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Denied Philosophy Professor [x2] - MinisterFudge

MinisterFudge

Level 17
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MinisterFudge
MinisterFudge
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OOC SECTION

What is your Minecraft username?:
Minister Fudge

What is your time zone?: –AEST (GMT +10) - Sydney Australia

What is your discord username and discriminator?: crystallizedgene

Link all previous applications you made on the server:

Describe your activity on SchoolRP: I am online for a couple of hours 'every other day' except Thursdays

Describe your roleplay experience with SchoolRP and other roleplay networks in general:

The bulk of my noteworthy experience is as follows: I have made it to Grade 12 and am generally going about my day as a peaceful Grade 12 student on both characters. My main character is a snobby intellectual while the alternate is an eccentric Nun. I’ve been exploring the vagaries of ‘GangRP’ and have been accepted as a tester for the MazeRP server which was quite nice. I've also been a 'Gamemaker' (event organizer) on a Gmod roleplay server (Hogwarts RP, now defunct).

What are your current roles on SchoolRP:
I have no roles other than [Grade 12]

What is the subject you want to teach?:
Philosophy.
I suspect this would be considered as a 'Humanities' subject.

TRIVIA SECTION

What is your motivation for becoming a professor?:

I've noticed a gap in the amount of Professors teaching 'humanities' subjects and I'd quite like to fill that gap.

My desire to teach this much broader subject of philosophy boils down to having been taught jurisprudence, a type of philosophy, at an undergraduate level. I am motivated to apply so I might make use of this and try my hand at teaching philosophy as a whole; not just the philosophy of law.

I would direct readers to the ‘Extra’ section of this application so they might take solace in the fact I would very much be happy to provide an incredibly broad range of ‘themes’ or topics explored in philosophy so students actually look forward to the classes. I have to say, there are some pretty interesting topics that have been explored by philosophers over the centuries and would make for interesting lessons bound to capture attention. Among them: Angels; Revolution; Sin; Time; Monarchy …

At any rate, the main corpus of philosophy could be taught without eyebrow-raising. That is what makes this subject so appealing to me: the internet provides a rich resource to assist me in developing classes in addition to the actual hardcopy texts at my disposal. Anything deemed too controversial will simply not be taught. I suspect it would be quite an enjoyable subject to teach because most philosophy (particularly, say, less objectionable dialogues from Plato) reads like a story.

I also want it noted that, to my knowledge, I do not believe there has ever been a philosophy professor and, if there has been, I am left wondering just how long it has been since another person expressed interest in teaching it. I was also inspired by the parody song ‘Greek Philosophers ("Can't Get You Out of My Head" by Kylie Minogue)’.

Work out two interactive classes you will host if accepted:

  1. [A Lecture with a Pop-Quiz; with hand-raising to respond]
I want to stress how incredibly easy it is to do this. Plato’s dialogues have been discussed for centuries and materials for quizzes are freely available from the internet.
Not all dialogues may be appropriate for study in lieu of SRP rules on what is and is not 'appropriate'. HOWEVER, there are resources available on the internet that have been so watered down that they may be thought of as 'Philosophy for Kids', i.e. educational materials on philosophers designed specifically for children. Such resources would be appropriate for teaching/adapting.

Let us take, for example, Plato. A very matter-of-fact lecture could be given for the purpose of asking very matter-of-fact questions that are not open to objection:
  • Who was Plato's teacher?
  • Who was Plato's most significant student?
  • What text was Plato's magnum opus?
  • Plato had a very specific writing style, and his texts are referred to as what?
  • Generally, who is the main character in Plato's dialogues?
You get the idea. Questions could possibly be put into a notebook and the quiz delivered in that manner, but given this question asked for a class with ‘interactivity’ questions could be sprung on students at the end of a lecture. This is an extremely simple interactive class but well worth mentioning because… Plato is but ONE philosopher. The potential then, for a class or a quiz that would appeal to many and not just the teacher is very high. You need not study ALL the actual texts or materials to appreciate the broader ideas, concepts, etc. a philosopher is known for, all their ideas (and facts about them as a person) can be taken and shoved into a 'For Kids' blender to sift out any objectionable material. Whatever comes out can simply be built upon as appropriate.

