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A Massive Undertaking

  • Focus on the section you are working on
  • Like a Cthulhian eldritch, research papers in their entirety can be mind-bending, overwhelming, and intimidating.
  • Focus on the section you are working on.




Typical Philosophy Assignment

What we are NOT doing: Your Personal Philosophy

  • The idea of writing one's personal philsophy makes no sense, for a couple of reasons.
    1. Ask people who have not read a lot of philosophy to write out their own personal philosophy, and the result is a blathering of opinion laced with unconsciously assumed ideologies woven together with pop-pyschology.
    2. We cannot possibly have a personal philosophy, and saying the words "personal" and "philosophy" in the same phrase suggests that the "personal" will be unique compared to all others. What we each have is concordance with some philosophical ideas and alterations/emendations to other philosophies; that is, we might have a different angle on others' philosophies.


Our assignment

Research paper illuminating your Worldview

  • 3,000-4,000 words
  • Cover Seven areas of a Worldview
  • "A worldview attempts to provide not only a cognitive picture of the world, but also an estimation of what in life is valuable and worth preserving, and finally how we can strive to improve reality." ( (William Dithey)
  • Need a peer-reviewed source for each of the seven areas.


Research steps

Section of paper Due Date of Draft Points for full rough draft
Cosmology 7 Oct 50 points, banked*
Anthropology 14 Oct. 50 points, banked*
Teleology 21 Oct. 50 points, banked*
Theology 28 Oct. 50 points, banked*
Axiology 4 Nov. 50 points, banked*
Epistemology 11 Nov. 50 points, banked*
Metaphysics 18 Nov 50 points, banked*
Discussion and Conclusion 25 Nov 50 points, banked*
Methods and Introduction 2 Dec 50 points, banked*
Term paper 9 Dec 50 points, banked*



*banked means that if the rough draft is turned in on time, and then that draft is polished, the section is worth 50 points when the whole paper is turned in.

Paper structure

  • Introduction (~250 words) (write this last)
    • Discuss the differences in a "philosophy" and a "worldview"
    • Summarize/synthesize how all seven of your areas connect into a cohesive worldview.
  • Method (~250 words)
    • Discuss each of the seven areas of a world view
    • Give brief descriptions of each of the seven areas.
  • Section 1
    • Paragraph 1 (~250 words): Discuss one of the seven sections; that is, give a longer discussion of what, say, axiology is.
      • Quote from the peer-reviewed source here. [See *note below]
    • Paragraph 2 (~250 words): Discuss your position within that area.
  • Sections 2-7
    • Lather, rinse, repeat
  • Discussion (~250 words)
    • A discussion section of a research paper tries to bring together all of the parts into a coherent connected discussion. This section reveals the "results" of the research.
  • Conclusion
    • Own up to where your thinking needs polish/study/ more understanding, and suggest what possible avenues you have to pursue to better understand your worldview.




Worldview: Parts of the paper



  • Anthropology

    • By what bio-drive (genes? environment? social groups?) do we have dasien, a sense of existence, of being?
    • All-encompassing study of the origin and development of humanity, both past and present in an effort to promote cultural empathy and understanding for a better socially blended culture in the future. Anthropologists attempt to study their human subjects in a clear and unbiased way during the process of ethnography.
  • Writing Anthropology:
    • Write ~250 words over two paragraphs.
    • Follow Formatting and submission rules
    • First paragraph: what is anthropology? But discuss anthropology as it relates to the concept of a world view; don't just define what anthropology is as a field of study.
    • You'll need one peer-reviewed source to quote in this first paragraph to help you discuss what anthropology as part of a worldview.
    • The second paragraph is all about you and needs to relay how anthropology connects with your worldview.
  • Before Submitting
    • Check all of the conditions that would cause a rewrite.
    • My review process scaffolded:
    • If my answer is yes to any of the four steps below, I move to the next step.
    • If my answer is no to any of the fours steps, I immediately stop reviewing and return the paper for rewriting
      • 1. Is the formatting properly done?
      • 2. Are the editing conditions met?
      • 3. Does the quote have a proper lead-in, and is the quote germane to the paragraphs's discussion?
      • 4. Does grammar, syntax, or meaning need emended?
    • If I reply with the word Reviewed in your filename, the paper needs some emendations or rewriting.
    • If I reply with a the word STAMPED in the filename, that part of the done.




