Feeling small and insignificant doesn't always have to be a negative sensation. Explore the sublime with a video analysis of Edmund Burke's 1757 work A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful, which delves into the benefits of feeling small in the context of the vast universe.

Concepts

enlightenment philosophers, philosophers, the universe

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Have learners compare the modern colloquial meaning of sublime with the more precise meaning used by Burke
• Encourage language arts classes to write poems about an aspect of their lives that they find truly sublime

Classroom Considerations

• The end of the video references Christianity in the context of the sublime; incorporate the discussion of religion into your philosophy lesson

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Animation is engaging and illustrative
• Beneficial for multiple disciplines and grade levels

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.9-10.2 SL.11-12.2 RH.9-10.2 RH.11-12.2