philosophical

Please respond to all of the following.

Part I

Meditation- the practice of dialogue with oneself- seems to have held a place of honor among Socrates’ disciples. When Antisthenes was asked what profit he had derived from philosophy, he replied: “The ability to converse with myself.”
Pierre Hadot, Philosophy as a Way of Life (91)

Please locate and describe a space that is of philosophical significance for you, which is to say, a space where you practice philosophy and think. If you do not currently have a space, please work to construct or discover one.

Please feel free to use the following questions as starting points for your response. Where do you go to meditate? Which spaces encourage this way of being? Why do they encourage it? If you do not currently have a space, how can you make one or establish a new one?

Keep in mind that this space can be indoors or outdoors. It can be a room, a chair or a spot on the floor in any kind of space. It can be a bench, a set of stairs or a park.

Please describe the physical location and your interaction with it. Be sure to use direct textual evidence from at least one philosopher in our Bibliotherapy to support your philosophical connection to the space. The space itself is important as is the thinking and transforming that occurs there. The direct textual evidence can work to present and support the spiritual development that is facilitated by the space.

Please respond in 1-2 pages.

Part II

For Epictetus, philosophy was a form of therapy and he viewed his school as “a hospital for reasonable creatures frustrated from unreasonable desires and expectations (Marino, 2010, p. 86).

Please identify two common philosophical ailments that may characterize a person’s life. The following are some potential examples: impatience, imbalance, living in a state of distraction, procrastination, living in a state of irrational fear, or always feeling disappointed. Briefly analyze each of your two ailments and define them in your own terms. Be sure to address the following questions. Why is it a problem? How would this condition manifest itself in ways of thinking, feeling and/or acting? How does this affect the person embodying it? How can it impact other people?

Please be sure to use direct textual evidence from the Bibliotherapy texts from at least one philosopher in your response and connect the philosopher’s thinking with your own on the treatment process. The following questions may serve as interesting starting points. How would Epictetus suggest we deal with impatience? How would Aristotle view and solve procrastination? What would Epictetus suggest to someone overly concerned with their grade on this paper? Look at yourself as the doctor and understand the readings as your instruments for giving sound medication for these topics.

Please respond in 1-2 pages.

Part III

Please create or share three mantras that you find valuable and useful for living your most peaceful and fulfilling life. We will define that idea in the following way. A mantra is a short phrase that serves the purpose of a powerful reminder to pursue a flourishing life that can be repeated on a daily basis. As Epictetus tells us, these are short phrases to “ease our soul’s suffering,” help us “distinguish between wholesome and lazy, hurtful beliefs and habits,” and help us to understand “the art of living a good life. (76)”

Please explain the “why” or purpose behind each mantra and the “how” or the way in which you will employ each mantra.

Please respond in 1-2 pages.

Part IV

“Philosophy is the set of principles and practices available to one, or which one makes available to others, for taking proper care of oneself or of others.” (136)
Michel Foucault, Hermeneutics of the Subject

In this assignment, we will work to examine, embody and reflect on one of the many philosophical practices offered in our On Daily or Frequent Philosophical Practices Chapter and/or an example from the Self-Writing Guide and work with other elements of our time together this semester

Please choose one practice from the book and from our discussions and practice it every day for at least 7 days. First, the response should address why you chose this practice. Please include direct textual evidence to demonstrate how the philosopher presents it and how you understand it. Then, explain your own interpretations and inspiration for the decision.

Next, please think and write about your experience with the practice over the seven days. Working with at least two other texts from our semester, please identify the philosophy that you are grappling with through the exercise. This section requires the use of direct textual evidence Please do not feel obligated to share all or any of the “results” themselves, but do feel free to include those you deem to be shareable. Do, however, be sure to examine not only the results themselves, but, as St. Antony would encourage us, the actions you took and the feelings generated by the practice.

The following questions can serve as starting points for your inquiry: What qualities did you work to develop? Why those? How was the process of making time and space to include the practice? How did you feel before, during and after the practice? Do you feel as though this practice impacted the way you think, act or feel on a daily basis? Did it shift any of your perspectives? Did it change the way you interacted with others? Would you continue this practice? Why? Why not?

Please respond to this in 3-4 pages.

A quick note: For all direct textual evidence please simply provide the philosopher’s name and the page number at the end of the quotation. Also, please use double-spaced pages and write in Times New Roman size 12 font for all responses.
Example of Citation:
“When we remember that our aim is spiritual progress, we return to striving to be our best selves. This is how happiness is won” (Epictetus,36)
I look forward to reading your responses!