APELC Class Notes
Objectives: APELCers 1) processed an essay, and 2) attempted to answer life’s greatest and most troubling questions.
First and third period juniors and seniors, we processed Mencken today. I remain unsure about how to read him, but our discussions were rich and challenging.
As we closed, I asked you to review your notes over all of the authors and texts you encountered in class since August and consider them along with the following ideas, the first from Albert Schweitzer, the second from the second by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
The fundamental rights of [humanity] are, first: the right of habitation; second, the right to move freely; third, the right to the soil and subsoil, and to the use of it; fourth, the right of freedom of labor and of exchange; fifth, the right to justice; sixth, the right to live within a natural national organization; and seventh, the right to education.
Justice is conscience, not a personal conscience but the conscience of the whole of humanity. Those who clearly recognize the voice of their own conscience usually recognize also the voice of justice.
I then asked you to write down some ideas of your own and attempt answers about, rights, justice, and humanity: Is Schweitzer’s assertion correct?, What is justice?, Do we have a right to justice?, How do we relate to each other?, What does it mean to be humane?, and What does it mean to be human? Of course these engendered so many more, but we’d barely began to talk over your ideas before we had to leave. Keep these questions in mind though as you read the works I assigned for the break which I’ve posted.
I’ve also posted instructions for logging-in to/creating an account for TurnItIn.com, so attend this task if you’ve not already.