Three essay questions.One per Chapter 1-3. Start each question on new page. Each question should be two pages per question. Cite the textbook chapters as needed to show that u read and applied the chapters. Cite only from the main text of each chapter not from glossaries or chapter summaries. When u cite main
chapters cite Vaughnn as the author likes this in MLA in sentence method (Vaugh 137). When u cite stories, cite their Authors (Clarke 137). No outside research! Double spaced in Times new roman #12 font. Textbook
Philosopy here and Now fourth edition when an idea is not yours cite the source.(1) There are three exam questions, one per chapters 1-3. All must be answered. Start each question on a new page. Submit one document to me, not three separate documents.
(2) Answer the questions in excellent double-spaced writing (using my one-page format, you get about 350 words on a page). Write as much as you need to answer each question but no more than 2 pages (~700 words) per question! This would mean 6 pages .
(3) Cite the textbook chapters as needed to show that you read and applied the chapters as you answered these questions. Do not quote/paraphrase from the glossaries or chapter summaries – cite from the main text of each chapter. No cites = no grade; the exam will be returned for a rewrite and graded as late. When you cite the main chapters, then cite Vaughn as the author likes this in MLA in-sentence method: (Vaugh 137). When you cite the stories, cite their authors: (Clarke 137).
(4) I do not want you to do any outside research,
GENERAL ADVICE AND HELPFUL CHECKLIST:
Plan your Answers — Plan your answers in brainstorming style (handwritten or typed), then type a rough draft; set aside Read it aloud. Edit the rough draft significantly in pen. Then revise. This is the best route
Format and Process Checklist (check-off that you have done each phase):
____Your name, class CRN number, and question title (Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc.) goes on the first line of the first page of each answer, then hit return and start answer on the next line. Each question starts on a new page. However, do NOT send me three documents; all three questions are in one document (MS Word or RTF documents are preferred).
____ Think of each essay as a response rather than an essay: i.e., do not waste time writing formal introductions and conclusions – your first sentence is your thesis. Write as many paragraphs you need to answer each part of the question. Cite the main textbook pages (NOT the chapter introduction section, the end-of-chapter summaries, or glossaries) to back up your arguments.
____The finished exam is typed double-spaced in Times new Roman #12 font, with one-inch margins all around, and no extra spacing between paragraphs. The writing should be impeccably proof-read and revised.
____Number your pages consecutively via auto-numbering in MS Word with your last name first placed in the header of the page, like this: (Smith – 2). Start each new question on a new page. However, do NOT send me three documents; all three questions are in one document (MS Word or RTF documents are preferred).
____Start paragraphs on strong topic sentences; the rest of your writing then uses evidence, logic, examples, citations/quotations/paraphrases, and explanations to support the topic sentences.
Good Advice about Writing Style:
1. MOST IMPORTANT: Avoid wasting time with long summaries; use brief examples, and focus your writing on analyzing breaking a problem/topic down into its parts for a clearer view into its possibilities) and interpreting what your brief examples mean.
2. IMPORTANT: Write with focused thesis statements (first or second line of a response) and topic sentences (first sentence of a paragraph).
3. Write a paragraph with unity (do not wander from an idea; develop one idea in great detail before moving on to a new idea/new paragraph). The paragraph unity proves the topic sentence to be true.
4. Write in a professional way, showing lively open interest and avoidance of a self-conscious style (too many “I believe” and “In my opinion” phrases) or a complaining, unconfident tone of voice (“I did not understand this topic, and it was very hard to think about it.”). Define your terms.
5. Philosophy essays require utterly clear, direct, and well-organized writing, more than in any other field, because the ideas in philosophy can be the deepest and most complex of any field.
(a) Be sure to read aloud to detect awkward writing! When you “hear yourself” stumbling, something may be wrong. Rewrite that area until it sounds informative and clear.
(b) If something sounds too obvious, then it probably is: delete it.
(c) If you can use 15 words to state an idea rather than 17 words, usually 15 words is best. This does not mean you should write in short, boring sentences; it does mean, make every word count; pretend that you have to pay a dollar per word, but if you do not answer a question in adequate detail and clarity, that would make me sad.
6. When an idea is not yours, cite the source – even if you heard it from a friend or teacher, it can be cited as “personal communication from [fill in the blank] dated [fill in the blank].” Using Internet and not citing your information constitutes plagiarism
——————————THE 3 EXAM QUESTIONS —————————————
Chapter 1: (up to 2 pages): You will apply the “Categories of Philosophy” list I presented the in Chapter 1 lecture to the 4 real-world cases below. For each case, explain (a) what category(s) the case would fit in to and (b) why you think so.
