of videos of Athletes broadcasting their abuse or aggressive nature.
Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice punching his then-fiancée spearheaded and revived the debate in 2014 about aggression on the part of athletes and whether character and personal conduct matter in sports.
The sports psychologist J. Morrow has found in his research that athletes demonstrate higher levels of aggression than the general population, and has even developed a test for identifying athletes who are likely to have problems controlling their aggression.
Measuring Athletes’ Level of Aggression The New York Times.pdf
The psychiatrist Jeff Dietz argues that controlling their aggressive nature is a challenge athletes face on the playing field as well as off.
Athletes Struggle to Channel Aggressive Nature – The New York Times.
Sports fans more violent, abusive since returning after worst of COVID.
Fan Violence at Sporting Events_ Human Nature or Negligence_ _ Sports Litigation Alert.
These athletes can be related to the naturalistic savage instincts of the boys on the island; many of you are also athletes; what is your take on this? Do you think they can be related? Is anger/aggression in sports okay?
The violence in sports fans,Philly Fans, has increased over the years, do you think it makes a hostile environment or encourages the idea of violence to younger viewers?
Part IV:
Child Crimes Viewer and reader discretion is advised
Attached are four different articles regarding crimes committed by adolescents and young children.
The Age of Reason; A Chilling Crime and a Question_ What’s in a Child’s Mind – The New York Times.
Supreme Court to Rule on Executing Young Killers – The New York Times.
Boy Who Killed Teacher Is Found Guilty of Murder – The New York Times.
Prison for Young Killers Renews Debate on Saving Society’s Lost – The New York Times.
OR If you like true crime, find an example of your own.
How old do you think a child should be to be held accountable for his or her actions?
Do you think that it is fair to sentence a child/teen to life in prison, even if he/she may come to regret his/her crime when he/she grows up? Should they be tried as adults, released at 18, 21, or “rolling sentence”
What punishment would you consider fair in such a case?
Do children and young adults who commit such crimes fully understand fully what they are doing?
Do you think that young people are more or less violent than adults?
What has the biggest impact on the increase of juvenile violence?
Media, Parents raising violent children, the environment/society
Do you think that the media affects children and young adults more than adults? I.e television, movies, music, and the Internet play in the rise of juvenile violence?
Do a child’s actions reflect the views and values of the society in which he or she lives? Do they reflect the child’s culture? Do they reflect the child’s home?
Relate the attached articles to Lord of the flies book , the violent acts of the children who beat and killed Simon and Roger who murdered Piggy. How should they be punished/held accountable for their crimes?
Do you think they will be held accountable on the island?
If they were rescued by society, how would they be treated then?