2. [Lecture/Discussion class]​

Philosophy is not just about knowing factual information about the material you are reading. It’s about discussion, having your own opinions, and intellectual contributions. It would be my role as a Professor then to help students respond to material and not just understand it; rewarding contributions in class.
Now, example 1 involved Plato but, for this discussion class, I will, purely for the sake of illustrative example, pick a topic I find more engaging. That subject: legal philosophy!
Again, I am aware not everyone will find this interesting… but this is purely an example of the type of prompting/discussion questions that can be asked in class.

Suppose the class begins with me giving a brief summary of some of John Austin’s text: The Province of Jurisprudence Determined (18-27, 157-159).
After a brief discussion, I may ask students the following ‘Discussion Questions’ which can range from the very basic to the actual serious, substantive stuff (which need not even be asked at all):

EASY discussion questions
  • Do any of you find any issues with what Austin has said?
  • What does he suggest legal training should include? [fact-based question; very simple]
  • Follow-up discussion questions: Do you agree with that? Why/Why not?
SUBSTANTIVE discussion questions:
  • “We know Austin is remembered as an early scholar of jurisprudence who advocated for the pure study of a scientific concept of positive law” [What the hell this actually means is explained in simple terms to students; it could comprise further stand-alone questions].
  • Should we conceptualize justice and law this way? Is this a sound philosophy? Why not?
  • “Austin’s claims are based on the authority of what? Why is he correct/incorrect?’
  • “Based on what has been explained, does Austin deny the existence of a Divine or Natural Law?”
From this class [about ‘justice’ broadly; the topic can be switched for literally anything else from my list of 102 subjects] … you can see such classes can:
  • Introduce students to a philosopher, their contributions, and a text (in this example it was a jurisprudential text).
  • Present fact-based and discussion-inducing questions.
  • Be built to facilitate interaction and discussion to get students talking about the text and their own opinions about it (and the topic in general). Discussions can be basic or complex, but well-put contributions in class can result in praise.
  • Be built to be replicated and/or adapted across a range of philosophical topics/texts, sensitive to the capacities and interests of students. This is just an elaborate example based on a topic I happen to know about the most.
Work out a field trip (meaning a class outside school grounds) you will host if accepted:

A trip to TOWN HALL (or really any place designed for public speaking) to visit a [member of the legal profession or Karakura government] to learn about their respective roles and functions or ask questions. The interviewed persons will be contacted ahead of time to seek permission for an interview. It need not take place in the physical premises of Town Hall, but a relatively quiet place is preferred.

Students will have had the (non-mandatory) opportunity to attend a prior philosophy class about…
Well, the topic could potentially be on many relevant things, really!

Classes can be prepared and students can select from the list of applicable topics. I am sure the intelligent reader can see how, from this list of topics, college students may well prepare a series of questions to pose to the kind folks at Karakura Town Hall about their respective functions. The potential topics for philosophical inquiry could include…
  • Justice; Punishment; Citizen; Aristocracy; Constitution; Customs and Convention; Democracy; Duty; Experience; Oligarchy; Opposition; Progress; Prudence; Rhetoric; State; Truth; Tyranny and Despotism; Virtue and Vice; Wisdom.
NB: This list is large and could be narrowed down. Preparing a class about every single one sounds like an enormous task for one professor. Perhaps the most popular topics from the list, then.
My role as a Philosophy Professor is to prepare students for the field trip by drawing upon the philosophical literature and developing lessons (I may also draw upon roleplay documents if applicable: e.g. the Karakura Constitution or perhaps particular laws). The goal is to engage students on what the literature has to say about the broader topic under discussion that they have chosen and thus are interested in (e.g. ‘Tyranny and Despotism’).

