The Pool of Issue Topics [b][b]------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b][b]Present your perspective on the issue below, using relevant reasons [b]and/or examples to support your views. [b][b] [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"We can usually learn much more from people whose views we share than [b]from people whose views contradict our own." disagreement can cause [b]stress and inhibit learning." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"No field of study can advance significantly unless outsiders bring [b]their knowledge and experience to that field of study." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"A nation should require all its students to study the same national [b]curriculum until they enter college rather than allow schools in [b]different parts of the nation to determine which academic courses to [b]offer." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The video camera provides such an accurate and convincing record of [b]contemporary life that it has become a more important form of [b]documentation than written records." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"It is often necessary, even desirable, for political leaders to [b]withhold information from the public." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Governments must ensure that their major cities receive the financial [b]support they need in order to thrive, because it is primarily in cities [b]that a nation's cultural traditions are preserved and generated." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"All nations should help support the development of a global university [b]designed to engage students in the process of solving the world's most [b]persistent social problems." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Many of the world's lesser-known languages are being lost as fewer and [b]fewer people speak them. The governments of countries in which these [b]languages are spoken should act to prevent such languages from becoming [b]extinct." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Although many people think that the luxuries and conveniences of [b]contemporary life are entirely harmless, they in fact, prevent people [b]from developing into truly strong and independent individuals." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Most cultures encourage individuals to sacrifice a large part of their [b]own personalities in order to be like other people. Thus, most people [b]are afraid to think or behave differently because they do not want to be [b]excluded." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"There are two types of laws: just and unjust. Every individual in a [b]society has a responsibility to obey just laws and, even more [b]importantly, to disobey and resist unjust laws." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Anyone can make things bigger and more complex. What requires real [b]effort and courage is to move in the opposite direction---in other [b]words, to make things as simple as possible." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Most people would agree that buildings represent a valuable record of [b]any society's past, but controversy arises when old buildings stand on [b]ground that modern planners feel could be better used for modern [b]purposes. In such situations, modern development should be given [b]precedence over the preservation of historic buildings so that [b]contemporary needs can be served." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Students should memorize facts only after they have studied the ideas, [b]trends, and concepts that help explain those facts. Students who have [b]learned only facts have learned very little." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Unfortunately, the media tend to highlight what is sensational at the [b]moment. Society would be better served if the media reported or focused [b]more fully on events and trends that will ultimately have the most long- [b]term significance." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Public figures such as actors, politicians, and athletes should expect [b]people to be interested in their private lives. When they seek a public [b]role, they should expect that they will lose at least some of their [b]privacy." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The primary goal of technological advancement should be to increase [b]people's efficiency so that everyone has more leisure time." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Money spent on research is almost always a good investment, even when [b]the results of that research are controversial." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Creating an appealing image has become more important in contemporary [b]society than is the reality or truth behind that image." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Most of the people we consider heroic today were, in fact, very [b]ordinary people who happened to be in the right place at the right [b]time." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The greatness of individuals can be decided only by those who live [b]after them, not by their contemporaries." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"In the age of television, reading books is not as important as it once [b]was. People can learn as much by watching television as they can by [b]reading books." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Scholars and researchers should not be concerned with whether their [b]work makes a contribution to the larger society. It is more important [b]that they pursue their individual interests, however unusual or [b]idiosyncratic those interests may seem." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Such nonmainstream areas of inquiry as astrology, fortune-telling, and [b]psychic and paranormal pursuits play a vital role in society by [b]satisfying human needs that are not addressed by mainstream science." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"To be an effective leader, a public official must maintain the highest [b]ethical and moral standards." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"While some leaders in government, sports, industry, and other areas [b]attribute their success to a well-developed sense of competition, a [b]society can better prepare its young people for leadership by instilling [b]in them a sense of cooperation." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Society does not place enough emphasis on the intellect---that is, on [b]reasoning and other cognitive skills." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The study of history places too much emphasis on individuals. The most [b]significant events and trends in history were made possible not by the [b]famous few, but by groups of people whose identities have long been [b]forgotten." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Imaginative works such as novels, plays, films, fairy tales, and [b]legends present a more accurate and meaningful picture of human [b]experience than do factual accounts. Because the creators of fiction [b]shape and focus reality rather than report on it literally, their [b]creations have a more lasting significance." