Write an essay (of roughly 6-8 pp. or 1800-2400 words) discussing an issue addressed differently by two of the people you have read. As with the last paper, the point of this assignment is to give you a chance to explore further an issue of interest to you and to provide a basis for me to evaluate both your understanding of the material we’ve read and the depth of your thinking about a philosophical issue.

In order to identify a topic, you will, of course, need to choose an issue. But, in order to achieve the sort of depth I will expect, you should also identify particular passages in each of the people you will discuss that are relevant to the issue. You paper should then give an account of these passages and of the difference between the ways the two philosophers address the issue.

In the simplest case, the two philosophers will have opposing views on the issue, and your account of the difference between them should then include your assessment of the relative strength of the two sides.

But there can be other sorts of differences in the ways they address the issue. For example, they might understand the issue somewhat differently and have opposed positions that are not diammetrically opposed. In such a case, you will need to discuss the differences in their understanding of the issue as well as the differences you find in their resulting positions.

In yet another sort of case, one philosopher may develop ideas found in another in a new way, one that departs from the views of the first philosopher without being in clear disagreement with them. In this case, you would need to describe what is new in the ideas of the second philosopher and assess the extent to which the first philosopher might be ready to accept this development.

But, in any of these cases, there are three elements that should be present, though they need not appear in the following order:

The reading guides will suggest some possible topics, but don’t feel limited to those. Another way to identify a topic is to think back to something you read that reminded you a previous philosopher but seemed to be somehow different. As before, you should feel free to pursue ideas that have come up in discussion whether or not you are the one who introduced them. And don’t hesitate to seek my help in choosing an issue or finding passages.

Although I’ll be willing to accept your essay on paper, I’d prefer that you send a copy by e-mail (either as an attachment or in the body of a message). My address is helmang@wabash.edu.