Write a reflective essay in response to the following title: “Human imagination and divergent thinking, born out of their political, social and cultural context, lead to new ideologies which reflect the course of history.” To what extent do you agree with this? Assess how far you agree with the Statement of Inquiry of this first Unit: decide on your opinion and develop a thesis statement on which your line of argument throughout the essay must be based. Your must refer to at least three of the ideologies/movements/philosophers we studied. Refer to the Unit’s keynote in the Files section, your notes, and the various formative tasks you did. If you are particularly intrigued by a topic (for example, one we only spoke about in class, or one another group presented) then you can do additional research that goes beyond the tasks. To develop your answer, you should reflect on the overarching themes of this unit. Remember that the Global Context is Personal and Cultural Expression (Philosophies and ways of life, Belief systems, Histories of ideas), the Key Concept Time, Place and Space (the absolute or relative position of people, objects, and ideas; the “when?” and “where?”), and the Related Concepts Ideology and Culture. We discussed big questions like human potential and free choice, ideal and utopian societies, different ways of ruling societies, the relationship between science and religion, the relationship between religion and politics, the universe and humans, the quest for knowledge and its political, social, and cultural consequences. Think closely about how ideas relate to their historical context and how ideas might lead to change. Your essay must feature an introduction, three paragraphs that make three separate points in response to the title (these should be either thematic / conceptual; in agreement / in disagreement; divided by philosophical movement), and a conclusion. Use the essay plan template attached to create an effective structure for your essay before you start writing: this will ensure that all your points are supported. There should be references in the form of footnotes whenever necessary (direct quotes, specific facts or data, somebody else’s idea). Much of this will be taken from the sources used in the formative assessments. These footnotes and the bibliography should be in MLA format and refer to the sources used in the formative assessments. Although this is not a research paper, you can of course do additional research into any aspects of the unit you would like to discuss in your essay (remember to use reliable sources always: EBSCO, History Today, Internet Archive, Google Scholar, Google Books, University/Library/Museum/Foundation websites). N.B. The Unit’s Inquiry Questions are helpful to consider in your essay: What were some of the key intellectual and ideological movements in (early) modern history? (factual) What are the similarities and differences between old and new ideologies? (factual) Why do people follow new ideologies? (debatable) Do ideas from the past still have an impact on us today? (debatable) How does historical context impact ideas? (conceptual) How do ideas, convictions and their expression help us achieve balance? (conceptual) 3 topics that I chose are: reinassence, industrial revolution and scientific revolution
