Research Paper: Great THINKERS Due: Monday November 23rd, 2009 Length of Paper: 750 Words Typed Please include the following: 3 sources, minimum 5 quotes in paper, citations in text and a separate bibliography Option 1: Does Immanuel Kant bridge traditional & contextual Philosophy? Some argue that Immanuel Kant has offered a revolutionary approach to epistemology by reconciling the traditional dichotomy between rationalism and empiricism. Kant said, it was a careful reading of David Hume that "interrupted my dogmatic slumbers and gave my investigations in the field of speculative philosophy a quite new direction." Kant supposed that the only adequate response would be a "Copernican Revolution" in philosophy, a recognition that the appearance of the external world depends in some measure upon the position and movement of its observers. This central idea became the basis for his life-long project of developing a critical philosophy that could withstand them. The crucial question, according to Kant, is not how we can bring ourselves to understand the world, but how the world comes to be understood by us. Instead of trying, by reason or experience, to make our concepts match the nature of objects, Kant held, we must allow the structure of our concepts to shape our experience of objects. This is the purpose of Kant's "Critique of Pure Reason": while showing the limits of PURE REASON he shows how reason still determines the conditions under which experience and knowledge are possible. Numerous LINKS are provided to aid you in this paper. Make sure to focus on Kant's ideas areound "KNOWING" and not his ideas about "ETHICS". Option 2: Who is the Philosopher that is most relevant to our world today? Your challenge is to research the philosopher who you feel is most significant, important and relevant to our society, culture and world so that you can make a convincing argument as to why you feel this person is so important. Many people throughout history have been giants in bringing us to new heights of awareness and insight. These sages, prophets, dreamers and thinkers have helped us to imagine new ways to live and understand our world. Some of them have moved us to think and act in entirely new ways. Your job is to highlight the unique contributions of one of these special persons who you feel has something special to teach the world that we live in today. You will need to argue forcefully not only what their philosophy is all about, but also how we need to apply this philosophy or world-view to the important issues and realities that confront us in the present moment. Philosophy Final Culminating Assessment: Ideas that Matter NOW PHILOSOPHY Research Paper - (Footnotes & Bibliography required) Due: Wednesday June 3rd, 2009 Length of Paper: 750 Words Typed Please include the following: 2 sources, minimum 3 quotes in paper, citations in text and a separate bibliography Research one of the following contemporary thinkers who is wrestling with ideas of global significance which are relevant to you personally in your own attempt to seek out the truth and become a wiser human being. Write an essay using at least three sources in which you summarize this person's ideas and in which you are able to illustrate why this person's ideas are crucial to the improvement of our world. Your thesis statement or argument should focus on how this person's ideas must be paid attention to if our world is to progress or evolve. Make sure to quote this person and your sources; footnotes and bibliography are essential. Some of the figures you may consider are as follows: Economics & Globalization: Naomi Klein, Maude Barlowe, Noam Chomsky, Marilyn Waring Creation & Ecology: David Suzuki, Thomas Berry, Brian Swimme, Matthew Fox Spirituality & Healing: Deepak Chopra, Jean Vanier, Mary Jo Leddy Justice & Peace: Jim Wallace, John Dear, Jon Sobrino, Pablo Freier