Philosophical Thinking

Description

ASSIGNMENT: In Touchstone Task 1, you

answered four reflection questions regarding philosophy. Now, take those

reflections and apply them to this concrete, graded Touchstone

assignment.

Consider the three following questions:

• What is knowledge?
• What is the nature of reality?
• What is the good life, and how ought I live it?

These are the basic questions that were considered by the Ancient Greek

Philosophers. They are also critical questions for our own lives today.

As you have learned in the course, philosophical inquiry is fundamental

to the human experience.

In this Touchstone, you will engage with the philosophical ideas

presented in the course material. You will identify which of the above

questions are associated with each branch of philosophy in a 1-2 page

(300-600 words) essay.

In order to foster learning and growth, all work you submit must be

newly written specifically for this course. Any plagiarized or recycled

work will result in a Plagiarism Detected alert. Review Touchstones: Academic Integrity Guidelines for more about plagiarism and the Plagiarism Detected alert. For guidance on the use of generative AI technology, review Ethical Standards and Appropriate Use of AI.

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A. Directions

Step 1: Define Philosophy

For this graded Touchstone, think back to the reflection questions from Touchstone Task 1. Now, use your reflection to create a concrete definition of philosophy. Then, distinguish and define each of the three main branches of philosophy introduced in Challenge 1.1.

Your response should be approximately 100-200 words.

Make sure your information and citations come from the Sophia tutorials to support your response. When citing material from a tutorial, please include the name of the lesson and use the following format for in-text citations:

EXAMPLE(Aristotle’s Highest Good, n.d.)

EXAMPLE

(The Footnotes to Plato, n.d.)

Please note these are examples only. You will have to adjust the citation based on the specific part of the tutorial you are referencing.

Step 2: Connections and Differences

First, identify which of the following questions align with the three branches of philosophy outlined in the course:

• What is knowledge?
• What is the nature of reality?
• What is the good life, and how ought I live it?

Second, explain the differences between the three branches of philosophy by applying a specific Greek philosopher to each branch and question, using cited examples from the course material. For example, explain how Socrates would answer the question “What is knowledge?” or how Epictetus would answer the question “What is the good life?”

Your response should be approximately 200-400 words.

Make sure your information and citations come from the Sophia tutorials to support your response. When citing material from a tutorial, please include the name of the lesson and use the following format for in-text citations:

EXAMPLE

(Aristotle’s Highest Good, n.d.)

EXAMPLE

(The Footnotes to Plato, n.d.)

Please note these are examples only. You will have to adjust the citation based on the specific part of the tutorial you are referencing.

Step 3: Review Checklist

Refer to the checklist below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines.

1. Review Touchstone Task 1
❒ Did you review your reflection responses from Touchstone Task 1 to help create the definition of philosophy?

2. Definitions
❒ Have you defined philosophy and the three main branches of philosophy?
❒ Is this portion of the essay between 100-200 words?

3. Connections and Differences
❒ Have you identified which branch of philosophy corresponds with each of the three philosophical questions:

• What is knowledge?
• What is the nature of reality?
• What is the good life?

❒ Have you identified a specific Greek philosopher for each philosophical branch and explained the connection?

❒ Have you properly cited your examples from the course material to

explain the differences between the three branches of philosophy?

❒ Is this portion of the essay between 200-400 words?

4. Conventions
❒ Have you proofread your essay for grammatical and mechanical errors?
❒ Have you used spell check or another method to check spelling?
❒ Have you cited examples from the course using the in-text citation instructions? (Please do not include sources from outside of the course.)

5. Before You Submit
❒ Have you included your name, date, and course at the top left of the page?
❒ Is your essay between 1-2 pages (approximately 300-600 words)