Sample Essays
First Exam over Lectures
(1) Describe the Enlightenment (or Second Europe) as a culture
· Introductory paragraph. You could do this paragraph one of several ways. You could just list the basic elements of the Enlightenment, after an introductory statement about how important the Enlightenment was in shaping the era, 1650-1789. (Remember that the Enlightenment is a restatement of the 5 basic principles of Europe as a culture.)
· Development paragraphs. You could take each of the Enlightenment beliefs in separate short paragraphs. Or you could combine them in various ways in fewer paragraphs. Some of these fit naturally together; for example, the idea of the world as the best of all possible worlds goes nicely with the idea that the ideal society is that which protects and insures natural rights.
· Concluding paragraph. Finally, you need
a concluding paragraph which could be part summary and part reflection on the
importance of the Enlightenment as a culture.
(2) Imagine that Edmund Burke and John Stuart Mill are arguing the
proposition that the French Revolution marks the birth of human freedom.
· Introductory paragraph. In statements of your choice say that Burke and Mill take very different positions on the topic. You could suggest what these positions are, briefly.
· Development Paragraphs. There are different ways to do this. You could develop each man’s ideas in separate paragraphs. Or you could take each of their differences, such as the views of human nature they hold, and do the contrast, point by point. You may think of other ways to construct your paragraphs.
· Concluding paragraph. Summarize and call attention again to the radical differences between the two men.