Philosophy- A Reflection

Philosophy- A Reflection

People are different in more ways than one. They differ not only in appearances but also in their worldviews. A person’s reason for doing something will vary despite the action being similar among all of them. The different reasons do not imply that either one is wrong, but an action can be analyzed to ascertain its rightness or wrongness. Various fields aid in this analysis and one of those fields is Philosophy because it entails three different branches.

Part 1: Philosophical Thinking

The role of philosophy in society begs the question of what philosophy is. Philosophy is a field of study whose definition can be derived from three perspectives (What is Philosophy? n.d.). The definition of philosophy from Western philosophers is based on people’s drive to acquire knowledge and learn without the influence of higher beings. This definition positions that human beings’ drive to acquire knowledge and information provides them with reason and logic to comprehend numerous things. Another definition is a contemporary description that presents the love for wisdom as philosophy itself. Finally, the last description of Philosophy is the pursuit of fundamental truths for which evidence cannot support or is not provided. Accordingly, based on these definitions, it is apparent that philosophy involves presenting questions, arguing different positions, and finally presenting an answer.

Branches Of Philosophy

There are numerous branches of philosophy. However, the three main branches are metaphysics, ethics, and epistemology (Williamson, 2022). These branches are distinctive and distinguishable, and some questions set them apart. These questions include: What is knowledge? What is reality made of? What is the good life, and how ought I to live it? Despite these branches and questions, philosophers have found different approaches to answering these questions in similar and different branches.  

Metaphysics

First, Metaphysics is the philosophical branch pertaining to reality’s nature. Consequently, this branch determines whether a subject is considered a reality, thus answering the question: What is reality made of? For instance, Kant illustrates the metaphysics of morals by positioning that from reason; individuals can behave in manners befitting universal laws, thus having freedom and acting as rational moral agents (Ruggiero, 2016).

Ethics

Second, ethics is the branch entailing the concepts of value, establishing what is considered wrong or right while analyzing a human phenomenon. Categorizing actions as right or wrong is a guide for people’s lives. Therefore, this branch of philosophy answers the question; What is the good life, and how ought I to live it? For instance, Aristotle answers this question through the introduction to Nicomachean Ethics, where he established the true nature of a good life, establishing that eudaimonia, a form of happiness or flourishing, is linked to a good life. Further, Aristotle establishes the good life to be the best moral life a human being can lead to achieving eudaimonia (Bartlett & Collins, 2012).

Epistemology

Finally, the last branch is epistemology. This branch analyzes knowledge concepts and the means of acquiring them (Some Major Branches of Philosophy, n.d.). Consistently, this branch establishes what is considered knowledge, answering the question of what knowledge is. For instance, Plato illustrates epistemology by presenting arguments concerning knowledge and the existence of a human soul by establishing the source of moral knowledge and determining how people acquire it. Plato was Socrates’ student, and many of his theories involved Socrates. Plato’s stipulations illustrate how an Epictetus would answer the question that the good life is a moral life guided by virtue that would be acquired in several ways.

Part II: Reflection

The theories stipulated by numerous philosophers help guide people’s everyday lives. Accordingly, a philosophical mindset is important in every person’s life, and to achieve this mindset, people can use the three questions: What is knowledge? What is reality made of? What is the good life, and how ought I to live it? From these questions, people will hold different worldviews, beliefs, and ideologies, presenting the philosophical mindset concept. The philosophical mindset involves acting and behaving based on one’s beliefs (Acting According to Belief, n.d.).

The question that will act as my personal philosophical reflection is; What is the good life, and how ought I to live it? This question will guide my moral life, which entails my behavior and actions. It will illustrate what it means to think philosophically and how thinking philosophically can help me in my own life. This belief will guide my morals because prior to acting on a thought to illustrate a philosophical mindset, I will analyze it and ensure it is the most appropriate action to take in a given situation, helping in my own life.

The impacts of the ideas of the ancient Greek philosophers on my own views and opinions are apparent. First, Plato’s views on virtue greatly influence my opinion on people’s behavior and how they live. For instance, if people are born with moral knowledge and possess virtue, moral behavior in society would be expected, and people’s misbehavior would require analysis of the source. Second, Aristotle’s view on the best human life associates a good life with happiness. The good life is the best moral life a human can lead to flourishing. Based on this view, my opinion of happiness changes from one that entails basic satisfaction to one that involves being the best version of myself.

Subsequently, for the question What is the good life, and how ought I to live it? My answer is that a good life is a life where everyone or almost everyone is happy, presenting utilitarianism and how I ought to live this life in a way that my actions lead to the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. Answers can be illustrated arguments (What is an Argument? n.d.). My answer is shown as follows:

Premise 1: People are happy.

Premise 2                    Morals influence people.

Conclusion Therefore, morals yield happiness.

References

Bartlett, R. C., & Collins, S. D. (2012). Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics. University of Chicago Press.

Ruggiero, V. (2016). Thinking Critically About Ethical Issues. 11th ed., McGraw-Hill Education.

Sophia Tutorials. (n.d.). Unit 1 Tutorials: Great Philosophers. SOPHIA Learning, LLC.

Williamson, T. (2022). The Philosophy of Philosophy (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

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Touchstone 1: Philosophical Reflection Essay
ASSIGNMENT: Write a 3-4 page (approximately 700-1000 words) reflection essay about the impact of the philosophical mindset and ancient Greek philosophy, as presented in this course, on your own views.

