Overview
Academic Requirements
This course requires active engagement in a variety of ways, including dialoguing with your peers, reading, watching documentaries, writing essays and completing the final assessment.
Module Reflections
• Please include at least ten bullet point notes on "takeaways," from different sections of my essay and any videos you are required to watch. These are quotes and thoughts that intrigue you. Place these notes at the top of your assignment along with a header (see example).
• Then pick two of the most interesting to you and write a reflection no less than a good paragraph (200 words) on each of the two takeaways you found most meaningful (400 total words).
Think for Yourself
Please avoid summarizing in your reflection because that is not the point of this philosophical invitation to think deeply about things for your self. This is a philosophical exercise or practice. I will be looking for your thoughts about the module rather than reiterating what the module already presented.
Your reflections need to demonstrate that you studied the whole module, both my essays and the videos. The easiest way to do this is to take some bullet point notes as you go through the module. As you do so, you will find some general themes you can think about and include in your reflection.
You are not required to use the following prompts, but they may help you think about what you are studying:
• What did you learn that was significant for you?
• Can you explain its significance?
• Can you explore any revelations or insights that your studies opened for you?
• What happened because of these insights to your thinking and learning?
• Did you have an emotional response, negative or positive? Do you know why?
• Have you had any experiences you are willing to share with our class that help you relate to and understand any of the material in this module?
• Did this assignment contain any “awakening” ideas, those that inspire you rather than depress you?
• Did you find any of the ideas surprising? Why?
• Can you give an example or two in your reflection that demonstrates you were engaging with, and thinking about, our curriculum in a serious way?
• Did you find yourself thinking about class content when you did not have to, such as finding yourself discussing ideas with friends or family?
• Have your studies contributed to any increase in self-knowledge (how you understand the world and your place in it) or a deeper understanding of one’s current world view?
Two Peer Exchanges
This is also the practice of philosophy, which requires dialogue with others. Philosophy is really just a long conversation through the past 3000 years or so. This assignment helps you enter this conversation. Hopefully, such dialogue, brings new perspectives. The ability to be able to see different views on a subject is one sign of a growing philosophical consciousness.
• You respond to a peer’s reflection and 2) you reply to a peer who responded to your reflection.
• Both peer exchanges must be more than 100 words each to be eligible to receive credit.
• From the due date of your reflection, you have two days (sometimes more — see schedule) to complete your peer exchanges.
• If your reflection does not receive a response that you can reply to within 36 hours, you no longer need to wait. Instead, you write a second response to a different classmate.
• If there are reflections that have not yet been commented on, please prioritize those.
Minimum Guidelines
• Please make ten bullet point notes on "takeaways," from different sections of my essay and any videos you are required to watch. These are quotes and thoughts that intrigue you.
• Each reflection must be at least 200 words (400 words total).
• Summaries do not receive credit because they do not require serious thought — simply the ability to record information.
• Your assignments are not eligible for A’s if they require proofreading.
• Peer exchanges must be at least 100 words to receive credit (200 words total).
• Assignments that are partial (not meeting minimum requirements) do not receive partial credit.
EXAMPLE: Your Name]
HUM 31
Dr. Glorian
[The Date]
1 Philosophy is not to attain information, but to use it in a transformative way
2 If we do not question everything, then what is the point of any of it?
3 Philosophy is less about searching for answers and more about being aware that answers may lie out there
4 Know yourself before you try to know anything else. Common phrase I have heard: “you must love yourself before you may start to feel love for others”
5 Humans are quick to jump to conclusions about why something has happened, placing blame when there is no fault at all
6 Philosophy can be important in forming one’s own beliefs, rather than adhering to the stories told by those before them
7 We also try to assess meaning where there may be none. A common mistake by all humans, especially in dreams.
8 If religion/science/ANYTHING has something to say then I am interested!
9 When it comes to the impossible question, we either assign no value to its answer or we accept an answer already provided.
10 Philosophers are similar to scientists in that they are also trying to figure out the vast complexities of the world and universe as we know it.
Addressing Bullet Point 7:
This specific bullet point stuck out to me because I often find myself falling victim to it without knowing that I’m doing so. Many times I will wake up from a dream, riding horseback underwater with a long-lost friend from middle school and think “Does this mean we will reunite soon?” Even though, clearly there is no rhyme or reason behind the dream. This is a fault that many humans fall victim to. The main outlet is for humans to look for answers in foundational stories already conceived, such as with religion. If something has happened out of the blue, one might think “Well that was God’s doing!” When in reality, it could have been that the tree fell over because its roots had been rotting for years prior. Now, I’m not saying that these events could not be influenced by said deities; however, there is more often than not a chance that something happened without a reason behind it, and we are the ones who are assigning reason to it. I am eager to keep reading on this topic and to explore just why humans have such a tendency to act this way, and to see whether or not having the “awareness” mentioned earlier in the module would help with such notions.
Addressing Bullet Point 8:
I really enjoy the concept of this bullet point and topic within the module, which essentially says that you can find knowledge and experience in essentially anything. This is called Integral Philosophy. Even if you are not necessarily a religious person, there is wisdom in studying and applying practices of that religion. If you deny scientific claims of global warming or vaccines (which come on, it's 2024), then you would still be able to find knowledge about the topic and various ways of applying it. Whenever I hear about philosophical claims, I always hear it followed up by counterarguments or reasons why it doesn’t apply to certain scenarios. However, integral philosophy is one that I think everyone should learn and accept. Which, in it of itself, is the core foundation of philosophy as it stands. There is so much wisdom at our fingertips, and we as a human race are quick to shut down information that we think doesn’t apply to ourselves or our interests. Although these pieces of wisdom, which do not concur with our prior beliefs, are arguably the most important in transforming our minds to a greater purpose. To seek truth wherever it may be, is a path in which we all should lead ourselves because at the end of the day, none of us truly know where that may lead us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWPFJgLAzu4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc_-Y9rDN2g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVXQUItNEDQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYp5XuGYqqY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nt3edWLgIg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB50BfYlsDc&list=PLMhe3EZwQEtAjseoxo2sKKlaCyPSVdc_w