  • Axiology

    • What are good and evil values? Are there neutral values? How can we be sure any virtue is a virtue, and any vice is a vice?
    • The study of goodness or value that extends beyond money exchange. The core value of axiology is how good something is, what makes it good, and how the goodness relates to one another.
  • Writing Axiology:
    • Write ~250 words over two paragraphs.
    • Follow Formatting and submission rules
    • First paragraph: what is axiology? But discuss axiology as it relates to the concept of a world view; don't just define what axiology is as a field of study.
    • You'll need one peer-reviewed source to quote in this first paragraph to help you discuss what axiology as part of a worldview.
    • The second paragraph is all about you and needs to relay how axiology connects with your worldview.
  • Before Submitting
    • Check all of the conditions that would cause a rewrite.
    • My review process scaffolded:
    • If my answer is yes to any of the four steps below, I move to the next step.
    • If my answer is no to any of the fours steps, I immediately stop reviewing and return the paper for rewriting
      • 1. Is the formatting properly done?
      • 2. Are the editing conditions met?
      • 3. Does the quote have a proper lead-in, and is the quote germane to the paragraphs's discussion?
      • 4. Does grammar, syntax, or meaning need emended?
    • If I reply with the word Reviewed in your filename, the paper needs some emendations or rewriting.
    • If I reply with a the word STAMPED in the filename, that part of the done.




  • Cosmology

    • What is the Universe constructed of and/or from. What are its laws, and in what way do these affect humans and living?
    • Sometimes science is the root of our connection to the vast universe and its composition, sometimes it's religion or spirituality, often it's both.
      • Various religious sources, such as Christinaity, Hindusim, etc
      • Various theoretical Physics ideas, such as a simulated universe (we're in a game), multiple dimensions, hologram theories, etc.
      • Various philosophies
  • Writing Cosmology:
    • Write ~250 words over two paragraphs.
    • Follow Formatting and submission rules
    • First paragraph: what is Cosmology? But discuss Cosmology as it relates to the concept of a world view; don't just define what Cosmology is as a field of study.
    • You'll need one peer-reviewed source to quote in this first paragraph to help you discuss what Cosmology as part of a worldview.
    • The second paragraph is all about you and needs to relay how Cosmology connects with your worldview.
  • Before Submitting
    • Check all of the conditions that would cause a rewrite.
    • My review process scaffolded:
    • If my answer is yes to any of the four steps below, I move to the next step.
    • If my answer is no to any of the fours steps, I immediately stop reviewing and return the paper for rewriting
      • 1. Is the formatting properly done?
      • 2. Are the editing conditions met?
      • 3. Does the quote have a proper lead-in, and is the quote germane to the paragraphs's discussion?
      • 4. Does grammar, syntax, or meaning need emended?
    • If I reply with the word Reviewed in your filename, the paper needs some emendations or rewriting.
    • If I reply with a the word STAMPED in the filename, that part of the done.




  • Epistemology

    • How do I know what I know. By what interfaces do I acquired knowledge? How can I be sure the interfaces are not distorted?
    • The theory of knowledge which analyzes truth, beliefs, and reasons as a frame or lens with which we interact with knowledge. Epistemology explores cognitive success and failure allowing for deeper understanding of the natural world. Fallacies are pat of epistemology, such as Baader-Meinhof phenomenon coloring our straight view of reality.
  • Writing Epistemology:
    • Write ~250 words over two paragraphs.
    • Follow Formatting and submission rules
    • First paragraph: what is Epistemology? But discuss Epistemology as it relates to the concept of a world view; don't just define what Epistemology is as a field of study.
    • You'll need one peer-reviewed source to quote in this first paragraph to help you discuss what Epistemology as part of a worldview.
    • The second paragraph is all about you and needs to relay how Epistemology connects with your worldview.
  • Before Submitting
    • Check all of the conditions that would cause a rewrite.
    • My review process scaffolded:
    • If my answer is yes to any of the four steps below, I move to the next step.
    • If my answer is no to any of the fours steps, I immediately stop reviewing and return the paper for rewriting
      • 1. Is the formatting properly done?
      • 2. Are the editing conditions met?
      • 3. Does the quote have a proper lead-in, and is the quote germane to the paragraphs's discussion?
      • 4. Does grammar, syntax, or meaning need emended?
    • If I reply with the word Reviewed in your filename, the paper needs some emendations or rewriting.
    • If I reply with a the word STAMPED in the filename, that part of the done.




