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I am hoping you will wrestle with the question/statement I present, and offer your thoughtful examination of the points.

Is there a right or wrong? Yes and No. I have certain requirements (font, size, page length, grammar mistakes, writing, but I also have the ” wrestle with the question/statement I present, and offer your thoughtful examination of the points” – which implies you do more than just present one idea and sentence. It implies much more.

When you present your argument or presentation, you may use me as the foil or as the one side of the argument you support or oppose. What my feelings are, you probably do not know, even by listening to the audio/ video. I am making the claim/statement to get you to think about it. My thoughts and opinions are irrelevant, and play no part, nor should they ever, in a grade.

An immediate question you might have after reading the below content is – it doesn’t really seem like a question. It seems more like a few statements / sentences combined with maybe a question.

My response: It is a question. It is complicated for sure, and a statement can be a question if posed in such a manner – which I have done.

How would I approach the statement / question: read it, think about it. Leave it alone for a few hours and return and re-read and think more. Leave it for a bit, return and re-read and this time jot down a framework of possible angles, then begin the construction of the essay.

What you should not do: read it and begin immediately. It may overwhelm and be too complicated.

Please remember, any questions you have could get posted to student forum and if no one responds, email me.

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We have looked at a number of civilizations beginning with the Sumerians and ending with the Arabs in the region we call the Middle East, covering Rome and Greece, and Europe.

We have (as a species) grown (Renaissance and medicines/technology) from the primitive lifestyles of the Sumerians, yet we have also regressed to the engagement with genocide against our perceived enemies.

How does a civilization become a civilization or empire? What are the characteristics of a civilization ? Are there any civilizations or cultures who acted in a ‘nice, kind, tolerant, open’ manner? What happens to anyone who is residing on the land before the other civilization takes over?

Of all the civilizations to have existed (not just the ones we have looked at but you may have some awareness of others), what distinguishes them, or are they all the same? What is the purpose of a civilization (if any)? What would we consider to be an ideal civilization?  And maybe even more important than any other question – in a civilization or culture exists government.  What is the purpose of that government within the civilizations. 

Having considered what the ideal is, consider all that have existed, and what culture or civilization comes closest – what is it about that civilization or culture that makes it more ideal.

If it is so ideal, do you think it is a reasonable idea to integrate every culture together – will that make it better?

What then does the future hold for the world? What direction are we headed?

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Are there a lot of questions above? Yes. Do you have to answer each one in a list? No. You can read through and as I explained above, think about it. In truth, it is really one stream of consciousness – one question, one idea, broken into parts. Think about it, consider all we have studied, and then engage the material.