General Essay - also worth 30-35 percent of the final exam grade.

Used for General Education Assessment in PHIL 120 (Garrett)

This page slightly revised April 21, 2005.

Contact: Dr. Jan Garrett

Choose one of the two passages given, each of which is representative of an important philosophical perspective studied in this course.

(1) Identify the perspective or a major thinker associated with this passage.

(2) Elaborate and explain the meaning of the passage; discuss the reasoning used to arrive at the position or conclusions drawn by the thinker from the position. Bring in elements of the individual's thought that are not explicitly mentioned in the passage insofar as they are needed to clarify its meaning.

Note:

(a) The text given may be somewhat incomplete and require qualification in order not to encourage misleading conclusions.
(b) Merely restating the passage with the use of a few synonyms will not likely demonstrate much comprehension.

(3) Discuss the relevance or application of this theory in contexts not directly anticipated by the thinker so far as you know, or

(4) Present critical challenges to the main ideas of this perspective. The critical challenges should, if possible, reflect other perspectives studied in this course that may be briefly introduced at this point.

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Author or position from whose philosophy representative thoughts will be taken:

1. Plato's theory of the soul and knowledge
2. Descartes' dualism and theory of knowledge
3. Locke's empiricism
4. Sartre's existentialism
5. Locke's theory of social contract and natural rights

Passages from which the selection will be made

The part that rules the soul of the just and happy person also knows the eternal ideas.

I may conclude that my mind or soul is distinct from my body.

Whatever a person knows is derived from sense experience.

Men enter into a social contract in order to preserve their lives, liberty, and possessions.

To say that I had to act in such and such a way would indicate that I am self-deceived.