Pleasure and Contentment in Mental Health Discussion

Each of our papers has expanded notions of education and human development. Writing
Projects 1 and 2 indexed our education and human development to particular experiences and
attitudes that have played significant roles in the formation of our psyches, and thus selves,
thereby impacting our ways of being-in-the-world, which in turn determine—or at least critically
influence—the entangled vector of intellectual, bodily, and psychological development. Writing
Project 3 had us argue for the contribution that one of our readings, in connection with other inclass and outside sources, makes to approaches to education and human development. In
Writing Project 4, your self will enter the conversation much more directly. You will offer an
aspect of education and human development that is often insufficiently articulated, or otherwise
neglected or underemphasized, thereby relying more on your own insights, argumentation, and
original connections to the larger conversation we have been studying.
Premise
In What is Enlightenment?, Immanuel Kant circumscribes two primary causes for why people fail
to rely on their own reason. Quite simply, as Michel Foucault summarizes in his lectures on Kant
in The Government of Self and Others, people are lazy and afraid. They are more than willing to
empty themselves of the responsibility that freedom of thought entails. So it was, as philosopher
Eric Fromm writes in Escape from Freedom, that a large portion of the German population in
Nazi Germany entrusted Hitler with full authority over their lives. The burden of freedom is
great, “father of American psychology” William James agrees. In The Principles of Psychology,
Volume II, James argues that freedom of the will means to “attend to a difficult object and hold it
fast before the mind.” In other words, freedom is “directing attention,” as Kenneth Burke says of
“terministic screens,” his metaphor for how language—the words we use—“selects, reflects, and
deflects reality.” Language “directs attention.” And sometimes we must direct language, along
with our thoughts, otherwise than is common—otherwise than is popular, approved, or typical
for our age. In “The Basic Postulates of Analytical Psychology,” Carl Jung, in concert with Martin
Heidegger, argues that our own zeitgeist, our own “spirit of the age,” defines the full range of
human development not only through production, consumption, fame, and fortune, but also—
and primarily—through rational capacities (thinking, or the intellectual function in particular)
which most often lead to such market-oriented and market-embedded outcomes. Our task here,
then, is to direct our own attention, to think otherwise, to embody freedom of the will in our
thinking, writing, and action—to imagine, possibly, another psychology, a fuller psychology,
thereby expanding, or else correcting or revising, what we have learned in and around the theme
of analytical psychology. The future of education and human development is yours to (re)direct.
Prompt
Describe and support an element of education and human development that is often
insufficiently articulated, or otherwise neglected or underemphasized. In light of your own
views, supported by our class material and outside sources, why is this element important? In
other words, what significant difference(s) would it make to our approaches to education and
human development, whether in formal schooling and/or far beyond?
Possible Format and Considerations
1. In the introduction, introduce the element of education and human development you will
be drawing attention to as informed by both your own views and selection of class
material and outside sources you will be utilizing.
2. In the body of the paper, discuss your views/points regarding this element. A number of
questions may be useful in drawing attention to the importance of your selected element.
Questions may include: What significant difference would it make if people attended to
this element in their own education and human development? What larger, societal
difference would it make? How does it correct narrower approaches to education and
human development? How does it answer some significant problem(s) people are facing
in education and human development? These are only questions to consider in generating
content. They are not all (or at all) necessary to answer.
3. In the body paragraphs, you may choose to focus on your own points first without much
attention to the in-class readings. Obviously your points should be supported by some
material, at least your outside sources. You could thus discuss your own views as
supported by outside sources first, and then bring in additional points from our readings
that support and/or inform your views. However, the more sensible view is to craft
paragraphs with both your own views and the sources (in-class and outside) that speak
most to each point. Therefore, each body paragraph would draw material from a variety of
sources in order to support each point or perspective.
4. Throughout these body paragraphs, your own experience may serve as support. Clearly,
your own view shapes and frames the paper. You are arguing, from your own perspective,
about an element that is important to education and human development. That is
different from utilizing personal experience. Utilizing personal experience means bringing
examples from your own life to support this view, but that cannot be the primary
evidence. It may, however, help illustrate your broader points.
o Please note that personal experience and examples are not required, but are
nevertheless welcome and may be effective.
5. Conclude on the significance of your view in light of class material, outside sources, and
(possibly) your own experience. Again, do not engage merely in summarizing, but, rather,
accentuate here the significance in a new light.
6. Proofread your paper thoroughly and make sure it follows basic MLA format.
Writing and Critical Reasoning Main Goals
♦ To develop and communicate your views—both in your use of course and outside
material and in your contribution to this conversation—in a way that is organized,
effective, persuasive, meaningful, and insightful for a general academic audience invested
in this issue, or at least receptive to it
♦ To work with sources carefully, analytically, and broadmindedly in assessing their
credibility, value to this conversation, helpfulness, and persuasiveness in illuminating
your chosen element of education and human development in relation to your sources
♦ To work critically, deeply, and carefully with course and outside readings, showing your
ability to intellectually and affectively navigate a difficult, significant conversation
regarding our course thematic
♦ To contribute your own well-developed views in conjunction with course and outside
readings, taking seriously others’ points—respecting them and engaging them—while
showing your capacity to extend, correct, or otherwise evolve current and past views
Length: 5-6 full pages
Format: Double spaced, Times New Roman 12 Point Font, 1 Inch Margins, Heading with
Your Name, Course #, Date.
Title: Original Title for Your Paper
Sources: cite (in-text and in a bibliography) 2-3 course readings, and 3-4 outside sources to
support your views, sources, and experiences (MLA). Note that the source requirement has been
inverted here (WP3 required 3-4 course readings, and 2-3 outside sources).
o In-Text Citations: cite both course readings and outside sources in parentheses
o Abbreviate titles for multiple texts from one author
§ For instance, cite Jung’s texts as: (Types 85), or (Dreams 112), etc.
o Bibliography: cite only outside sources (I know where our class readings come from)