Seven Subcategories of Philosophy:
ETHICS, the study of concepts and principles underlying our evaluations of human behavior, for example how should we behave?
[Does your life involve some strong ethical system? What is it? How would you describe it to a stranger? How do you enact that system through real acts, such as involvement in social groups?]
METAPHYSICS, the study of questions about reality that science cannot resolve. Example: does God exist? Do people have freedom of choice?
[Choose a problem in metaphysics on which you have done some thinking, such as your belief (or not) in free will or the fundamental purpose of the universe.]
KNOWLEDGE, OR EPISTEMOLOGY, the study of the nature, origin, and extent of knowledge. Example: what are our sources of knowledge? What makes some beliefs true and others false? Are there questions that science cannot answer?
[What are your ideas about truth? What is your position toward the need to trust information flowing from family, friends, authority figures, religious authorities, sports/entertainment icons, and politicians?]
AESTHETICS, the study of the principles underlying our evaluations of art forms. Example: how does one recognize a great work of art?
[What is your ‘theory of art’? What creations do you admit into your ‘art club’ and what do you keep out? What is ‘great art’? ]
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY, the study of the principles of the state involving especially Justice, authority, liberty, and order. Example: where do we draw the lines between the rights of the individual and the rights of society?
[What ideas form your political philosophy? Why have you chosen conventional political beliefs, or why have you chosen unusual political beliefs? How have your beliefs been enacted?]
PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION, the study of religious belief, faith and reason. Example: What is religion? Can God be known by direct experience? Can the existence of evil be reconciled with a perfect God?
[What is your position toward conventional religions, or what is your position toward the rise of new religions (New Age, spiritualism, Wicca, etc.)?]
PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE, a study of the methods, assumptions, and limits of science. Example: what is the difference between a law and a theory in science? How does science differ from pseudoscience?
[Do you consider yourself ‘scientific’? What are areas in your life that do not follow the basic findings of science? Why? Why do some societies or social groups reject science? Why do some societies or social groups reject some areas of science but not others? ]
Now apply the categories above to these Four Test Cases: Which of the 7 categories apply to the cases? (More than one is possible). Convince me why. One case might fit into more than one category. Write up to 2 pages.
1 — A behavioral psychologist is having success in predicting human behavior – but something bothers her about this success. What might it be?
2 — Supreme Court justices attempt to distinguish between obscene and non-obscene art forms – what philosophical issue is important here?
3 — An anthropologist knows that societies have different moral codes; for example, in some societies, eating a piece of your friend at a funeral is a moral act — when he teaches his students, what challenges will she face?
4 — Linguists examining the various ways language shapes our view of the world declare that there is no one true reality because all views of reality are conditioned and qualified by the language in which they are expressed. Can you think of any examples?
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Chapter 2 question (up to 2 pages): Re-read Arthur C. Clarke’s story, “The Star,” in which the Jesuit priest is confronted by a terrible irony. Examine the events of this story by applying the theories of Design (in section 2.2), Theodicy (section 2.3) and Faith (in section 2.5). Cite the Chapter 2 sections as you apply their theories to the story, like this: (Vaughn 37). Cite examples from the story like this: (Clarke 37) etc. A few terms explained for this story:
1. A supernova is a natural event in which a star uses up its hydrogen fuel, collapses, and explodes. The release of energy is titanic and vaporizes all but the farthest planets in that solar system, and would sterilize with radiation any life in other star systems within a radius of about 50 light-years.
2. The mission: the crew of the story travel aboard a faster-than-light space-vehicle, so they are exploring other solar systems far from our solar system.
3. The Jesuits: “Jesuit, member of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic order of religious men founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola, noted for its educational, missionary, and charitable works. The order has been regarded by many as the principal agent of the Counter-Reformation and was later a leading force in modernizing the church. …Almost from the beginning, education and scholarship became the society’s principal work. The early Jesuits, however, also produced preachers and catechists who devoted themselves to the care of the young, the sick, prisoners, prostitutes, and soldiers, [and in the 1700s earned the hostility of Spain and Portugal by defending the Native Americans from the abuses of Spanish and Portuguese colonists]. …They were involved in a broad and complex list of activities, including the field of communications, social work, ecumenism, human rights, and even politics.” (Britannica.com)
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Chapter 3 question (up to 2 pages): Re-read LeGuin’s story, “The Ones who Walk Away from Omelas,” to answer the 2 questions below. Cite relevant pages from both Vaughn and LeGuin in your answer: (a) How does the story apply utilitarian theories? (b) What would Kant say about the story? Answer in two well-developed paragraphs.
The entire assignment is attached in the files below. please feel free to make any corrections but most important correct all citings
