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Lesson 5

We will deconstruct two highly complex sentences about philosophy to determine their meaning and analyze their syntax. We will watch a video and read to learn more about Kantian ethics and the rights approach to ethics.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I formulate and use questions to establish and deepen my understanding of ethics?

  • Can I use a variety of strategies (e.g., context clues, word study, and vocabulary resources) to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words related to ethics?

  • Can I explain why mentor sentences are powerful and how I might emulate them in my own writing?

Texts

Core

  • Digital Access
    • “Kant & Categorical Imperatives: Crash Course Philosophy #35,” Crash Course Philosophy, PBS Digital Studios, YouTube

Materials

Tools

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read – Discuss

We will read an excerpt of a complex philosophical text to determine its meaning.

Immanunel Kant, an 18th-century German philosopher, wrote about ethics. Closely read one of his key ideas about the source of ethical standards, which he called categorical imperatives:

Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law, without contradiction.

A word with which you might not be familiar that is important to know in order to understand the imperative is maxim, which is defined as "a rule of conduct." Another word with which you might not be familiar is whereby, which is a conjunction or connecting word that means "by or through."

As a class, discuss the following questions:

  1. What are the verbs in this sentence? What action is being suggested as part of this categorical imperative?

  2. Who is completing the action?

  3. What is Kant suggesting about this action?

Activity 2: Read – Discuss

We will read a second excerpt of complex philosophical text to determine its meaning.

Read the following imperative from Kant.

Act so that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of another, always as an end, and never as a mere means.

Note that when Kant is talking about "an end" and "as a mere means" here, he is referencing the notion of "a means to an end," or something done only to produce a desired result.

As a class, discuss the following questions:

  1. What are the verbs in this sentence? What action is being suggested as part of this categorical imperative?

  2. Who is completing the action?

  3. What is Kant suggesting about this action?

Activity 3: Read – Discuss – Write

We will reread the excerpts to analyze the author’s use of language, conventions, and syntax.

Step 1

Reading like a writer involves studying how an author writes and determining why the author makes specific writing choices at the paragraph and sentence level. Understanding what those writing choices mean and deconstructing how the author made those choices can help you emulate those choices in your own writing practice and diversify your range of writing strategies.

We will now analyze these sentences through the lens of mentor sentences.

Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law, without contradiction.

Act so that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of another, always as an end, and never as a mere means.

Follow your teacher’s direction regarding grouping, materials, and which mentor sentence(s) you will analyze. Use the Working with Mentor Sentences Tool to work through the following steps for each mentor sentence:

Step 2

Read the sentence aloud. Unpack any unfamiliar vocabulary using your vocabulary strategies. Then, determine what the sentence is saying, and paraphrase the sentence to convey its meaning based on your initial understanding.

Step 3

Deconstruct the whole into parts. Split the sentence up into parts as directed by your teacher; sometimes your teacher will give you the parts, and sometimes you will have to split the sentence on your own. Complete the following for each part:

  • Determine the parts of speech and function.

  • Note other observations about the part, such as examples of effective diction or changes in verb tense or point of view.

Step 4

Follow along as your teacher reviews the relevant grammatical terms and concepts of specific phrases and clauses, punctuation, syntax, mood, and tone.

Step 5

Analyze the concepts. Review, discuss, and revise your deconstruction notes. Then, respond to the following questions:

  1. Which parts make up the main clause? The main clause is the main subject and predicate that expresses the central idea of the sentence. Write down the sentence, underlining the main clause.

  2. How do the other parts of the sentence (e.g., phrases, clauses, modifiers) enhance the main clause?

  3. How could you restructure this sentence so that it relays the same message to the reader? What is the impact of the different structures on your understanding?

  4. What revisions need to be made to your initial paraphrasing now that you have increased your understanding of the sentence?

Step 6

Analyze mood, tone, and meaning. Discuss the following questions:

  1. What mood does the author create in this sentence? How is this mood created?

  2. What tone is conveyed by the author in this sentence? How is that tone conveyed?

  3. What does this sentence contribute to the author’s ideas in the text? How does it expand your understanding of the text or author?

Step 7

Follow your teacher’s directions about choosing one or two mentor sentences to mimic. Use your deconstruction analysis of your chosen sentences to write your own, mimicking what the author does in terms of structure, style, grammar, and punctuation. The specific content of your sentences is your choice. Be prepared to share your sentences with your peers.

As you come across interesting or powerful sentences in your readings, write them down in your Mentor Sentence Journal. By using the journal, you will have a consistent place to collect "to use" writing techniques and strategies, which you can reference and emulate when writing your responses to the Section Diagnostics and the Culminating Task.

Activity 4: View – Discuss

We will complete our understanding of the kantian approach by watching a video that includes a thought experiment. We will also use context to determine the meaning of an Unknown word.

As a class, watch the video "Kant & Categorical Imperatives: Crash Course Philosophy #35." Using your notes from the previous activities, add any additional information or questions about categorical imperatives to the Video Note-Taking Tool, and be prepared to discuss the following questions:

  1. Using context from the video, what does the word autonomous mean?

  2. Why is being autonomous important to the second categorical imperative?

Activity 5: Discuss

In this optional activity, we will use evidence from our notes and discussions to determine whether the golden rule is an example of a kantian maxim.

Think about Kant’s categorical imperative and about the golden rule, which is to "act as you would have others act toward you." With a partner, discuss the following question:

  1. Is the golden rule a maxim that works with the categorical imperative? Why or why not?