Mar 25 2007
The purpose of an essay
Just received this url from a friend, and wanted to pass it on. This mirrors many of my own feelings about writing an essay. In general, the most important point on which I agree with this essay is the concept of an essay not as an argument, but as a system for discovery and learning. An essay shoud be written to learn – to explore a question the writer has – rather than to argue a foregone conclusion. Essays written in this way are interesting, full of the excitement of discovery, and probing. They try out new ideas, and move beyond the argument to something much deeper and more meaningful. The audience helps one to write more carefully, more precisely, perhaps even in a more entertaining way, but the audience is really just along for the ride: witnesses to the education of the author at worst, participants at best. Which is my surprise as I write this – the Internet does seem to be the golden age/location of the essay, because the essay is interactive. Wonderful. give this a read: http://www.paulgraham.com/essay.html
2 responses so far
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Thank you for posting this essay. It was a delight to read and it certainly gave me much to consider in my role as an instructor in history! It was “wonderful” to read and to ponder! MM
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patrickhcc Reply:
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:41 am
I’m glad it was helpful. Where do you teach history, and what history do you teach?
Pat
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