“Philosophical Projects: Bringing Everyday Life into Intro to Philosophy,” Mateo Duque

I have been teaching Introduction to Philosophy at least once a year since 2012, beginning in my second year of graduate school at the CUNY Graduate Center. Teaching in New York City shaped me in countless ways, and each new iteration of “Intro” has pushed me to refine the course—even if only incrementally. The class I teach now at Binghamton University looks very different from the one I first taught as a graduate student using a borrowed syllabus. I’ve moved from teaching sections of sometimes up to thirty-five students as the sole instructor to running large lecture courses of up to one hundred fifty students and coordinating graduate teaching assistants.

In that time, one assignment type has remained surprisingly resilient and pedagogically fruitful. I call them “Philosophical Projects.” They are multistep, reflective assignments designed to connect philosophical texts with students’ everyday experiences and to show them how philosophical thinking can illuminate—and even improve—their lives. Below I describe two such projects that have been consistently successful in my intro courses.

Philosophical Projects

Philosophical Projects share a common structure: (1) a week-long self-observation, (2) a small-group meeting outside class, (3) a class-wide discussion, and (4) a final personal reflection essay. Each step invites students to practice philosophical reflection by drawing on their own lives, listening to their peers, and engaging primary texts concretely.

Two projects in particular—the Media Diet Philosophy Project and the Friendship Philosophy Project—stand out as especially meaningful for students.

The Media Diet Philosophy Project  

According to a 2009 study by the Council for Research Excellence, the average American adult spends eight and a half hours per day in front of a screen. When I first encountered that statistic, I immediately wondered, “What are we doing with that time?” The Media Diet Philosophy Project is my attempt to help students explore that question philosophically.

Part 1: A Media Journal

Students track their digital media “consumption” for seven consecutive days in a double-entry journal. On the left side, they record the activity and duration; on the right side, they write a brief reflection. I keep a journal alongside them.

The mantra for this first phase is “no judgment.” The goal is not to restrict usage but to understand it. Students are encouraged to write richly so that they have material for their final essay.

Part 2: Small-Group Meetings

Students are randomly assigned into small groups and meet outside of class for about forty minutes. Each student gives a three-to-five minute presentation on their media journal, after which the group discusses whatever themes emerged. I provide optional prompts—e.g., the power of media companies, doomscrolling, the difference between entertainment and distraction, etc.

Part 3: Class Discussion and Survey

One representative from each group shares highlights from their conversation, and we broaden the discussion to issues of digital life as a whole. We connect the project to course readings—for example, Seneca on the shortness of life, Audre Lorde’s distinction between the erotic and the pornographic, J. S. Mill’s “tyranny of the majority,” and Epictetus’s views on freedom.

I also offer a completely voluntary and anonymous electronic survey so students can see aggregate class patterns in media habits. Once responses are in, I share the results with them.

Part 4: Final Personal Essay

Students write a personal essay on what they learned (or, if they insist, what they didn’t learn—provided they argue for it).

Students routinely describe this project as the most memorable and practical part of the course. It is not “AI-proof,” but because it requires intimate engagement with personal habits and firsthand experiences, it is highly AI-resistant.

The Friendship Philosophy Project

Another topic that frequently arises in my conversations with undergraduates is friendship: how to make friends, how to maintain them, how to be a better friend, and how to navigate or end difficult friendships. Ancient philosophers wrote extensively on friendship, so after we read Books 8 and 9 of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics on friendship, students complete The Philosophical Project on Friendship.

The structure mirrors that of the Media Diet project.

Part 1: Friendship Journals and Readings

Students keep a week-long double-entry journal of their “friendship interactions,” defining friendship however they see fit, as long as they can defend their definition.

Guiding questions include:

• Who initiated the interaction?
  
• Is the relationship reciprocal?
  
• How would Aristotle classify this friendship?

During this week, I encourage (but do not require) students to attempt to make a new friend.

Students also choose a thinker who has written about friendship—e.g., C. S. Lewis, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Cicero, Kate Leaver (The Friendship Cure), or Sophie Grace Chappell (A Philosopher Looks at Friendship). They write a 350- to 500-word blog-style post connecting that author’s ideas to their own experiences.

Part 2: Small-Group Conversations

In small groups, each student must present their journal reflections and their chosen author. Group conversations often gravitate toward topics like online friendships, friendship “breakups,” parasocial relationships, toxic friendships, and friends with benefits.

Part 3: Class Discussion and Survey

Representatives from each group present to the class, followed by a broader conversation about patterns, differences, and philosophical themes. I again offer an anonymous survey so students can see aggregate trends.

Part 4: Final Reflection Essay

Students submit a final reflection essay synthesizing their own experiences with Aristotle and their chosen author.

Students consistently identify this project as among the most valuable parts of the course, with some even forming lasting friendships through it. Past students have cited this as one of the most impactful assignments. It allows students to think about themselves in relation to others and to those with whom they voluntarily elect to spend time.

Concluding Reflections

My hope is that these projects illustrate one way of integrating philosophy with students’ lived experience in a sustained, reflective way. Both projects invite students to observe themselves carefully, engage others collaboratively, connect their experience with philosophical texts, and articulate what they have learned.

I share them in the hope that others might adapt them, transform them, or create their own Philosophical Projects on entirely different topics. My experience suggests that when students see philosophy illuminating their ordinary lives, they come to appreciate both the discipline and themselves in new ways.