  • Metaphysics

    • The abstract notions and conceptualizations of life the universe and everything. All the non-concrete thoughts we have about concepts, ideas, and ideals.
    • The study of reality such as existence, objects and properties, time and space, change, and the relation between body and mind.
  • Writing Metaphysics:
    • Write ~250 words over two paragraphs.
    • Follow Formatting and submission rules
    • First paragraph: what is Metaphysics? But discuss Metaphysics as it relates to the concept of a world view; don't just define what Metaphysics is as a field of study.
    • You'll need one peer-reviewed source to quote in this first paragraph to help you discuss what Metaphysics as part of a worldview.
    • The second paragraph is all about you and needs to relay how Metaphysics connects with your worldview.
  • Before Submitting
    • Check all of the conditions that would cause a rewrite.
    • My review process scaffolded:
    • If my answer is yes to any of the four steps below, I move to the next step.
    • If my answer is no to any of the fours steps, I immediately stop reviewing and return the paper for rewriting
      • 1. Is the formatting properly done?
      • 2. Are the editing conditions met?
      • 3. Does the quote have a proper lead-in, and is the quote germane to the paragraphs's discussion?
      • 4. Does grammar, syntax, or meaning need emended?
    • If I reply with the word Reviewed in your filename, the paper needs some emendations or rewriting.
    • If I reply with a the word STAMPED in the filename, that part of the done.




  • Teleology

    • Not why was the universe created, but to what end is there a universe and life.
    • A viewpoint where the focus is mostly on the “end goal” or someone/something’s purpose (what will happen in the end) Often coupled with religiousnotions of an afterlife, and thus a post hoc evaluation of the purpose of life.
  • Writing Teleology:
    • Write ~250 words over two paragraphs.
    • Follow Formatting and submission rules
    • First paragraph: what is Teleology? But discuss Teleology as it relates to the concept of a world view; don't just define what Teleology is as a field of study.
    • You'll need one peer-reviewed source to quote in this first paragraph to help you discuss what Teleology as part of a worldview.
    • The second paragraph is all about you and needs to relay how Teleology connects with your worldview.
  • Before Submitting
    • Check all of the conditions that would cause a rewrite.
    • My review process scaffolded:
    • If my answer is yes to any of the four steps below, I move to the next step.
    • If my answer is no to any of the fours steps, I immediately stop reviewing and return the paper for rewriting
      • 1. Is the formatting properly done?
      • 2. Are the editing conditions met?
      • 3. Does the quote have a proper lead-in, and is the quote germane to the paragraphs's discussion?
      • 4. Does grammar, syntax, or meaning need emended?
    • If I reply with the word Reviewed in your filename, the paper needs some emendations or rewriting.
    • If I reply with a the word STAMPED in the filename, that part of the done.




  • Theology

    • Can, or in what way how does, contemplation of superior life force or forces aid or cloud our understanding of any of the above parts.
    • The study of deities, religious belief, and religious practices, particularly diving into the ethical, philosophical, and historical questions one might have regarding religious texts or concepts.
  • Writing Theology:
    • Write ~250 words over two paragraphs.
    • Follow Formatting and submission rules
    • First paragraph: what is Theology? But discuss Theology as it relates to the concept of a world view; don't just define what Theology is as a field of study.
    • You'll need one peer-reviewed source to quote in this first paragraph to help you discuss what Theology as part of a worldview.
    • The second paragraph is all about you and needs to relay how Theology connects with your worldview.
  • Before Submitting
    • Check all of the conditions that would cause a rewrite.
    • My review process scaffolded:
    • If my answer is yes to any of the four steps below, I move to the next step.
    • If my answer is no to any of the fours steps, I immediately stop reviewing and return the paper for rewriting
      • 1. Is the formatting properly done?
      • 2. Are the editing conditions met?
      • 3. Does the quote have a proper lead-in, and is the quote germane to the paragraphs's discussion?
      • 4. Does grammar, syntax, or meaning need emended?
    • If I reply with the word Reviewed in your filename, the paper needs some emendations or rewriting.
    • If I reply with a the word STAMPED in the filename, that part of the done.




