Write a paper of four to five pages on one of the following topics. Your pages should contain about 300 words each, and the font should be 12pt. Times New Roman. You If you wish to write your paper on a topic other than those listed, please come to my office hours to discuss your paper idea with me.
You may discuss these paper topics, or other issues in philosophy, with your fellow students; however, the paper you turn in must be substantially your own work. A paper that you wrote for another class is not acceptable. Feel free to schedule a meeting with me via Zoom or Teams to discuss your paper topic. For additional help with writing a philosophy paper, see Jim Pryor’s Guidelines: http://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/guidelines/writing.html.
Papers are due at 11:59 PM EST on February 23, 2022. Late papers will lose one letter grade per day, unless you have arranged for an extension in advance. After three days late, the paper will be marked as an automatic 0. If you need an extension, speak to your me.
You may use outside sources in this paper, though you must cite material from the class. Please cite in accordance with MLA, APA, or Chicago. Citations should be subordinate to your own discussion. Do not cite from Wikipedia, SparkNotes, or YouTube (other than lecture). Do not cite from religious sources or holy texts. This is a philosophy course, not a theology course or a religious studies course: our goal is to see how we can answer philosophical questions from reason alone. You may (and are encouraged) use “I” in the paper, e.g., “I argue,” “I think,” “I object,” etc.
Please indicate on your paper which question you are answering. You do not have to reproduce the text of the question in your paper. Number your pages! All summary must demonstrate that you understand the arguments—do not depend too much on the authors! Make sure that your paper has a clear thesis, and that you state that thesis at or close to the beginning of your paper. Also be sure to answer each question in the prompt. Do not copy and paste the arguments from the PowerPoint into your paper; show you understand them by explaining them in your own words.
Compare and contrast Socrates’ arguments in Euthyphro and Apology. What are Socrates’ goals in each of these dialouges. Is Socrates a trustworthy person? What are his real motivations?