Reflection

During this course you have learned that the field of philosophy is comprised of many powerful ideas and beliefs, from what is right and wrong to what is the nature of reality and truth. You also had the opportunity to think about your own beliefs and ideas. This Reflection is an invitation for you to continue to examine your beliefs and to think critically about the world and the big questions covered in this course.

To prepare for this Reflection:

• Review pp. 171–278 in the course text The Philosopher’s Way on freedom, determinism, and the nature of reality.
  
• Review “The Allegory of the Cave” from The Republic pp. 205–209 in the course text The Philosopher’s Way.
  
• Watch the motion picture The Matrix.
  
• Complete the “What Is Your Philosophy?” survey located under the Learning Resources.

The assignment:

• Compare and contrast Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave” with the motion picture, The Matrix. In your essay, make sure your reflections demonstrate some understanding of the principal areas of philosophy covered in this course. One way to do that is to respond to the following questions. However, you are not limited to the questions listed below.
  • What do these two works say about the nature of reality?
    
  • What role does the problem of appearance and reality play in these two works?
    
  • What ethical implications, if any, do you think these works suggest?
    
  • How do the two works explore the nature of knowledge?
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• As you analyze Plato’s work and The Matrix, note any change in your philosophy regarding the areas of philosophy these works relate to. Compare your “What Is Your Philosophy?” survey results with the ones from the survey that you filled out during the first week of this class and answer the following questions:
  • In the Week 1 Discussion assignment you identified some areas of philosophy that were of interest to you based on the “What Is Your Philosophy?” survey. How has your knowledge base grown in those areas?
    
  • In your response to that Week 1 survey, you also indicated which survey statements were most difficult to respond to. What insights have you gained about your beliefs related to those statements?
    
  • Did your philosophy change? Why or why not?

Questions about this assignment? Post them in the Contact the Instructor area. That way, everyone in the class will see, and benefit from, the instructor’s response.

Submit your Reflection by Day 7. If something comes up that might prevent you from submitting your Reflection on time, e-mail your instructor immediately! Your instructor’s contact information is in the Instructor section.