  • Discussion

    • One of THE most important parts of a research paper.
    • A Discussion section of a research paper tries to bring together all of the parts into a coherent connected discussion.
    • This section collates and connects the "results" of the research.
  • Writing the Discussion:
  • Before Submitting
    • Check all of the conditions that would cause a rewrite.
    • My review process scaffolded:
    • If my answer is yes to any of the four steps below, I move to the next step.
    • If my answer is no to any of the fours steps, I immediately stop reviewing and return the paper for rewriting
      • 1. Is the formatting properly done?
      • 2. Are the editing conditions met?
      • 3. Does the quote have a proper lead-in, and is the quote germane to the paragraphs's discussion?
      • 4. Does grammar, syntax, or meaning need emended?
    • If I reply with the word Reviewed in your filename, the paper needs some emendations or rewriting.
    • If I reply with a the word STAMPED in the filename, that part of the done.








    Editing: Crispify and economize your writing

    Don't use these words--in any paper----EVER!

    1. it
      • (always say what it is; if you cannot replace the word it with a more exacting word or phrase, certainly your reader cannot.
    2. thing or things
      • same as with it; replace the word
    3. up
      • unless it strictly means the opposite direction of gravitational forces.
    4. You
      • Do not use any variation of the word YOU in academic writing. You can inadvertently ostracize a part of the readership, and too often claims something of the reader that is not true.

    I and Me

    • Avoid I--use me instead.
    • Too many uses of the word I makes the writer sound egotistical or narcissistic
    • Never use the phrase "I think" or "I believe"

    Poetic Philosophy

    • poetry in philosophy is meant to embed the thought in the reader's mind, such as these famous phrases:
      • "I think therefore I am"
      • "God is dead"
      • "Dizzyness of freedom"
    • However, when using poetic phrases or creating one's own poetic phrases, writers must immediately expand on the poetic expression or the poetry is meaningless.
    • Alone, those three poetic expressions are at best misleading and at worst meaningless, so we need to add the meaning to inform readers who do not know of the wider meanings:
      • "I think therefore I am"
        • This phrase is not about active, critical thinking.
        • "I think therefore I am" is about doubt. I can doubt everything I experience and think, but I cannot doubt that I am doubting.
      • "God is dead"
        • "God is dead" is not a comment on God's lifeforce
        • The phrase means people stopped believing in God so he no longer exists in a culture's collective thoughts as he once did.
      • "Dizzyness of freedom"
        • "Dizzyness" is not feeling loopy or imbalanced
        • The phrase refers to the state of dread, of existence being caught between an unknowable infinity and the finitude of life, or as Sartre said, we fear our own freedom (to act, to think).

    Ethos and Lead-In the quotes

    • The peer reviewed article need not be focused entirely on the area you are covering; many peer-reviewed can be about some subject in some field, but be using one of the seven areas of philosophy to discuss that subject.
    • Without a good lead-in, the quoted passage is useless or even more confounding to the reader than if it were absent.
    • MUST establish the level of ethos of the quote IN your lead-in sentence to a quote.
      • If it's from an academic journal , use the word "journal" in your lead in (not necessary to name the journal in the writing)
      • If the author is from a university or college, name it: John Smith, from Yale University, suggests that...
    • Need a full lead in sentence OR well integrated and interspersed quoting.
    • Full sentence
      • Use a full sentence that includes the author name, the ethos, and gives the general idea of the quote that we will next read.
      • Connect this Full sentence lead-in to the quote with a colon.
    • Integrate your words and Quote
      • DO NOT give two or three words then drop a big quote.
        • INCORRECT: Axiology is the “study and exploration of human values, which enables us to identify the underlying beliefs and values that influence our perceptions and interpretation of our life experiences”.
        • CORRECT: Melville et al. in their journal article "Axiology, the Subject and the Chair," suggest that axiology is the "study and exploration of human values," allowing us to "identify the underlying beliefs and values" that can alter or bias "perceptions and interpretation of our life experiences”.

    Formatting

    • MLA STYLE
    • Font-type: Times New Roman
    • Font-Size: only 12 point
    • Indents: first line of each paragraph of the body indents 1/2" (not five space bar clicks)
    • Spacing: Double space every line in the paper (no more, no less).
      • Word sets extra spacing after paragraphs; highlight all, right click, choose paragraphs,and set Spacing after Paragraphs to zero.
    • Margins: 1" from all sides
    • No Bold
    • No Underlines
    • No exclamation marks--EVER!!!!!!!!

    Submitting work

    • Only .docx Word docuements are accepted.
    • Documents must be attached directly to an EMAIL
    • No sharepoint, onedrive, googledrive, etc.
    • Subject line of email MUST be this: PHI 2010
    • Filename must be LastnameNameofSection
      • Example: SmithAnthropology.docx
      • Example: SmithDiscussionandConclusion.docx
      • SmithTermpaper.docx








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