Describe a situation in your life (or your past, or the life of someone close to you) in which you’ve been trying to control circumstances or people that you really don’t have control over, and wish you hadn’t knocked yourself out trying to control it all. Explain the likely consequences to you and/or others if you had let go sooner.

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PHIL1301 journal response

  • When you answer, please write a serious paragraph or two in reponse. If your answer is only a few lines or sentences, you’re not thinking deeply enough.
  • Include at least ONE properly cited source to help strengthen your answer. Use the TRAAP guidelines here to test the appropriateness of your source(s). Be sure to give the full bibliographic citation at the bottom and cite the source after the information you took from it in your paragraph(s). You can go to a site like EasyBib.com, designate the MLA format, and give it the information it requests. It will formate a legally correct bibliography for the bottom of your Journal Response. See my Sample Journal Response to see how that looks.
  • Try to let me know in your answer that you understood Stoicism.

Prompt: Reflect on Stoicism a bit. Describe a situation in your life (or your past, or the life of someone close to you) in which you’ve been trying to control circumstances or people that you really don’t have control over, and wish you hadn’t knocked yourself out trying to control it all. Explain the likely consequences to you and/or others if you had let go sooner.

Write about Descartes’ argument, This paper has 2 parts. In the first part, you will fully reconstruct the argument and explain it. In the second part, you will give your reaction to it. You can discuss whether it is a strong argument or weak argument and then give your reasons.

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An argument from modern philosophy

Write about Descartes’ argument, This paper has 2 parts. In the first part, you will fully reconstruct the argument and explain it. In the second part, you will give your reaction to it. You can discuss whether it is a strong argument or weak argument and then give your reasons.

 

Identify at least two or three rhetorical devices used during this debate and explain their effect on the audience. Do you think the speakers use these intentionally? If so, for what purpose? If not, explain your reasoning.

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ASSIGNMENT

Find a two-minute clip on any debate aired on the news in the last year.

  • Provide a link to the clip and address the following:
  • What is the context of the argument being made?
  • Identify at least two or three rhetorical devices used during this debate and explain their effect on the audience. Do you think the speakers use these intentionally? If so, for what purpose? If not, explain your reasoning.

 

Who is the audience for this advertisement? How do you know this? Identify the main claim in the advertisement. Is the claim credible? Why or why not? Use class terminology to explain.

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Advertisement

Choose an advertisement on television, on the radio, on the Internet, or in print.

Describe, deconstruct, and analyze the advertisement by answering the following items:

  • Where did you find the advertisement ?
  • Briefly describe the scenario depicted in the advertisement.
  • What product is advertised?
  • Who is the audience for this advertisement? How do you know this?
  • Identify the main claim in the advertisement.
  • Is the claim credible? Why or why not? Use class terminology to explain.
  • What might make the claim more credible? What might make it less credible?
  • How does the author use rhetorical strategies to sell this product to its audience?
  • Does the advertisement reveal any cognitive biases? Which ones and how?

 

Write a dialogue in which an Aristotelian and a Cartesian attempt to persuade a neutral, third-party listener of the superiority of their own conceptions of nature, or worldviews (the teleological, essentialistic worldview in the case of the Aristotelian, the mechanistic philosophy in the case of the Cartesian).

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DISCUSSION ESSAY

Answer the following prompt in a 2 to 3 page paper (aim for something in the area of 600-750 words). Your submission should be double-spaced, using a standard 12 point font (e.g., Times, Arial) and normal margins (your word processing application’s defaults are fine).

The prompts allows for a creative approach to the topics. That said, while you will not be writing a formal essay, make sure not to sacrifice clear, concise, informative writing or rigorous argumentation! You must still defend a claim in your writing assignment and you must make it clear what claim you are defending. Make sure you address all parts of the prompt.

 

  1. Write a dialogue in which an Aristotelian and a Cartesian attempt to persuade a neutral, third-party listener of the superiority of their own conceptions of nature, or worldviews (the teleological, essentialistic worldview in the case of the Aristotelian, the mechanistic philosophy in the case of the Cartesian). Make sure each character outlines the basic features of their conceptions/worldviews, and make sure to have each character put forward the best arguments you can think of in support of their views. You should also make it clear which character wins over the third-party listener, and why.

 

 

In the role of a customer, write a claim letter to a company asking them to compensate you for the harm their products caused to your houseplants.

