PHIL 1301 – Core Assessment Essay

Due: May 4, 2018 at 11:00 PM

Assessment Topic:

Identify a philosopher and corresponding philosophical texts that apply to a situation or concern in the contemporary world. The philosopher about whom you write must have been covered by this course.

1. Hobbes
2. Locke
3. Berkeley
4. Hume
5. Hegel
6. Mar

Write a 500 – 800 word essay that applies this philosopher’s ideas to the contemporary world by (1) identifying the essential points of the philosopher’s work, including the historical context and its relation to dilemmas, decision making, and consequences; (2) describing how these philosophical ideas relate to contemporary life; (3) and explaining what the philosopher would say were an individual’s responsibilities as a citizen of a modern, diverse (intercultural) community.

To be eligible for full credit, you must utilize outside sources, such as your textbook, to support your position. Review the Plagiarism 101 document in the Start Here Module and visit the TJC Writing Center if you have any questions about how to properly use quotes, cite your sources, or prepare a Works Cited page. As an undergraduate, quotes should not take up more than 10-15% of your paper. This means quotes should not be longer than 2-3 sentences per page.

Sample Format:

• Identify/Describe a philosopher and his or her most important contributions, including the historical context of the original text and how it addresses dilemmas, decision making, and consequences from the philosopher’s own time.
• Describe/Discusshow this philosopher’s texts relate to contemporary life and whether there are figures from other cultures who present arguments that reveal his or her philosophical influences.
• Analyze/Explainthe dilemmas this philosopher would see for the individual living in our contemporary, intercultural world and what his or her response (choices/actions/consequences) would be with regards to one’s responsibilities to self, society, and diverse cultural groups within a community.