We began listening to an episode of the radio program To the Best of Our Knowledge on Friday. Entitled “Does the Soul Still Matter?,” it brings together scientists, philosophers, believers, poets, and skeptics to offer their opinions on the subject. You can listen here. ((We left off before Parker Palmer’s story (around the 23:00 mark), but you are free to keep going.)) Be sure to take notes, as we’ll continue our discussion Monday.

A few questions that came up as we listened:

• What happens after death?
• What does it mean to be human?
• Is moral freedom the essential test of a human being?
• Is there more to the mind than what is in the brain?
• How do I think about the soul?

It would be a good idea to revisit the notes you took during our listen and attempt to answer the questions you asked. If the answer takes some research, major bonus life points if you bring a copy and share with the class on Monday.

You can find the rest of the series here. If something catches your attention, you may use it for #1 in The Cycle ((check your syllabus))–just let me know before you begin synopsizing.

In case you’re looking/planning ahead, your final project during our study of the Romantic movement will be a researched paper addressing this question:

Why is Frankenstein considered a Romantic novel?

We will delve much deeper into the movement as we begin the novel, but rest assured: our soul/mind, religion/science discussion will be very relevant to your writing.