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Communications Management

Assignment Question(s):

Part 1 (10 Marks)

Find a job announcement for a position of interest to you and answer the following:

  1. Group and categorize the key abilities and attributes that are being sought. (4 Marks) 400 words
  2. Create either a chronological or functional résumé. (5 Marks) 500 words
  3. Explain why you selected this type of résumé. . (1 Mark) 100 words

Part 2 (5 Marks)

  1. In the role of a customer, write a claim letter to a company asking them to compensate you for the harm their products caused to your houseplants. (2.5 Marks) 250 words
  2. Now, assuming you are the claims supervisor in that company and you want to respond negatively to the claimant, what communication channel would you choose and why? (2.5 Marks) 250 words

 

As you have aged, how have your peers influenced your behavior? Was there ever a change in their degree of influence? Do you think there is a time when peers influence a child’s development more than other factors, like parents and siblings? Why or why not?

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Case study

  • After reading chapter 2, what factors do you think have contributed most to who you are today? For example, are you more a product of early interpersonal bonds or losses (attachment theory) or learning or modeling (behavioral)? Or are you just a product of the billions of neurons in your body and how they function and interact with each other? Any other contributors to who you are?
  • As you have aged, how have your peers influenced your behavior? Was there ever a change in their degree of influence? Do you think there is a time when peers influence a child’s development more than other factors, like parents and siblings? Why or why not?

2.You’ve viewed the lecture materials on 3 different types of study designs and you have completed one personal assignment to work through your understanding of the distinction among the three types. Now we will have a group discussion to finalize your understanding. Read the scenario below.

 

Mark wants to evaluate a new diabetes monitoring system that uses a phone app that automatically nudges the user to report glucose levels every morning and evening. He recruits participants and then draws a number from a hat to assign them to receive either the new app or the old self-reported paper diary system (to be completed every morning and evening). He compares the two groups on how frequently they record their glucose levels over 6 weeks.

Observation, Experiment, or Quasi-experiment?

In your response to this scenario, address the following issues (in a list format):

  1. Is there any randomization indicated? If so, what text in the passage above indicates this?
  2. Is there any manipulation of the situation indicated? If so, what text in the passage above indicates this?
  3. Is there any control/comparison group or situation? If so, as indicated by what text?
  4. Based on your answers to 1-3, what type of study design do you think it is? Observation, Experiment, or Quasi-experiment?

 

How does this poem relate to critical thinking? What do you think the elephant represents? What do you think the blind men represent? What is the meaning of this poem? What could be an alternative meaning to this poem?

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Blind Men and the Elephant (a.k.a., ”Blindmen”) (by John Godfrey Saxe)

Read the attached poems (2) and answer the questions that follow in at least 300 words total.

Hint: Think about the blind men as being blind figuratively, what does their blindness symbolize? How  might they NOT exemplify what Socrates teaches? If you cannot open the poems document, you can read them below:

  • www.wordfocus.com/word-act-blindmen.html

American poet John Godfrey Saxe (1816-1887) based this poem,

”The Blind Men and the Elephant” on a fable that was told in India many years ago.

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind

The First approached the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
“God bless me! but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!”

The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, “Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me ’tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!”

The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
“I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant
Is very like a snake!”

The Fourth reached out an eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
“What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain,” quoth he;
“ ‘Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!”

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: “E’en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!”

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
“I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant
Is very like a rope!”

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

How does this poem relate to critical thinking?
What do you think the elephant represents?
What do you think the blind men represent?
What is the meaning of this poem?
What could be an alternative meaning to this poem?

”Zen Buddhism”

A University Professor went to see Nan-in, a Zen Master, to find out more about Zen,
As their meeting continued Nan-in was pouring Tea and continued to pour even though the cup was overflowing.
The Professor cried. ”Enough! No more will go in”
Nan-in replied ”Like this cup you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?’

1. What is the message of this poem?
2. Do you think it is a good message?
3. How could this poem relate to you or your life?

How would you describe your personal philosophy at the beginning of the semester?

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Reflection 1

How would you describe your personal philosophy at the beginning of the semester?

There’s no need to research any particular philosophy here, but instead, please respond in a 4-5 paragraph. 1-2 page essay (double spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman preferred) with an explanation of your personal philosophy that immediately and intuitively comes to mind in regards to this question. If you are unsure what is meant by “philosophy”, consider if there are any important values, quotes, or lessons that you try to embody or live by.

Compare and contrast Oakshott and Skinner’s views on Thomas Hobbes. What is the appropriate context to study Hobbes?

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Argumentative essay

Compare and contrast Oakshott and Skinner’s views on Thomas Hobbes. What is the appropriate context to study Hobbes? Answer with reference to Oakshott’s arguments