PLEASE READ BEFORE STARTING ‘Giants’ are a range of people spanning more than 2,500 whose ideas have shaped the way we think about the world. These ‘giants’ are drawn from the arts, from cultural studies and literature, from history and feminist theory, from science, drama and religion. The giants included are: Plato Paul Muhammad Hildegard of Bingen Mary Shelley Shakespeare Karl Marx Sigmund Freud Charles Darwin Simone de Beauvoir Please pick ONE of these questions: 2. Considering the nature of modern knowledge production, is it possible for giants to appear in modern society? Argue for or against this idea. 3. Which is more accurate: an approach to history that emphasises the importance of giants instigating great change, or one that emphasises broader, long-term trends? Argue with reference to a particular case-study. 4. Select a giant. Discuss the figure in relation to his/her predecessors and evaluate the extent to which s/he was truly original. (Your discussion should be weighted towards the predecessors.) 5. Discuss the influence a giant has had in a particular discipline. How has s/he influenced academic approaches in that field? 6. Discuss the influence a particular giant—and his/her ideas—has had outside of his/her field or area. 7. Each of the giants had a different approach to discovering ‘truth’. Describe the methodology of a particular figure in achieving this goal. Was it culture-bound? Is our valuation of this figure, and his/her truth claims, also culture-bound? Avoid simply describing the issue you are writing about. Aim instead to present, and then solve, a problem concerned with your topic. When you introduce the topic/problem, tell the reader why it is important; why the problem exists and the steps you will take to solve it; and what your solution will be. Doing this in the Introduction of your essay will provide you with a clear basis on which to build your analysis and argument. ? It is important that you provide sufficient context—including theoretical, historical and cultural (as required)—when discussing your topic and your examples. This will provide a framework for your discussion and help the reader realise the importance and meaning of different ideas and phenomena. ? Read as widely as you can around your topic. Try to find authors who take different views so that you can compare and assess their arguments. Avoid using many words describing what an author says. Summarise her/his argument clearly but briefly, perhaps using appropriate quotations. Focus in as much depth as you can on assessing the arguments authors make and relating these in a critical manner to your essay topic. ? Save space for your own critical evaluation – The culmination of your essay should draw your arguments together returning to the ‘problem’ and providing your own clearly argued response to the question.