{"id":436,"date":"2022-09-15T19:29:02","date_gmt":"2022-09-15T19:29:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gallegft.sites.wfu.edu\/cms\/?page_id=436"},"modified":"2022-09-15T19:29:02","modified_gmt":"2022-09-15T19:29:02","slug":"guidelines-for-writing-a-blog-post","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/gallegft.sites.wfu.edu\/cms\/guidelines-for-writing-a-blog-post\/","title":{"rendered":"Guidelines for writing a Blog Post"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Blog posts are an opportunity to apply our course material to real-world issues of your choice. \u00a0Most blogs will have two basic parts: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Articulate a puzzle \u2014 show that a certain phenomenon or concept has two features that seem &#8220;at odds&#8221; or in tension with one another.<br><\/li><li>Explain how philosophy can help \u2014 show that a philosophical theory or argument can shed light on the puzzle (and perhaps can help to avoid problems that arise if we adopt an alternative theory or rely on common sense).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Each Blog Post is worth 50 points and should be roughly 1000 to 1500 words in length. Be sure to include an image and a seductive title, select the appropriate category (e.g., \u201cBlog 1: Solomon &amp; the Heart\u201d), and ensure that comments will be allowed. Since these Blog Posts will be publicly accessible, you may choose to use your initials or an alias instead of your name. If you use an alias, just let me know privately which alias you have chosen.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>TWO STRATEGIES FOR YOUR BLOG POSTS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two basic strategies that I recommend for your Blog Posts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Strategy 1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first is to <strong>use a philosophical view that we have discussed in class to shed light on a puzzling aspect of a real-world issue<\/strong>. Here is how you might structure a post that uses this first strategy:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Introduction &#8211; Give an overview of the central ideas of each of the main parts of your post. Make an effort to catch the reader\u2019s attention and highlight what is interesting about your post.<br><\/li><li>Part 1 &#8211; What is puzzling about the issue you have selected? Articulate your question in a clear and concise manner, and explain the background information that is necessary for the reader to understand the issue and why it matters.\u00a0<br><\/li><li>Part 2 &#8211; Articulate the author\u2019s view and their central reason(s) for believing that their view is correct. Quote judiciously from the text, and use a well-chosen example (either from the text or your own experience or imagination) to illustrate, clarify, and\/or dramatize the author\u2019s view.\u00a0<br><\/li><li>Part 3 &#8211; Explain how the author\u2019s view might shed light on the puzzling aspect of the issue you have chosen. Identify the practical implications of your argument for the individuals involved, and consider how someone might object to your line of thought.\u00a0<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is an example of an introduction for a post that uses Strategy 1:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><em>How (and why) to fight without anger. <\/em>While anger is not uncommon within intimate relationships, it can severely damage the bond between two people. Would an intimate relationship be better, all things considered, if the individuals involved never got angry with one another? Is it even possible to work through significant conflicts without anger? I argue that Solomon\u2019s analysis of anger suggests that it would, in fact, be better to avoid anger, even in the midst of conflict. Solomon holds that anger is often used as a strategy for gaining social superiority; this implies that anger typically involves contempt (\u201clooking down on\u201d the person one is angry with), and it is well known that contempt is highly corrosive to relationships. This gives us reason to think that when we are addressing conflicts, it would be better to rely on other emotions that do not involve contempt, such as sadness and fear. After examining a fascinating example of this sort of anger-free approach to conflict resolution, I consider how a defender of anger might evaluate the merit of this anger-free approach.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Strategy 2<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The other strategy that I recommend is to <strong>use your examination of a real-world issue to shed light on a puzzling philosophical question related to the course material<\/strong>. Here is how you might structure a post that uses this second strategy:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Introduction &#8211; Give an overview of the central ideas of each of the main parts of your post. Make an effort to catch the reader\u2019s attention and highlight what is interesting about your post.<br><\/li><li>Part 1 &#8211; What is puzzling about the philosophical issue that you have selected? Articulate your question in a clear and concise manner, and explain the background information that is necessary for the reader to understand the issue and why it matters.\u00a0<br><\/li><li>Part 2 &#8211; Articulate the author\u2019s view and their central reason(s) for believing that their view is correct. Quote judiciously from the text, and use a well-chosen example (either from the text or your own experience or imagination) to illustrate, clarify, and\/or dramatize the author\u2019s view.