Hamilton High School Senior Philosophy Essay - 150 Points
A Philosophical Journey 2015: What Do I Believe?
COMPLETED DRAFT DUE: Monday, April 27
FINAL DUE: Wednesday, April 29
10% penalty for each calendar day essay is not received or not submitted to Turnitin.com – if you are absent on the due date,
the essay must be hand delivered or emailed and received by the beginning of your class period.
After exploring the beliefs of several philosophers and ‘thinkers,’ and discussing the ramifications of their ideas on everyday life, it
is now your turn. You ARE a philosopher. You have beliefs about how the world works, why things occur, what motivates people,
etc. Some of these have been with you for a long time; others may have developed from our studies. Many of you maintain strong
spiritual and/or religious/non-religious beliefs. Expressing those is not only acceptable, but expected; however, this is not a paper
solely about your beliefs and how they impact your life. Instead, you will compose a coherent, well-organized, and insightful essay
comparing and/or contrasting your philosophy of life to that of various philosophers/thinkers.
Required questions: You have already drafted your responses to each of these questions. Be sure to thoroughly compare and
contrast your beliefs to the ideas we have explored in class. Include examples and citations to support your ideas. You must
explain/discuss WHY and HOW you agree or disagree with each philosopher/thinker.
1) How did we get here? How was the Earth formed? Are science and religion compatible? Why/why not? Why are we
here?
2) Are you totally free? Who controls your destiny? Do you decide your future, or is your path already set or known by a
power greater than yourself? Is there such a thing as “free will"?
3) What happens to us when we die? Do you believe in the concept of heaven and hell? If yes, then how do you picture
each? What does one have to do to get into heaven? Hell? If no, why not? What alternate fate do you believe is in store
for us after death?
4) Morals/Ethics-- What came first, religion or morals? Is there a universal moral code? If so, what is included in this
universal moral code? How do you know it is universal and what is it based on? If not, how do you determine right from
wrong? Why is that your system?
5) So what is the point then? What is the purpose in living? Is there a purpose? If so, how will you know you have
fulfilled that purpose? If not, then what dictates how you live?
Conclusion: What impact has the study of philosophy had on your beliefs? Why is this the case? How will your beliefs
influence the decisions you make in life? Remember, this is the “so what?/what now?” section.
Required citations: While each individual paragraph does not need all three of these, all of them must be discussed at least once
in your paper as a whole.
 One existentialist philosopher we studied AND
 One religious or cultural tradition you read about AND
 One humanist, scientist, ‘thinker,’ or earlier period philosopher
Suggestions: Einstein, Hawking, Rousseau, Locke, Aristotle, Bacon, Chomsky, Descartes, Emerson,
Hobbes, Plato, Rand, Spinoza, Schopenhauer, Lao Tzu
NOTE: You need a minimum of two direct quotations per section EXCEPT for your introduction and conclusion (#5 above). (I.e.
minimum EIGHT citations.) Remember, ideas taken from other sources must also be cited.
Required sources:
 You must utilize at least FOUR different, credible sources. You MAY NOT take your quotes from any class handouts
except The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Philosophy. You MAY NOT use quotes from any website that only has a list of
quotes from a variety of sources (Brainyquotes, quotes.com, etc. WILL NOT COUNT). They must come from an
ACTUAL philosophy text or a .edu website only. Sources other than these will result in a 5 point deduction per
inadequate/unacceptable source).
Required format:
 Your essay must include a maturely written and comprehensive thesis statement containing at least 3 green words.
 Four pages minimum, not including works cited page, in MLA format. SIX pages maximum – I will not read past page 6.
If your conclusion is past page 6, it will not count as a completed essay. Again, I WILL NOT READ PAST PAGE 6!!
 A correctly formatted Works Cited page.
 The use of “I,” “we,” “our,” etc. is acceptable for this essay. You may not use any form of “you.”