Assignment:
Part 1
Who Am I?
The purpose of this discussion assignment is to reflect upon your understanding of different historical and philosophical approaches to the self. After completing your readings, write a 1 to 2 page paper contrasting the avocado/essentialist idea of the self with the artichoke/protean view of the self. Remember to explain specific theories with supporting citations from the textbook and online lectures before contrasting them. (Here is a guide to help you with APA-style citations.)
As you develop your response, you might find some of the following questions to be relevant:
•What are some of the differences/similarities between the avocado and artichoke views of the self?
•What do you make of the feminist, existential, and non-Western critiques of the essentialist/avocado self? Are there any other problems with the idea that human beings are fundamentally rational creatures?
•What is the role of desire in the self? Is it really something separate from reason, as modernism, Christianity, and Islam assert? Can it be controlled? Should it be?
Part 2 (APA Format) Include references
This assignment is designed to encourage you to reflect upon the nature of God from a philosophical rather than religious perspective. After completing this week's readings, write a 3 to 4-page essay explaining at least two approaches to the nature and existence of God.
•Explain the difference between theology and philosophy.
•Describe at least two philosophical approaches to the nature and existence of God, then compare and contrast them.
•What are the similarities and differences between your personal beliefs about God and the accounts of God we have studied this week? For instance, does natural theology give us a means to determine what our purpose is and how we should live our lives? Why, or why not?