Life Philosophy Project Parameters

Contemporary Issues

Life Philosophy Project Parameters 2017-2018

I.                    Create a Cover/Title Page with a catchy title and a symbolic graphic.

II.                  Create a table of contents in the following order:

1. Journal on “Socrates”
2. Journal on “Human”
3. Journal on “Reality”
4. Journal on “Knowledge”
5. Journal on “End of Life”
6. Journal on “Ideal Society”
7. Journal on “Good Life”
8. Journal on “Values”
9. Journal on “Mind and Morality”
10. Journal on “Dating”
11. Journal on “Relationships”
12. Journal on “Marriage”
13. Journal on “Work”
14. Journal on “Personal Finances”
15. Journal on “Parenting”
16. Journal on “God”
17. Journal on “Philosophy and my life”
18. Journal on “10 Years from now”
19. Photo Collage
20. Position 1
21. Position 2
22. Position 3

III.               Edit, format, type, and arrange journals neatly and in a professional or creative binder. Reprint position papers and include a paragraph description of other position projects, include a picture of your art if possible.

IV.                Conclude with one page Photo Collage representing your life right now!

V.                  Present selected highlights orally for final test period.  I’d like everyone to share their 10 years and photo collage in addition to highlights from 2 journals of your choice.

Journal Assignment Descriptions – use questions as a springboard for further thought and reflection.  Each journal should be a minimum of a thoughtful and robust paragraph - I expect you to expand several journals of interest to you into page long entries.  All Journals are to be typed, in well thought out paragraphs, and with good grammar and spelling.

Journal on “Socrates”

Socrates once said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”  What do think this means?  Why do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Journal on “Human”

What does it mean to be human?  How do we determine what is “inhumane”?  Do you believe you have a soul?  What is soul and is there an afterlife for the human soul?  Why might an afterlife matter?

Journal on “Knowledge”

How do you know what you know is real?  How do you go about to verify things as true or false?  Why does knowing truth matter?  Does it matter in all things or just some things?

Journal on “Reality”

What is reality?  Why might it be important to think about this question?

Journal on “End of Life”

What are your personal guidelines for end of life decisions?  Discuss your medical treatment boundaries and funeral considerations.

Journal on “Ideal Society”

Describe your vision of an ideal society.  If achieving the ideal society could happen with the torture of one innocent child, would you allow it to happen?  Why or why not?

Journal on the “Good Life”

What is the “good life” and/or “a good life”?  Is there a difference?  How do you plan to accomplish your vision of good life?

Journal on “Values”

What are your values?  How did you develop your values?  List your top three.  Imagine a possible conflict between two important values; how would you resolve it?

Journal on “Mind and Morality”

Does what you think in your mind matter morally?  Does what you think in your mind affect what you do in your life?  How?

Journal on “Dating”

What five principles/rules of dating do you plan to follow in life?  What is the purpose of dating?  What are some of the pitfalls of dating?

Journal on “Relationships”

What are five principles/rules of a serious relationship?  How would you counsel your own children on being in a serious relationship?  Would you say anything different to a son than a daughter?

Journal on “Marriage”

What is the purpose and value of marriage?  What five characteristics are you looking for in a spouse?  Discuss your philosophy of handling conflict in your marriage.

Journal on “Work”

What is the purpose and value of work?  What five principles/rules of work do you plan to follow in life?  If you had “independent wealth” and didn’t have to work, what would you do with your time and why?

Journal on “Personal Finances”

What is the purpose and value of money?  What ten principles/rules of personal finance do you plan to follow in life?  What are some major pitfalls in personal finance?

Journal on “Parenting”

What does it mean to be a Mom or a Dad?  List things you plan to do and things plan to avoid doing as a parent.  Discuss what everyone should consider before becoming a parent.

Journal on “God”

Do you believe in God?  Why or why not?  What difference does it make in your life?  How might you go about defending your view on God?

Journal on “Philosophy and my life”

Describe how you see philosophy, both the process of thinking philosophically and the consulting of philosophical writings, figuring into your daily life.  Discuss a couple things you learned about yourself and/or life during this class.

Journal on “10 Years from now”

Describe how you want your life to be 10 years from now.  Describe your strategy for achieving your 10 year goals.