PHIL11

Each Number roughly corresponds to a paragraph for you. Do not write your paper in number format, make it a regular paper! MLA FORMAT 4 PAGES DOUBLE SPACED!!!

1) Roadmap Paragraph a. The aim of this paper is to apply reason in determination of whether or not aliens landed in Roswell. First, I will clearly state the claim that aliens landed in Roswell NM on or about July 1947 and provide some historical background and context. Second, I will evaluate whether the claim is extraordinary. Third, I will evaluate the support for the claim. Fourth, I will provide alternative explanations for the evidence presented. Fifth, I will apply Occam’s Razor to the claim. Sixth, I will apply a Reductio style argument to the claim. Seventh, I will discuss whether the claim meets the burden of proof. Eighth, I will conclude my paper. 2) State the Claim a. Who, What, When, Where—be specific enough for the claim to be verified or falsified 3) Evaluate Support for claim a. What kind of evidence is available for what kind of claim? (Extraordinary?) b. Is there physical evidence or just an anecdote about physical evidence? 4) Alternative Explanations a. What else could it have been? What other things could explain the claim being made? (Weather Balloon, Memory Error, Telling and Retelling of Stories, Perceptual Error, etc.) 5) Occam’s Razor a. All other things being equal, what is the most simple explanation for the evidence you have? Is it more likely that a combination of perceptual and memory error simply explains this claim or is it more likely a cover up? Remember, big-cover ups which require lots of secrecy can become extraordinary claims themselves! 6) Reductio Ad Absurdum a. If what people say is true, what follows? If such a crash really happened and it really provided us with such technology, what must be true? ? If Aliens are controlling the earth, and the United States has advanced technology, why does it have a hard time getting other nations to do what it wants? Where is the stratospheric change in technological advancements? 7) Burden of Proof Met? a. Here you are going to rely on what you have established in #3 above. If the claim is extraordinary, do you have extraordinary evidenc 8) Conclusion a