Description
Read Daniel DeNicola’s short essay You don’t have a right to believe whatever you want to (Links to an external site.), then examine it through the lens of critical thinking by offering a response to DeNicola’s essay. This response will take the form of an argument that you will construct in a formal essay of your own.
DeNicola takes a fairly controversial stance on our right to believe. He writes, “There is an ethic of believing, of acquiring, sustaining, and relinquishing beliefs – and that ethic both generates and limits our right to believe. If some beliefs are false, or morally repugnant, or irresponsible, some beliefs are also dangerous. And to those, we have no right.”
Do you agree or disagree with DeNicola’s stance on our right to believe? Your essay should take a stance of its own. Chapters 3 and 4 of our course textbook clarify much about the nature of argument. You may wish to revisit these chapters as you approach the writing of your essay. Remember, the issue of belief’s impact on one’s life and the lives of others is a broad and controversial issue. Developing a question at issue will help you narrow your focus. Here are some possible questions that might be asked in pursuit of a thesis:
Are our beliefs strictly a private matter? At what point do our beliefs begin to harm others? Do we have a right to believe that which is dangerous? Do we have a right to believe that which is demonstrably false? Why are people so susceptible to conspiracy theories? What can be done to curb false or dangerous beliefs in a society at large?
NOTE: The above questions are not meant to be treated like a checklist. They are simply examples of questions at issue that can help to spur your writing process along and determine a course of action for your thesis. Consider them a useful tool for annotating, pre-writing, and thesis generation.
Finally, this essay should be at least 1,000 words in length. It should have a clear and focused thesis. It should be substantial, thoughtful, and well-organized. It should 1) cite DeNicola’s piece, and 2) cite at least one additional outside source. And it should adhere to the standards of MLA formatting.