Instructions

Second Essay Due- Students will construct a definition essay that argues if a particular work could be classified as an animal tale, a work of fantasy, or a work of speculative fiction. The students will employ six different terms and construct their essay using the six terms as the basis for six body paragraphs. A rubric is attached. Students are required to use MLA format for in-text citation and must include a Works Cited page.

This assignment asks students to engage in the following Student Learning Outcomes:

The student will be able to produce substantive writings that draw on interdisciplinary, critical approaches applied to a vast array of primary sources.

The student will be able to engage in research using contemporary research methods, including print and electronic technologies, as well as various modes of citation (MLA, Chicago Style, APA).

The student will be able to analyze texts for claims, arguments, evidence, and style.

The student will be able to read and interpret texts according to different critical frameworks, including historical and theoretical methodologies.

The student will be able to synthesize life experience, class materials, and experiential learning (e.g., film screenings, conference attendance, community tutoring, etc.)

The student will be able to enroll in course sequences sharing common literary and methodological texts studied from differing contexts.

The student will demonstrate knowledge of major literary genres, subgenres, and periods (including major authors for given periods), as well as demonstrate a sound understanding of basic literary terms and categories.

The student will demonstrate knowledge of 20th and 21st-century literary theory and will analyze media through these various critical lenses.

The student will demonstrate knowledge of World, British, American, and African American literature.

Introduction

Growth is warranted in various areas including model behavior, personal and professional growth through coaching and/or mentoring, and valuing diversity. Model behavior is crucial in developing good behavior for growth as an individual. It can be attained by incorporating guidance in order to build a culture of learning. Mentoring is also vital as it entails heavy listening, role modeling, connecting, and coming up with suggestions and can last for a long period of time, as well as transferring personal experience to the mentored person. It is equally important to note that mentoring experience can assist one to realize the importance of developing a good relationship that is built on mutual respect and trust. Lastly, the value of diversity in a personal and social context is understood through the utilization of the various options offered by life. Embracing diversity ensures that life goes on smoothly.

Fiction

Some stories about humans are often based on fiction. The book by Boulle talks about the galactic explorer and journalist, Ulysse. He is a French explorer who leaves earth on a mission to find other intelligent beings on an Earth-like planet. The earth-like planet is found near Betelgeuse. Two of the major topics addressed in his book are the ability of primates to think and behave like human beings (Boulle 4). Secondly, the novel addresses a situation where human beings are primal beings who only act on instinct, without culture or language. This is a crucial source to provide information on the manner in which various aspects of biological anthropology are depicted in works of fiction (19). The lure of the novel lies in our fascination with the likelihood that we are not the only sentient beings existing on this earth. Our bodies and histories are not only the same, but we also share almost all the entire genes. The novel is able to create this picture and we may question what it would be like to share this planet with other creatures such as apes.

Evolution

The novel by Kurt Vonnegut explores the importance of human brains from an evolutionary viewpoint. The novelist takes the readers to millions of years ago. The book contributes to the topic of biological and behavioral aspects of human beings by arguing that a simple vacation turned out to be an evolutionary journey. The author tells the story of a group of survivors who were stranded on the Galapagos Islands evolve and become a completely different human race. At some point, humanity was on the brink of extinction, but it was able to spring back to life. As a result, the human race was perpetuated after the planetary catastrophe (Vonnegut 12-21). The novel makes a significant contribution to the broader perspective of human evolution and anthropology, specifically the study of behavioral adaptations.

Knowledge

For knowledge to be produced, one is required to think of an idea and pursue it even further. In some instances, the idea may take years for it to fully develop in an individual’s mind (Starbuck, 2009). As a result, the idea needs time and effort to research resulting in putting true value in the knowledge produced because it was generated with difficulty. It is because knowledge production puts emphasis on observing exceptional cases and stimulating dialectical thinking. Dialectical thinking entails situations such as viewing people who disagree as both rights as well as all dissents having a degree of validity.