In order to foster learning and growth, all essays you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any recycled work will be sent back with a 0, and you will be given one attempt to redo the Touchstone.
A. Assignment Guidelines
DIRECTIONS: As reported in Plato’s account The Apology, Socrates famously claimed at his trial that “The unexamined life is not worth living.” In this course, you have had the opportunity to examine your own life and reality through the thoughts of the ancient Greek philosophers. The purpose of this Touchstone assignment is for you (1) to engage with the philosophical ideas presented in this course and (2) to reflect on how these philosophical ideas have impacted your own life.

Part I: Philosophical Thinking
In the first part of the Touchstone, you will be distinguishing between the three primary branches of philosophy.

Consider the three following questions:
What is knowledge?
What is reality made of?
What is the good life, and how ought I live it?
These are the basic questions that were considered in different forms by the major figures in ancient Greek philosophy. But they are also critical questions for our own lives today, whether we are philosophers or not.

Part I of this assignment should be approximately 1-2 pages (300-600 words) and cover each of the following steps:
First, you should define philosophy and then distinguish and define each of the three main branches of philosophy covered in this class.
Then, identify which of the above questions is associated with each branch of philosophy.
You should illustrate the differences between the three branches of philosophy using examples from the course. For example, explain how Socrates would answer the question “What is knowledge?” or how Epictetus would answer the question “What is the good life?”
You will use information and examples from the Sophia tutorials to support your response. When citing material from a tutorial, please include the name of the lesson and use the following format:
In-text citation: (Aristotle’s Highest Good, n.d.) or (The Footnotes to Plato, n.d.).
Part II: Reflection
For the second part of the Touchstone, now that you’ve distinguished between the three main branches of philosophy, you will focus on one of those three questions from Part I and use that as a starting point and guide for your personal philosophical reflection.

The purpose of Part II is for you to reflect on the philosophical mindset and some of the ideas presented in this course and apply them to your own life. This reflection is more open-ended than Part I, but should include reflections on the following questions:

What does it mean to think philosophically? How can thinking philosophically help me in my own life?
What impact do the ideas of the ancient Greek philosophers have on my own views and opinions?
Then, based on these reflections, you should give your own answer to whichever of the three questions from Part I you chose to focus on, using cited examples from the course to support your answer. (“What is knowledge?”; “What is reality?”; “What is the good life?”)
Part II of this assignment should be approximately 1-2 pages (300-600 words). You should write at least one paragraph for each of the three prompts listed above.
In answering these reflection questions, you are free to draw from your own experiences as well as bring in the ideas of different ancient Greek philosophers. Please note: Some philosophers will be more suited to 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 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 cited examples from the course to illustrate the differences between 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 and provided cited examples from the course to support your answer?
Conventions
❒ Have you checked your essay for grammatical and mechanical errors?
❒ Have you used spell check or another method to check spelling?
❒ Have you cited examples from the course using the in-text citation instructions?
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)?
C. Rubric
Advanced (100%) Proficient (80%) Needs Improvement (60%) Non-Performance (0%)
Definitions (10 points)
Properly define philosophy and distinguish and define each of the three main branches of philosophy covered in this class.
Clearly defines philosophy and each of the three main branches of philosophy. Clearly defines philosophy and each of the three main branches of philosophy, except for one of the above. Clearly defines philosophy and each of the three main branches of philosophy, except for two of the above. Does not properly define philosophy and distinguish and define each of the three main branches of philosophy covered in this class.
Connections (5 points)
Connect each of the philosophical questions with the associated branch of philosophy as defined in the course.
Clearly and correctly connects each of the philosophical questions with the associated branch of philosophy as defined in the course. Clearly and correctly connects each of the philosophical questions with the associated branch of philosophy as defined in the course, except for one of the above. Clearly and correctly connects each of the philosophical questions with the associated branch of philosophy as defined in the course, except for two of the above. Does not connect each of the philosophical questions with the associated branch of philosophy as defined in the course.
Examples (20 points)
Illustrate the differences between the three branches of philosophy, using cited examples from the course.
Clearly illustrates each of the three branches of philosophy, using cited examples from the course. Clearly illustrates at least two of the three branches of philosophy, using cited examples from the course. Clearly illustrates at least one of the three branches of philosophy, using cited examples from the course. Does not illustrate the differences between the three branches of philosophy, using cited examples from the course.
Philosophical Thinking (5 points)
Describe philosophical thinking and reflect on how it can help in a personal way.
Clearly and accurately describes philosophical thinking. Offers an example of how it helps in a personal way. For the most part, it clearly and accurately describes philosophical thinking and offers an example of how it helps in a personal way. It inaccurately or unclearly describes philosophical thinking or does not offer an example of how it helps in a personal way. Does not describe philosophical thinking and reflects on how it can help in a personal way.
Impact (10 points)
Describe the influence of philosophical viewpoints from the course on personal views and opinions.
Clearly identifies and describes a significant influence of philosophical viewpoints from the course on personal views and opinions. Engagement with course material is evident. Identifies and describes the influence of philosophical viewpoints from the course on personal views and opinions. Engagement with course material is less evident. Identifies and poorly describes the influence of philosophical viewpoints from the course on personal views and opinions. Engagement with course material is largely absent. Does not describe the influence of philosophical viewpoints from the course on personal views and opinions.
Reflection (25 points)
Select a single philosophical question to explore. Provide and explain your personal reflection on the question using cited examples from the course to support your answer.
Clearly selects a single philosophical question to explore. Provides a personal answer to the question and fully explains their thinking with several additional details. Engagement with course material is evident. Clearly selects a single philosophical question to explore. Provides a personal answer to the question and partially explains their thinking with a few additional details. Engagement with course material is less evident. Does not clearly select a single philosophical question to explore. Provides an unclear personal answer to the question or does not explain their thinking with any details. Engagement with course material is largely absent. Does not select a single philosophical question to explore. Do not provide and explain your personal reflection on the question.