Teaching Rand to Teens
I am currently down a rabbit-hole re-reading Rand's works (again), and looking for ideas. I plan to use "Anthem" again next year in a rotating book-study with my 10th grade students, and was hoping someone here might have some pointers on getting students to engage with the philosophy, and not just the story. When I read "Anthem" in high school, it was an eye-opening and mind-changing experience. I dove into everything else I could find. But, I don't see that in my students... It doesn't seem to speak to them in the way that it did me. It doesn't fill them with an awe and understanding of the triumph of the human spirit... to them, it is just another book that I am geeking-out over. How do I get teens to engage in a deep-dive of the philosophy, and in some meaningful introspection about their own moral philosophy?
Anthem can be personalized for the student in comparison to their compulsory schooling. The Objectivist's Ethics is the reasoning philosophy behind freedom, liberty, responsibility and happiness.
For your preparation i would also recommend John Gatto: Dumbing Us Down.
Everything we experience is a cycle of relationships and choices. From Dad: A process of awareness, involvement, commitment, insight, wisdom that leads back to the awareness.....
I find the kids can express "emotional discomfort" easily. Helping them to bring the emotional state into reason-abled iteration is a process. What I do teach, from their position, "I am (upset, angry, confused, happy) and I require "Your" (insert adult) insight, experience, etc. to help me express what I am feeling". If an adult can't or won't .....find another with better insight and never stop pushing.
Encourage them to learn, use, and love the English language as the primary tool of reason. Also, Aristotle’s Organon (Logic)
Praise their output. Allow them to fail. And learn from their failures.
Show them how to recognize the fallacies or errors in their reasoning and in other’s arguments – Critical Thinking
.
Read or re-read the works and ideas of Maria Montessori, Marva Collins, and Ayn Rand.
Make learning fun.
Nanotechnology Ethics Exercise
Florida Institute of Technology
CHE/CHM 1091 - Nanotechnology Lab 1 class
Read this entire document before answering any questions. You will be asked to write your answers to the following by 4/27/2020 at 6 PM. At that time, we will discuss your responses. Constructive criticism will be encouraged during our Zoom meeting.
Charles Lieber, the recently deposed head of the Department of Chemistry at Harvard University, is one of the most acclaimed nanotechnologists in world history. He wrote many successful proposals to the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Department of Defense (DOD). Expectations of those funding agencies include publishing findings in prestigious journals and presentations at conferences. Since these funding agencies distribute government-collected tax dollars, the government expects to be a partner in any intellectual property (IP) that may be developed.
Prof. Lieber pioneered the field of nanowires and, as part of that, developed a nanowire sensor array for detection of a range of pathogens at around the time of the SARS virus outbreak. To develop that technology, Lieber signed a DOD document that stated that he would protect both intellectual and physical property developed as part of his group's work from being used by enemies of the United States of America against us.
It is standard practice for professors to hire students and postdocs from all over the world to carry out their research work. While DOD funding and some NSF and NIH funding require that funding be only spent on U.S. citizens, most professors obtain money from government agencies and/or private entities to fund some non-U.S. members of their research groups.
Several years ago, the Chinese government offered Prof. Lieber and several other prominent nanotechnology researches an offer to become members of the Thousand Talents Program, with much higher base salaries and other compensation as well as no need to apply for future research funding. Lieber took that offer without notifying Harvard or the U.S. government. As part of the deal, Lieber was put in charge of a research institute within the Wuhan Institute of Technology. This was the first and only institute in China designed to handle viruses as virulent as COVID-19, SARS, Ebola, etc. Without making any judgment on Prof. Lieber personally or whether the release of COVID-19 was accidental or intentional, I refer you to the following:
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/harvar...
1) Metaphysics refers to one's view of reality. How do you define "reality"? What is your view of reality? How do you define "facts"? What is your view of "facts"? Are those views dependent on or independent of your feelings, wishes, hopes, and/or fears?
2) Epistemology refers to "How, or on what basis, do you know what you know?". What do you, in fact, know, and how do you know it? What assumptions, if any, are you making in coming to such conclusions?
3) If either Prof. Lieber and/or one or more of his former students and/or postdocs wanted to start a company based off of the nanowire sensor array detection of pathogen technology, what constraints would such a company operate under a) if they were privately funded and purchased the IP from Harvard and the U.S. government; and separately b), if they went to China or some other country to start such a company?
4) What conditions and/or constraints are you willing to agree to in order to pursue a) research and training under a mentor; b) working for a for-profit company; and c) start a company as a founder or co-founder. Realize that you will probably will not be able to afford some of your goals without any funding at any point whatsoever.
5) What conditions and/or constraints are you NOT willing to agree to in order to pursue a) research and training under a mentor; b) working for a for-profit company; and c) start a company as a founder or co-founder.
6) The previous questions have helped you establish your ethics/morality. Summarize your views on laws and government. Consider how different local, state, national, and international government and non-governmental entities (such as the World Health Organization) have attempted to control the behavior of individuals and businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak. What opportunities did the COVID-19 outbreak generate, and what opportunities have been lost as a result of the outbreak? How does one take advantage of the new opportunities?
7) It is entirely likely that the COVID-19 outbreak started from a building that Prof. Lieber was the director of, whether it was unintentional or not. Put yourself in Lieber's position at various stages of his career, and delineate what you would have done to achieve your career goals and convert your ideas into a viable product.