They could then develop questions informed by class discussions/the literature. How best can we mitigate against tyranny and despotism?
LORE documents or SRP Lore may be introduced if appropriate/permissible (e.g. discussion of The Otori Corruption). Is the government's position that tyranny/despotism is a remote possibility? What HAS the government done to mitigate against this historically? Are decisions made to quell tyranny subject to judicial review? You get the idea. Students may well have answers to these questions informed by class discussions but, for the purposes of the field trip, students get to compare and contrast their answers with that given by folks at Town Hall. They can write down their reflections on such responses which can be graded. Or, even broader; just write down the general VIBE they got from the responses to all questions asked by the college cohort on the field trip. Whatever time and faction/server rules reasonably permit.


SCENARIO SECTION

Your character would encounter a group of college jocks surrounding a bobcat jock, what would your character do?


Elodie would call upon the college jocks to compose themselves and not to let their passions overwhelm and dislodge their anchors of reason (in these exact words). She would first attempt to sensitively call the jocks to order and detract from the situation by explaining how surrounding this Bobcat jock in these circumstances may well be tortious, in fact, it may constitute false imprisonment and such violations of civil society reflect poorly on this group of college jocks and they ought to treat their fellow human beings with kindness and not become ‘slaves to their passions’.
Depending on how the jocks respond, this could go MANY ways
  • The Jocks respond violently (towards the bobcat jock): Elodie would follow the appropriate procedures with respect to violent students as explained during her training.
  • The Jocks plainly bully (the bobcat jock) because of his appearance: Elodie would (aside from disciplining students as appropriate in accordance with Karakura’s procedures as applicable) may go on a whole lecture about Masculinities theories and feminist legal theory to stress the conduct she is witnessing is plainly indicative of patriarchal roles being reproduced by forlorn souls who would, had they any respect for the dignity of themselves and their fellow human beings, stop.
  • Elodie may start using Stoic Philosophy to build rapport and appeal to the group of college jocks to stress that no matter what negative feelings they may be feeling about the (surrounded) bobcat jock; it is up to them whether or not they act on them, and it would reveal a lack of self-control and good character on their part should they occasion any harm to someone who presents no risk of harm to them.

Your character would be supervising detention, and one of the students constantly disturbs by asking stupid questions, What would your character do?

Elodie would politely caution the student to ‘save questions till the end of detention’ and even provide the student the option ‘to stay behind after detention’ so she might answer all their questions. She has absolutely zero intention of actually following up on the student's stupid questions after detention. A serious attempt will be made to empathize with the student and reassure them that 'there is no such thing as a stupid question' BUT 'there is a time and a place for everything, and those questions must be dropped or saved until the end of detention'. If the student refuses to drop the topic, Elodie would remorsefully, but firmly explain that should they continue, she will be left with no choice but to 'escalate the situation to the proper authorities'.

Elodie would be polite, but clear in her advice. While making clear what is likely to happen, she would make a genuine attempt to advise the student to do the right thing.

Your character would be hosting a class, and a group of cheerleaders keeps on playing songs on the phone and call out other students in the class, what would your character do?

This question implies the group is able to be identified. In these circumstances, the cheerleaders will be politely asked to turn off their phones and cease calling upon other students immediately.

Elodie would further call upon all students with phones to disable them during the class (turn them off) and ‘if any phone is spotted after [TIME HERE] I may well mistake you for playing music and remove you from the class; I would not want that, so please help me out here’. In other words, having your phone out (at all) after the period would mark the offending student with suspicion. Elodie is actively calling upon the class to make it easier to identify further disruptions. A very utilitarian solution.

Your character would be walking on the school perimeter and encounter a fight between a couple of students, Your character tried to break it up but it didn't help, What would your character do?

Elodie would call for (appropriate) assistance and warn passersby of the potential danger. Outside of this, she would attempt to use words to get all aggression by the students to cease until assistance arrives. She may attempt highly emotive pleas and appeal to their sense of honor and justice. Once assistance does arrive, Elodie would be extremely administrative in her approach and follow the appropriate reporting and disciplinary procedures in these circumstances. In accordance with the principles of administrative law, she would make an effort to ensure these procedures allow both sides the opportunity to be heard (Audi alteram partem). Her demeanor towards the students is non-judgmental, but she expresses strong disappointment in any senseless violence.


