Category: Philosophy

Each presentation will be done on a passage you read from the textbook in which a philosopher outlines some view.  You will select a passage from the following list of different readings.  Choose only one – if you choose Russell, for instance, do a presentation on only one of Russell’s passages.  Each presentation must have an accompanying PowerPoint.  The minimum length of the PowerPoint will be determined by which of two options you choose: presentation with oral component or presentation without oral component.  You will turn the PowerPoint into a dropbox on D2L by Monday, April 8 by 10 p.m., as well as the accompanying video if you choose the oral option.
1.  .  Bertrand Russell ‘The Argument from Analogy’ (pp. 217 – 220)
Presentation without oral component:  PowerPoint must have a minimum of six slides (not including a title slide if you decide to have one).  At least four slides will be devoted to explaining what you perceive the main points of the passage to be.  At least two slides will be devoted to explaining a problem you think there is in the philosopher’s view as presented in the passage you read.
Grading:  The content portion (main points and problem) will be graded on reading comprehension.  It should be obvious that you have read the entire passage and the main points you gleaned from the passage should be easily detectable from portions of the passage you can point to.  The point of the presentation is to learn how to comprehend and interpret a text, so do not do any outside research.  Interpret the text as best you can and explain the main points you took away from the passage.  The problem you think the view has does not have to be precisely defined – find what you think could be wrong with the view and explain it as best you can.

If i could change one thing about my school, lumen christi catholic school, i would change the education on how important mental health is and how prominent it is in high school students.
Has to be written in APA format, with internal citations, and a works cited page. 5 pages has to be written in third person
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Read Parfit, Reasons and Persons, Chapter 10-11 (pp. 199-243)
and complete this essay. 
1. reconstruct Parfit’s argument. (break it down, discuss Parfit’s reasoning and thesis) 
2. object to a specific part of Parfit’s argument. 
3. create a counterargument. This should be an individual argument that goes against that of Parfit’s, unlike the objection which only targets a specific area of the argument. 
provided are the rubrics for this essay, Parfit’s Reasons and Persons (only read and use chapter 10-11), and the notes provided for Parfit’s argument. 

Learning Journal
The Roman Republic is often said to be an inspiration for the US political structure. However, the Republic could not survive for more than 500 years. 
We have read about many factors that contributed to the fall of the Roman Republic. 
According to you, what was the single most important factor that led to its decline?
Suggest ways in which the damage done by this factor could have been reduced. 
The Learning Journal entry should be a minimum of 500 words and not more than 750 words. Use APA citations and references if you use ideas from the readings or other sources.
Introduction
In the previous unit, we learned about the downfall of Athenian Democracy. After its victory in the Peloponnesian War, Sparta exercised its hegemony over other Greek states. Sparta’s influence was eventually broken after its defeat by Thebes at the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BCE. At the same time another Greek power was becoming stronger and increasing its influence in the Greek world – Macedon. Under Kings like Phillip II and Alexander the Great, entire Greece was united under a single Empire. 
After the death of Alexander, his “Successors” fought a 40-year war before the Hellenistic world settled into four power blocks: the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, the Seleucid Empire in the east, the Kingdom of Pergamon in Asia Minor and Macedon. This period is referred to as the Hellenistic period which comes to an end after the Roman conquest of the Alexandrian Empire in 30 BC. But who were the Romans and where did they come from? Legend says that two brothers, Romulus and Remus, who were brought up by a wolf grew up to be the founders and first kings of the city of Rome. But many historians are of the opinion that the Romans might have descended from Etruscans, a civilization that inhabited the Italian peninsula much before the rise of Rome. 
This unit will familiarize you with the founding of Rome as well as the rise of the Roman republic and its dominance over the Mediterranean region. We shall also discuss the democratic features of the Roman Republic and the reasons for its downfall.  
Founding of Rome
Boundless world history 1: Ancient civilizations – enlightenment – Version 35. (2022). Boundless.com. 
Go to Chapter 8: The Roman World and read Section 2: Early Rome
This chapter discusses the myths around the founding of Rome, struggles of kingship that led to transformation of the Roman Kingdom into a republic and early Roman society.
Curry, A. (2021, September 24). They may have founded Rome, then vanished. New work sheds light on the mysterious Etruscans . Science. 
This article discusses the latest research that gives insight into the origins of Rome. 
How did the Etruscans shape Roman history and society?  (n.d.). DailyHistory.org. 
This article talks about the history of the Etruscans and their influence on the growth and development of Rome.  
Video:
Kings and Generals. (2020, February 20). Etruscans: Italian civilization before ancient Rome [Video]. YouTube. 
This video discusses the history and culture of the Etruscans who inhabited Italy before the rise of Rome.
Magistra Vitae. (2021, December 30). Founding of Rome – history of Rome #1 [Video]. YouTube. 
This video portrays the earliest stories behind the founding of Rome, the myth of Romulus and Remus as well as the historical interpretation of this legend.
Magistra Vitae. (2022, January 26). Seven kings of Rome – history of Rome #2 [Video]. YouTube. 
This video portrays the history of Rome under the seven kings prior to the establishment of the Roman Republic.
Democracy in the Roman Republic
Bobertz, N. (2022, August 15). The Roman republic vs. Athenian democracy: Comparisons . The History Ace. 
This article discusses the similarities and differences between democratic Athens and the Roman Republic.
Brown, Z. S. (2016). How democratic was the Roman republic? Theory and practice of an archetypal democracy. Inquiries Journal. 8(11). 
This paper analyzes the Democratic elements that were present and absent in the Roman Republic.
Democracy in troubled times. (2021, March 17.). Saint Leo University. 
This module gives an in-depth analysis of the establishment of the Roman Republic, its political structure, the rise of dictators, the eventual decline of the Republic and a comparison of the US constitution with Roman republican principles.
Shiffer, M. (2021, June 18). Democracy and the Roman republic. The History Inquiry. 
This article discusses the democratic nature of the Roman Republic, its downfall and the rise of Caeser.
Video:
Magistra Vitae. (2022, February 25). Rise of the republic – history of Rome #3 [Video]. YouTube. 
This video portrays the rise and functioning of the Roman Republic.
Fall of the Republic
Bobertz, N. (2022, April 19). The 10 major events that led to the fall of the Roman republic. The History Ace. 
This article discusses the reasons for the fall of the Roman Republic starting with the actions of the Gracchi Brothers (133-122 BC) up till the Rise of Augustus (31 BC).
Video:
Arzamas. (2017, May 30). Ancient Rome in 20 minutes [Video]. YouTube.
This video gives a brief summary of ancient Rome and some important topics like Caesar, The Colosseum, Republic, Nero, geese, plebeians, legions etc.
Classic Masterworks. (2022, March 2). Why the Roman republic fell [Video]. YouTube. 
This video explains the reasons behind the fall of the Roman Republic.

