Pick any of the following topics.
Plato’s dualism and his concepts on the 3 types of the soul;Aristotle’s 4 causes; The Hierarchy of BeingsDescartes’ absolute skepticism and rationalism, or his mind-body problem (aka the mind-body problem);Locke’s empiricist ideas, OR Berkeley’s or Hume’s epistemological theories on empiricism.St. Thomas Aquinas Cosmological Arguments for God’s ExistenceSoren Kierkegaard on FaithSartre’s Existentialist Views on Anguish, Abandonment and DespairBuddhism: The Concept of the Self/Analyzing the Buddhist Chariot AnalogyNishitani: Religion & NothingnessFrye & Bartky: A Feminist Analysis of FreedomKant’s Transcendental IdealismYou can also compare and contrast:Plato’s metaphysical views Vs Aristotle’s, OR their different epistemological theories – rationalism on Plato and empiricism on Aristotle;Descartes’ rationalism Vs Locke’s empiricism;Berkeley’s Vs Hume’s versions of empiricist ideas.d’Holbach’s Determinism Vs James on Free WillNeuroscience and Free Will
Instructions are as follows-
- Your paper should be in MLA Format. Since this is a research paper, your quotes either verbatim (word for word) or paraphrasing, should be properly cited using MLA. I suggest that you use a textbook as a primary text, then you can add one or two more sources – either another textbook, journal or academic web sources. If you choose purely web sources, be sure that they are peer reviewed, academic, scholarly sources.
- Citations threshold is at 30%. Between 20% to 30% of these citations is acceptable. Beyond 30% will certainly be penalized for apparent reasons. At least 70% of the paper content should be your own insights or explanation of the topic that you have chosen.
- Your paper should be at least 5 pages. Write a minimum of 5-page, double-spaced, standard font philosophy paper on a specific idea of a certain philosopher. The 5th or last page should be the work cited page.
- Your paper should have at least 3 major parts:
- Introduction – approximately 15% of your paper. This first part introduces your topic – a summary of what your paper is all about, and what do you hope to achieve.
- Body – the main part of your paper, approximately 60%. The main arguments are presented, analyzed or elaborated.
- Conclusion – approximately 25%. This part is your reaction, criticism or realization after all the main premises and detailed ideas are presented. Write a brief essay that reflects on the process of writing itself. This is the metacognitive process on your part that includes questions like: how did this paper change the way you view the philosopher or idea? In what sense that the philosophical idea itself is relevant to your personal or social views? Does it have an impact or relevance to you personally or in a social level? In what sense?
- You will be graded on clarity of thought and the ability to illustrate an understanding of the topics and themes.A crucial element of this understanding will be the appropriate use of textual support. That is, the use of quotations from the primary texts, and the ability to assimilate that information in your own words, with your own examples.
- Recycled or similar paper already submitted in other class, regardless of what school, will NOT be accepted and it will be graded as zero. It will possibly be considered as plagiarized contingent upon investigation.
