COMM I MHB2 (18962)

A. Read the excerpts from the essay “What an Intellectual Is and Is Not” by Morton Cronin.  Identify the topic sentences in the paragraphs.

1   The object of our scrutiny pleads for definition. What is an intellectual? I shall define him as properly  an individual who has elected as his primary duty duty and pleasure in life the activity of thinking in a Socratic way about moral problems, whether these be social or individual. He explores such problems consciously, articulately, and candidly, first by asking factual questions, then by asking moral questions, finally by suggesting action which seems appropriate in the light of the factual and moral information which he has elicited. His function is analogous to that of a judge, who must first ascertain the facts, then the law, and in the end must accept the obligation of revealing in as obvious a manner as possible the course of reasoning which led him to his decision.

2   First of all, an intellectual is interested in moral problems as they concern the generality of people, not just as they concern himself, his relatives, and his close associates. The problems which he himself is afflicted will influence the direction of his thinking, but his thinking does not stop with whatever modus vivendi he works out between the world and himself. Briefly, he considers general problems, seeks general solutions, and contributes to the public philosophy. 

3   Secondly, his views are fully articulated. He is a conscious thinker. He collects evidence, weighs and sifts it, and exhibits a developed capacity for separating the true from the false. He does not mind disclosing his premises and explaining his terms. He does not disdain exceptions and qualifications nor shrink from ironies and paradoxes. His mode of discourse, in short, is at the opposite extreme from the gnomic utterance of the intuitive thinker.

4   His third and most important characteristic is his willingness—indeed, his eagerness—to subject his views to critical discussion. If he is a good example of his type he will glow with with health and good humor in an argument. He talks truth in the dialectic maze the way some men maneuver for love in the labyrinth of romance. Yet his object is not to score debating points. For him the pursuit of truth must be cooperative, as well as dialectic, and all the pleasure vanishes when that pursuit turns into a mere contest of wills with his interlocutor. It is easy for him to say “I don’t know,” and he is impressed when his own questions evoke reply.

B. Write your answers based on the numbering of the paragraphs. Write the topic sentence per number.

C. Save your answers in PDF using the file name

      Comm 1&2 DAYS Topic 6 activity Your surname

      Example:    Comm 1&2 TF Topic 6 activity Salazar

 D. Upload the file in your Google Drive folder on September 23, 2022.

Evaluation Criteria

You get 5 points for each correctly identified topic sentence in paragraphs 1 to 4.  The total number of points for the activity is 20 points.