INSTRUCTIONS:

For this assignment, you are to ponder some reflection questions before listening to the lecture component. These questions aim to stimulate your thinking and focus your concentration on the topics to be explored in the lecture, as a means of provoking you into thinking philosophically while you attentively listen to the lecture. There will be multiple topics, but do not respond to them all. Rather, pick one topic to respond to that catches your attention or that you otherwise find intriguing. After you have selected your topic, spend 10 minutes pondering the topic’s questions and recording your thoughts. The reason for there being multiple questions within a topic is to assist with developing a response that has depth. For this assignment, do not be concerned about the number of thoughts you have on the topic. Rather, you should be concerned with the quality of your thoughts. In assessing your response, the teaching team will look to see how clearly and precisely you articulate your beliefs and how deeply you explain the reasoning for and assumptions underlying your beliefs. Here are the topics for you to consider:

REFLECTION TOPICS:

Topic #1: How important is it for you to achieve an understanding of reality that expands well beyond your own ego? Do you care to know the world in ways that do not directly relate back to your own wants, wishes, desires, and needs? What is achieved by expanding your mind to encompass the world beyond your self? As you articulate your position, clearly explain your reasoning for your position, and if appropriate provide a concrete real-life example that illustrates your position.

Topic #2: From whom do you seek guidance about how to live a good life? What characteristics or features of this person makes them good at providing guidance? Do they tell you what you want to hear or do they provide advice that challenges you? How do you tend to respond to their guidance? How do you think you should respond to their guidance? As you articulate your position, clearly explain your reasoning for your position, and if appropriate provide a concrete real-life example that illustrates your position.

Topic #3: Are there times when you finding yourself wishing that you could get away from yourself? Put another way, are there times when you wish you were a very different person than the one you are now? What circumstances tend to bring on such a wish? How do you tend to respond to such a wish when it arises? How do you think you should respond to such a wish when it arises? As you articulate your position, clearly explain your reasoning for your position, and if appropriate provide a concrete real-life example that illustrates your position.

GRADING POLICY:

There will be a total of 12 reflections; the two lowest scores will be dropped when calculating the final grade. This results in 10 reflections, each being worth 4% of your final grade. 6 reflections will be graded as credit/no credit and 6 reflections will be graded according to the rubric. You will not know in advance which reflections will be graded credit/no credit and which reflections will be graded with the rubric; as such, reflections should be completed with the expectation that the rubric could be used.