Category: Philosophy

Hide Assignment Information
Turnitin™
This assignment will be submitted to Turnitin™.
Instructions
Course Objectives
CO4: Evaluate and analyze various forms of argument for rhetorical devices, fallacies, and possible pseudo-reasoning. (Evaluate)
CO5: Create an argument free from logical errors. (Create)
Description:
The goal for the week seven presentation is to use a well-structured argument to persuade the audience of what you believe to be the truth using evidence from authoritative, unbiased sources as justification. You will use one of the three types of argument discussed in week six,  Classic, Toulmin, or Rogerian to present your case.
Note, you would do well to read the one lesson from week six on these types of arguments before completing this assignment AND you will be free to modify your actual introduction to better align with your chosen type.
Choose an issue you’d like to convince other people of and find resources that will be the foundation for the Week 7 PowerPoint. 
Here you will focus on ONLY the introductory paragraph and an annotated bibliography.
Part I: Introduce your topic.
Using information from the textbook in chapters 5 and 6, as well as the lessons from weeks 4 and 5, write a proper introductory paragraph. This paragraph will contain your thesis and a rudimentary outline of your argument. 
This is NOT a rough draft and writing more than the introductory paragraph will result in a loss of points for not following directions. One consideration here is to provide enough for the instructor to provide proper guidance on how to best complete the PowerPoint. 
Part II: “Annotated bibliography”
The goal here is to provide a proper reference in the chosen style for a minimum of three resources you plan to use in your argument. After providing that reference, provide a short description of the main points in the work AND how you intend to use that information in your final PowerPoint. See the attached example for guidance.
You would be well advised to consult the week 7 assignment descriptions for clarity on expectations. 
Due on Sep 10, 2023 11:55 PM

Paper Instructions: Pick one of the following topics and write your term paper on it. Indicate which topic you have selected in your paper’s title.
Papers should be a minimum of 3 typewritten pages in MLA format using Times New Roman 12 point font, double-spaced. When you quote from your book, please make sure to use correct MLA citation formatLinks to an external site.. Remember to create a Works Cited page and list all sources you quote in the paper. If you need help with MLA formatting and citation, please check out the MLA GuideLinks to an external site. at Purdue’s Online Writing Lab. Absolutley NO AI (NO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE). I WILL BE SCREENING FOR AI AND IF ANY OF IT IS WRITTEN ULITIZING AI YOU WILL EARN A 0 AND WILL FACE DISCEPLANRY ACTION. 
Topic/Prompt: Topic I:
Describe Marx and Engels’ views on the development of capitalism found in the Communist Manifesto and compare it to this definition standard of capitalism: “Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Characteristics central to capitalism include private property, capital accumulation, wage labor, voluntary exchange, a price system, and competitive markets.” How would Marx and Engels add to the definition? Formulate a new definition based on your understanding of their work.

Which of the three ethical theories (Utilitarianism, Deontology, and Virtue Ethics) do you think is most plausible? Why? Explain why the other theories fail. Raise an objection against your argument and defend yourself against that objection.
I chose deontology as my theory that is most plausible.

