Essay Topics:Write a rough draft for an essay on one of the topics listed below. After you submit your draft, you will be assigned to review a classmate's. Your draft is worth 40 points, and your review is worth another 40 points. Consider the (numbered) topics below. Consult me if you have another idea you would like to write about.
- Does social contract theory provide a motivation to be moral? Consider the prisoner’s dilemma case as an objection to the claim that it does. Either produce a satisfactory response to the objection, or argue that there cannot be one.
- Interpret Mill’s “Harm Principle” in the context of contemporary American society. Consider one or more of the following issues.
- What would it take to bring about full compliance with the principle, and what effects on society would you predict? Remember that Mill thinks paternalistic laws are acceptable when it comes to children and in cases where a person is not fully aware of the consequences of his or her actions. Discuss some laws you think could be justified based on these exceptions.
- How and to what extent, if at all, do Mill's arguments about free expression of opinion and open discussion apply in today's society? Consider the impact of new forms of mass communication like the internet and the way it allows people with fringe opinions to collaborate with one another. Consider also the more inclusive nature of today's society vs. Mill's time, the number of recognized groups and sub-cultures, and the potential for factions to develop. Discuss the assertion, made by some conservatives as well as traditional liberals like Barack Obama, that a "cancel culture" has emerged, and how Mill's arguments in On Liberty relate to it.
- Consider one or two Marxist arguments about the injustice of capitalism and/or the comparative superiority of socialism / communism. Is it true that capitalism itself generates injustices? If so, how might such injustices be remedied? Could this be done without demolishing capitalist economic systems? If so, then how?
Guidelines and Standards
Write tersely. (Make each point as quickly and efficiently as possible.) However, your draft will almost certainly need to be about 1500-2000 in order to be complete. If it is shorter, then consider whether you have sufficiently covered all the relevant issues. The accepted file formats are listed below. Use a legible, reasonable sized font, and double space. You must write grammatically, produce solid reasoning, discuss potential objections to your view, and demonstrate competence with class materials. The rubric attached below describes these criteria in more detail. Use it to check your work before submitting. Use the provided assessment criteria -the same as in the rubric- to "grade" your classmate's draft. In addition, provide comments within the essay and suggest ways to improve it. Your classmate will use your feedback to create a revised version to be submitted as their final project. You don't determine their official grade for the assignment, so there is no reason to go easy on them. In fact being extra critical will help them get a better grade on the revised version. Your review will be graded on effort and helpfulness. Be aware that plagiarized essays will receive a failing grade. Plagiarism is presenting the words or ideas of another as if they were your own. It includes, but is not limited to:If you are unsure about something you want to include, let me know.
- Copying something from the internet or a written source without proper citation.
- Changing a few words in a sentence that is otherwise copied.
- Paraphrasing material from the internet or a written source without proper citation.
Philosophy · Studypool