\u00a0<br><\/li><li>Part 3 &#8211; Explain how the real-world situation you have selected challenges, supports, clarifies, or complicates the author\u2019s view, and consider how the author might object to your line of thought.\u00a0<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is an example of an introduction for a post that uses Strategy 2:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><em>The dark side of comedy<\/em>.<em> <\/em>What is the ethical value of laughter? Some philosophers have been skeptical of laughter, arguing that it is driven by an antisocial delight in others\u2019 misfortune. Others argue that it is ethically neutral, because it is driven by the simple desire to relieve tension. In contrast, Solomon asserts that laughter is actually conducive to social solidarity, and so it has an important place in our ethical lives. I argue that although Solomon\u2019s analysis improves on the alternative views of laughter, his account is challenged when we consider the Netflix comedy special, <em>Nanette<\/em>. In this stand-up performance, the comedian Hannah Gadsby presents a compelling case that laughter is structurally incapable of creating genuine social solidarity for certain classes of people\u2014namely, for those who are most marginalized and vulnerable in our society. This suggests that while laughter may support virtue in many cases, laughter is indeed ethically suspicious in precisely those areas that are most important for shaping the ethical landscapes in which we live.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Caveat<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are just suggestions. Feel free to invent alternative approaches, and please feel encouraged to bounce ideas off of me before committing them to the blog.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Standards<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I encourage you to make these blog posts playful or literary in tone, taking advantage of all kinds of devices for making your post more engaging and easy to read. At the same time, though, they should demonstrate a strong grasp of the course material and employ the core skills of philosophical analysis and argumentation. So be sure to quote the text you&#8217;re analyzing, define key terms that you&#8217;re relying on, explain the reasoning in support of the central claims at issue, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Grading Rubric&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;(criteria \/\/ points)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The introduction provides an effective and interesting overview of the post \/\/ 4 points<br><\/li><li>A central puzzle about the world or about a philosophical concept is identified, and enough context is provided to clarify and motivate your concern with the puzzle \/\/ 8 points<br><\/li><li>An author\u2019s view and their central reason(s) for believing that their view is true is articulated accurately and clearly, supported by judicious quotes from the text and at least one example \/\/ 10 points<br><\/li><li>A real-world issue and\/or source(s) outside our class material is examined and explained in a way that is well-informed and insightful \/\/ 8 points<br><\/li><li>The mutual relevance of the philosophical analysis and the real-world issue is made clear, and a persuasive case in made that the philosophical view that has been analyzed can help to shed light on the puzzle that is at issue in the post \/\/ 10 points<br><\/li><li>The post is written in a way that is engaging to read \/\/ 10 points<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Commenting on your classmates\u2019 Blog Posts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For each blog you write, please comment on at least three of your classmates\u2019 blog posts. Comments should be substantive\u2014taking enough time to dig into interesting aspects of the philosophy and\/or the real-world issue in helpful ways\u2014and they should demonstrate care for both the issue being discussed and for the author of the post. Commenting on posts will contribute to your participation grade for the course. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Not sure where to start? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To get a sense of what these projects are all about, check out the posts from Fall 2019, and also see <a href=\"http:\/\/phil197-phenomenology.weebly.com\/\">http:\/\/phil197-phenomenology.weebly.com<\/a>. If you&#8217;re feeling stuck, please don&#8217;t hesitate to email me! (gallegft@wfu.edu)<br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Blog posts are an opportunity to apply our course material to real-world issues of your choice. \u00a0Most blogs will have two basic parts: Articulate a puzzle \u2014 show&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-436","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gallegft.sites.wfu.edu\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/436"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gallegft.sites.wfu.edu\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gallegft.sites.wfu.edu\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gallegft.sites.wfu.edu\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gallegft.sites.wfu.edu\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=436"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gallegft.sites.wfu.edu\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/436\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":438,"href":"https:\/\/gallegft.sites.wfu.edu\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/436\/revisions\/438"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gallegft.sites.wfu.edu\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=436"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}