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"In order to improve the quality of instruction at the college and [b]university level, all faculty should be required to spend time working [b]outside the academic world in professions relevant to the courses they [b]teach." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"In any academic area or professional field, it is just as important to [b]recognize the limits of our knowledge and understanding as it is to [b]acquire new facts and information." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The concept of 'individual responsibility' is a necessary fiction. [b]Although societies must hold individuals accountable for their own [b]actions, people's behavior is largely determined by forces not of their [b]own making." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Universities should require every student to take a variety of courses [b]outside the student's field of study because acquiring knowledge of [b]various academic disciplines is the best way to become truly educated." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"People work more productively in teams than individually. Teamwork [b]requires cooperation, which motivates people much more than individual [b]competition does." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Colleges and universities should offer more courses on popular music, [b]film, advertising, and television because contemporary culture has much [b]greater relevance for students than do arts and literature of the past." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"A person's own habits and attitudes often limit that person's freedom [b]more than do restrictions imposed by others." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"In any realm of life---whether academic, social, business, or political- [b]--the only way to succeed is to take a practical, rather than an [b]idealistic, point of view. Pragmatic behavior guarantees survival, [b]whereas idealistic views tend to be superceded by simpler, more [b]immediate options." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The study of history has value only to the extent that it is relevant [b]to our daily lives." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"It is primarily through formal education that a culture tries to [b]perpetuate the ideas it favors and discredit the ideas it fears." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"In many countries it is now possible to turn on the television and view [b]government at work. Watching these proceedings can help people [b]understand the issues that affect their lives. The more kinds of [b]government proceedings---trials, debates, meetings, etc.---that are [b]televised, the more society will benefit." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The purpose of many advertisements is to make consumers want to buy a [b]product so that they will 'be like' the person in the ad. This practice [b]is effective because it not only sells products but also helps people [b]feel better about themselves." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"When we concern ourselves with the study of history, we become [b]storytellers. Because we can never know the past directly but must [b]construct it by interpreting evidence, exploring history is more of a [b]creative enterprise than it is an objective pursuit. All historians are [b]storytellers." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Some educational systems emphasize the development of students' [b]capacity for reasoning and logical thinking, but students would benefit [b]more from an education that also taught them to explore their own [b]emotions." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"It is primarily through our identification with social groups that we [b]define ourselves." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Humanity has made little real progress over the past century or so. [b]Technological innovations have taken place, but the overall condition of [b]humanity is no better. War, violence, and poverty are still with us. [b]Technology cannot change the condition of humanity." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b][b][b][b][b][b][b]"It is through the use of logic and of precise, careful measurement that [b]we become aware of our progress. Without such tools, we have no [b]reference points to indicate how far we have advanced or retreated." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"With the growth of global networks in such areas as economics and [b]communication, there is no doubt that every aspect of society--- [b]including education, politics, the arts, and the sciences---will benefit [b]greatly from international influences." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"When research priorities are being set for science, education, or any [b]other area, the most important question to consider is: How many [b]people's lives will be improved if the results are successful?" [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"So much is new and complex today that looking back for an understanding [b]of the past provides little guidance for living in the present." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"At various times in the geological past, many species have become [b]extinct as a result of natural, rather than human, processes. Thus, [b]there is no justification for society to make extraordinary efforts, [b]especially at a great cost in money and jobs, to save endangered [b]species." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Facts are stubborn things. They cannot be altered by our wishes, our [b]inclinations, or the dictates of our passions." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"It is often asserted that the purpose of education is to free the mind [b]and the spirit. In reality, however, formal education tends to restrain [b]our minds and spirits rather than set them free." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"How children are socialized today determines the destiny of society. [b]Unfortunately, we have not yet learned how to raise children who can [b]help bring about a better society." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The arts (painting, music, literature, etc.) reveal the otherwise [b]hidden ideas and impulses of a society." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The absence of choice is a circumstance that is very, very rare." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b][b]"Only through mistakes can there be discovery or progress." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"What society has thought to be its greatest social, political, and [b]individual achievements have often resulted in the greatest discontent." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Contemporary art (painting, music, literature, etc.) is absent from the [b]lives of most people, since it is primarily created only for the [b]enjoyment of other artists. Art should instead be created purely for [b]popular understanding and appreciation." