OVERVIEW
Once, I, Chang Tzu, dreamed that I was a butterfly and was happy as a butterfly. I was conscious that I was quite pleased with myself but I did not know that I was Tzu. Suddenly I awoke and there I was, visible Tzu. I do not know whether it was Tzu dreaming that he was a butterfly or the butterfly dreaming that it was Tzu.
~ Chang-Tzu, século III ou II a.C., Chinese Taoist philosopher, Book of Chang-Tzu
This assignment is linked to Chapter 1 of the textbook I told you not to buy. In this chapter, the textbook authors present us with a problem that goes back to Socrates and the Sophists. The problem is, can we know what truth is and if so, how? According to Plato, Socrates believed that abstract concepts such as truth and virtue are reflections or shadows of metaphysical, absolute, unchanging ideals. He taught that truth could be discovered by a method of extended question and answer. The Sophists thought that truth is an illusion, relative to particular cultures or situations. Change the context and the truth changes with it.
What does this have to do with us? For one, this tension between seeing truth as being absolute and unchanging and seeing truth as being impossible to know may leave some feeling conflicted. Is there a Right Answer or no answer at all? Our textbook suggests a middle way, that we search for the best available answer, and in doing so, that we consider viewing argument as a combination of truth seeking and persuasion.
WEBLOG 1: WHAT DO I BELIEVE?
Most of our beliefs are formed by our families and the groups we belong to, by the experiences we have had over the course of our lives, and by what we have read and thought about. What do you believe? What do you doubt? How do you know? These are difficult questions, and our answers often change before we even realize it. We might hold a certain truth, but then something happens to challenge our beliefs. We meet someone who seems to challenge certain stereotypes we hold, and then we meet another who reinforces them.
Part I
As a way of exploring your personal beliefs, take a few minutes to think about what you believe. Then finish the following statements. You don’t need to write a paragraph for each, but do aim for a couple of sentences apiece using as much specific detail as you can.
- I believe that people….
- I believe that society….
- I believe that government….
- I believe that justice….
- I believe that knowledge….
- I believe that science….
- I believe that reality….
- I believe that life….
- I believe that happiness….
- I believe that goodness….
- I believe that death….
- I believe that God….
Part II
When you finish completing the statements, look over what you have written and pick one belief that draws your attention or interests you most. Use it as a heading for Part II, and begin writing out your thoughts about it. You might ask yourself some of the following questions to get started:
- How was my belief formed?
- What have I read or heard that has influenced or shaped my belief?
- What have I seen or experienced that has influenced or shaped my belief?
- How have these experiences led me to my present position?
- What effect does this specific belief have on the choices I make on a daily basis?
Write as fast as you can without stopping to worry about grammar or spelling; just write to discover what you think about this topic.
Part III
When you feel that you have explored your topic in enough detail, take another look at the topic from an opposing point of view. Your goal here is to come to an understanding of why other people believe what they believe. When you’re writing an argument paper, particularly a classical argument, you should incorporate the views of people who disagree with you. But in order to respond to them in a way that is respectful of their opinions, you need to think about what experiences have led them to believe as they do.
To help you explore an opposing view to your topic, use the following writing prompts:
- How would I describe one of the positions held by people who might disagree with me?
- What past experiences do people on the opposing side seem to share?
- How do their experiences seem to differ from mine?
- Why might these experiences have led them to take their positions?
- Is there a set of experiences shared in common by people on each side of the issue?
- How do these differences influence how I will respond to their position on the issue?
Posting your blog entry
When you’re finished writing all three parts of this assignment, run it through spellcheck to clean up any distracting errors and post it on your blog by next Wednesday. The three parts should be arranged in the same order as they appear in the assignment. Do not post them as separate entries. Keep them together in one document and post all three as one weblog entry.
When you are ready to post, login to your blog and go to Write Post. Highlight and copy your entry from a word processing document and paste it into the text box (use the CTRL + V keys on your keyboard to paste; pasting with a mouse isn’t effective in WordPress). In the title box, type the assignment name (Weblog 1). You can add a more descriptive subtitle after the assignment name. Finally, click Publish to post your blog entry.
After you post your blog entry, read some of the entries posted by your classmates and respond to at least one classmate’s weblog entry. You can respond to what they have written as you would in a conversation. You might give your reactions to the writers’ points, tell how their view differs from and/or is similar to your own, and/or offer your own insights into what they have said. You might raise questions, if you have some, and tell about what the writers’ reflections trigger in your own thinking.
RESOURCES
This page at UNC’s Writing Center gives an overview of argument.
This site contains links to extensive criticism of Plato’s philosophical works.
This survey asks you to give your opinion of a set of statements characterizing political views.
This site has a test that provides a definition of what your political beliefs really are.
This entry from The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy explains various kinds of value systems.
