It is perhaps a choice each of us makes over and over, even many times throughout one day, whether to use knowledge as power or intimacy.
(Susan Griffin, A Chorus of Stones)Conversation is a game with some hard rules: say only what you mean; say it as accurately as you can; listen to and respect what the other says, however different or other; be willing to correct or defend your opinions if challenged by the conversation partner; be willing to argue if necessary, to confront if demanded, to endure necessary conflict, to change your mind if the evidence suggests it.
(David Tracy, Plurality and Ambiguity)Be attentive, be intelligent, be responsible, be loving, and, if necessary, change.
(Bernard Lonergan)
Round Tables are the embodiment of my nostalgic and utopian idea that the truth becomes clear when people are conversing with one another in trust and honesty.These round tables are the site of conversation stimulated by reading essays together. Each of you will have the weekly opportunity to present your written ideas, to hear how classmates respond, and to enjoy an exchange of ideas about what each of you has written. As the semester progresses, each of you will choose one essay to polish (utilizing the feedback you receive from round-table mates) and present to the entire class.
In responding to your classmates as they read the essays they have written, you might structure your response by taking note of three possibilities:
- Do I understand, or do I not understand a particular point that seems to matter to the author?
- Do I agree with, or not agree with a particular point that seems to matter to the author?
- Do I recognize as familiar, or am I surprised by a particular point that seems to matter to the author?