Write an essay (of roughly 6-8 pp. or 1800-2400 words) on an issue relevant to something you’ve read in this course. You should

In doing this, you should

The position you defend may be one you hold, but it need not be, and your exposition of the selection 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.

The reading guides suggest some issues to which particular texts are relevant, but there are many more that aren’t mentioned. Our class discussions will have suggested some further connections, but don’t hesitate to seek my help in formulating an issue or locating a relevant selection.

This paper will, like the previous papers, 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 I will place somewhat greater emphasis than in previous papers on your thinking about the issue. And you should, therefore, choose a topic that allows you to bring in your thinking. There are various ways that can happen. Even an exposition of material you’ve read can display your thinking if the point of view from which you present is significantly different from what a reader might find in the source. But the easiest way to bring in your thinking when your views aren’t the focus of the paper is to devote a substantial part of the paper to your evaluation of the ideas you have presented.

If the paper is largely a presentation of your own ideas, you are bound to be bringing in your own thinking and you may wonder instead how to include a discussion of a passage you have read. There are also a number of ways to do this. The easiest may be to use a discussion of material you have read to introduce the issue you will address, but it might also be a source for an objection to the view you present.

Perhaps I should also 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 a 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 selection you consider even if it presents an objection to the position you defend.

Although I’ll be willing to accept your essay on paper, I’d prefer that you submit it electronically. One way to do that is to send a copy by e-mail (either as an attachment or in the body of a message). My address is helmang@wabash.edu. (An alternative, if it is more convenient, is to upload the file to your group on the Canvas site for the course.)