Philosophy+Journal+Criteria


 * PHILOSOPHY JOURNAL SKILLS **

//How to use these criteria://

Choose a single coloured box to focus on for each journal entry. Use it as a guide for improving your philosophy writing skills for that week. You may like to refer to the criteria box you have chosen at the end of your entry. // (intellectual rigour, logic, making reasoned judgements, critical thinking, …) // || ** Unreasoned, illogical thinking →→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→ Logical rigour ** || - Give reasons and examples - Identify reasons for and against - Distinguish good from bad reasons - Weigh up reasons for and against before making judgements - Test ideas before accepting them - Recognise contradictions, fallacies and inconsistencies || **// WHAT YOU SAY: //** - “I think… because…” - “I think that might not follow because…“ - “Why?” - “What are the reasons for and against?” - “For example, …” - “This is a weak/strong reason because…“ ||
 * Download these criteria here: [[file:Philosophy Blog Criteria.doc]]**
 * ** REASONING **
 * ** UNS → MMR → S → G → VG → E → OS **
 * **// WHAT YOU DO: //**

// ( //// deep thinking, detailed thought, exploring, analysing, evaluating //// …) // || ** Superficial thinking →→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→ Deep thinking ** || - Raise perceptive points - Explore complex issues - Make connections and distinctions - Look for the implications of ideas - Categorise and classify - Use examples to test theories - Formulate criteria - Ask the “whys beyond the whys” || **// WHAT YOU SAY: //** - “Why” - “An implication of this is…” - “Building on that idea, you could say…” - “That links to …” - “If we accept this, then…” - “What this really means is…” - “What if…?” - “This is a different case because…” ||
 * ** DIGGING DEEPER **
 * ** UNS → MMR → S → G → VG → E → OS **
 * **// WHAT YOU DO: //**

// ( //// curiosity, wonder, problem solving, being critical and inquiring // // …) // || ** Closed thinking →→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→ Critical Inquiry ** || - Ask a variety of questions - Find relevant problems to solve - Make yourself comfortable with ambiguity and confusion - Ask questions which probe an issue deeply || **// WHAT YOU SAY: //** - “A question this raises is…” - “I wonder…” - “It would be interesting to see if…” - “And what might follow from this question is…” - “What still remains unclear is…” ||
 * ** QUESTIONING **
 * ** UNS → MMR → S → G → VG → E → OS **
 * **// WHAT YOU DO: //**

// ( //// broadminded, openminded, unbiased, searching, original, new ideas, multiple perspectives, …) // || - Take all views seriously - Evaluate views on their logical merits - Consider many views on the same topic - Consider many views before making judgements - Be willing to challenge and reassess ideas/assumptions on a topic - Be willing to consider things from a different perspective - Be self-critical - Identify questions and justify assumptions in the face of logical criticism || **// WHAT YOU SAY: //** - “A different alternative is…” - “But others might say…” - “Maybe…” - “If you looked at this from the point of view of…” - “I used to think this, but now…” - “But what if…” - “What are we assuming here?” ||
 * ** FLEXIBILITY AND FAIRNESS **
 * ** UNS → MMR → S → G → VG → E → OS **
 * Narrow thinking →→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→ Broad, creative thinking ** ||
 * **// WHAT YOU DO: //**

// ( //// critical thinking, intellectual rigour, questioning //// …) // || ** Lazy, uncritical thinking →→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→Rigorous, critical thinking ** || - Find counter-examples - Make objections - Engage in dialogue - Detect vagueness and ambiguity - Probe hidden assumptions - Play “devil’s advocate” || **// WHAT YOU SAY: //** - “What assumptions are hidden here?” - “But…” - “A case where this wouldn’t work is…” - “A problem with this is…” - “A possible counter example is…” ||
 * ** TESTING IDEAS **
 * ** UNS → MMR → S → G → VG → E → OS **
 * **// WHAT YOU DO: //**

// ( //// Exact, meticulous, plain, unambiguous, comprehensible, succinct, concise, accurate, clear, // // …) // || - Make statements that are clear, precise and easily understood - Seek to clear up any confusions or ambiguities - Explain things clearly - Try to be methodical and ordered - Use examples to clarify points - Compare with other related ideas to note similarities and differences - Use diagrams, drawings or demonstrations to clarify concepts || **// WHAT YOU SAY: //** - “What I mean is…” - “More precisely, …” - “What this philosopher means is…” - “To put that in other words…” - “An example of this is…” - “This is similar to…” - “This is different from…” - “Firstly ……, secondly ……,” ||
 * ** CLARITY AND PRECISION **
 * ** UNS → MMR → S → G → VG → E → OS **
 * Fuzzy thinking →→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→ Clear thinking ** ||
 * **// WHAT YOU DO: //**

// ( //// accurate, well- informed, knowledgeable, scholarly, // // …) // || - Show clear understanding of ideas, theories and concepts - Put ideas and concepts in your own words - Give clear explanations - Offer original examples to clarify and illustrate theories - Define philosophical terms - Use philosophical vocabulary appropriately - Understand the positions and arguments of philsophers || **// WHAT YOU SAY: //** - “This means…” - “This philosopher claims …” - “His/her reasons for this are…” - “This term means…” - “An illustration of this concept is…” ||
 * ** UNDERSTANDING OF CONCEPTS AND PHILOSOPHICAL VOCABULARY **
 * ** UNS → MMR → S → G → VG → E → OS **
 * Misunderstanding, ignorant, confused →→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→Scholarly understanding ** ||
 * **// WHAT YOU DO: //**

// ( //// persistence, thoughtfulness, making intellectual progress, disciplined thinking, intellectual courage, finding meaning, searching for truth //// …) // || - Pursue a problem to understand it in depth - Not give up when faced with obstacles - Be brave! - Relate philosophical problems to one’s own life - Draw on past experiences - Engage in personal reflection - Reconsider views to develop greater understanding - Use sensible processes and strategies to solve problems - Try other alternative solutions || **// WHAT YOU SAY: //** - “This relates to…” - “What is the next step?” - “This brings us to… And the next stage is…” - “We first decided that… and then…” - “A way into this problem might be…” - “This doesn’t seem to work, however…” - “I can see now that this isn’t the case, but…” ||
 * ** SEEKING GREATER UNDERSTANDING AND MEANING **
 * ** UNS → MMR → S → G → VG → E → OS **
 * Hasty, unreflective thinking →→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→ Intellectual perseverance ** ||
 * **// WHAT YOU DO: //**


 * Guide to Assessment Codes:

Outstanding, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Satisfactory, Meets Minimum Requirements, Unsatisfactory.

>90%, >80%,>70%, >60%,>50%,>40%and <40%**