1)      In class, we defined philosophy as ‘the discipline that addresses non-empirical questions and their answers.’  What does this mean?

2)      Briefly define the following fields of philosophy: metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and political philosophy. You may discuss any other areas of philosophy in addition to these if you like, but these are required for your paper.

3)      Identify a philosophical issue or debate that interests you.

4)      Explain one philosopher’s view (from the book) on the issue you identified in 3.

5)      Do you agree or disagree with the view you chose to discuss?  Explain why.  If you agree, consider a reason why someone might reject the view then offer a response to that reason (you may rely on the text in order to find critiques of the view you are discussing).  If you disagree, explain what is wrong with the view and offer a well-reasoned alternative or describe a relevant competing view from the book and why you find it more plausible.

Instructions:

–          You will be graded on the extent to which you successfully complete the assignment.  You must address all five points listed in the above outline. You will also be graded on the correctness of your definitions and explanations, as well as on the quality of reasoning you demonstrate. You should certainly avoid the errors in reasoning discussed in the text.

–          There is no need to use outside resources.  If you do use outside resources, you are required to include a bibliography page that lists the resources you used.  If you use a resource in any way and do not cite it, your grade will be ‘0’.  You should include no direct quotes from any source in the body of your paper.

–          Be sure to be charitable when explaining the view you choose to discuss.  This means that you should give it the best representation possible.  I should not know your view until I read your answer to (5).

–          If you would like to address any additional points, you should discuss it with me before beginning.

To Keep In Mind:

-You must submit your assignment to the Turn-It-In dropbox in ANGEL by the due date and bring a printed copy to class to be graded. If both of these things are not done, the paper will not be graded.

-Your paper should be typed, using space-and-a-half or double-spacing. 12-point Times New Roman font is preferred. Staple your pages.

-Practice good grammar; proofread and correct errors. Go to the writing lab if necessary.