Overview
For your final essay, I want you to consider the nature and source of life's meaning from one of four perspectives. These perspectives include established philosophical frameworks proposed by Richard Taylor, Susan Wolf, and Christine Vitrano, as well as a theological stance known as 'the God view,' which suggests that life's meaning is derived from a divine purpose or will. Although we have not covered a specific paper on the "God view," readings from week 13 might be beneficial.
Your task is threefold:
1. Select one of the four positions and construct an essay that clearly articulates the main argument or conclusion of your chosen view. Identify and elaborate on the supporting parts, reasons, or premises that build and justify this conclusion. Explain why you find this argument compelling/persuasive. If you don't find the argument compelling/persuasive, provide a detailed explanation why.
2. Consider a significant objection or potential objection to your chosen perspective. If you have chosen the "God view," none of the other three authors directly interact with this stance, so you are responsible for formulating unique critical challenges to it (I always recommend picking the "strongest" or "best" challenge you can think of rather than many "cheap" or "weak" reasons).
3. Regardless of whether the original author of your chosen perspective responds to the objection, think critically to generate a thoughtful (the "best") reply to the objection raised in #2. If the author does offer a response, you may include it, but the primary focus should be on your engagement and reasoning to address the critique.
The objective of this assignment is not necessarily to provide a 'right' or 'wrong' answer but to cultivate and demonstrate your critical thinking skills by forming an informed and reasoned personal perspective on the source of life's meaning.
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GUIDELINES
- Format:
- Do not include an introduction or conclusion; focus on presenting your reasoning and analysis.
- Use paragraphs to structure the essay, with one central idea per paragraph.
- Avoid introducing new ideas or going off-topic.
- Support your reasons with relevant evidence and examples.
- Maintain focus on your chosen perspective throughout the essay.
- Word Count:
- Include a word count at the top of the paper. The minimum word count required is 750, and the maximum word count is 2000.