Go to p. 161 in your text and read
the textbox tilted, "An Act of Mercy?" at the top of the page. Review
the materials here at the following link:
Answer the question you are asked in
the textbox: Which of our twenty-first-century practices that we see as righteous
and sensible will people in the twenty-fourth century look back on in horror?
When you have done this, explain to at least one classmate why you agree
or disagree with his or her views.
An
Act of Mercy? (The Day the Universe Changed)
As the beginning of episode 10 from
The Day the Universe Changed illustrates, given our twenty-first-century
worldview, the burning of a woman alive is a horrific killing of an innocent
person. But, given their seventeenth-century worldview, the people living in
Scotland only four centuries ago interpreted the very same event as an act of
mercy. The laws of logic are the same here and now as they were then and there.
What has changed? The differences in how the event is seen result from the
vastly divergent set of implicit unspoken assumptions that constitute the two
worldviews. It is within the context of our 'truths' about the world that the
laws of logic function. Today, in parts of the world where a non-scientific
worldview prevails, beliefs in voodoo and magic have a real influence over the
lives and decisions people make. In those communities, it would be 'common
sense' to fear that some might have the power to cause harm or misfortune
simply by thinking evil thoughts and incanting spells. Learning to make logical
inferences is vital. But logic alone is not enough. Strong critical thinking
requires more than skillful inference, analysis, explanation, and
interpretation. It requires courageous truth-seeking and the intellectual
honesty to reflect from time to time on our own most cherished beliefs and
unspoken assumptions. Which of our twenty-first-century practices that we see
as righteous and sensible will the people in the twenty-fourth century look
back on in horror?
Be advised that the images in this
video might be disturbing. This six-minute long scene begins within the first
minute of the final episode in this remarkable series. The episode is called
"Changing Knowledge, Changing Reality." (Watch from 0:45 to 6:25.)
