PROFICIENCY #2

The Prompt Analyze how common ethics or moral principles contribute to the structure of a society. Terms to know: Analyze: to examine carefully and in detail so as to identify causes, key factors, possible results, Common: shared by all or most Ethics: the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.: medical ethics; Christian ethics.

Definitions to know moral: of, pertaining to, or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong; ethical: moral attitudes. principles: the rules or guidelines structure: how something is designed and/or built

The Essay outline: I. Introduction: I. Two to four sentence that provide a basic explanation of prompt, non-specific examples of societies and moral or ethical structures (you can be vague and lead up to the thesis) II. Thesis Statement (absolutely required and important) I. Write about how you think societies are influenced by their religious or ethical codes, and what you will use to prove that idea. II. Support #1 (About how specific religions affect specific societies) I. Topic sentence, two to three very specific examples, and analysis of how your examples connect to the thesis statement and prove that it is a true statement.

Outline continued III. Support #2 (about how a specific agreement of laws or rules builds stability in a government or culture) I. Topic sentence, two to three very specific examples, and analysis of how your examples connect to the thesis statement and prove that it is a true statement. IV. Support #3 (suggested support: how leaders treat their people and how that reflects/creates social structure; the attitudes about personal/human rights and roles of women/slaves; how the degradation of moral principles can cause an erosion of the structure of society) I. Topic sentence, two to three very specific examples, and analysis of how your examples connect to the thesis statement and prove that it is a true statement.

Final part of Outline V. Conclusion I. Restatement of thesis - using different words and sentence structure to say the same thing. II. Summary of the three paragraphs. Basically restating the topic sentences using different words and sentence structure). III. A final comment that ties everything together and brings the essay to an end.

Sample Outline: Introduction I. Introduction I. Thesis Statement: A thorough examination of the history of the ________ civilization, the tragic play Antigone, and current events, one can see that the structure of a society can be strengthened and maintained through common moral or ethical principles.

Sample Outline: Supporting Paragraph Structure II. Supporting Paragraph #1 II. Topic Sentence: II. Moral or religious ideas that are common to the people of a society help to build its government and social structure. III. Evidence I. In ancient _________, the religion was based on ______, and the society reflected this by_________. I. Explain how this connects – how it proves your point. II. The literature of Ancient Greece reflects their moral principles. In the play Antigone by Sophicles, the protagonist and many of the people of Thebes believed in honoring the gods by _________. I. Explain how this connects – how it proves your point. III. When the founders of the United States created the Constitution, many of the laws were based on their shared religion of Christianity. I. Explain how this connects – how it proves your point.

Sample Outline:Supporting Paragraph Structure II. Supporting Paragraph #2 II. Topic Sentence: II. When a group of people agree to a common set of rules or ethical principles, they create a government or laws that follow them, which leads to a stable society. III. Evidence I. The ________ government was based on the laws of ________, which made the civilization stronger. I. Explain how this connects – how it proves your point. II. In Antigone, the roots of democracy are exhibited in the scene in which Kreon is advised to follow the guidance of his people. I. Explain how this connects – how it proves your point. III. The individual states and most people of the United States agree to follow the rules stated in the Constitution, which helps maintain stability during times of indecision. I. Explain how this connects – how it proves your point.

Sample Supporting Paragraph Structure II. Supporting Paragraph #3 II. Topic Sentence: II. As a common moral and ethical belief system builds a society, a change of those elements can effect a change in the government and culture. III. Evidence I. This can be seen in the history of the Roman Empire, which expanded tremendously and then was forever changed by the advent of Chrisianity. I. Explain how this connects – how it proves your point. II. The denial of religious observation, whether based on true belief or a case of hubris on Kreon’s part, led to the downfall of his empire in Thebes. I. Explain how this connects – how it proves your point. III. Finally, recent economic and political events in the United States show that behaviors that were formerly viewed as immoral or unethical are now considered to be acceptable. I. Explain how this connects – how it proves your point.

The Conclusion  Restatement of Thesis:  The history of ________, Sophicles’ Antigone, along with both historical and current events in the United States show that a society’s structure is based on and continued by the population’s commitment to common moral principals and ethics.

The Conclusion  Summary of main points:  Religious or moral values often are reflected in the government structure, art, literature, and growth of civilizations like Ancient Greece.  In addition, these societies build their laws and economies around a legal or ethical set of rules that most of the citizens, including the leaders, agree to follow.  Unfortunately, the play Antigone, along with the history of Rome and the current crises in the United States show that movement away from shared moral and ethical principles can have civilization-altering consequences.

The Conclusion  Final Thought:  The fate of the United States remains unknown, but history and literature have given us lessons in how societies can strengthen or weaken as morals and ethics change.