A direction

I think the first question should be if we even need a direction. The way the class is moving now is a form of asking questions and then discussing. And isn't that how we learn? From others? We make arguments and discussions with each other, getting viewpoints and sharing our own. If we simply read a textbook that preached about the different viewpoints others had, it wouldn't be the same. We could not talk to the book the way we talk to each other. If we did, we'd simply look crazy. If we simply read a book, we could not get feedback, or opinions. All we would get is solid facts of ideas from dead people long ago.

Learning straight from a book is never good. It's rigid and stiff, with no room for change. To be honest, the textbook you gave us is possibly the driest textbook to ever exist. That’s probably why all of them are falling apart. The discussions are much more active and much more memorable. Reading books such as Candide and the Road are great, because along with reading good books, we get to discuss and question each other about not only the plot points of the book, but the themes and ideas behind it. It’s indirectly learning philosophy I suppose, and that is much better than being beaten on the head with the old and parched tome that is the textbook.

So all in all, discussions are nice as we get to express our thoughts and receive others’. Isn’t that what these blogs are doing now?