Philosophical Reflection Essay
In answering these reflection questions, you are free to draw from your own experiences as well as bringing in the ideas of different Ancient Greek philosophers. Please note: Some philosophers will be more suited for particular questions than others. For example, Epictetus has a lot to say about “What is the good life and how ought I to live it?” while not saying much about knowledge or reality. Plato and Aristotle Plato wrote a great deal about all three questions.
B. Completion Guidelines
Refer to the checklist below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines.
Part I: Philosophical Thinking
❒ Have you defined philosophy and the three main branches of philosophy?
❒ Have you identified which branch of philosophy each of the three basic philosophical questions (“What is knowledge?”; “What is reality?”; “What is the good life?”) corresponds to?
❒ Have you used examples of Ancient Greek philosophers covered in this course to illustrate the three branches of philosophy?
Part II: Reflection
❒ Have you selected one of the three basic philosophical questions from Part I to focus on?
❒ Have you reflected on what philosophical thinking means to you?
❒ Have you reflected on how the ideas of the Ancient Greek philosophers can impact your own views and opinions?
❒ Have you given your own answer to whichever of the three questions from Part I you chose to focus on in Part II?
Conventions
❒ Have you checked your essay for grammatical and mechanical errors?
❒ Have you used spell check or another method to check spelling?
Before you Submit
❒ Have you included your name, date, and course at the top left of the page?
❒ Is your essay between 3-4 pages (approximately 700-1000 words)?
