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A term paper of 10-12 pages is required for this course. This paper should be both expository and philosophically critical in nature. It should reflect a very substantial amount of careful study and thought on the topic selected. Some use of secondary sources is expected though that use need not be extensive. I expect you to consult the International Philosophical Bibliography in your search for secondary literature. At the end of the paper, provide on additional pages a bibliographical list of all items cited and consulted in the preparation of the paper. The paper will constitute 30% of your final grade.
9 May 2023 at 12 noon: Deadline for submission of papers to www. turnitin.com.
(Class ID: 37215142. Password: provided to student via email on 23 April 2023.)
Submit your paper in a single WORD file which includes (i) your outline, (ii) your abstract of the paper and (iii) the paper itself.
Some possible paper topics:
1 Opinion / Belief and Knowledge in the Meno and Republic: Can the teachings in these dialogues be reconciled?
2 The nature of love and beauty in Plato’s Symposium
3 A critical analysis of proofs for the immortality of the soul in Plato’s Phaedo
4 Does Plato succeed with the main argument of the Republic?
5 Anamnesis (recollection): a critical analysis (Meno, Phaedo, Phaedrus)
6 Plato’s critique of Plato’s theory of forms in his Parmenides.
7 Form and cognition in Aristotle’s epistemology. De Anima.
8 Living on the edge (metaxu): how can the natural science of psychology adequately treat of the human soul if human soul has intellectual activities distinct from the natural world? De Anima.
9 Are Aristotle’s teachings on substance in the Categories and in the Metaphysics (7) reconcilable?
10 Aristotle’s argument for the existence and nature of the divine in Metaphysics 12.
11 How is it possible to knowingly do wrong? OR: Is it better to do or to suffer injustice? Plato’s Protagoras 352A-357E and Gorgias; and Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics 3 & 7.
12 Aristotle’s criticism of Plato’s Theory of Forms. Plato’s Phaedo, Symposium, Republic, Parmenides; and Aristotles’ Nicomachean Ethics 1.6 and Metaphysics 1, 7, 13.10.
For this final course paper all students must submit (i) a one-paragraph abstract on the first page; (ii) a one-page outline of the argument of the paper. (iii) Papers are to be double line spaced in 12 pt font with footnotes. (iv) Footnotes: Provide full citations of author(s) or editor(s), title, publisher, place of publication, year of publication, and the relevant page reference. Here are some examples: Article in a book collection of essays: A. Treiger, “Palestinian Origenism and the Early History of the Maronites: In Search of the Origins of the Arabic Theology of Aristotle,” in D. Janos (ed.), Ideas in Motion in Baghdad and Beyond, Philosophical and Theological Exchanges between Christians and Muslims in the Third/Ninth and Fourth/Tenth Centuries, Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2015, pp.44-80. Article in a journal: A. Treiger, “From al-Biṭrīq to Ḥunayn – Melkite and Nestorian Translators in Early ʿAbbāsid Baghdad,” Mediterranea. International Journal on the Transfer of Knowledge 7 (2022) 143-181. Book: D. D. De Haan, Necessary Existence and the Doctrine of Being in Avicenna’s Metaphysics of the Healing, Leiden & Boston: Brill, 2020, pp. 380-38. After the first citation, use abbreviated references. For example, Treiger, “Palestinian Orgenism” 2015, p.46.
Sample Formatted Published Article: R. C. Taylor, “Averroes on the Ontology of the Human Soul,” Muslim World 102 (2012) 580-596. You should use this article as a model for the format of your paper. Note regarding the format of this article that there is no bibliography for this piece. All publication information on cited sources is found in the footnotes. This article is available here: https://marq-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/richard_taylor_marquette_edu/ETi9SxiB7wlDvkSm3w0bW_YBk_BzAbn-t_sHh4MgOnfrOg?e=24ahR2.
Spelling and Grammar: It is presumed that the paper will be composed in accordance with the detailed guidance found on the webpage “How to do argumentative philosophy essays” at http://richardctaylor.info/how-to-do-argumentative-philosophy-essays/Writing_Argumentative_Philosophy_papers.html. (Students are urged to take advantage of the services of the Ott Memorial Writing Center at http://www.marquette.edu/wac/departmental/.) Consequently, it is also presumed that spelling and grammatical errors (such as pseudo-sentences without verbs, etc.) will be discovered and rectified either in the composition of the second draft or in the proofreading of the final version. AFTER THE FIRST THREE MISTAKES OF THIS SORT, THE PAPER GRADE WILL BE REDUCE BY 1 LEVEL (E.G., B+ TO B). AFTER THE NEXT THREE MISTAKES, THE PAPER GRADE WILL BE REDUCED BY 1 MORE LEVEL, AND SO FORTH FOR THE ENTIRE PAPER.
Artificial Intelligence and Academic Honesty: With new AI tools available online that produce writing quickly, it may be tempting to cut corners in your own writing. As your instructor, it is obvious to me when you do not do your own writing. Use of ChatGPT or related AI tools by students in this course is prohibited. AI detection software such as that available at http://gltr.io/dist/index.html may be used in suspicious cases of submitted student work. Exception: If you want to play with ChatGPT or another AI tool, see me well in advance so we can discuss the possibility.
Timetable reminders:
4 April: Requirement to submit your course paper topic in one page.
13 April: Required written submission of a DETAILED outline of your course paper in 1-2 pages
Course Paper Meetings:
13 April (Thursday) Individual 30 min. meetings at Marquette Hall 437 4-5 pm; Individual 30 min. meetings on TEAMS 8-9:30 pm;
14 April (Friday): 8-10 am & 1-6 pm Individual 30 min. meetings on TEAMS with instructor to discuss paper outlines.
9 May at 12 noon (or earlier): Deadline for submission of papers to www.turnitin.com
Class ID: 37215142. Password: Provided at class
12 May 3:30-5:30 pm: Final Exam (30% of course grade)
Additional Information on Preparing Professional Papers for Students Considering Advanced Philosophical Study. A 21 minute video presentation by Dr Tracy Wietecha: https://marq-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/richard_taylor_marquette_edu/ESehKkSLVg9DjOsg1DzpA54BpdXqm-8lI_R69U-4JDf2xw?e=dnn8Jm.