SEASON 1 EPISODE 3 - TAHANI AL- JAMIL

Parent Content Warning:

There is a rather explicit sexual harassment/assault segment.  The action isn't shown but it can be upsetting for survivors and younger teens.

Summary (SPOILERS, OBVIOUSLY):

We get a closer look at Tahani and Jian-Yu this episode.  Eleanor treats her with extreme distrust; Tahani brings Eleanor a gift and Eleanor scorns her efforts.  Eleanor returns the gesture and Tahani insults Eleanor.  Eleanor suspects Tahani is the one who sent her the anonymous note last episode and decides to go along with her on efforts to visit the neighborhood.  The plant Tahani gifted Eleanor emotionally reacts when Eleanor criticizes her.  We also see more flashbacks and insights into Eleanor's life prior to the Good Place.  Eleanor steals Tahani's journal as a further poor choice. Meanwhile, Michael encourages Chidi to try new hobbies and get out of his comfort zone.  Michael explains that Chidi's book was so bad, he needs to do something else besides ethics, shaking his world view on his value as a teacher.  Eleanor ultimately helps Tahani through a rough patch, improving the outlook for both.  Surprise, surprise, Jian-yu is NOT who he seems.

Discussion Points and Readings:

1.  In the first scene, Chidi starts teaching Eleanor about Ancient Greek philosophers Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.  Aristotle refined and developed virtues as the central features of a well-lived life and created the "golden mean."  Each virtue lived on a spectrum:  stray too far in either direction, and the virtue became a vice.  For example, being mindful of money was a virtue but being miserly or a spendthrift was not.  Being brave was a virtue, being cowardly or foolhardy was not.  Aristotle listed 12 main virtues...for the list below, can you think of the extremes where the virtues become vices?

Aristotelian Virtues

Courage

Temperance

Liberality

Magnificence

Magnanimity

Patience

Ambition

Friendliness

Truthfulness

Wit

Modesty

Justice

2.  Eleanor ends up soothing Tahani and offering good advice.  Have you ever been in a position to do the same for someone you do not consider a friend?  Was it harder to do for someone you don't like much?  Why do you think that is?  Can you name Aristotelian virtues that might help you to do so?

3.  In a flashback, we see Eleanor make decisions about whether to respect a coffee shop boycott.  A boycott is when patrons refuse to go to a business, impacting the owner's financial status, and may force a behavioral change to earn back the lost business.  The owner has acted horribly against women, and Eleanor's boyfriend asks her to boycott the café in solidarity.  Eleanor refuses, and points out other areas that might be hypocritical if they don't boycott them as well.  Have you participated in a boycott before?  What issues would be important enough to you to implement a boycott of your own?  



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

 Introduction to Homeschool Guide to Beginning Philosophy: The Good Place Watch Party First things first...who am I?  What is this blog?  And wait, are you seriously teaching philosophy in homeschool using a sitcom? Oh dear reader.  The answer to number one will surely help illuminate the next two questions as often happens in philosophy.  We ask questions to answer questions.   I am Erin, a veteran homeschooler of two awesome boys, 15 and 12.  We've been homeschooling since the Man Child (son #1) was six years old.  Not only were his health struggles too much for conventional schooling, but his brief foray into kindergarten left me vaguely dissatisfied and eventually, highly alarmed.  Man Cub (son #2) is one lab accident away from a super villain and he naturally fell into loving our more gentle schedules and rigorous academics on his own terms.  Me?  I have a degree in political science and basic engineering, a long time relentles...
Read more

FLYING

  SEASON 1 EPISODE 2 - FLYING Parent Content Warning: Summary (Spoilers, obviously): Eleanor realizes that her behavior is causing the disruption in the Good Place neighborhood and begs for Chidi's help to hide her and help her become a better person.  Michael calls a neighborhood meeting and the problem starts to resolve itself.  Chidi tells Eleanor she may be too selfish to truly learn to be better.  We see several flashbacks from Eleanor's life, showing that indeed she does have a history of selfishness.  Chidi volunteers Eleanor to clean up the neighborhood rather than experience flying with the other residents.  She ends up choosing to conceal trash to jump into flying, and again, disaster ensues.  Chidi decides he can't help Eleanor after all because she's just too selfish to change.  Eleanor stays up all night cleaning up the neighborhood, and Chidi says he will help her because she's shown herself capable of change.  Chidi m...
Read more