CHARACTER KNOWLEDGE

Tell us everything you know about the character you will be playing in a few paragraphs. What do they look like? What makes them unique and different? What is their outlook on Students? What about the other teachers? What is their personality like? What is their plan for the future?




Elodie stands 5’5 and wears a white blouse, complimented by a grey skirt and gray shoes. All jewelry she wears is gold to compliment her blonde hair which has been put up in an extremely elaborate bun. Her unnerving green eyes seem to narrow in on unsuspecting passersby.

Elodie is an extremely sensitive individual, quick to ensure disagreements between her pupils are mediated in an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect; particularly in a philosophy class where views can often diverge quite dramatically. She sees philosophy as a stand-out subject in most institutions of higher education, for philosophy is a brilliant beast whose tentacles have the potential to reach out and touch upon all other topics taught in any Academy. Classes on law, fashion, psychology, and criminology all find some basis in the philosophical treatises on justice, the mind and soul, punishment, and aesthetics. Try as other disciplines might, they can not shout: “Out! Out! Sickly tentacle!”. This is a fact Elodie often relishes in with friendly banter amongst her colleagues. Though sensitive, she is by no means shy and often engages in robust friendly debates with students and faculty alike.
Elodie hopes to use the meager confines of her position to instill criticality in students; but, outside of the Academy, is a committed educator who does her best to remain abreast of the great debates in education; which have always been philosophical. She often contributes to academic journals on education in this regard, with her latest publication that may be cited as:
Elodie Tullybelton, 'Readings in One Hand and Newspaper in the Other: Philosophy in the Public Square' (2023) 7(3) International Philosophical Journal of Education 133.​
She does not want to see her pupils graduate and become ‘overly-disciplined subjects; quick to see in one another an obstacle to the furthering of their rights’. Rather, she wants them to have actually engaged with the material and be able to provide responses to the big questions in philosophy.

Elodie’s views on the role of education are incredibly different from her colleagues; believing students should be co-creators in the education process. Though quick to debate on substantive topics and materials, she is a natural-born cynic and notorious for not disclosing all of her personal views; sometimes coming off as overly subdued.

Describe how your character ended up becoming a teacher and their previous life. It is optional to include earlier life but recommended.

Elodie grew up in Australia in a private estate raised mostly by servants; having an extremely distant relationship with her parents. Consequently, her childhood was far from idyllic; with her only friends being from the local parish. Tutors from elite Jesuit institutions were summoned by Elodie’s parents to give her a standard upper-class education, including in philosophy. As Elodie developed, she became a natural philosophe, often going beyond the prescribed readings to discover more critical thinkers and intellectual traditions; Postmodern Philosophers among them.

During her teenage years, she began aspiring to become a teacher after being inspired during a pilgrimage with friends from her local parish to Italy. She originally intended to go purely to enjoy the food and see a sacred relic but instead found herself providing substantial financial support to support the efforts of underpaid teachers on strike. She was inspired by students from nearby universities standing together in solidarity with their educators who, as she eloquently put it: "must be doing a terribly good job building character to get them to come out in such massive numbers, and show such great support for them".

Entering university, she hoped to instill similar good character and virtue, finding herself rising quickly through the academic ladder in Australia. However, there were challenges with colleagues at the Australian Catholic University who took issue with her critique of ‘Enlightenment Thinkers' whom she deemed to be working on 'certain shaky premises’. Such remarks were, apparently, not welcome whatsoever: she was told to stick to the curriculum or face termination of her contract. Elodie would later resign from her post in 2019.

Her move to Karakura was prompted by a false promise of a scholarship, in effect, a scam. Though intensely well-educated and an educator at heart, she is loathe to admit her sheltered childhood has left her overly trusting in the goodness of others. Today, Elodie lives with extended family in Karakura: always greatly enamored by the opportunity to learn about philosophy outside of the ‘Western World’ and make frequent trips to the Shinsei Seinaru Monastery to engage in robust conversations with shrine inhabitants.


