[Chapter Four: The Nature of Reality]: Explain and defend what you consider to be most real. Are yo ...
[Chapter Four: The Nature of Reality]: Explain and defend what you consider to be most real. Are you a materialist who believes physical or material components to be most real (atoms, the physical elements, electrons, electromagnetic forces, etc.) or an immaterialist who believes that the immaterial is most real (spirit, mind, Plato’s forms, ideas, etc.)? Or are you a dualist who believes that both are equally real? Use the following two principles to make your case: 1) Whatever is most real is that which does not depend upon anything else to make it what it is; 2) Whatever is most real is resistant to change, in that it does not get destroyed or created. I highly recommend looking at some of the philosophers in this chapter to help guide your thought process. For instance, consider: a) Materialism: Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes, Heraclitus, Democritus, or any modern scientific view b) Immaterialism: Pythagoras, Parmenides, Zeno of Elea, Plato (Plato’s Forms), Idealism, Berkeley, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, etc. c) Both are equal: Aristotle, Descartes, Spinoza (both are the same substance), This essay must be at least 600 words. When arguing for your position, explain what immaterialism/materialism means. Use the two principles above to serve as reasons for your choice. Then utilize components of the philosophers in this chapter to guide your ideas and to perhaps serve as examples. Have at least one external source for your research, as sources can be one of the best ways to generate reasons and creative ideas. BASIC FORMAT: 1) Introduction: Include your thesis statement, in which you clearly state your position 2) Within your body paragraphs you explain what materialism/immaterialism is. Give examples to clarify your explanation. Then demonstrate your position by appealing to the two principles above. 3) Within your body paragraphs, you appeal to another philosopher(s) as to what their position is on the matter to provide support for your position. This may be a good spot to appeal to external sources here if you wish. You provide an example to help demonstrate your position 4) Conclusion: a short wrap of the main points of the essay.