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Most people recognize the benefits of individuality, but the fact is [b]that personal economic success requires conformity." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The well-being of a society is enhanced when many of its people [b]question authority." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"It is the artist, not the critic,* who gives society something of [b]lasting value." [b][b]*a person who evaluates works of art, such as novels, films, music, [b]paintings, etc. [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"People who are the most deeply committed to an idea or policy are the [b]most critical of it." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Tradition and modernization are incompatible. One must choose between [b]them." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Because of television and worldwide computer connections, people can [b]now become familiar with a great many places that they have never [b]visited. As a result, tourism will soon become obsolete." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"High-speed electronic communications media, such as electronic mail and [b]television, tend to prevent meaningful and thoughtful communication." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b][b][b][b][b][b][b][b][b][b][b][b]"No amount of information can eliminate prejudice because prejudice is [b]rooted in emotion, not reason." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The only responsibility of corporate executives, provided they stay [b]within the law, is to make as much money as possible for their [b]companies." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Students should bring a certain skepticism to whatever they study. They [b]should question what they are taught instead of accepting it passively." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Both parents and communities must be involved in the local schools. [b]Education is too important to leave solely to a group of professional [b]educators." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"There is no such thing as purely objective observation. All observation [b]is subjective; it is always guided by the observer's expectations or [b]desires." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The human mind will always be superior to machines because machines are [b]only tools of human minds." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The most essential quality of an effective leader is the ability to [b]remain consistently committed to particular principles and objectives. [b]Any leader who is quickly and easily influenced by shifts in popular [b]opinion will accomplish little." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"In this age of intensive media coverage, it is no longer possible for a [b]society to regard any woman or man as a hero. The reputation of anyone [b]who is subjected to media scrutiny will eventually be diminished." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Sometimes imagination is a more valuable asset than experience. People [b]who lack experience are free to imagine what is possible and thus can [b]approach a task without constraints of established habits and attitudes." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"In any given field, the leading voices come from people who are [b]motivated not by conviction but by the desire to present opinions and [b]ideas that differ from those held by the majority." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"It is impossible for an effective political leader to tell the truth [b]all the time. Complete honesty is not a useful virtue for a politician." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"What is called human nature is really a reflection of the human [b]condition: if all people had a reasonable share of territory and [b]resources, such products of 'human nature' as war and crime would become [b]extremely rare." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Critical judgment of work in any given field has little value unless it [b]comes from someone who is an expert in that field." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Those who treat politics and morality as though they were separate [b]realms fail to understand either the one or the other." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"[url=http://www.gter.net/bbs]Gre[/url]at advances in knowledge necessarily involve the rejection of [b]authority." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The surest indicator of a great nation is not the achievements of its [b]rulers, artists, or scientists, but the general welfare of all its [b]people." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"International relations can never be completely harmonious because many [b]cultures do not share the same values." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"People who pursue their own intellectual interests for purely personal [b]reasons are more likely to benefit the rest of the world than are people [b]who try to act for the public good." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Originality does not mean thinking something that was never thought [b]before; it means putting old ideas together in new ways." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Laws should not be stationary and fixed. Instead, they should be [b]flexible enough to take account of various circumstances, times, and [b]places." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b][b][b][b][b]"It is always an individual who is the impetus for innovation; the [b]details may be worked out by a team, but true innovation results from [b]the enterprise and unique perception of an individual." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The function of science is to reassure; the purpose of art is to upset. [b]Therein lies the value of each." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The study of an academic discipline alters the way we perceive the [b]world. After studying the discipline, we see the same world as before, [b]but with different eyes." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Many problems of modern society cannot be solved by laws and the legal [b]system because moral behavior cannot be legislated." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The way students and scholars interpret the materials they work with in [b]their academic fields is more a matter of personality than of training. [b]Different interpretations come about when people with different [b]personalities look at exactly the same objects, facts, data, or events [b]and see different things." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"We live under the illusion that we know what we want, when actually we [b]merely want what we are supposed to want." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"As we acquire more knowledge, things do not become more comprehensible, [b]but more complex and more mysterious." