Philosophy writing

Prompts

You are required to write a 1,200-word essay responding to the prompts below. Essays must be 1,200 words plus or minus 10% (1080-1320 words)

Contractarianism is sometimes criticized on the ground that it has unacceptable implications regarding our treatment of individuals who cannot benefit us. Is this a genuine implication of Hobbes’s theory?

(Tip: as you think about this prompt, consider different ways in which someone might not be able to benefit us, and different reasons someone might not be able to benefit us.)

• Essays must include an intro paragraph

• The intro must contain the thesis statement

• Essays are not required to include a conclusion paragraph

• Short essay; still, having one is fine

• Beyond this, essays should follow the outline sketched in the Dialectic portion of the essay rubric, under Structure