Write an essay (of roughly 5-7 pp. or 1500-2000 words) that explores an issue relevant to something you’ve read in this course. You should
(i) explain the issue,
(ii) present a position concerning it, and
(iii) present a defense of this position.
and, in doing this, you should
(a) include an exposition of a passage read in the course and
(b) consider at least one objection to the view you defend.
The position you defend may be one you hold, but it need not be. Your exposition of the passage may serve you in any of several ways—e.g., to help set up the issue you will discuss, to help present the position you wish to defend, or to provide an objection to it.
Like your first paper, this paper will serve as a way for me to evaluate both your understanding of the material we’ve read and the depth of your thinking about a philosophical issue. But it differs from that paper in placing greater emphasis on your thinking about the issue, and you should plan what you write accordingly. That is, while your presentation and defense of a position may involve an exposition of material you have read, the paper should not be solely a description of the views of others. This requirement will be easiest to meet if either the position you present or the objection to it represents your own views; but it is certainly possible to present two sides of a dispute, neither of which is your own, without describing the views of a particular person. In doing this, you might draw on someone’s views (and, if you do, you should of course note that), but you can draw ideas from someone without committing yourself to an accurate description of the views they hold.
Perhaps I should emphasize two things I consider in evaluating papers that are more likely to be an issue on this paper than on previous ones. First, a variety of considerations in favor of the position you defend will count for less than a deeper consideration of a few or even just one. Also, be careful to give a fair and accurate account of the passage you consider even if it stands opposed to the position you defend.
Although I’ll be happy to accept your essay on paper, I encourage you to submit it by e-mail (either as an attachment or, if there is no special formatting, in the body of a message).