Prompt: 
Pick a function that criminal punishment might serve, and argue for or against its justificatory importance.
Once you settle on a function (F) to discuss, your thesis might take one of the following forms:
F should play no role in justifying punishment.
F should play a role in justifying punishment.- 
F is the most important function in justifying punishment .
You will need to put forward at least three arguments not mentioned in any reading in this course.- YOU DONT NEED OUTSIDE SOURCES FOR THIS JUST YOUR PERSONAL ARGUMENTS 
You will need to cite at least three authors from our final unit.
Your essay, with standard font size and margins, may not exceed seven pages (excluding a title page and a bibliography page).
You may not use direct quotes, but you must cite where necessary (he wants a caution on every line that is paraphrase).
DO NOT REPEAT IDEAS 

Ethics Essay Instructions
Before doing this assignment, it is necessary to read all the material and take in all the in-class lectures (for hybrid classes), as well as watching the assigned PowerPoint videos and other videos in the Ethics section.
If you are having problems deciding, you may find this purely optional, non-graded quiz guide helpful.         
Four ethical theories have been presented and discussed.  Choose the ethical theory (out of the four presented) that most closely matches your own ethical beliefs – it does not need to be an exact match.  Explain your chosen ethical theory and why it most closely matches your own ethical beliefs.   Next, consider a difficult decision that you have made in the past.  Explain the difficult decision, how your chosen ethical theory guided you in making the decision (if you chose Virtue Ethics, for example, indicate at least one virtue you were following, or, if you chose Deontology, what moral law or rule you were following, or, if you chose Utilitarianism, what consequences you took into account for some number of people beyond yourself, or, if you chose Egoism, what consequences you took into account for yourself), and what the ethical theory indicates is the right action in the context of your decision.  Are you happy with the decision that you made?  Give at least one reason why you are happy or unhappy with the decision you made.  Will you follow your chosen ethical theory in deciding future actions?  Explain your answer.
Your essay, at minimum, should be at least one page (12 size-font with regular margins and double-spaced) and will be turned into a dropbox on D2L.  The due date for this assignment is Friday, March 8 by 10 p.m.

THE QUESTIONS:
Important: Answer ONE of the following five questions.
To what extent does the morality of an artwork influence the work’s aesthetic value? Use examples to support your answer.
Towhatextentisdigitalartconstituteanewcategoryofart,whencontrastedwithmore traditional forms of art?
Doestheaimofapornographicworktoproducesexualarousalintheaudiencenecessarily undermine its artistic merit?
Is our modern understanding of the concept of ‘art’ purely a product of western culture?
Does modern music represent a decline in culture? Use examples to support your answer.
Note: This is a research project and, where appropriate, your answers should be backed up with references. You should also include a reference list.

Please answer the 9 questions in the attached document called (Final Exam Study Guide). When you answer them put notes for each question as well as a 500 word response to each. I have attached readings that may be necessary to answer the questions as well as a study guide from the same class from last years final…the questions are different but some of the information may help.