Description:
In this assignment you will craft learning objects that could be used by others to better understand a particular hard to grasp, or confusing topic you have encountered in the class. You will find something you find difficult in the course, and once you feel you have a handle on it, create something to help others better understand the topic in question. This assignment is geared towards helping others in general, and you need not treat it as something that must be addressed to college students or professors. Instead you can make your audience anyone that may also find the topic difficult to grasp, or hard to understand (for example – parents, grandparents, children). It is important to keep in mind that the content of your learning object must be sufficient to fully explain the issue in question.
Your project can be fully text based, but it would be better to develop it using visual or auditory elements (e.g., a video (such as a TikTok style video), or hand drawn images/schematics (such as a cartoon strip, or comic book), slides, flowcharts etc.) 
Make sure that your learning object details not only how to better understand the topic, but also what you originally found difficult/didn’t understand. This is important as it will allow others to follow your thinking as they make use of the learning object.
The size of the assignment should be dictated by the topic you are creating a learning object for. In other words, what you need to be sure of is that your learning object accomplishes the task of helping others to learn the topic in question. I would thus recommend showing it to others before submitting it. A good rule of thumb for the size of the project is that:
a written project should not be less than 1 full page
an illustrated (dynamic or otherwise) project should not be less than 1 full detailed page 
a video project should not be less than a 60 second video 
This learning object also need not be dedicated to an entire paper we have covered in this course (though it certainly can) it can instead be dedicated to a particular argument, concept, or difficult passage. 
In the coming weeks I will post examples of past student learning objects for you to look over.
Note: I view the above assignment to be one in which you, the student, should feel free to take the Mrs. Frizzle approach – “Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!” This includes both the construction of your LO, its design, and the topic of choice and argumentation. 
Some resources to help you with creating the Learning Object:
Your phone camera
iMovie
Canva
GIMP
YouTube
Grading:
The Philosophy Learning Objects (including the reflection piece) is worth 8% of your total grade. The grade will be a reflection of how well the learning object identifies a philosophical issue. 
Does the learning object adequately capture the philosophical issue in question? Does the learning object clearly identify what the philosophical issue is? Is it clear what the author found hard to understand, and is this difficulty addressed? Do we gain a better understanding of the topic from this learning object? These are the kinds of questions I will be asking when I grade the assignment. 
File Format: 
Please submit word documents in pdf format, and videos or posters in easily accessible formats. 

Pick one of the following topics and write your term paper on it. Indicate which topic you have selected in your paper’s title.
Papers should be a minimum of 3 typewritten pages in MLA format using Times New Roman 12 point font, double-spaced. When you quote from your book, please make sure to use correct MLA citation formatLinks to an external site.. Remember to create a Works Cited page and list all sources you quote in the paper. If you need help with MLA formatting and citation, please check out the MLA GuideLinks to an external site. at Purdue’s Online Writing Lab.
Prompt: Topic I:
Describe Marx and Engels’ views on the development of capitalism found in the Communist Manifesto and compare it to this definition standard of capitalism: “Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Characteristics central to capitalism include private property, capital accumulation, wage labor, voluntary exchange, a price system, and competitive markets.” How would Marx and Engels add to the definition? Formulate a new definition based on your understanding of their work.

Attend to all parts of the question and give a thorough account, explaining the respective positions. You will also want to argue for one approach over another, offering reasons that would appeal to the fair-minded or neutral reader, one interested solely in learning the truth.
Whenever Angry Alan obeyed his mother, she would reward him with his favorite candy, Snappies. Years later, the maker of Snappies discontinues the candy, citing economic concerns. Enraged, Angry Alan — now an adult — sneaks into the headquarters of the candy manufacturer one evening to start a fire in a trash bin.  While he only hopes to teach the company a lesson, the fire rages out of control and burns the headquarters to a cinder.
Meanwhile, across town, Kindly Ken is kidnapped by a mad scientist who implants an electrode into Ken’s brain. The electrode causes Ken to start a fire in a nearby church. The fire rages out of control and burns the church to a cinder.
Was Angry Alan free to do otherwise? Is Alan morally responsible for the damage?
Was Kindly Ken free to do otherwise? Is Ken morally responsible for the damage?
In your own words, explain hard determinism, libertarianism, and soft determinism, and show how each approach would answer all of these questions. Be sure you explain your reasoning in each instance. Along the way, discuss the difference between incompatibilism and compatibilism. You’ll want to have listened to my online lectures and read Holbach, Kane, and Ayer.
When all is said and done, which of these three approaches offers the strongest account? Why? Discuss at length.
(Note that this question is not about aligning one approach with Alan’s case and another with Ken’s, but about determining which one of the three approaches is true.)  
Good luck!
Grading Criteria for the essay are as follows:
A strong essay will lay out the respective positions in clear and detailed terms, emphasize the strengths and weaknesses of each, and offer convincing reasons to show why one approach is superior to the other. The accounts should display a ready and thorough knowledge of course material. (20-22 points).
An adequate essay will set forth the main outline of the respective positions, though some detail may be lacking and the accounts may not always be clear. The reasons given for supporting one approach over another, while relevant, may not prove compelling. (16-19 points)
An inadequate essay will confuse the positions involved or fail to articulate their key elements; the language may exhibit a poor grasp of the central points of contention. The account might well convey an insufficient understanding of course material or prove otherwise unclear, and the reasons offered in favor of one approach over another will mischaracterize essential philosophical paradigms. (15 points and below).

