Oleanna Lesson Plan

When Carol tells John that he believes in nothing, she cites his book, which claims he is working within a tradition of "polite skepticism." What does she mean by this? What does skepticism have to do with not believing in anything?

Carol means that John's academic and philosophical tradition of "skepticism" is more concerned with questioning than with decision-making, primarily because she believes that people like John are actually protected by their privilege enough to be able to question the very institutions and ideas that give them power in the first place.

What does John do that Carol believes shows her respect for the first time, and why does she think...