This assignment exercises and assesses your ability to think critically about a philosophical issue or idea, and to clearly express your thoughts about it in writing. Your ultimate task is to present a compelling case for your own position on the issue. Prior to that, you want to thoroughly explain and examine the author’s position on the issue. The assignment allows some latitude in the way you respond to the passage that you write about, though it is imperative that you address the central issue or claim of the passage, and it is imperative that your essay be philosophical in nature. The author of an outstanding essay will do all of the following (but also not treat these as a laundry list):
clearly identify the passage you choose at the start of your essay.
identify the central issue that the passage concerns (an issue can almost always
be stated with the word ‘whether’ (e.g., “…whether ritual is critical to moral
development.”) or as a question (e.g. Is ritual critical to moral development?)
identify the author’s position on the issue (yes/no)
explain the meaning of the passage in the context of our larger study (pretend
that the reader is intelligent, but unfamiliar with this text), and explain the author’s
reasons for holding the position that he/she does.
discuss the specific meaning of any of the key terms or concepts, especially if the
way you define or apply the term is important to developing your later perspective
on the issue
question any assumptions that the passage seems to be making: are they
reasonable?
agree or disagree absolutely with the claim, or agree with some parts and not
others (point out, if relevant, why the claim is “valid” in some situations but not in
others)
develop your own position on the issue with reasons that support your overall
perspective
if applicable, give examples, either real or hypothetical, that illustrate your
reasons and advance your point of view
Consider the perspective of others who might not agree with your position or
reasoning. What reasons might someone use to refute or undermine my position? How should I acknowledge or defend against those views in my essay?
proofread the essay (or have someone else proofread it) to check for spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, and poorly constructed sentences and paragraphs
Your essay should be 1000 to 1500 words. (3 to 5 pages in standard formatting, but use the “word count” tool in your word processor to check.)
NOTE: Your essay should contain your own thoughts and reasoning, in your own words. The essay should not require any research, but of course, you are free to do some. If you do wish to incorporate another writer’s words or ideas, you must fully document what you incorporate with a footnote, endnote, or parenthetical reference. In this case, full bibliographical details should also appear at the end of the paper. Any college-level writing manual will provide guidelines and examples of these. If you have any questions about this, see me.
Choose one of the following passages to write about: (make certain that you discuss one of these passages, and not merely a passage or issue related to one of these)
(1) “Now the mass of mankind are evidently quite slavish in their tastes, preferring a life suitable to beasts, but they get some ground for their view from the fact that many of those in high places share the tastes of Sardanapallus.” (Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book 1, Section 5)
(2) “It is correct also in that we identify the end [eudaimonia] with certain actions and activities; for thus it falls among goods of the soul and not among external goods.” (Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book 1, Section 8)
(3) “Men are disturbed, not by things, but by the principles and notions which they form concerning things. Death, for instance, is not terrible, else it would have appeared so to Socrates. But the terror consists in our notion of death that it is terrible. When therefore we are hindered, or disturbed, or grieved, let us never attribute it to others, but to ourselves; that is, to our own principles.” (Epictetus, Encheiridion, Section 5)
(4) “Remember that you are an actor in a drama, of such a kind as the author pleases to make it. If short, of a short one; if long, of a long one. If it is his pleasure you should act a poor man, a cripple, a governor, or a private person, see that you act it naturally. For this is your business, to act well the character assigned you; to choose it is another’s.” (Epictetus, Encheiridion, Section 17)
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