Assignment

Jonathan Swift

"A Modest Proposal," 1729

Directions

How can we respond to so-called local or global issues and the solutions that policy makers and others propose when we lack the knowledge to grasp the material being discussed?

This is a very real problem, and people often use social and other media to advocate and amplify policy and other proposals they simply do not have the background to understand. Furthermore, how can we reject proposals that seem morally outrageous without being accused of impinging upon free speech?

In order to reflect on these two problems, I am asking you to read Jonathan Swift's 1729 essay "A Modest Proposal" and to respond-with particular attention focused on avoiding expressions of moral outrage. Rather than focusing on the essay as satire-the typical approach to analyzing it-I want you to take it seriously. This exercise will require careful, close reading on your part . You will need to pay attention to how all the parts of Swift's proposal fit together-what is each sentence doing, in other words?Draw the answers to these question from the text. Do not go elsewhere: e.g. Google, Wikipedia, or SparkNotes.If you include stuff that is not drawn directly from the text you will receive no credit for answering.

Questions

1. What is the overarching problem that Swift identifies? Keep in mind that it has a number of different aspects that are mentioned throughout the essay.

2. What is Swift's solution to the overarching problem?

3. What will be the benefits of this solution?

4. What evidence does he provide to support his proposal?

5. Why won't other solutions work?

6. What are the dangers if policy makers don't follow Swift's advice?

7. Beyond moral claims, where do you start if you find Swift's proposal inadequate? What kinds of appeals does he make that you might question or reject? What further research might you need to carry out to better understand the situation and offer alternatives?

A MODEST PROPOSAL

For preventing the children of poor people in Ireland, from being a burden on their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the publick by Dr. Jonathan Swift.