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"It is a grave mistake to theorize before one has data." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Scandals---whether in politics, academia, or other areas---can be [b]useful. They focus our attention on problems in ways that no speaker or [b]reformer ever could." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Practicality is now our great idol, which all powers and talents must [b]serve. Anything that is not obviously practical has little value in [b]today's world." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"It is easy to welcome innovation and accept new ideas. What most people [b]find difficult, however, is accepting the way these new ideas are put [b]into practice." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Success, whether academic or professional, involves an ability to [b]survive in a new environment and--, eventually, --to change it." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The function of art is not to keep pace with science and technology but [b]rather to provide an escape from these forces." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"As long as people in a society are hungry or out of work or lack the [b]basic skills needed to survive, the use of public resources to support [b]the arts is inappropriate---and, perhaps, even cruel---when one [b]considers all the potential uses of such money." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The goal of politics should not be the pursuit of an ideal, but rather [b]the search for common ground and reasonable consensus." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Technology creates more problems than it solves, and may threaten or [b]damage the quality of life." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The material progress and well-being of one country are necessarily [b]connected to the material progress and well-being of all other [b]countries." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The purpose of education should be to provide students with a value [b]system, a standard, a set of ideas---not to prepare them for a specific [b]job." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The best way to understand the character of a society is to examine the [b]character of the men and women that the society chooses as its heroes or [b]its heroines." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Rituals and ceremonies help define a culture. Without them, societies [b]or groups of people have a diminished sense of who they are." [b][b]"The way people look, dress, and act reveals their attitudes and [b]interests. You can tell much about a society's ideas and values by [b]observing the appearance and behavior of its people." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Progress is best made through discussion among people who have [b]contrasting points of view." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Most people choose a career on the basis of such pragmatic [b]considerations as the needs of the economy, the relative ease of finding [b]a job, and the salary they can expect to make. Hardly anyone is free to [b]choose a career based on his or her natural talents or interest in a [b]particular kind of work." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"If a goal is worthy, then any means taken to attain it is justifiable." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Society should identify those children who have special talents and [b]abilities and begin training them at an early age so that they can [b]eventually excel in their areas of ability. Otherwise, these talents are [b]likely to remain undeveloped." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Too much time, money, and energy are spent developing new and more [b]elaborate technology. Society should instead focus on maximizing the use [b]of existing technology for the immediate benefit of its citizens." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Most important discoveries or creations are accidental: it is usually [b]while seeking the answer to one question that we come across the answer [b]to another." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"In order for any work of art---whether film, literature, sculpture, or [b]a song---to have merit, it must be understandable to most people." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The chief benefit of the study of history is to break down the illusion [b]that people in one period of time are significantly different from [b]people who lived at any other time in history." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Imprisonment for violent crimes should be made as unpleasant as [b]possible in order to deter potential offenders from committing such [b]crimes." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"People often look for similarities, even between very different things, [b]and even when it is unhelpful or harmful to do so. Instead, a thing [b]should be considered on its own terms; we should avoid the tendency to [b]compare it to something else." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"People are mistaken when they assume that the problems they confront [b]are more complex and challenging than the problems faced by their [b]predecessors. This illusion is eventually dispelled with increased [b]knowledge and experience." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The best way to teach---whether as an educator, employer, or parent--- [b]is to praise positive actions and ignore negative ones." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]" 'Moderation in all things' is ill-considered advice. Rather, one [b]should say, 'Moderation in most things,' since many areas of human [b]concern require or at least profit from intense focus." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Although innovations such as video, computers, and the Internet seem to [b]offer schools improved methods for instructing students, these [b]technologies all too often distract from real learning." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Most people prefer restrictions and regulations to absolute freedom of [b]choice, even though they might deny such a preference." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Most people are taught that loyalty is a virtue. But loyalty---whether [b]to one's friends, to one's school or place of employment, or to any [b]institution---is all too often a destructive rather than a positive [b]force." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Conformity almost always leads to a deadening of individual creativity [b]and energy." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"Much of the information that people assume is 'factual' actually turns [b]out to be inaccurate. Thus, any piece of information referred to as [b]a 'fact' should be mistrusted since it may well be proven false in the [b]future." [b][b]------------------------------ [b][b]"The true value of a civilization is reflected in its artistic creations [b]rather than in its scientific accomplishments." [b][b]