In this section we begin our study of empiricism in epistemology. We read about one ancient empiricist (Aristotle), and the two modern empiricists John Locke and George Berkeley (after whom Berkeley, California was named).This is the material for Quiz 10:Required Readings/Resources for Quiz 10DP Ch 3 "The Empiricism of John LockeDP Ch 3 "Berkeley's Correction of Locke" Crash Course Locke and Berkeley (Links to an external site.)Minimize VideoOptional:Some good Web sites:John Locke (Links to an external site.)George Berkeley (Links to an external site.)Objectives for Quiz 10You should be able to answer the following questions:1. How does Berkeley’s empiricism differ from Locke’s? (Be sure to give Berkeley’s reasons for disagreeing with Locke.)2. What is the problem of substance in Locke?3. What role does God play in Berkeley’s metaphysics and epistemology? Why is the notion of God contradictory for an empiricist?4. What are simple ideas for Locke?5. Explain primary and secondary qualities6. What is empiricism in epistemology?7. What is the difference between rationalism and empiricism in epistemology?8. What is idealism?9. What is conceptualism and how does this view differ from Plato's theory of forms in explaining general, terms like "human" or "cat?

Mod 5 Assignment: Race, Ethnicity, Americanism, and Belonging during WWI (discussion)77 unread replies.77 replies.You likely picked up on this major theme from the background materials. This assignment focuses on issues of race, ethnicity, and ideas of belonging in the US during World War I. The US entered the war in Europe rather late, having debated isolationist policies for the first few years. A great number of enlisted men were African-Americans and recent immigrants to the US. Black and brown men were forced into segregated units dedicated to dangerous and undignified support work and manual labor. And despite stories of wartime heroism, many of the surviving veterans of color were denied the full liberties and protections afforded American citizens. Assignment InstructionsStep 1: Skim the linked sources below.Examine this excerpt from Madison Grant's book, The Passing of the Great Race, published in 1916. In this book and excerpt, Grant shares a common early 20th-century perspective on the "New Immigrants" arriving to the US. Note that when Grant says "Natives" of the US, he means American-born whites, not people of the American Indian nations. Let's not be coy about this-- eugenics has been a strong underlying social force in the US since the nation's founding, and the eugenics ideology is still very much alive today. Eugenics was especially popular in the US in the early 20th century through World War II (not to say that eugenics policies ended there). Issues today like abortion restrictions, forced sterilization, homophobia and transphobia, and racial segregation are all tied up in eugenics politics. Eugenics describes a set of beliefs and practices that center on the 'progressive' idea that the humanity and human genetics can be perfected or improved through the manipulation of breeding, to put it bluntly. In the US, it is a carry-over from the idea of Social Darwinism, in some respects. In a society built on upholding white supremacy, we can guess those groups that will be targeted for "breeding out."Take a look at this excerpt by W.E.B. Du Bois about East St. Louis Race Riot of 1917 (Links to an external site.), the last full year of the war. The excerpt is from his book published in 1920, Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil. Last year's HBO show The Watchmen turned the nation's attention towards the Tulsa Massacre of 1921, but there were many more similar "riots" and massacres during and after the war in cities like East St. Louis, Chicago, and Houston-- not to mention the many black southern towns regularly raided and destroyed.Take a look at this transcription of a recording of General Leonard Wood promoting "Americanism" and "Americanization" (Links to an external site.) sometime between 1918 and 1920. If you would rather listen to the recording, if you want to read along with the recording, click here (Links to an external site.).Skim this 1919 article, "Returning Soldiers", by leading black academic W.E.B. Du Bois (Links to an external site.). This article appeared in the May issue of The Crisis, the official monthly journal of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, or the NAACP, founded in 1909 and publishing as of 1910.Step 2: Reply to PromptUsing this week's sources, respond to the prompt below in a 200- to 300-word discussion post. No formal citations necessary, but do reference the primary sources to support your ideas. You may not hit all of these points, but do try to weigh in on the first few questions.Prompt: Using the primary sources above, what can you argue about the state of race relations and ethnic tensions on the WWI home-front? The President claimed that US entry into the war was to secure the world and make it "safe for democracy," (Links to an external site.) but was the US a safe and democratic nation for African-Americans and immigrants? What do these sources on nativism and "Americanism" suggest about ideas of belonging and "Otherness"? What can you say about the connection between race, labor, immigration, assimilation, and socio-political tensions during the 1910s? How does this fit in with the long-held expression of the US as a "melting pot"?Step 3: Reply to Three (3) PeersIn a short paragraph between 50 and 100 words, add further supporting details or respectfully disagree with the post's author using evidence from this week's readings.Respond to as many peers as you like, but you must respond to at least three coursemates.Please reply to peers who do not yet have replies so that all are included in the conversation.