Write an essay (of roughly 3 pp. or 900 words) on a topic concerning one of the selections from Descartes through Putnam. The point of this paper 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. With this in mind I ask that your essay include the following elements:

• an exposition of one aspect of the views of the philosopher you write about,
• a possible objection to these views, and
• a discussion of the relative strength of the two sides.

Think of the first of these as an exposition of a short passage or of a few related brief passages in what you have read. The objection could also take the form of an exposition of something in your reading; but you may not find one there, so don't assume it must be found in what you've read. You may construct the objections by speaking for yourself or by suggesting something that someone you've read might agree with; but it is quite acceptable to present instead a view that is neither you own nor in the reading so far.

We've already covered too many issues for me to provide a full list of possible topics. The reading guides indicate some of the topics appearing in particular texts, but don't feel limited to the topics noted there; you are likely to do your best work with a topic you find interesting. In particular, you should feel free to develop further the ideas from a weekly assignment; passages you've chosen (or considered choosing) for a weekly assignment and things you have commented on in class discussion are both natural places to look for topics of interest to you.

In choosing a topic, be careful to keep it fairly narrow; this is a short paper and it will be easier to achieve the depth of thought and clarity of writing I will be looking for if you do not attempt to cover too much ground. Be careful also not to attempt to give an exposition of an author's views by paraphrasing or even summarizing parts of the text; instead think through what is said there and design an account of it to suit the topic you are addressing and the space you have available.

Although I'll be happy to accept your essay on paper, I encourage you to submit it electronically. To do that, send a copy by e-mail (either as an attachment or, if there is no special formatting, in the body of a message) or use the drop box on the Blackboard site for the course.