Daily Read 3: Essay Aeon | 100 RCs for Practice - CAT PDF Download

Essay 1

Essay Name: To converse well
By: Paula Marantz Cohen (Edited by Pam Weintraub) 

Above is my definition of an activity central to my wellbeing. I trace my penchant for good conversation to my family of origin.

Read the full essay here: https://aeon.co/essays/a-good-conversation-relaxes-the-mind-and-opens-the-heart

Summary and Theme

The article reflects on the essence of good conversation as a blend of opinions, feelings, facts, and ideas exchanged in an improvisational manner that fosters mutual insight, respect, and joy. It emphasizes the role of conversation in relaxing the mind, opening the heart, and authentically connecting with others. Drawing from personal experiences and historical perspectives, the author considers the psychological and philosophical significance of conversation, its therapeutic effects, and its potential to bridge societal divides. The piece also touches on the concept of transference and the enduring nature of friendships enriched by conversation, contrasting it with the finality of consummated romantic relationships. The article advocates for the art of conversation as a means to embrace uncertainty, challenge rigid beliefs, and foster a more generous and flexible worldview.

Difficult Words

• Extemporaneity: The quality of being improvised or spontaneous.
• Transference: In psychoanalysis, the redirection of feelings and desires, especially those unconsciously retained from childhood, toward a new object.
• Repartee: Conversation characterized by quick, witty comments or replies.
• L’esprit d’escalier: A French term that describes the predicament of thinking of the perfect reply too late.
• Ossified: Turned into bone; figuratively, become rigid or inflexible in habits, attitudes, opinions, etc.
• Partisanship: Prejudice in favor of a particular cause; bias.

Essay 2

Essay Name: The empty basket
By: Ha-Joon Chang (Edited by Sam Haselby) 

In 1986, I left my native South Korea and came to Britain to study economics as a graduate student at the University of Cambridge.

Read the full essay here: https://aeon.co/essays/why-everyone-needs-to-learn-some-economics

Summary and Theme

The article discusses the importance of understanding economics in a world where it has become the language of power. The author draws an analogy between the evolution of British food culture from conservative to diverse and the need for a similar diversity in economic thought. The dominance of neoclassical economics is critiqued for its limitations and for creating a narrow scope within the field. The author argues that a variety of economic schools of thought, like the diverse cuisines in Britain today, can enrich the field and better equip society to address complex issues. The piece underscores the impact of economic theories on everyday life, shaping cultural norms, personal behaviors, and societal structures. It concludes by emphasizing the necessity for all citizens to gain some understanding of economics to participate effectively in democracy and to shape a more equitable and sustainable future.

Difficult Words

• Monocropping: The agricultural practice of growing a single crop year after year on the same land, in the absence of rotation through other crops or growing multiple crops on the same land (polyculture).
• Neoclassical economics: An approach to economics focusing on the determination of goods, outputs, and income distributions in markets through supply and demand.
• Schumpeterian: Relating to the economic theories of Joseph Schumpeter, particularly those concerning the role of innovation and entrepreneurship in economic development.
• Behaviouralist: Pertaining to a school of economics that emphasizes psychological factors underlying consumer choices.
• Egalitarian: Relating to or believing in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.
• Kaiseki: A traditional multi-course Japanese dinner.
• Epiphany: A moment of sudden and great revelation or realization.

Essay 3

Essay Name: Be what you hope for
By: Michael Lamb (Edited by Nigel Warburton) 

Russia’s war on Ukraine has left many thousands dead and millions displaced, and the threat of nuclear war has only exacerbated fear.

Read the full essay here: https://aeon.co/essays/what-can-augustine-of-hippos-philosophy-teach-us-about-hope

Summary and Theme

The article explores Augustine of Hippo's philosophy on hope, presenting it as a middle ground between the extremes of pessimism and optimism. In a world facing numerous challenges such as war, climate change, and social injustices, the article suggests that Augustine's concept of hope can offer a more balanced and realistic approach. 
It discusses the psychological and political tendencies towards pessimism, the unjustified nature of such a worldview, and the need for a virtue of hope that navigates between the despair of pessimism and the naivety of optimism. Augustine's critique of evil and domination, his understanding of hope as a virtue that directs our desires towards the right objects, and his rhetorical strategies are highlighted as tools to cultivate a realistic hope that can motivate action against contemporary challenges.

Difficult Words

• Pessimism: The tendency to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen.
• Optimism: Hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something.
• Presumption: Behavior perceived as arrogant, disrespectful, and transgressing the limits of what is permitted or appropriate.
• Toxic positivity: The overgeneralization of a happy, optimistic state that results in the denial, minimization, and invalidation of the authentic human emotional experience.
• Despair: The complete loss or absence of hope.
• Virtue: Behavior showing high moral standards.
• Dominion: Sovereignty or control.
• Sedition: Conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch.
• Rhetoric: The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing.
• Antitheses: A contrast or opposition between two things.