In Plato’s Phaedo, Socrates offers four arguments to demonstrate
the immortality of the soul. In lecture, three of these arguments were described
as:
1.     
The argument from
opposites (including the argument from existential balance)
2.     
The argument that all
knowledge is recollection
3.     
The argument from the
nature of the soul vs. the nature of the body
In Chapter 2 of his Office of Assertion, Scott Crider explores the
method of ‘inventing’ or ‘discovering’ arguments by detailing the rhetorical tools
of (1) the syllogism/enthymeme and (2) the topics of invention, including:
Definition, Comparison, Relationship, and Testimony (see Class 23 slides and
Chapter 2 of the Crider text).
Choose one of the above arguments Socrates develops for the immortality
of the soul:
1)     
Identify at least one
premise essential to the argument’s conclusion which you find questionable
(i.e. open to debate) and why you find it questionable.
2)     
Answer whether you think the
premise (and thus conclusion) of Socrates’ argument is made persuasive by
Socrates through his use of syllogisms, enthymemes, and/or at least one of the following
topics of invention outlined by Scott Crider: Definition, Comparison, and/or
Relationship.
3)     
Articulate your answers
to questions 1) and 2) as your thesis argument.
4)     
Demonstrate your thesis
argument through:
a.     
Development: Expand upon
the reasons for your thesis argument through defining the terms you and
Socrates are using and explaining how you and Socrates are interpreting them.
b.     
Explication/Testimony: Quote
a passage in Plato’s text that substantiates your claims and explain it
through:
i.     
Analysis: Make clear how
the passage supports your claim
ii.     
Synthesis: Through
referring to at least one other passage in Plato’s Phaedo,
explain how the meaning you have derived from the passage is related to and/or
reflected in Plato’s general discussion about the immortality of the soul.
Your
response should be in paragraph form and approx. 350-500 words in length. It
should begin with your Thesis argument (Part 3) followed by your Demonstration
of it (Part 4)  through Development
and Explication/Testimony

