Title: Enlightened philosophy

Lesson plan elaborated by: Katarzyna Maciejak

Topic:

Enlightened philosophy.

Target group:

1st‑grade students of a high school.

Core curriculum

I. Literary and cultural education.

2. Receipt of cultural texts. Student:

1) processes and hierarchizes information from texts, such as journalistic, popular science and scientific;

2) analyses the structure of the text: it reads its meaning, main thought, way of leading the argument and argumentation;

5) characterises the main philosophical trends and determines their influence on the culture of the era;

6) read philosophical views contained in various works; ZR

III. Creating statements.

1. Elements of rhetoric. Student:

1) formulates theses and arguments in oral and written speech using appropriate syntax structures;

6) understands what is the logic and consistency of reasoning in argumentative statements and uses them in their own texts;

7) distinguishes the discussion from the dispute and quarrels;

2. Speaking and writing. Student:

1) agrees with other people's views or polemicizes with them, substantively justifying their own opinion;

2) builds a statement in a conscious manner, with knowledge of its language function, taking into account the purpose and the addressee, keeping the principles of rhetoric;

10) in the interpretation presents a proposal to read the text, formulates arguments based on the text and known contexts, including personal experience, and performs a logical argument for the validation of formulated judgments;

IV. Self‑study. Student:

1) develops the ability of independent work, among others, by preparing various forms of presenting their own position;

2) organises information into a problematic whole by valuing it; synthesizes the learned content around the problem, topic, topic and uses it in your statements.

General aim of education

Students learn the basic assumptions of the philosophy of Enlightenment rationalism.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Learning outcomes

Student:

• characterises the philosophical current of Enlightenment rationalism and determines its influence on the culture of the era;

• discusses the basic assumptions of the philosophy of Leibniz and Locke;

• reads philosophical views in source texts;

• participates in the discussion on rationalism.

Methods/techniques

• expository

  • talk.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned;

  • leading text method.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• activity in groups;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers.

Introduction

1. The teacher determines the purpose of the lesson: the students will talk about the Enlightenment philosophy.

2. The teacher who learns the criteria for success together with the students.

Realization

1. The teacher informs that the name of the epoch (enlightenment) comes from the German language, and before it was adopted, there were other names of the period, eg the age of reason, the age of philosophers.

2. The students discuss whether the path of reason is the best way to learn about reality, or it is possible to comprehend all phenomena with reason, and then they write down their arguments (interactive task No. 1).

3. The teacher talks about the French Great Encyclopedia and its authors, and then the students are looking at the photo gallery showing the title pages of the encyclopedia of the Enlightenment day. They talk about them and discuss about possible conclusions.

4. Students read a fragment of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz's text and answer the question.

5. Students read a fragment of the text about Locke's philosophy and try to explain the concept of tabula rasa in their own words.

6. The teacher encourages students to talk in pairs about whose views are closer to them - Leibniz or Locke.

7. Work in pairs. Students create their own encyclopedic slogan of a chosen topic, remembering the need to adopt the perspective of enlightened philosophers, eg rationalism, empiricism, deism etc..

Summary

1. The teacher asks the chosen student to try to explain the lesson issues to a colleague who is 10 years old.

2. The teacher chooses one student by random method and asks him or her to explain in own words the meaning of a given word or concept learned during the lesson.

Homework

1. Listen to the abstract recording at home. Pay attention to pronunciation, accent and intonation. Learn to pronounce the words learned during the lesson.

2. Should reason be a judge on truth and falsehood? Consider the problem and justify your opinion by referring to a fragment of Leszek Kołakowski's text and another text of culture. Write a problem essay. Your job should be at least 250 words long.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Enlightened philosophy

The name of the age – enlightenment – comes from German. Before it was commonly accepted there had been other names in use characterizing that period of the history of art, for example: French: age of reason or age of philosophers.

There is a dominating idea in 18th century Europe that the reason is enough to solve all misteries. The power of human mind is confirmed by the inventions of that century.

Thinkers of the enlightenment were convinced that a happy world can be built only by those who understand it. This idea encouraged them to gather modern knowledge in one work. That is how Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers was created.

The encyclopedy was written between 1751 and 1766 by a team of about 250 persons. The thinkers created 35 volumes consisting of entries relating to science, customs, religion and art. Common features of this enterprise were crit and pursuit of precision. The entries were to give the reliable, trustworthy and objective image of the contemporary world.

The Encyclopédistes – Denis Diderot, Jean Le Rond d’Alembert, Wolter, Jean‑Jacques Rousseau and others – wrote a work which shaped the minds of intellectuals and by that influenced the social and political life.

Some authors of the Encyclopédie were philosophers. This field of knowledge developed in very visible way during the Enlightenment. Two positions dominated: rationalism i empiricism.