Final Journal Project

Introduction to Philosophy

Instructions:
Write a 6-9 page paper (double spaced) in which you provide:

(1) A discussion of one major issue from the course (see list on p. 3)
(2) A general reflection on the value of philosophizing

Your paper should be divided into two parts corresponding to the numbers above. Please
include headings in your paper at the beginning of each part.

Part 1: Issue (4-5 pages)

In this part of the journal, your task is to discuss your journey in thinking about one issue
chosen from the list on p. 3. You should select an issue that is both important to you and
where you have noticed intellectual growth over the course of the term. Please do the
following, preferably in this order.

1. Describe your view on the issue before this class and how this view was shaped
over your lifetime. In discussing how this view was shaped, mention and weave
into the discussion the following items, if relevant: personal experiences,
upbringing, education, influential figures (e.g., parents, teachers, friends, pop
culture icons, pastors), books, poems, films, etc.

2. Discuss how a chosen set (no more than 2 to 3) of ideas or arguments we

examined have affected your view during this course. This should be a personal
reflection in which you weave analysis and evaluation of the relevant ideas or
arguments into a discussion of how your view has been affected over the term. I
want to see a demonstration or portrait of you wrestling with the details and
specifics of these ideas and arguments in an honest and critical way.

Although your view may not have changed (if it did, that’s great!), discuss how
your view has grown – whether it be in terms of it becoming strengthened,
weakened,1 more informed, more nuanced, more multifaceted, etc. You must
show the reader the connection between the details of whatever ideas or
arguments chosen with your growth in thinking and viewing this issue.

Avoid simply summarizing these ideas and arguments. The aim is not to
summarize, but to weave analysis and evaluation of selected course content into a
personal reflection that shows you wrestling with this content in a manner that
produces intellectual growth.

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Be very honest, especially when it comes to expressing doubts, worries, or questions about your view.
Are there any doubts you have about your view, and do you plan to address them after the course is over?

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 Although not required, you are encouraged at the end of this section to include a
brief summary comparing and contrasting your view now with your view (that
was discussed in Part 2.1) coming into the class.

Part 2: Reflection on the philosophizing (2-4 pages)

On the first day of the course, we defined philosophy as an activity that takes your beliefs
about value, existence, and reality and challenges them through a process of critical
reflection. As we have seen in this course, critical reflection (“philosophizing”)
demands:

 Questioning the truth of your beliefs, even if these beliefs have great personal
significance in your life
 Remaining open to the reasonability of views that, at first glance, appear mistaken
or even absurd to you
 Demonstrating open-mindedness, humility, and objectivity in the face of difficult
questions (about God, free will, personal identity, morality, etc.), even if you feel
certain that you know the answer to the question

In the quote below, the 20th century thinker Bertrand Russell hints that a life without
philosophy may have advantages in being less confused, more definite, and more
comfortable. In contrast, as soon as we begin to philosophize, our lives may become
more confused, less certain, and less comfortable. Below is the quote in full:

The man who has no tincture of philosophy goes through life imprisoned in the
prejudices derived from common sense, from the habitual beliefs of his age or his
nation, and from convictions which have grown up in his mind without the co-
operation or consent of his deliberate reason. To such a man the world tends to
become definite, finite, obvious; common objects rouse no questions, and
unfamiliar possibilities are contemptuously rejected. As soon as we begin to
philosophize, on the contrary, we find […] that even the most everyday things
lead to problems to which only very incomplete answers can be given.2

With this in mind, answer the following prompt:

Do you prefer a life with philosophy, even though it may be one with more
confusion, uncertainty, or discomfort? Or do you prefer a life in which the “world
[is] definite, finite, obvious [where] common objects rouse no questions, and
unfamiliar possibilities are contemptuously rejected”? Why?

Format:

Your paper should take the following format.

2
Bertrand Russell. “Value of Philosophy”, in Louis Pojman. Introduction to Philosophy, (2008), 27

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I. Part 1: Reflections on your issue

II. Part 2: Reflections on philosophizing

IV. Bibliography
 Be sure to cite the James Rachels book, my lecture shorts, discussions, if needed.
You may use either MLA or APA style.
 The use of outside sources is not required, but, of course, welcomed.

List of Issues from Which You May Choose:

Below is a list of issues from which you may choose. Please select only one issue from
this list. If you wish to write on an issue not included on this list, I kindly ask that you
run it by me first.

 Whether I believe God exists

 Whether I believe that the existence of evil and suffering can be reconciled with
the existence of an all-loving, all-powerful God
 Whether I privilege a utilitarian moral theory that emphasizes the happiness
produced by the act or a Kantian moral theory that emphasizes whether the act
respects an individual’s dignity and worth
 Whether I believe that my mind is more than simply my brain – and that my
thoughts, sensations, and emotions are more than simply electrochemical
impulses in my brain
 Whether I believe I am the same person over time
 Whether I believe I have free will
 Whether I believe that I can know anything to be true about the world in which I
live