What is Knowledge?
1. The assignment we are concerned with is the “Philosophy First Essay” which is the following:
Write an essay that addresses a philosophic issue of your choosing. Your topic is any issue you would like to explore that Plato and Aristotle addressed. Find a philosophical issue/ idea developed by a PreSocratic philosopher utilized or challenged by Plato and or Aristotle. In this case, give at least two examples, one from Plato and one from Aristotle, where the PreSocratic philosopher’s ideas are utilized or modified by Plato and Aristotle.
This essay must be a minimum of 750 words but can be longer. The last paragraph or two should be your own ideas on how you might address the issues that you discussed earlier in the essay.
Be sure to show off your knowledge of Plato and Aristotle as well as at least two Presocratic philosophers or sophists that we have studied in the chapter assigned so far.
While investigating your topic, you should show off, show me that you understand the ideas of the philosophers as they pertain to your topic, showing off more philosopher ideas can earn additional points. We discussed philosophers from the PreSocratics onward through this week’s discussion of Plato and Aristotle.
The length should be at least 700 words and include any references used, of course.
2. Your four philosophers for this first essay should be from this list:
Aristotle, (must use) epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, aesthetics
Plato (must use) epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, aesthetics
Socrates Ethics (counts as part of knowing Plato)
Protagoras. epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, aesthetics
Parmenides. epistemology, metaphysics
Democritus, epistemology, metaphysics, ethics
Parmenides, epistemology, metaphysics, ethics
Heraclitus, epistemology, metaphysics, ethics
Pythagorus, epistemology, metaphysics, ethics
Xenophanes, epistemology, metaphysics, ethics
Anaximander, epistemology, metaphysics
Thales, epistemology, metaphysics
3. Your topic should come from at least one of the following:
Epistemology; How we know what we claim to know?
Metaphysics: What there is?
Ethics: How should we live? What is good?
Aesthetics: What is Beauty?
Once you know your basic question, topic, then you need to find PreSocratic philosophers who have positions that may relate to your question and find out what Plato and Aristotle said about that issue . The philosopher list is meant to assist you in identifying available philosophers that you might use in your historical exploration of your question.
4. Your essay could be organized as follows: (not required just a suggestion for those new to such things.)
a) In the first paragraph put forth your question and why it is important to you.
b ) Explain which philosophers you will use and why
c) Take the earliest in time and present the position as it addresses the issue you are investigating. Be sure to show off your knowledge of that philosopher’s position as it pertains to your question.
d) Take the second in time and present the position as it addresses the issue you are investigating and show off as above.
e) Take Plato’s version and Aristotle’s version and present the position as it addresses the issue you are investigating and show off, as above.
f) Put forth your position about how you think the issue should be addressed. Give at least three reasons, or at least one or two, that support your position.
g) Consider any objections that others might make to your ideas and respond to them. For example, what would one or more of the four philosophers that you cite in your essay have to say about what you are arguing?
h) Summary statement and conclusion.
Bibliography of any resources used in developing the essay other than our textbook.
5. Three possible essay topics you might wish to use!
Some possible topics:
Possible Epistemology topic: How do we know what we think we know? Three philosophers might be a skeptic or a Sophist, such as Protagoras, an empiricist, such as Anaximander, and a rationalist like Parmenides, and connect them with the ideas of Plato and Aristotle on how they account for the question. Then provide your ideas that can agree with some, all or none of these.
Possible Metaphysics topic: What is there in the world? What is real? The two philosophers in addition to Plato and Aristotle, might be atomists such as Democritus, change is an illusion philosopher such as Parmenides, then account for how Plato and Aristotle address these issues. Then, your ideas that can agree with some, all or none of these.
Possible Ethics topic: How should we live? How should we act? Three philosophers might be a Sophists such as Protagorus, or Divine Command Theories such as Euthyphro (in the chapter on the Trial and Death of Socrates), then account for how Plato an Aristotle would address these issues. Then, your ideas that can agree with some, all or none of these.
