Notes for "Judy's Time"
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Before the film, we will wrap up the discussion of MacIntyre briefly. Please refer to the notes from last time for any issues we have not yet gotten around to discussing (particularly the critical questions near the end).
You should be able to come up with your own examples of 'practices' from your own life, and extend his various points to them. What are some of the goods internal to certain practices you engage in, and how are certain character traits essential to achieving and enjoying those goods? (You might think in terms of what would be missing if you lacked certain character traits--e.g. if you lacked respect for teammates, or lacked self-honesty, or lacked truthfulness with your teacher or coach, etc.)
As you watch Erin Flannery's award winning film, "Judy's Time", I'd like you to think about how MacIntyre's ideas might apply to Judy's life. How does her life illustrate the central points? You might even want to jot down some notes about this later today, while it's fresh, so you'll have them later.
Some questions:
What were some of the central practices that helped to define her life?
What goods internal to those practices did she achieve and enjoy? In what sense were these internal to the practices, and how would they be contrasted with external goods?
How did these things contribute meaning to her life?
What aspects of her character would you count as virtues, and why? What are some of the particular ways in which these traits were exhibited in the film?
In what ways exactly did these character traits enable her to participate in the various practices so that she was able to achieve and enjoy the goods internal to them?
Can you see some of these traits expressing themselves in multiple areas of her life? Did they have similar benefits?
Judy's co-workers at the D.C. soup kitchen had no idea she was a world champion triathlete--and even her own daughters didn't fully realize the scope of her achievements for a long time; and her fellow competitors knew little about her extensive charity work, which she approached in a very personal way. What does this indicate about her character?
In some people, extreme competitiveness comes across as obnoxious (e.g. people who are bad sports--egotistical winners and sore losers--who tend to make others feel worse whether they win or lose). What aspects of Judy's character enabled her to integrate intense competitiveness into her life without that sort of problem--so that far from annoying and alienating others, she inspired them?