661 words

Locke's three arguments against Descartes' theory of innate knowledge

While Rene Descartes was a believer in intuitive, innate knowledge, the philosopher John Locke disputed Descartes' theories with three main arguments against innatism in his an Essay Concerning Human Understanding.

~4 min read

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682 words

John Locke's empiricism and the shift from democratic to aristocratic ideals

The Restoration of the monarchy in Great Britain of Charles II first oversaw the development of a new creative ferment and interest in the sciences and political economy in the minds of England's greatest writers.

~4 min read

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650 words

Reading and writing skills for developing democratic citizens

One of the frequently-cited reasons for including social studies in the curriculum is to prepare students to become good citizens. Because America is a democratic, free society, students must learn to make good choices because their choices will affect the national community.

~4 min read

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Essay Undergraduate 999 words

Wallace and Twitchell: Style, Tone, and Consumerism

A comparative analysis of David Foster Wallace's "Consider the Lobster" and James Twitchell's "Two Cheers for Materialism," examining shared style, tone, and critiques of consumerism.

Literature

~5 min read

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Essay Undergraduate 941 words

Rhetoric Analysis: Native American Sports Team Names Debate

An analysis of Richard Estrada's rhetorical strategies—pathos, ethos, logos, and fallacies—in arguing against Native American sports team names.

Communications

~5 min read

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Essay Undergraduate 988 words

Woellert vs. Magnusson: National ID Card Debate Analysis

A contrast analysis comparing Lorraine Woellert's and Paul Magnusson's arguments on U.S. National ID cards, evaluating logic, evidence, style, and audience engagement.

Communications

~5 min read

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958 words

Rhetorical devices in Noam Chomsky's "Selective Memory and a Dishonest Doctrine"

For this essay, I have chosen to analyze the rhetorical devices used by Noam Chomsky in his article, "Selective Memory and a Dishonest Doctrine" found in Inventing arguments. Chomsky is a very well-known and highly regarded name in the field of political theories, linguistics and language.

~5 min read

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Reflection Paper Undergraduate 373 words

Personal Persuasion Style: Storytelling, Evidence, and Empathy

A reflective essay on personal persuasion techniques, exploring storytelling, emotional appeal, repetition, satire, and how persuasion works in everyday life.

Communications

~2 min read

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Reflection Paper Undergraduate 647 words

The New Campus Racism: Race, Perception, and College Life

A reading response to Noel Kent's 1997 essay exploring how racism persists on college campuses through subtle bias, reverse racism perceptions, and racial inequality.

Social Issues

~4 min read

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Essay Undergraduate 884 words

Urban Pollution Through History: Horses, Cars, and Technology

A review of Joel Tarr's essay on urban pollution, comparing horse-era filth to automobile smog and exploring how every new technology creates new problems.

History

~5 min read

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