Due Date: November 28th 11:59 PM.
Instructions: Choose a topic. Write a 1,000-1,500 word essay on the topic.
Reminder: Don’t forget to look at the essay writing resources on the course website before beginning your essay, especially the essay grading rubric.
Please see syllabus for submission instructions.
Essay Topics:
- Discuss Kant’s four examples in light of the three version of the categorical imperative. Argue for one formulation as the most useful or best based your discussion of the examples. Be sure to discuss whether each example is permissible or impermissible under at least two of the categorical imperatives. Discuss Kant’s view of the examples. Why he thinks certain things are permissible or impermissible and whether we ought to agree with his assessment on any or all of them. Be sure to do this using Kantian reasoning i.e. you might disagree with Kant on Kantian reasoning.
- Discuss Hobbes’ fool argument. What is it supposed to show? Why is this important for Hobbes? Evaluate the argument.
- Discuss and evaluate Rawl’s difference principle. Discuss Rawls’ argument for the difference principle. Consider possible objections to the difference principle.
- Discuss Robert Nozick’s Wilt Chamberlin example. What principles enable him to come to the conclusion that Chamberlin is entitled to all the money that people want to pay to watch him play basketball. Discuss the objection that I raised in class against this argument. Discuss the relevance to contemporary American politics.
Introduction to Philosophy 