IN-CHARACTER SECTION

1 - PERSONAL DATA

Full Name:
Elodie Tullybelton

Title (Mr, Mrs, Miss): Miss

Given Name(s): Elodie

Preferred Name: Elodie

Age: 38

Gender & pronouns: Female, she/her

Religious Denomination: Undisclosed

Marital Status: Not married

Nationality: Australian

Current Location: Karakura, Japan

SECTION 2: Academic Details

Teaching Experience (# of years):
4 YEARS

Post ( Name and type of school): Australian Catholic University
Date from: 3 / Mar / 2016 Date to: 3 / Mar / 2019
Ages Taught: Typically 18-30
Fulltime or Partime : X - Fulltime
Subjects Taught & Responsibilities:
Subjects taught included ‘Plato and Aristotle’, ‘Postmodernism and Philosophy’, ‘Key Concepts in Political Thought‘ and, my pet subject, ‘Jurisprudence/Philosophy of Law’. I taught up to 80 philosophy students albeit in classes scheduled at different times throughout the weeks of any given semester. Classes themselves typically comprised around 30 students. I am capable of teaching a great many subjects but my schedule would not permit this.

Working Experience (# of years): 4 YEARS (see above)

Academic Degree:
I have (3) degrees
  • Philosophy (Bachelor)
  • Arts (Bachelor)
  • Teaching (Master)

Year of Graduation:

Place of study (School, University, College, etc)Date FromDate ToFulltime / PartimeQualification with Grade, Class / DivisionSubject Specialism(s)Age Range
Homeschool19902003FulltimeAustralian HSCN/A5-18
Australian Catholic University20042007FulltimeBachelor of PhilosophyN/A19-22
Australian Catholic University20112015FulltimeBachelor of Arts/Master of TeachingN/A26-31


Major(s): General Philosophy ; Political and Moral Philosophy

Minors: History of Philosophy

Native Languages: English

Other Languages: Japanese

Preferred Teaching Subject: Philosophy

Extra
I want it noted I would be able to utilize a set of texts at my disposal for teaching purposes; namely, from the ‘Great Books of the Western World’ series, second edition. I may use this resource to teach the class, particularly the first two texts in the series which comprise ‘The Synopticon: AN INDEX TO THE GREAT IDEAS’. That text (made up of two books) effectively lists ‘themes’ explored in philosophy: 102 of them to be exact! Ranging from things at the very beginning like ‘Angel, Anima, Aristocracy, Art, Beauty, Being’ all the way to other topics like ‘Revolution, Reasoning, State, Time, Truth, Tyranny and Despotism, Virtue’ …

The Synopticon does not merely list these random words, but you can flip to whatever page explores the idea briefly and receive an absolute deluge of references to what authors contained in the ‘Great Books’ series (Aristotle, Plato, etc.) and beyond … have had to say about such topics. So, for example, presume students REALLY wanted to know about Philosophy pertaining to the ‘State’, so countries, political states. In that case, the Synopticon would provide me with a few pages of overview. Then the question inevitably becomes: What about this topic do you want to know? The nature of human society? The general theory of the state? If the latter is decided, the Synopticon would invite me to see what, for example, Plato (among others) has to say about it. It would tell me to pick out Book 6 of the series (‘Plato’) and turn to pages 301-319 (among others). So let’s do that. What do I find? I find Plato’s Republic where you find a dialogue being had. That text being just ONE mentioned, many philosophers and texts are mentioned. There is room for planning ahead of time to make sure everything taught is in complete accordance with SRP's rules.

In summary, I mention this to stress philosophy as a subject that a wide range of people can find enjoyable and NOT to suggest I'd be fanatically glued to these books. They'd exist purely as a reference of the many topics that could be taught: those 102 ‘themes’ laid out in the Synopticon, some will prove to be at least mildly interesting to the bulk of students in any hypothetical class.

Additional notes about your application (if any):
NO issues with regard to the formatting of this application have been raised since the most recent changes in the formatting requirements.
 
Last edited:

MuffinCat

Level 78
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Denied
Thank you for taking the time to apply, unfortunately I have decided to deny this application. Other application stood out more. If you'd like further details feel free to DM me on discord (@muffincats).​
 

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