Discussion Questions Regarding Communist Manifesto:
According to Karl Marx in The Communist Manifesto, what have been the costs of the modernization of the western world? Did he believe that the promises of classical liberalism (Locke, &c.) were fulfilled? Why/why not?
How did Marx specifically feel about classical liberalism and the freemarket industrialization of western economies? How does classical liberalism and stack up against his own social and economic philosophies?
What is the "bourgeoisie"? What is bourgeois culture? How does Marx think bourgeois values are affecting society? Do you see some of these values affecting life in Metropolis? How?
Does Metropolis ultimately have a Marxist message or a liberal (as in, classically liberal) message? Why? How do Marx and Locke crop up in the story? What style of society/economy seems to win out in the end?
Discussion Questions Regarding Frankenstein:
What was Victor Frankenstein's main goal in Frankenstein? Where did his pursuits "go wrong"? What lessons did he learn from his mistakes?
How is the story a warning about humanism? What does it seem to say about scientific progress? Modern progress in general, as the result of the Scientific Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment? What lessons should the reader take away from the story regarding the relentless pursuit of technology and understanding? Is it possible to achieve too much in pursuit of natural truth?
Are there characters in Metropolis that have something in common with Dr. Frankenstein? Who, and why?
Video Response:
Remember, this thread is ONLY for Video Response submissions, NOT questions or discussion.
Please submit your Video Response 2 as a reply to this post. There is no need to quote this post/prompt in your reply (if you do, the quoted material will NOT count toward your word minimum).
Video Responses should be about 300 words (but you are always welcome to write more). This assignment is somewhat informal and completely separate from the Paper 2 assignment that is also associated with Metropolis, but you should still make an effort to organize your thoughts and use good grammar/correct spelling. You shouldn't need to spend longer than 25 minutes on each Video Response.
To complete this response, you need to watch the film Metropolis. I've linked to Youtube files containing the film in the Units Nineteen and Twenty Module.
Respond to the following:
Many cultural ideas from the course are addressed in one way or another in Metropolis. Which primary source readings seem to relate the most? Which ideas from these sources are represented? Why and how are they included? Be sure to give specific examples from the readings and the film to illustrate the connections. Use at least two primary sources in your response.
Remember, primary source readings are the readings that come directly from the eras and civilizations we've studied, NOT the textbook chapters.