Philosophy+Colloquium+Assignment

//What in your existence needs philosophical explaining?//


 * PhilosophyColloquium Assignment: Final Assessment**

Students will form pairs or groups to work on an encyclopedic entry on a topic that is relevant to their world but which has no good reference source about it, as of yet. The entry is to follow the format of the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (see below): a division of the topic into its parts presented in a table of content, linked pages, glossary of key terms, a bibliography, other internet sources, a list of related topics, and how to cite the page. Each entry will be fifteen or more "pages" long. (If the text was printed out and turned in on paper, it would equal 15 pages.)

The Final Assessment will begin at the start of the 4th quarter and will end with the presentation of the website during the first two weeks of May. Students in each group will all receive the same grade, which will be assessed on three main areas: content (40%), writing style (40%), and use of wiki tools and ease of user interface (20%). Content is considered on the following: the explanation of the context for their topic, the quality of the philosophical insight into the topic, the logical breakdown of the topic into subtopics, the depth of analysis of each subtopic, the reference to established sources of knowledge. Style will be assessed by the Woodruffied NJ Holistic Scoring Rubric. Ease of interface will be based on the apt and helpful use of the wikitools that Wikispaces supplies.

The final assessment, a public display of learning, will demonstrate the student’s ability to apply the philosophical tools and writing knowledge developed during the course in analyzing a topic of personal interest which is in need of philosophical understanding. Of particular interest will be the demonstrations of definition, coordination and subordination of ideas, and use of examples and analogies.

Steps for your Proposal: 1. Join this wikipage. Each person needs to create an account, but not a wiki, at wikispaces .com. Directions are explained on-line at the bottom of the Vitruvianman home page. 2. Form your group • find students you are willing to work with and put up with, either in your section or the other section • select a topic that you all agree on 3. Each member of the group needs to message me the topic of your philosophy entry, which will be the name of your page. 4. (**The Proposal itself**) on your topic page write up your proposal write the first name of each person in your group, then explain in detail each of the following points: (100 points) A. Explain what needs to be philosophically understood about the topic B. Explain how you are or can become experts on the topic C. Provide an annotated bibliography of sources you will research D. Explain what is important and meaningful to you about the project 5. have your parent or guardians leave a post on your page acknowledging that they understand what you will be working on. Make sure they identify which child is theirs. 6. Once I post a comment on your page that you have met all requirements, you may begin to edit your page.

After approval, you will need to work on your philosophy colloquium entry. Each entry needs to cover these aspects of your topic. You may not end up answering each question directly, but each question will need to be answered in your overall project (entry)

What specifically is the topic under analysis? What is the context or contexts for the topic? What is your purpose in writing the philosophy? What is the specific situation you are responding to that needs philosophizing (a deeper level of understanding)? What are the various ways you can begin to philosophize about the topic, and why do you begin the way you do? What branch of philosophy is best for examining the topic? Who will benefit and why from your deeper level of understanding? What is your analysis of the topic? What are the main parts to be examined? (Analysis means to break down and examine the parts and their relations. This is the main part of your entry and can be presented in many ways.) What are the key terms and concepts of your topic. What is the cause of the topic? What are the effects of the topic? Must anything be done about the topic?

Philosophy Colloquium

Sample Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry to use as a model

// First published Fri Feb 20, 2004; substantive revision Thu Feb 17, 2011 // Plato discusses love ( // erôs // ) and friendship ( // philia // ) primarily in two dialogues, the //Lysis// and the //Symposium//, though the//Phaedrus// also adds significantly to his views. In each work, Socrates as the quintessential philosopher is in two ways center stage, first, as a lover of wisdom ( // sophia // ) and discussion ( // logos // ), and, second, as himself an inverter or disturber of erotic norms. Plato's views on love are a meditation on Socrates and the power his philosophical conversations have to mesmerize, obsess, and educate. In what follows, section 1 deals with the //Lysis// and //Symposium//. Sections 2–4 primarily with the //Symposium// alone. Section 5 deals with the // Phaedrus //. Section 6 with the closing section of the //Symposium// and with parts of the //Ion//,//Protagoras//, and //Laws//. Sections are not self-contained, however, and are intended to be read sequentially. Most scholars agree that the order of composition of the “erotic” dialogues is // Lysis, Symposium, Phaedrus //, though some put the//Phaedrus// earlier than the //Symposium//.
 * Plato on Friendship and Eros **
 * [|1. Socrates and the Art of Love]
 * [|2. Socrates and Athenian Paiderastia]
 * [|3. Loving Socrates]
 * [|4. Love and the Ascent to the Beautiful]
 * [|5. The Art and Psychology of Love Explained]
 * [|6. Writing About Love]
 * [|Bibliography]
 * [|Academic Tools]
 * [|Other Internet Resources]
 * [|Related Entries]