OBJECTIVES:
- Understand how analogies work and how to critique them.
- Take a stand in the metaphysical debate: Free will vs Determinism
- Develop an original analogy to explain an phenomenon and defend your position.
PREPARATION:
- Lecture #9 Cartesian Dualism -- Descartes says that a human is part mind, part body, connected like a captain to a ship. [For free will]
- Lecture #10 Darwinian Monism -- Darwin says that a human is a body governed by the laws of nature, like plants and animals. Dennett: Natural selection is like a tournament. [For determinism]
- Lecture #11 Sartrean Nihilism -- Sartre says that a human is an absurd existence, like the character in his novel, Nausea. [For free will]
- Review the rubric.
PROMPT: Take a stand in the debate and use an analogy to defend your position.
1. State the argument for free will using either Descartes' position or Sartre's position. [Using only course materials.]
2. State the argument against free will using either Darwin's or Dennett's position. [Using only course materials.]
3. State your position in the debate and give an original analogy [i.e. not presented in the readings, lectures, or generated by AI] to support it. In other words, use an analogy to describe what it is to be human, free or determined.
4. Defend your analogy by pointing out at least 3 ways in which the things being compared are alike.
5. In your replies challenge the analogies of others by pointing out the dissimilarities in their analogies. [Full credit requires meeting the prompt requirements. Do this well and you can use your analogy on Exam #2.]
DUE DATES:
- INITIAL DISCUSSION POST #3 DUE Friday at 11:59 pm [-5 late penalty]
- Three strong REPLIES DUE Sunday