INSTRUCTIONS
Choose one (1) essay topic from options A and B, below.
Once you choose which question you’d like to write about, write your essay and save it as a Word document.
Use your course texts to help you respond to the topic, and when you quote and summarize from the course texts, include information about the page reference.
You are discouraged from using additional sources. If you do choose to use an outside source, be sure to cite your source, just as you do when you use the course texts. If you use a quotation or an example from a website, cite the website’s URL and the date accessed.
Upload the essay here, in the Turnitin dropbox. Review your similarity report. Make any necessary corrections.
Post the essay to the correct discussion board – M2: Essay Discussion (D-01).
Finally, read your classmates’ posts. A complete assignment includes your written response to at least one essay besides your own–part of your score is based on your reply to at least one of your classmate’s posts. It should be a meaningful reply that continues the discussion, points out something good about the post, and makes a constructive suggestion for improvement.
Topics for your Essay, Choose A or B
Essay Length tips–To answer these topics completely, it takes about 2 pages – 8-10 paragraphs. Use the topic questions and the scoring rubric to see if your draft responds fully to all parts of the question. A complete thoughtful answer is more important than word count.
Topic A: What is the fallacy of Straw Man? How is it different than simply disagreeing with someone else’s point of view?
Use the material in Vaughn’s book to help you give a detailed explanation of what the mistake in a Straw Man is. To demonstrate your understanding and to teach the idea to the rest of the class, provide a relevant real-life example of the logical mistake. (You MAY use an outside source to help you present your example; be sure to summarize or paraphrase, cite, and use announcing verbs.) Choose carefully – consider whether your example does a good job of illustrating a Straw Man. Compare it to similar fallacies, and show why your example is a Straw Man rather than another fallacy like an Appeal to the Person. The discussion of your example should be detailed so that readers can evaluate the fallacy. Argue the case for why your example is an example of Straw Man.
Topic B: Is it morally permissible to believe in God just because it is to your practical advantage to believe? Why or why not? Use the material in Vaughn’s book to help you explain how Pascal argues for belief in God. Explain the strengths and weaknesses of other thinkers have identified in his reasoning.
What does the argument against believing in God without sufficient evidence look like? Is it plausible that God would look kindly on atheists and agnostics to because they refuse to believe without evidence? After all, aren’t they simply using God’s gift of reason to arrive at their decision?
NOTE: Please use this textbook
Title: Philosophy Here and Now: Powerful Ideas in Everyday Life
Edition: Fourth (4th)
Author: Lewis Vaughn
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Copyright: 2021
ISBN#: 9780197543412 (Brytwave Format)
OR
Title: Philosophy Here and Now: Powerful Ideas in Everyday Life (eText-Perusall Edition)Links to an external site.
Edition: Fourth (4th)
Author: Lewis Vaughn Publisher: Oxford University Press
Format: Social Reading at Persuall.com.Links to an external site. 

Hide Assignment Information
Instructions
Note: only one submission is allowed. These must be in pdf format. To get a pdf, just press “save as” and then select pdf from your word processing application. 
•A philosopher, call him Philosopher A, famously argued that There is no free will. Consider the following text:
•To say that the will is not free means that it is subject to the law of causality. Every act of will is in fact preceded by a sufficient cause. Without such a cause the act of will cannot occur; and, if the sufficient cause is present, the act of will must occur. To say that the will is free would mean that it is not subject to the law of causality. In that case every act of will would be an absolute beginning [a first cause] and not a link [in a chain of events]: it would not be the effect of preceding causes. The reflections that follow may serve to clarify what is meant by saying that the will is not free … Every object—a stone, an animal, a human being—can pass from its present state to another one. The stone that now lies in front of me may, in the next moment, fly through the air, or it may disintegrate into dust or roll along the ground. If, however, one of these possible states is to be realized, its sufficient cause must first be present. The stone will fly through the air if it is tossed. It will roll if a force acts upon it. It will disintegrate into dust, given that some object hits and crushes it. It is helpful to use the terms “potential” and “actual” in this connection. At any moment there are innumerably many potential states. At a given time, however, only one can become actual, namely, the one that is triggered by its sufficient cause.
•Explain his argument for the conclusion that There is no free will. 2.5 points, 3paragraphs
•Present his argument for the conclusion that There is no free will in standard form 2.5 points
•Create and explain an objection (a new argument where your conclusion is the negation of a premise of the previous argument) to his argument (that is, against a premise. recall our meaning of objection) 2.5 points, 3 paragraphs
•Present your objection in standard form 2.5 points

Paper Content: De George argues that the moral permissibility of whistleblowing depends on the whistleblower exhausting all procedures and possibilities available within the corporation before ‘going public’. Write an essay wherein you argue that De George is wrong to maintain that this is a condition that must be satisfied to show that whistleblowing is morally permissible.
Requirements:
1. Read Part 2 and Part 3 in the file: “Paper Requirement” I uploaded, your writing works must meet the requirements from Part 2 and Part 3 of this document.
2. This is not exactly a research paper. Please make sure not to write too much description or explanation of certain theories or things. Please make sure that 70% of the entire article should be your own observations, criticisms, and insights on De George’s views. It can be appropriately subjective.
3. You need to properly understand and cite DeGeorge’s Paper I uploaded.
4. The structure of your essay must follow the instructions on the “How to Write an Essay Philosophy” document I uploaded.