Assignment # 6 for Philosophy Course

You are going to try living like a critically-thinking philosopher for five days and observe the changes in your everyday life. First, devise a practice that seems to be endorsed by our readings (this is called your ‘plan’). Second, implement your plan for five consecutive days while taking notes on what happens (this is called your ‘experience’). Lastly, report on your experience in either A) a written essay or B) a video and accompanying slideshow (this is what you ultimately submit on Canvas).

Your practice needs to be...

· Grounded in our readings (CT Ch. 1-2)

· You must cite passages from the reading that serve to justify your practice.

· Challenging yet not too ambitious

· Try to anticipate what challenges you might encounter on the weekend and during your normal weekday routine (For example, journaling for 15 min every evening might be more realistic than journaling for 30 min).

· Articulated very specifically with explicit and concrete parameters

· Being too vague (allowing for gray areas) gives you wiggle-room to abandon or compromise your practice (For example, “I will journal after I brush my teeth every evening” is more specific than “I will journal every evening”).

· Choose a few concepts or examples of critical thinking from the reading that you found particularly intriguing and make a short list of different ways that you can apply them in your daily life.

· From that list, choose the one item that you think would be most beneficial for you to implement in this moment of your life (consider any habits or character traits that you want to address)

· When setting parameters, really try to personalize it to your own lifestyle. Account for places, times, circumstances where you are likely to backslide into bad habits.

In addition to (A) a description of your plan and (B) how it’s grounded in our reading, your submission needs to include (C) a report on your experience, which should include…

· A brief description of what happened over the course of the five days

· Honesty, modesty, and courage are important for critical thinking—make sure to report your slip-ups as well as your successes. Were there any unexpected challenges?

· A reflection on how this practice helped you become a better, more critical thinker

· What did you learn about being a critical thinker? What would you do differently if you were to undertake this again or perhaps adopt this practice on a more permanent basis?

· Describe the practice you adopted during your five-day experience

· Explain why you chose this plan and how you tailored it to your lifestyle or personality

· You must cite at least two relevant passages from the CT Ch. 1-2 reading

· Explain why you think your practice would be endorsed by a critically-thinking philosopher (this is IMPORTANT–this is your opportunity to showcase your understanding of the reading)

[this should be the bulk of your assignment (50% or more of your submission)]

· Relay what happened during your five-day experience, organized by practice (not by day).

· Reflect on what happened

· What were the challenges?

· What did you learn about being a critical thinker?

· What would you do differently if you were to undertake this project again or perhaps adopt this practice on a more permanent basis?

· Provide any other reflections about your experience and about the lessons that our readings have been trying to impart

[not meeting these can lower your grade drastically]

· Cite all sources according to one standard citation style (e.g. APA, MLA, etc.) [your essay or your slideshow should have a bibliography or works-cited section at the end]

· Stay clear and organized

· If you are submitting an essay, each paragraph should make only one ‘point’ (topic sentences are useful to ensure this—also, section headings are OK)

· If you are submitting a video, make sure to provide ample sign posts and visual aids for your audience (through a slideshow or handout)

· Length of assignment should not be too short or long

· If you are submitting an essay, it should be 3-5 pages double-spaced (use standard font and margin sizes)

· If you are submitting a video, it should be 10-20 minutes (though I will be lenient with this criterion as long as you fulfill the other requirements)

Your project can be submitted as early as you’d like but no later than Friday, July 1st by 11:59pm

[ Thus, you must begin your five-day experience no later than Sunday, June 26th ]