UGFN1000E - 2017-2018 TERM 2

SHORT REFLECTIVE ESSAY

600-800 words

For all topics you must relate to at least three of the first four texts (Text 1, Text 2, Text 9, and Text
3), though you can refer to some specific parts of each text, rather than to the whole text.
The three topics for the Short Reflective Essay (choose one of them):
1) After having read about ancient Greek and ancient Chinese views of nature, do you think that the
adoption of the modern scientific approach is more affected by the beliefs and assumptions about
the reality or by the attitude towards acquisition of knowledge?
2) Having started a deeper reflection on nature, how has your concept of nature (i.e. beliefs and
assumptions about it) evolved and what relevance does it have for your life?
3) Joseph Needham writes: “The Yin and Yang components never become completely separated, but
at each stage, in any given fragment, only one is manifested. Now this has considerable scientific
interest because this splitting and re-splitting of two factors, with one dominant and one recessive, has
parallels in modern scientific thinking, e.g. in genetics. So here once again we have a parallel to what
was said about the supposed interactions of the Five Elements—they lead to paths of thought which
only in our own time have been seen to have a valid application to Nature. In brief, some elements of
the structure of the world as modern science sees it are foreshadowed in the speculation of the early
Chinese philosophers” Text 9, par. 29.
What is your opinion on the above passage? Do you agree with it? Do you have reservations about
some of the above statements? Explain.

GUIDELINES
SUBMISSION:
● Put your name and student number in your file-name: SURNAME-NAME-SID.
● Submit it only to Veriguide (NO NEED TO UPLOAD TO E-LEARNING SYSTEM!)
➔ as Assignment 1
➔ under your specific group (ET01, ET02, or ET03).
➔ You do NOT NEED to send me the receipt.
● Deadline: 23:59 of Saturday, 24 February 2018 (late submission for a few minutes is not a
problem).
➔ LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM.
Mark deduction for late submission: 10% one day, 30% two days, 60% three days, >60%
afterwards. BUT LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM!
WHAT and HOW to write:
● NO PLAGIARISM:
➔ In CUHK the consequences are very serious for the student's academic record.
➔ In doubt, to play safe, always cite the sources of your information.
● CONTENT:
➔ It is not a review of the texts, it is a reflective essay: it is necessary that you show your
 reflections on the texts and the issues.
➔ Choose a topic (see list below)
➔ Introduce the issue,
➔ analize it,
➔ show your own reflections (What do you think about the issues? How do they relate to you?
Motivate or support your statements, etc...).
➔ Wrap-up your main points in the conclusion.
● Assessment
➔ Reasoning/Higher level thinking (8 points)
• Addressing the issue(s) (3 points)
• Understand what is(are) the main point(s) of the topic and focus on that (those).
• Motivate and explain all your non-trivial statements.
• Usually it is enough to just add one explanatory sentence to your statement.
• Further analysis and connections (4 points)
• Analyze, compare, and evaluate points of views, including your own.
• Put the texts at the service of the arguments in a way that actually improves the reader's
understanding.
• If relevant for the topic, show connections with your personal experience (academic or
not).
• If relevant for the topic, show meaningful connections between different fields or
different problems.
• Remarkably comprehensive, original and meaningful reflection (1 point)
➔ Understanding of the text(s) (3 points)
• You have to show that you have read and understood the three texts.
• What you state about the content of the texts should be correct.
• Higher accuracy in presenting the content is valued, within the limitations of the word
count.
• No need to talk about everything (you cannot).
• You can talk more about one or two texts and mention something about the other two.
➔ Language (1 point)
• Keep it simple; check that you do not forget subject or verb in your sentences; check
grammar and spelling.
➔ Format (1 point).
• See below.
● Format
➔ Your name, the complete topic text, and the reference list, do not count towards the word
limit of 800 words.
➔ You can (probably must) write in the first person (I think that…; According to me….;
Based on my values…; etc…) because it is a reflective essay.
➔ See format template on Blackboard → Course Content → Guidelines....
• Basically, do not forget to put your name at the beginning of the page,
• the complete topic text, and
• at least one reference in the reference list (at least “In Dialogue with Nature” ;-) ).
• The number of references does not matter for the evaluation.
• Use any citation and reference style you like. If you like, you may use the example in
the Template on Blackboard (MLA style).