Writing Assignment #2
PHIL 1304—Introduction to World Religions
One of the interesting things about religion is that it is multifaceted. It isn’t just about our spiritual
beliefs regarding God and the afterlife. It impacts multiple areas of our lives, in different ways. This
was brought out in our textbook with Daoism, in particular. With this religion, it is (a) a philosophy
of nature, (b) a religion, and (c) a system of ritualistic practices. The second writing assignment asks
you to clearly explain these different aspects of Daoism, and to explain how this affects our
understanding of other religions. Below you will find information about exactly what you should be
explaining in each paragraph of your submission.
This paper should be prepared in Microsoft Word according to MLA formatting guidelines; a
template has been provided for you. If you choose not to utilize the template, information on MLA
formatting is posted in the course. You will be graded on the content of your paper, of course, but a
portion of the grade will be assigned based on correctly naming the file that you submit, submitting
the paper correctly, formatting the paper correctly, and the mechanics of writing. A grading rubric
has been posted with the assignment, to show you how your grade will be determined.
When you are preparing your paper, you will assign a file name when you save it on your computer.
The file name needs to be correct—so that when you upload your paper, it will be distinguishable
from the papers submitted by the other students. The correct file name is:
WA2 LastName FirstName
where “LastName” is replaced by your last name and “FirstName” is replaced by your first name
(this should be your first name as it appears on my class roster—and this should match the first
name that you put on the first line of the heading within the paper itself).
This paper should consist of four paragraphs (which are outlined below). Remember that each
paragraph should contain at least 2 substantive sentences and is expected to be 5-8 sentences in
length. Additionally, note that I am asking specific questions, indicating exactly what you should be
explaining in each of your five paragraphs. Make sure that you answer the questions that have been
asked.
This is a philosophy course, and philosophy is most interested in the answer to the question,
“Why?” As you are writing, be careful not to simply report. The goal here is for you to explain the
meaning involved. Why are things done in a particular way? What is the real difference between
things? “Why” is far more important than “What” in a philosophy course. You need to demonstrate
an understanding of the concepts—not just that you were able to find them.
For that same reason, you are encouraged to limit your quotations. It is fine to quote from the
reading (or from other sources, if you choose to use them). But a quotation tells me what someone
said. It does not explain why they said it, or what they meant by it. If you quote, make sure you
explain the meaning behind what was quoted. Again, “Why” is more important than “What.” I’m
the “Why Guy.”
1) In the first paragraph, you should clearly explain how we can think of Daoism as a philosophy of
nature. What is it about Daoism that would encourage us to understand this religion as a way of
thinking about the natural world? What is important about the fact that Daoism is based on such a
foundation?
2) In the second paragraph, you should clearly explain how we can view Daoism as a religion. What aspects of this “philosophy” are particularly religious in nature? What are the religious foundations of Daoism, and what are the basic teachings that build upon that foundation?
3) In the third paragraph, you will explain how Daoism might be thought of as a system of ritual
practices. This is related to it being a religion—but different. Removing the specifically “religious”
aspects, how might someone practice the ritual of Daoism, separate from its religious implications?
What is the importance of ritual, when viewed in this way?
4) In your final paragraph, you will expand these ideas to other religious traditions (perhaps your
own). All religions have different aspects—they are ways of thinking about the world, they are
religious systems, they are sets of ritual practice. Explain how seeing these distinctions in Daoism
should impact our thinking about religion in general. Choose another religion—either your own, or
one that we have already studied in the course—and show how these different aspects can be
identified within that religious tradition.
Remember that the goal is to explain—not to merely report. Don’t just tell me what you read about;
explain what it meant. The goal is to explain the ideas, in your own words, as you would explain it to
someone who knows nothing about Daoism. How would you explain to a friend why these different
aspects of “religion” are important? Ideally, you would not quote from the article; demonstrate your
understanding by explaining in your own words. If you do feel that you need to quote, a brief quote
or two is acceptable, as long as the quote is placed in quotation marks and a page number is
correctly cited.
If you have any questions about this assignment, please do not hesitate to ask.