Content of your paper:
Imagine that you could ensure everyone on Earth learned about one of the topics in this class. What topic would you choose, and who would you want to learn about this topic?
Unfortunately, no one has the power to ensure everyone learns anything. But we all have the power to make arguments about what we think others should learn. That’s what you’ll be doing in this paper-trying to convince an authority figure why your topic should be learned by others beyond this class. 
This will be an argumentative paper, where:
The argument is appropriately targeted: Your audience is the authority figure in charge of the people you’d want to learn about this topic. Feel free to be creative here-if you want everyone on Earth to learn about your topic, write to the President of Planet Earth. If you want all kids in elementary school to learn about this topic, write to the Board of Global Elementary Education, etc.
The topic is accurately/clearly described and outlined in your own words: You have identified a topic clearly, described the relevant philosophical questions connected to the topic, cited the particular authors that you would want to be taught, and analyzed how they differ in answering the relevant philosophical questions.
The impact that learning this topic would have on our world is convincingly described: While you are certainly welcome to argue that everyone on Earth should learn about your topic, you are also welcome to focus on one part of the population that you think should learn about this topic (e.g., “future scientists,” “everyone on Earth,” “kids in elementary school,” “future psychologists”–whoever!). Once you’ve identified the population that you want to focus on, you should then convincingly describe why this population should learn about your topic. In other words, how would this impact our world for the better? Would it improve scientific practice? Would it positively affect the people who learn about your topic?
You convey to your audience what you think the value of philosophy of science is: In this section, you may refer to any of the Learning Materials or any other sources you’d like, but there should be original argumentation offered here. 
You propose one recommendation related to educating others about your topic (and perhaps bridging a gap between philosophy and science): You may refer to the recommendations listed in the Laplane et al. article, but your recommendation should an be original one. Then, defend that recommendation. Do you think it will ensure the positive impacts you described above if it is implemented? Does it fall short of having those impacts?
Editing and revising your paper: 
Your paper must be written in Standard English, in a professional tone. The paper should be free from spelling and grammatical errors, and points may be deducted for a significant number of these errors. 
I am not looking for a summary of the texts we’ve explored or a summary of literature beyond what you have engaged with in this class. However, in your paper, you should be critically engaging with multiple learning materials from our class. 
I expect in-text citations throughout the paper and a bibliography at the end. Remember that citations aren’t just for direct quotes. If you’ve just articulated someone’s position, explained an example they use, etc., you should include a citation. I don’t care which format style you use (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.), just pick one and be consistent.
Formatting:
Font size: 10-12
Font: Something legible
Spacing: Double-spaced
Citations: In-text citations & bibliography
Length: 600 words 
Plagiarism Policy: This paper will be submitted to TurnItIn and remember that any work produced by ChatGPT should be included in the bibliography. If you have any questions about this policy, please email me/refer to the syllabus.

Free Will Essay Instructions
The Problem of Evil (suffering) is probably the strongest argument against the existence of God.  It seems that an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent (3o) being would prevent all suffering.  Since suffering does exist, it seems unlikely (or even impossible) that a 3o being (God) exists.  The Free Will Defense is probably the most popular response to the Problem of Evil, arguing that humans have free will and sometimes make morally incorrect decisions that cause suffering.  According to the Free Will Defense, it is better that God allow humans to have free will than to force them to choose correctly.  If the Free Will Defense is successful, however, the best it can do is explain how suffering caused by humans is not God’s fault.  In other words, the Free Will Defense at best can get God (assuming God exists) off the hook for suffering caused by humans.  The Free Will Defense, however, cannot get God off the hook for Natural Evil (suffering caused by non-human means such as hurricanes, tornadoes, diseases, etc.)  Or at least the Free Will Defense cannot get God off the hook for all instances of Natural Evil.  Humans seem to make instances of Natural Evil worse through climate change, inadequate responses to infectious diseases, etc.
For your essay, pick an action (or lack thereof) that a human (yourself or some other human) that apparently worsens instances of Natural Evil.  It could be an action that apparently exacerbates climate change or furthers the spread of an infectious disease, or apparently worsens Natural Evil in some other way.  Explain the action you have chosen and how it apparently makes instances of Natural Evil worse.  If the Free Will Defense is correct, the action you explained was freely chosen and God (if God exists) cannot be held responsible for the effects of the action and apparently gets God off the hook (at least to some extent) for instances of Natural Evil.  Do you agree with the conclusion of the Free Will Defense?  In other words, do you think the action you described helps get God off the hook for at least some instances of Natural Evil?  Give at least one reason supporting your position. 
Your essay, at minimum, should be at least half a page (12 size-font with regular margins and double-spaced) and will be turned into a dropbox on D2L.  The due date for this assignment is Wednesday, April 17 by 10 p.m.