ELP30-GATHERING OF GREATEST THINKERSA call for applications to join our semester of inquiry:Over the next 90 hours of course work, we will be journeying across the rich and diverse world of philosophy. In order to best equip ourselves for this journey, we are seeking out the biggest names in the history of philosophy to be our guides along this journey.

And so, you are being asked to help us get to know our all-star team of philosophers who will form the learning stops we’ll visit along the way as we work our through a few branches of philosophy. To do so, you are going to select a philosopher from our list, research them, adopt their persona, and then write a LETTER OF INQUIRY on their behalf requesting to be a

REQUIRED INFO

Philosopher’s name &

biographical info

Their major contribution(s) to philosophy

Summary of unique

philosophical abilities

Argument in favor of their place in our

course

DUE DATES: Printed rough draft:

Monday, February 29th

*Final Draft: Wednesday, March 2

*This is our first major assignment, and so

deadlines must be met.

ELP30 – Written Assignment #1 – Letter of (philosophical) InquiryIn this first written assignment, you are being asked to write an inquiry letter to apply for a position as a philosopher.

What is a letter of inquiry, typically? A letter of inquiry is a letter (duh) where you are asking or applying for something (usually for a job, grant, or something where you eventually get paid!). In this case, the purpose of the letter is slightly twisted (kind of like Mr. Cossette and this class!). Rather than apply for a job – boring, but a necessary means to being fed – you are going to apply on behalf of a famous philosopher – exciting, and an essential end in itself!

In other words, you want to ‘sell’ us on the idea that your philosopher of choice is worth studying. This will help us start to get to know the terrain lying ahead of us just a little, and maybe even get us excited about the journey!

Follow the template on the reverse side of this page and before you’re finished ensure that you have all of the items on the checklist below. I am looking forward to seeing what you can do to convince us.

Completion Checklist (Mr. Cossette will be using this as an evaluative tool)Does your letter include the following?

Format of an inquiry letter Key info (use their biographical info and adapt): your address, phone number,

name, date Paragraph 1 (~2-3 sentences): Statement of Purpose & Salutation, along with

a brief biography 2 Body Paragraphs (~4-5 sentences each): spaces between paragraphs and no

indenting Paragraph 4 (~2 sentences): Short closing & reminder of your philosopher’s

perfection Closing salutation & signature Proper references to all sources, including a properly formatted bibliography

on a separate page

Your letter must be between 350-600 words in length.

Effective Language

Correct spelling, punctuation, and sentence/paragraph structure A variety of sentence lengths A variety of appropriate and consistently effective vocabulary/words

Content

Clearly and effectively expressed ideas & (biographical) information Paragraph one is an engaging introduction of your philosopher

Paragraph two is a description of their pertinent philosophical skills and contributions

Paragraph three is a brief argument outlining why they belong as part of our syllabus

Closing

Paragraph four restates the letter’s purpose Summarizes important information and leaves reader compelled

AddressCity, Province Postal CodePhone Number (cell/home)

Date

Your (philosopher’s) Name

Dear Mr./Ms. _______________,

[Paragraph 1 – Statement of Purpose and Introduction to Philosopher]

In this first paragraph please let me know why you are writing to me (your statement of purpose). Then, introduce yourself (as your philosopher). Briefly tell me who you are, when and where you are from, your particular philosophical interests and your pertinent educational history. This paragraph should be filled with powerful adjectives which help make you stand out. AND REMEMBER, YOU WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT YOUR PHILOSOPHER IS ALREADY A PART OF THE PHILOSOPHIC CANON/TRADITION!

[Paragraph 2 –Philosophical Skills, Accomplishments & Qualifications – What you bring to our team]

The second paragraph is for you to discuss the thinking skills you(r philosopher) have which would contribute to our success in this class, as well as to our class as a whole. Focus on showing us the extent to which you have the disposition of a philosopher– deep thinking, skepticism, critical thought, curious, an inquirer, a strong writer, reader, etc…Then focus on how these abilities were most aptly demonstrated through your biggest contribution(s) to philosophy.

[Paragraph 3 – Brief Argument – Why your philosopher belongs]

This is a chance for you to begin practising one of the foundational philosophic skills – constructing an argument: thesis supported by premises (reasons and evidence) to reach a clear conclusion. Try to come up with ~3 related reasons that your philosopher is undeniably essential to our introduction to philosopher. For example, try this model: a) Some foundational truth about how we are to approach learning about new academic disciplines; b) a link to demonstrate how this is particularly true in 1st encountering philosophy; c) a clear

demonstration of how your philosopher is a great choice to accomplish ‘b’. If you do this well, then ‘a’ leads to ‘b’ leads to ‘c’. Air tight.

[Closing – Super brief (~2 sentences) wrap up and friendly sign off]

Close with a summary of who you are, why you belong in this course, and what you will contribute to our learning. End on a positive note!

Sincerely,

Your Fancy SignatureYour name typed out

SELF-ASSESSMENT - OUTCOMES TARGETEDStudent Name: _________________________________Mr. Cossette’s pick:CC 30.4: Compose and create narrative, expository, and persuasive writings that include…a letter of inquiry.

Choose one more and explain why you are choosing it. Try to pick something that you know you need to work on:

Outcome chosen & why:Ou (feel free to type this out on your own and include it in your final submission)________________________________________________________________________________

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What you plan to focus on improving through this work & why:(eg: organization, mechanics, spelling, voice, evaluative thinking skills, persuasion)

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*Make sure to complete this during the BEFORE portion of the drafting work, as you will need to have this with

you as you edit your rough draft.