GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR DISCUSSIONS: Your contributions should be thoughtful, developed (2+ paragraphs for each question) and substantiated by course materials. Answer all parts of the question and use concepts from the course materials. Use a professional style of communication, with attention to grammar, spelling, and typos; cite your sources. You may use first person perspective for your posts this week.

Choose TWO total of the following questions (1 from Philosophy & 1 from Religion) for your posts (2-3 paragraphs — see guidelines above), Then, give a substantive response (2-3 sentences) to at least one other student. Use only class resources for these posts.

PHILOSOPHY (Choose 1 of these two questions) (you may find the linked resources in each question useful for both questions)!

1. WHAT GOOD ARE THE ARTS?

Epistemology is the study of what it means to know things, and how we know them. Philosophers generally define “knowledge” as “justified true belief.” To know something, it must be true, and you must believe it for good (well-justified) reasons.

For this discussion, consider the controversies presented by Plato https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato-aesthetics/ and Aristotle https://www.iep.utm.edu/aris-poe/ about whether the arts (you can also find useful information in the Worth article in Philosophy Resources), including theatre, can give us knowledge. Or do they mislead us into thinking that we “know” something when in fact we only learn what the artist or writer presents–not the truth itself?

After you read the material, think about your own experience of the arts—visual arts (painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, architecture); literature (poetry and prose); and the performing arts (music, dance, theater, and film).

Do any of these arts arouse certain “emotions or activities that are able to facilitate or produce knowledge” by tapping into something that cannot be expressed in words? Do the arts give you knowledge? Or do you think they are not useful in producing knowledge? Explain your thinking, using several ideas from the article.

Include an example from one of the arts to help support your position. Have you gotten “true knowledge”—or not—from a work of literature, the ideas of a philosopher, a piece of art or architecture, or a film? Describe a specific example and if possible, give a link.

OR

2: ART, ILLUSION, AND REALITY

Read this excerpt from Book X of Plato’s Republic about art and imitation.

Describe how this conversation between Socrates and Glaucon relates to the Allegory of the Cave. Given the information about reality, illusion and the arts from both sources, what do you think Plato’s position on the arts is? (You may find Worth useful here as well). Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Now, provide an example from one of the arts that you think could be used to illustrate Plato’s position on the arts and explain how it does.

RELIGION

1. ANTHROPOLOGICAL VS. THEOLOGICAL STUDY OF RELIGION

Using the article, “The Academic Study of Religion” by McCutcheon in this week’s resources, explain the difference between the anthropological study of religion and the theological study of religion. Include examples. Which type of study do you normally engage in (or are you more likely to engage in)? How has learning about the two different ways to study religion affected your view of religion. Has it changed at all?

OR

2. THE ACADEMIC STUDY OF RELIGION

To address the following questions, consider the four approaches to religion described in the introduction to this module: exclusivism, inclusivism, pluralism and empathetic interest in other people.

Which of these four approaches do you take in your everyday life? Use course material and examples to support your choice.

Describe a friend, acquaintance, or relative who employs a different approach to yours. Which approach do they take? Given your different approaches, how would you communicate with them about religion? Use course material and examples to support your choice.

If you were to take a college class on religious traditions, do you think the academic study of religion might require you to adjust your approach? Explain your answer.

All posts for 1.2 are due by the end of the week on Sunday by 11:30PM ET (but don’t wait until the last minute — there is a lot to read/view)! Posts may not be edited. If you would like to make changes, respond to your post with the changes or add a revised post in the response with a note. Discussion will lock a few hours after it is due. No further posts can be submitted after it locks.