I. Why Write an Essay?
In short, writing an essay is the ideal way to challenge you to think like a moral philosopher. This assignment will challenge you to develop and implement the following fundamental philosophical skills:
the ability to problem-solve and organize ideas by analyzing complex philosophical concepts, definitions, and arguments.
the ability to conduct creative and systematic critical examination of complex philosophical ideas and arguments.
the ability to articulate ones arguments and philosophical ideas with clarity, confidence, and efficacy.
the ability to be rationally persuasive.
to foster the philosophical and moral reasoning skills needed to facilitate the development of a coherent and systematic philosophic framework in which one can propose solutions for the variety of perennial and/or contemporary philosophical problems.
II. What are the Required Tasks?
You are required to perform FIVE primary tasks.
A. Choose ONE philosophical issue from the following list:
The Nature & Significance of Philosophic Inquiry
Personhood
Philosophy of Mind
Ethics
The Nature of Death
B. Demonstrate an understanding of the problems and complexities of the particular issue/inquiry you have chosen.
C. Identify and explain the structure and substance of the arguments presented in your primary article. In other words, you are to illustrate how the thinker(s) arrived at their conclusions. Ultimately, you are to do this by showing that you have mastered their ideas.
D. Identify and assess the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments and ideas asserted in your articles by referring to the moral philosophical theories discussed in the first part of the course.
E. When exploring and answering your chosen topic, it is NECESSARY to keep in mind of the following:
1 Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments and ideas asserted in the reading material.
2 Offer your insights on the issues by presenting clear and systematic arguments by referring to course material and your two permitted secondary sources.
3 Explain why you are, or are not, convinced by the thinker using your own supporting evidence/arguments or internal evidence from the article itself.
4 Explain why the thinkers or thinkers idea(s) might provoke controversy.
5 Explore the significance and implications of the thinkers or thinkers idea(s), and discuss what can be learned by these idea(s).
III. What Is the Expected Format?
The paper is expected to be presented in the following fashion:
5-7 pages in length
12-size ‘Times New Roman’ font
double-spaced
margins are to be no longer than 1 inches
Citation: Chicago Style (See Academic Guidance module for details)
IV. Who is Your Audience?
As you work on this assignment, it is very important for you to always keep in mind the person for whom you are writing this paper. (Needless to say, you are ultimately doing this for you! Expanding your intellectual horizons is the primary goal of pursuing an education.) When thinking about and writing your essay, you ought to imagine that you are completing this assignment for:
An intelligent person who is unfamiliar with the subject and history of philosophy and ethics.
Therefore, your final product is more than a simple synopsis of the philosophical problem and the arguments that constitute it. Rather, your essay ought to illustrate that you understand the material in such a way that you are capable of explaining it to, say, a friend, roommate, or family member.
The essay will be evidence that you have mastered the material, not merely memorized it!!
V. Clarity and Efficacy of Your Presentation
Now that you understand (i) the goals of the assignment, (ii) what are you required to do, and (iii) who your audience is, it is important that you realize that much of your success will depend upon your ability to write in a clear and sophisticated fashion.
Here are some things to consider when you are ready to put your ideas down on paper:
Concept clarification
when employing technical terms, it is crucial for you to explain them by employing appropriate examples and giving clear definitions
when introducing ordinary terms, make sure you are informing your reader how exactly you are using them. For it is not uncommon for philosophers to use everyday words with a certain amount of specificity.
for instance, take the following examples:
‘human being’, ‘person’, ‘mind,’ ‘ontological,’ ‘good/right,’ ‘happiness,’ ‘free will’
Clarity
It is common for students to assume that being philosophical is a matter of being verbally lofty, intentionally complex, and/or obscure.
While philosophical thinking and writing is inherently perplex and challenging, the effacious and successful philosopher will always aspire for clarity.
Write with sophistication & rigour
Whether you are writing a paper for philosophy class or history class, be sure you refrain from using colloquialisms and everyday
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