Philosophy essay
pcagol
IntroPhil--EssayGuidelines.docxIntroduction to Philosophy: Essay Guidelines The paper should be 4-5 pages, typed, 12-point font, and double-spaced (and preferably stapled). You are required to write an analytical essay that is much more thorough than the in-class essay, incorporating 3 outside sources into the paper. TOPICS :
Option 1
Option 2
Explain the basic idea of compatibilism and why it denies the second premise of the determinist argument. Explain the two steps compatibilists take to argue that the idea of free will and determinism are compatible. Also, explain why the compatibilist claims that the ‘deeper’ sense of freedom of will is incoherent. Provide the serious objection with compatibilism, also called “The Origination Argument.” (You may also provide another objection to compatibilism) Is this a good objection(s) to compatibilism? If not, why not?
ORGANIZATION:
Whichever option you pick for your essay, it needs to be structured in this way. 1st paragraph: (a) Explain the basic idea or summarize the issue. (B) Have a thesis statement : POSSIBLE EXAMPLE--"I will examine the argument from design and Paley's same-evidence argument, and then provide objections from David Hume. I will show that Hume's objections are decisive and the argument from design is flawed." 2nd paragraph: Explain the first argument for X. 3rd paragraph: Explain the second argument for X 4th and 5th paragraph: Explain objections to the arguments for X. Conclusion: Have a say on the issue. Do you agree with the argument or objections? Why or why not? Also, here's a great link that provides you with some extra guidance: http://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/ guidelines /writing.html This link is extremely helpful. The point made here is excellent: "A good philosophy paper is modest and makes a small point; but it makes that point clearly and straightforwardly, and it offers good reasons in support of it. People very often attempt to accomplish too much in a philosophy paper. The usual result of this is a paper that's hard to read, and which is full of inadequately defended and poorly explained claims. So don't be over-ambitious. Don't try to establish any earth-shattering conclusions in your 5-6 page paper. Done properly, philosophy moves at a slow pace." OUTSIDE SOURCES AND LINKS: I hope it's fairly obvious that you shouldn't use Wikipedia for outside research. Also, blog posts from the internet aren't too reliable either (even if the person has a PhD in philosophy). Outside sources that are approved are peer-reviewed, academic journals or encyclopedias. Here are my recommendations. 1. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy This is a great resource and the topics are varied. Each topic is structured very well, with arguments and objections presented in a clear and concise way. Here's the link: http://www.iep.utm.edu/ (Some specific links) http://www.iep.utm.edu/identity/ http://www.iep.utm.edu/freewill/
2. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy This is also a great resource, but keep in mind that the entries are dense and philosophically rigorous. http://plato.stanford.edu/contents.html 3. JSTOR This is a fantastic database. Here, you can find just about any academic philosophy journal out there. http://www.jstor.org/ (I'm pretty sure you have to sign in using your ACC account if you're trying to access this from home).
FORMAT: I would prefer the paper to be in MLA format, but I mainly would like you to be consistent throughout the paper regarding in-text citations, etc. Here's the best website for MLA format: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ In-Text Citations: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/02/ (Please keep in mind that when you paraphrase, you still need to cite your source) Sample Works Cited Page: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/12/ Sample Paper with MLA formatting: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/documents/20180702110400_747-2.pdf
