TO SOLVE THE ASSIGNMENT, YOU ARE TO USE ONLY THE READING PROVIDED DO NOT USE OUTSIDE SOURCE.

· One (1) “Original Post” addressing one
 of the three question choices. Academic style: three paragraph style, Thesis and support, 350 – 500 words. Due Saturday, March 20, at 11:59PM ET. Your Original Post must answer the question fully in all its parts and address possible objections to your reasoning.

· You must also connect your Original Post  to the course by having at least one full sentence quote and citation from one of the Learning Materials of the week. The quote should be word for word and contained inside quotation marks and then followed by an inline citation. Once you quote something or even reword something you did not originally write then you need to have it in a reference section at the end of the post (again in MLA format). Please note, a post that will be marked “b” will, typically, have 1 or 2 citations per paragraph and accompanying references. Aim for superior work! Cite and Reference everything you use.

· Please refer to the following resources for help on MLA citation.

· MLA Citation: 

http://sites.umgc.edu/library/libhow/mla_tutorial.cfm

· MLA Citation Examples: 

http://sites.umgc.edu/library/libhow/mla_examples.cfm

· Two (2) “Response Posts” to classmates who answered the other two questions (one each). Minimum of 150 words. Due Tuesday, March 23,  at 11:59PM ET. Your Response Post needs to analyze and consider the reasoning of two of your classmate’s Original Posts. In addition to your reaction to your classmate’s Original Post, 
your Response Post must ask one or two questions
 of your classmate’s Original Post. Consider how you might disagree with your classmate’s Original Post, or ask your classmate to clarify some part of their Original Post that you didn’t understand.

Notes:

· Please refer to the 

Discussion Guidelines and Grading Rubric 

for further guidance on how your discussions will be graded (70% of your Discussion Grade is in the quality of your Original Post, 30% in your Response Posts)

DISCUSSION QUESTION 1: Engaging in Epistemology: Truth, Belief, Justification The importance of the nature of knowledge in the allegory forms an integral part of Plato’s philosophy. According to Plato, knowledge is true belief that can be explained or defined in some way. Evaluate Plato’s epistemology in the allegory:

Answer the question: What is the difference between “Truth” and “Belief” and how do I justify what I believe is true to others?

Use examples from the Allegory of the Cave, the learning resources and your own reasoning to make your argument.

DISCUSSION QUESTION 2: Engaging in Ethics: The Morality of Plato’s Philosopher. The moral actions of the philosopher in Plato’s allegory have been scrutinized for centuries. Evaluate the moral lesson of Plato’s allegory by identifying and explaining by example the moral lessons as you understand them.

Answer the question: Is it right or wrong to try to convince someone of what you believe is the truth, even if it harms them?

Use examples from the Allegory of the Cave, the learning resources and your own reasoning and sense of right or wrong to make your argument.  

DISCUSSION QUESTION 3: Engaging in Metaphysics: Visualizing Plato’s Theory of Ideas/Forms. In the Allegory of the Cave, Plato allegorizes what he believes is the nature of reality. Read/watch the Learning Resources, then explain Plato’s Theory of Ideas by creating a diagram or by constructing an image.

Answer the question: What does Plato’s Theory of Ideas mean to me personally and how does my image or diagram explain my idea?

READING

https://learn.umgc.edu/d2l/le/content/562667/viewContent/20389312/View

week resource

Week One: Learning Resources

I. REQUIRED READING

(1) [PRIMARY TEXT] 

Plato and Benjamin Jowett. The Republic. Book VII. Project Gutenberg, n.d. Project Gutenberg Etext.

Book VII of Plato’s Republic, the “Allegory of the Cave”, translated into English by Benjamin Jowett.

(2) Russell, Bertrand. History of Western Philosophy. vol. [New ed.], Routledge, 2004. Routledge Classics.

(a) 

Introduction, pages 1-10

(b) 

Chapter 15: The Theory of Ideas, pages 121-131

(3) 

Biscontini, Tyler. “Allegory of the Cave.” Salem Press Encyclopedia of Literature, 2015.

An Introduction to the Allegory of the Cave in Book VII of Plato’s Republic. [ADA: Audio option]

II. SUPPLEMENTAL READING

(4) 

Philosophy.” Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 2017, p. 1p. 1.

A short introduction to the study of Philosophy. [ADA: Audio option]

(5) 

“Epistemology.” Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 2017, p. 1p. 1.

A short introduction to the philosophical study of Epistemology. [ADA: Audio option]

(6) 

​”Ethics.” Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 2017, p. 1p. 1.

A short introduction to the philosophical study of Ethics. [ADA: Audio option]

(7) 

“Metaphysics.” Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 2017, p. 1p. 1.

A short introduction to the philosophical study of Metaphysics. [ADA: Audio option]

III. SUPPLEMENTAL AUDIO/VIDEO

(8) “What is Philosophy?: Crash Course Philosophy #1.” YouTube, uploaded by CrashCourse, 8 Feb. 2016, 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A_CAkYt3GY.

(9) “Plato’s Allegory of the Cave – Alex Gendler.” YouTube, uploaded by TED-Ed, 17 Mar. 2015, 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RWOpQXTltA.