Assignment:
Please choose ONE of the following paper topics. Papers should be 4-6
pages in length and are due either:
(i)
THURSDAY MAY 20th at 4pm if you
are in section 001,
or
(ii) SATURDAY MAY 22 at 11am
if you are in section 002.
I am flexible about
paper topics and length only
if you discuss it with me first. Rough
drafts are
strongly encouraged, but not mandatory. I will be accepting rough
drafts no later than
Wednesday, May 19. Drafts
will only be accepted in person, so please make an appointment
to see me. No
late papers will be accepted. Electronic submissions required;
additional hard copies optional. Go here for
some advice on
writing a philosophy paper. Please email me
or talk to me if you
have
any questions.
1. Carefully lay out and explain the Free Will Problem (as presented it
out in class). Why is it a problem? Discuss the three available
positions we've discussed in response to the problem (Libertarianism,
Hard Determinism, Compatibilism). Which one do you favor and why?
Discuss.
2. Choose ONE of the views of personal identity discussed in
Perry's Dialogues (Dualism, Person Stages, the Memory View, or
the Body Identity view).
Thoroughly explain
the view, and present at least one argument in its favor (that was
discussed either in the Dialogues or in class). Is this an adequate
view of personal identity? Why or why not? Address at least one
objection against this view. Discuss.
3. Discuss the Eliminativist view of Personal Identity (Unger). Lay out
Unger's Sorites argument to the conclusion
the
he doesn't exist. Is this argument convincing? What are
some objections? Discuss.
4. Lay out and explain Hinchliff's solution to the Puzzle of Change.
Make sure that in so doing, you explain Perdurantism, Endurnatism,
Eternalism
, and Presentism. Do
you think that Hinchliff's criticism of Perdurantism and Endurantism as
solutions to the puzzle is adequate? Why or why not? Do you think that
Hinchliff's solution is as effective as he believes? Why or why not?
Explain and discuss.