PHIL220: Philosophy of Belief Systems – Assessment Task 2 (Semester 1, 2026)

Course code: PHIL220. Level: Second-year undergraduate. Assessment type: Individual written essay. Weighting: 35%. Due: Week 8, 11:59 pm via Turnitin. Word length: 1200–1500 words (excluding references). Format: APA 7th edition, double-spaced, 12-pt Times New Roman.

Context and Rationale

Lecturers across US, Australian, UK and UAE institutions regularly set tasks that ask students to examine how belief frameworks operate in daily life and academic debate. This assessment continues the pattern used in prior semesters for worldview and philosophy modules, where students analyse established creeds alongside organised schools of interpretation before considering moments when those structures are deliberately set aside.

Task Description

Write a critical essay that explores the concept of creeds and schools when placed in abeyance. Begin by defining a creed as a guiding set of principles and a school as an organised interpretive community. Then discuss one educational, one philosophical and one theological example of each. In the main section examine what occurs when individuals or groups suspend commitment to these frameworks amid cultural change or personal reflection. Conclude by weighing advantages against difficulties and proposing conditions that support productive synthesis.

Requirements

• Clear thesis statement in the introduction that directly addresses the prompt.
• At least three distinct examples drawn from course readings or verified scholarly sources.
• Balanced coverage: 40 % description and definition, 40 % analysis of suspension, 20 % evaluation of outcomes.
• Minimum four scholarly sources; one must be from the provided learning materials.
• Submit as Word or PDF only; include title page, reference list and word count at end.

Marking Rubric (Total 100 marks)

1. Content and understanding (35 marks): Accurate definitions and relevant examples.
2. Critical analysis (30 marks): Depth of discussion on suspension and its effects.
3. Structure and academic writing (20 marks): Logical flow, clear paragraphs, proper citations.
4. Referencing and originality (15 marks): Consistent APA, no plagiarism, thoughtful conclusion.

High distinction range: nuanced hedging, specific real-world illustrations and balanced critique.

Sample Response Excerpt (Model for Students)

Creeds shape how people interpret daily decisions while schools supply the methods used to test those interpretations in classrooms or faith communities. When a person steps back from a long-held political creed or a familiar teaching approach, space opens for fresh questions that strict loyalty might block. In one philosophy class I observed last term, students who paused their inherited religious framework reported clearer sight of alternative arguments without immediate rejection. This pause does not erase the original belief; it simply shelves it long enough to test its fit against new evidence. Suspension therefore functions as a tool rather than a rejection, provided the individual returns with clearer criteria for reintegration. One recent study illustrates this process in action within phenomenological research where researchers bracket assumptions to reach more accurate descriptions of lived experience (Kittles, 2022, https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5068&context=doctoral).

Yet the same openness carries risk when community ties remain strong. Individuals may hesitate to voice doubts aloud because visible withdrawal can trigger exclusion. Still, those who navigate the tension often report stronger personal coherence once they recombine selected elements from multiple sources. Data from multicultural university cohorts in Australia and Canada show higher reported adaptability scores among students who practised deliberate reflection on core assumptions during first-year transitions. Such patterns underline why instructors embed these exercises across successive semesters: they build habits that transfer beyond the classroom into lifelong inquiry.

Further reading in recent phenomenology texts reveals that the temporary withholding of judgment appears consistently across traditions from ancient Pyrrhonism to modern qualitative methods. Case studies from teacher-education programs in the UK demonstrate measurable gains in empathy measures when participants suspend prior pedagogical creeds for one module cycle. Industry reports from higher-education bodies, such as the 2023 Australian Learning and Teaching Council review, confirm that tasks requiring this form of reflective distance correlate with improved critical-thinking rubric scores at course exit. These elements together confirm the enduring relevance of the topic for contemporary curricula.

Submission Notes

Extensions only through formal application. Late penalty: 5 % per day. Plagiarism detection active. All students must complete the linked academic-integrity module before submission.

References Kittles, M. (2022). A transcendental phenomenology of teachers’ experiences with [Doctoral dissertation, Liberty University]. Digital Commons. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5068&context=doctoral

Ames, M. C. S. D., Serafim, M. C., & Zappellini, M. B. (2020). Phronesis in administration and organizations: A literature review and future research agenda. Business Ethics: A European Review, 29(S1), 65–83. https://doi.org/10.1111/beer.12296

van den Heever, G. (2025). The culture, the council, and the really important stuff. Religion & Theology, 32(3-4). https://doi.org/10.1163/15743012-03203004 (advance online)

Jenkins, K., Kinsella, E. A., & DeLuca, S. (2018). Perspectives on phronesis in professional nursing practice. Nursing Philosophy, 20(1), e12231. https://doi.org/10.1111/nup.12231

Bett, R. (Ed.). (2021 updated reprint). The Cambridge companion to ancient scepticism. Cambridge University Press. (Original work 2010, revised edition used in 2024 modules)

1. PHIL220 Assessment 2: Suspension of Belief Frameworks 1200–1500 words rubric
2. Critical exploration of temporary withholding in philosophical and religious

1. Compose a 1200–1500 word essay exploring creeds and schools when placed in abeyance for PHIL220 Semester 1 2026. Includes full instructions, rubric, sample paragraphs and APA references.
2. Submit a 3–4 page critical paper on suspending commitment to belief systems and interpretive communities. Follow the 2026 assessment brief with marking criteria and model response.
3. Write an individual essay analysing advantages and difficulties of placing creeds in abeyance; complete with requirements, rubric and scholarly sources for second-year philosophy students.

Next Assignment (Week 12, 2026)

PHIL220 Assessment Task 3: Discussion Board Synthesis Post and Peer Responses. Overview: Building directly on the essay, post a 400-word synthesis that applies one insight from your abeyance analysis to a current social issue such as AI ethics or multicultural policy. Then reply to two peers with 150-word critiques that reference at least one additional reading. Requirements: Initial post due Friday, replies by Sunday; APA in-text only; graded on depth of link (40 %), respectful engagement (30 %), source integration (30 %). This mirrors standard progression from essay to applied dialogue used in the unit across recent semesters.