Values

There are various types of value knowledge including intrinsic and instrumental value knowledge (Kirschenmann 237). According to Feinberg & Shafer-Landau (78), in order to view the manner in which intrinsic knowledge may be truly valuable, think of those types of knowledge that are refined like wisdom. Wisdom is clearly valuable because it can result in people to lead not only fulfilled but also productive lives. Crucially, it appears that intrinsic knowledge of this sort would be valuable if one encountered difficulties in developing it.

Beliefs

Knowledge entails justifications, and that just adds value to true belief. Therefore, difficulties in coming up with justified true beliefs would translate into the greater value of knowledge. An argument by Mark Kaplan (31) that there is no particular rationale to value knowledge over justified true belief explains why the intuition of knowledge is of great epistemic value.

Unlike the reliabilists who argue that true beliefs are only justified if only they are produced by reliable processes (Brady 93), my personal experience tells me that if we approach the acquisition of knowledge in a difficult way, then chances are we will place great value in the knowledge. It is because the value lies squarely in the pleasure with which the drive for knowledge fills one’s life (Schlick 101). From time to time, attempts have been made to increase the grandeur of knowledge by maintaining that it is a value in itself and that we would have to strive for it even if it provided us with no joy.

There is much satisfaction from the knowledge that comes as a result of hard work because knowledge is valuable in itself (Kirschenmann 237). Intuitively, it is better to have reliable true belief compared to mere true belief. After all, we only value reliable belief-forming processes as a means to true belief (Pritchard, Millar, and Haddock 8). A difficulty that a problem poses is concerned by the manner in which to make sense of the idea of knowledge is more valuable in contrast to mere belief since it entails an epistemic standing that better serves our specific epistemic goal of true belief.

Proceeding, we tend to value the knowledge that is acquired through difficulty because it is particularly useful in solving a problem. The knowledge would assist you in identifying the problem, come up with possible solutions, select viable options, and evaluate the selected options.  Building on earlier work by Sosa and Zagzebski, Greco (9) asserts that we value the knowledge that is acquired through difficulty because knowledge is a cognitive achievement.

Decisions: How to make them

When it comes to decision-making, one should always weigh the positive and negative effects. As cited by Frank and Cassone (16), the process of making decisions commences when a person identifies the real problems and ends when the solutions for the problem have been found. The decision-making process entails: establishing the aim of the decision, collecting information, setting up the principles for judging the alternatives, evaluating the various available choices, analyzing the alternatives, choosing the best alternative, executing the decision by putting it into action, and evaluate the outcome of the decision and come up with a control system.

Conclusion

In summary, knowledge is true belief when we credit to the subject. Therefore, I agree with the statement that we truly value the knowledge that is produced with difficulty. Considering that the aim of belief is true, it then makes sense that knowledge may need conclusive reasons since conclusive reasons warrant that belief’s aim is attained.  As a consequence, there are conclusive reasons to agree with the statement that we truly value knowledge produced with difficulty. In this regard, knowledge can be regarded as both instrumentally and intrinsically valuable because the result is something else that is valuable.

Works Cited

Babich, Babette. Nietzsche, theories of knowledge, and critical theory: Nietzsche and the sciences. New York: Springer Science & Business Media, 2013.

Boulle, Piere. Planet of the Apes. New York: Del Rey, 2001. Print.

Brady, Michael. ‘Appropriate attitudes and the value problem.’ American Philosophical Quarterly, 43.1(2006): 91–99.

Feinberg, Joel and Russ Shafer-Landau. Reason and responsibility: readings in some basic problems of philosophy. New York: Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.

Frank, T., and Cassone, D. T. A Professional’s Guide to Decision Science and Problem Solving: An Integrated Approach for Assessing Issues, Finding Solutions, and Reaching Corporate Objectives. New York: FT Press, 2012.

Kirschenmann, Peter. “Intrinsically or just instrumentally valuable? On structural types of valuable scientific knowledge.” Journal of General Philosophy of Science, 32.2 (2001): 237-256.

Pritchard, Duncan, ‎Alan Millar and ‎Adrian Haddock. The nature and value of knowledge: three investigations. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. Print.

Schlick, Moritz. General theory of knowledge. New York: Routledge, 2012. Print.

Vonnegut, Kurt. Galapagos. New York: Dell Publishing, 1985. Print.