Details Regarding the Course Paper

     A term paper of 10-14 pages is required for this course. This paper should be both

expository and philosophically critical in nature and should reflect a very substantial amount of careful study and thought on the topic selected. Some use of secondary sources is expected though that use need not be extensive.

    For this paper all students must submit (i) a one-page description of the topic selected; (ii) a one- to two-page outline of the argument of the paper.

NOTE THESE DEADLINES: (no exceptions other than the indicated extensions)

     *1 April 2014: Required written submission of the proposed paper topic described in one page.

                          Of course, you are most welcome to submit and discuss this with me earlier.

         *Deadline extended to 7 April 2014.

    *15 April 2014: Required written submission of DETAILED outline of course paper in 1-2

                  pages. Of course, you are most welcome to submit and discuss this with me earlier.

         

    1 May 2014: Deadline for submission by email to me and to www. turnitin.com.

(Class ID: 7467287. Password: mistertea.)

                  Remember: With the final version of this paper all students must submit

                  (i) a one-page descriptive abstract of the topic selected;

                  (ii) a one- to two-page outline of the argument of the paper.

           *Deadline extended to Monday 5 May at 12 noon.

NOTE THIS SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY REGARDING COURSE PAPERS: I am interested in experimenting with a new procedure that allows students to submit the course paper early and to revise and resubmit after receiving my comments. Here is the procedure if you wish to take advantage of this opportunity: (i) the course paper must be submitted to me directly via email in WORD and also to Turnitin.com no later than 15 April; (ii) I will provide my comments and advice to you by 21 April; (iii) the final version of the paper is due 1 May 2014. NOTE: Papers submitted to me early to take advantage of this opportunity must be fully finished papers that have been proofread and spell checked. If there is an excessive number of minor errors, I will simply return the paper to you without comment on its content. The same is the case if it is excessively sloppy and does not display the quality expected of a final course paper. Since this is a voluntary experiment, if you take it seriously, I will it take you seriously and provide you with valuable comments on how to enhance the paper; if you do not take it seriously, I will not it take it seriously.

Miscellaneous Details

Failure to prepare the paper in accord with these details will result in a significantly lower grade.

Paper Length: Approximately 10-14 pages (ca. 2500-3500 words) typed double-spaced with footnotes and BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ITEMS CONSULTED on additional pages at the end of the paper.

Style: The paper together with its notes and bibliography must be written in accordance with the parameters used by the History of Philosophy Quarterly. For stylistic guidelines, see http://www.press.uillinois.edu/journals/hpq/hpqsubmissions.html.

Spelling and Grammar: It is presumed that the paper will be composed in accordance with the detailed guidance found on the course website on the page “Writing Argumentative Philosophy Papers”.   Consequently, it is also presumed that spelling and grammatical errors (such as pseudo-sentences without verbs, etc.) will be discovered and rectified either in the composition of the second draft or in the proofreading of the final version. AFTER THE FIRST THREE MISTAKES OF THIS SORT, 1% WILL BE DEDUCTED FROM THE PAPER GRADE FOR EACH MISSPELLING AND GRAMMATICAL MISTAKE. 5% will be interpreted as 1/2 letter grade and 10% as a full letter grade.

Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the resources of the Norman H. Ott Memorial Writing Center in Raynor Library. See https://www.marquette.edu/english/WritingCenter.shtml.

Paper Topics

     What follows here is a list of approved paper topics. Part of  this assignment is the task of properly delimiting the paper topic. Most of the topics must be carefully delimited if they are to be handled well.  In other words, you must give further definition to the topic before you begin your paper.

     I strongly encourage you to consult me during office hours on your paper topic so that I may provide you assistance in making this paper a fine piece of work of which each of us can be proud.  Note that you are welcome to submit to me drafts of outlines anytime. If you are interested in a topic other than those listed below, see me about it as soon as possible for discussion of the possibility of writing on that topic.  Note however that you must secure my consent before 1 April 2014 (deadline for written submission of the paper topic) so you will have to discuss the matter with me well before that date.

Some possible paper topics:

1 Opinion / Belief and Knowledge in the Meno and Republic: Can the teachings in these dialogues be reconciled?

2  The nature of love and beauty in Plato’s Symposium

3 A critical analysis of proofs for the immortality of the soul in Plato’s Phaedo

4 Does Plato succeed with the main argument of the Republic?

5 Anamnesis (recollection): a critical analysis (Meno, Phaedo, Phaedrus)

6 Plato’s critique of Plato’s theory of forms in his Parmenides.

7 Form and cognition in Aristotle’s epistemology. De Anima.

8 Living on the edge (metaxu): how can the natural science of psychology adequately treat of

     the human soul if human soul has intellectual activities distinct from the natural world? De

    Anima.

9 Are Aristotle’s teachings on substance in the Categories and in the Metaphysics 7 reconcilable?

10 Aristotle’s argument for the existence and nature of the divine in Metaphysics 12.

11   How is it possible to knowingly do wrong? OR: Is it better to do or to suffer injustice?

         Plato’s Protagoras 352A-357E and  Gorgias; and Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics 3 & 7.

12  Aristotle’s criticism of Plato’s Theory of Forms. Plato’s Phaedo, Symposium, Republic,

      Parmenides; and Aristotles’ Nicomachean Ethics 1.6 and Metaphysics 1, 7, 13.10.