Overview
The final paper will present a sustained argument for a particular view of the meaning of life (let's abbreviate this as "The View"). The View may be one that we covered in class, it might be in the neighborhood of one of the views we covered in class, or even a view that is substantially different from anything we've seen.
The final paper will have a clear statement of The View. It will also contain a separate section on motivations for The View i.e., attractions of view. For example, a view's ability to capture insights from some of the train stops we covered (e.g., Hedonism, The Intellectual Life etc.) is a motivation for holding that view. There might be other motivations e.g., you can argue that the view asks us to do something we are already doing, even if imperfectly. Furthermore, the final paper will contain a separate section on arguments for The View. These may be organized along the lines of our critiques in class. Is the view intellectually satisfying? Is it emotionally satisfying? Do people who implement the view in their lives feel meaninglessness? Finally, you will have an 'Objections and Replies' section wherein you raise two of the most compelling objections to The View and respond to them.
Your job is to stick to this script. Don't try to write in flowery language, and don't get distracted along the way. Your main aim is to present a sustained argument for a particular view of the meaning of life. Imagine that you are trying to convince a really old person, who needs careful explanations in simple language.