1. Man’s Search for Meaning–We are now reading Part II. Read all sections up to page. 122 (Through Life’s Transitoriness). Please be prepared to contribute meaningfully to a discussion of these sections.
2. The Precis on That Individual–Details on the Precis! A precis (form both singular and plural, pronounced “pray—see”) is a brief summary of the essential thought of a longer composition. It attempts to provide a miniature of the original selection, reproducing the same proportions on smaller scale, the same ideas, and the same mood and tone, so far as possible. The writer of a precis cannot interpret or comment; his or her sole function is to give a reduced photograph of the original author’s exact and essential meaning.
This is an exercise in scholarship/academics. Again, you are to capture the essence of the source article. Do not inject your opinion. Beyond the first sentence, you should never again use phrases like: “Kierkegaard says” or “He believes” or any of that ilk. Summarize as if you were summarizing your own work instead. Reference the sample precis for a model (Be Careful! Avoid the temptation to plagiarize this model precis). One caveat regarding the model, do not follow the structure of the first sentence (rather, use the template we discussed in class: In That Individual, Soren Kierkegaard argues___________). Your precis should not be longer than 2 pages single-spaced. This will be weighed as a project/essay grade so put forth effort and thought (just as you always do).
