Important Note: This Week 1 Discussion must be completed by Day 5 of Week 1.
You already have a philosophy of life, a conceptual framework that influences your decision-making process. This set of beliefs and values that you have been consciously or unconsciously developing throughout your life is what guides you when faced with a moral, ethical, religious, or political question. When you try to make sense of the news, assess your relationship to your relatives or friends, or make long-term decisions about where and how you are going to live, you are relying on your conceptual framework. Examining your belief system and challenging your views on life’s important issues can help you arrive at a well-supported knowledge of yourself. To start you on this process of inquiry, in this Discussion Assignment you are asked to evaluate 12 statements related to the various branches of philosophy.
To prepare for this Discussion:
Complete the “What Is Your Philosophy?” survey in the Resources.
Review the branches of philosophy as described in the “What is Philosophy” Resource.
Consider which statements were the hardest to respond to and why.
Reflect on how these difficult dilemmas relate to each other and your current situation in life.
With these thoughts in mind:
By Day 3 of Week 1
Post a 2- to 3-paragraph response in which you discuss some of the “What is your Philosophy?” survey statements that you found most difficult to respond to and describe why. Identify the branches of philosophy that these statements relate to, and explain how they are connected to your personal goals for this course.
Support your ideas by connecting them to Interactive Unit content, the survey that you completed, or something you have read, heard, seen, or experienced. Be sure to use evidence to support your claims by citing your source. Acceptable citations include “According to the ‘What is Your Philosophy?’ survey” and “According to a January 5, 2015 article in the New York Times.”
Resource: http://web.archive.org/web/20120328082303/http://www.trinity.edu/cbrown/intro/philosophy-what.html
Sample Solution