2. No man is an island — already discussed
Debate topic: The line ‘No man is an island’ from a John Donne poem has become famous largely because so many recognise it to be true of the human experience. Why is it that we gravitate towards being in relationship with others? Why is ‘community’ so important to and for us? What would society look like (would there in fact be a notion we could call ‘society’) if each of us operated as ‘an island’?
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‘No Man is an Island’
No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man’s death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
Olde English Version
No man is an Iland, intire of itselfe; every man
is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine;
if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe
is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as
well as if a Manor of thy friends or of thine
owne were; any mans death diminishes me,
because I am involved in Mankinde;
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.
- MEDITATION XVII
Devotions upon Emergent Occasions
John Donne
English clergyman and metaphysical poet celebrated as a preacher (1572–1631)
http://web.cs.dal.ca/~johnston/poetry/island.html
A few years ago I did a piece around this theme, “ Individualism or the Group” (http://thormay.net/unwiseideas/… ). For anyone interested, it might offer a starting point for agreement or disagreement.