Ethics Journal Assignments

*Please separate entry 1&2 in TWO different files.

” A good journal entry can be anywhere from half a page to two pages. What matters is not length but depth of engagement with the material and clarity of expression. “


Entry #1: Philosophical Education and the Life of the Unjust Person

Response Prompts (please answer both):

  1. Describe a formative educational moment or Eureka moment that you have had (this could be in school or not). What was it like? Did it change the way you live your life, and if so, how? Does Plato’s cave allegory do a good job of conceptualizing what genuine moments of education are like?
  2. In your own observations, does it seem like the life of a good (or just) person is happier than the life of an unjust person? Do you know of people (either real or in literature, film, TV, etc.) that behave poorly and end up happy? Would you give up on your moral code if you knew it could make you wealthy to do so?

Entry #2: Stoicism

Response Prompts (please answer both):

  1. Find two examples in your life in which you’ve suffered due to your own reaction to things. Explain how you could apply Stoic teachings to reduce your own suffering and see the world more clearly.
  2. Practice the Stoic technique of negative visualization. What things come to mind as valuable if you would lose them? Explain your practice. What was it like? What thoughts did you have? Be honest: do you think negative visualization is a good practice or does it strike you as too much “dwelling on the bad things”?