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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. Why, as Burke argues, are humans "more inclined to belief than to incredulity?"
2. How does Burke use the word "delight?"
3. To which other passions is the idea of power closely related, according to Burke?
4. To what effect does Burke use the example of the Turkish emperor?
5. What is the same in all humans, according to Burke?
Short Essay Questions
1. Why, according to Burke, are the principles of reason and taste the same in all humans?
2. Briefly describe the significance of human judgment to the faculty of taste.
3. Describe the main difference between light and dark relative to the sublime.
4. What is Burke's idea of "artificial infinity?"
5. How does Burke describe sympathy?
6. What does Burke identify as the central tension between the imagination and the judgment?
7. What is astonishment, according to Burke, and why is it important?
8. Describe the types of dimensional greatness Burke notes are part of the sublime.
9. Summarize Burke's definition of pain and pleasure.
10. What is the cause of a wrong taste, and what are examples of it?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Discuss the ways in which "A Philosophical Enquiry Into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful" is a gendered text. Is the role of women in the text obvious or subtle, and in what ways? How does Burke's near universal usage of masculine or second person pronouns affect the way you read the text? How is Burke's use and inclusion of women reflective of the role and status of women in mid-18th century English society? What is your reaction to Burke's characterization of and use of women in the text? How can you apply what you know of feminist critical theory or gender theory to approach "A Philosophical Enquiry Into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful"?
Essay Topic 2
Discuss Burke's assertion that words may offer a greater interaction with the sublime or the beautiful than an experience with a sublime or beautiful object. Where, when, and how do we gain our general understanding of words and ideas, and how do we learn to become affected by them? What, according to Burke, is the primary strength of poetry? What role do human passions have in poetry? What, to Burke, is the most affecting type of language in poetry and literature? Why, according to Burke, are humans readily affected by the passions of others? How does descriptive poetry operate, according to Burke? How is this different from the operation of dramatic poetry? What are the "weaknesses" of words that Burke mentions on page 160? On the other hand, what are the great strengths of words? For instance, are words versatile, flexible, strong, etc.?
Essay Topic 3
How does Burke define proportion, and under which human faculty does it fall? Why, according to Burke, is proportion not the cause of beauty in vegetation and animals? What examples does Burke use to prove this point? In his discussion of proportionality among human figures, what censure does Burke lay upon advocates of proportion-as-beauty? What influence does the theme of nature vs. artifice have upon Burke's perceptions of proportion and beauty?
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This section contains 1,103 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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