First Paper Topic PHIL 115

First Paper Topic PHIL 115

First Paper Topic PHIL 115 – Death Summer 2019 Due: July 10, 2019 Of all the ancient accounts on death (and the corresponding ways in which we should live our lives) we’ve looked at, which do you find most convincing, and why? This assignment requires you to select at least one argument (which you find to be more convincing than others) from the ancient authors we’ve read, explain the argument of the original author in your own words (short quotations are fine, but remember to give citations, i.e. page numbers, or in the case of Plato, the Stephanus numbers/letters), and then say why you find the argument or position to be convincing. If you need help selecting an argument or position, or if you’re wondering whether you’ve found a decent argument, feel free to ask me via email or in person. Basically, any argument related to death from our readings is fair game. As I mentioned in class, you could select a very short argument from a text, or several short arguments that you think add up to a convincing case, or you could focus more on big-picture aspects of a philosopher. You could also compare and/or contrast two or more philosophers, and give your preference (and reasons why) for one over the other(s). Part of the difficulty of this section is to be faithful or fair to the author, so remember to re-look over the text(s). Remember that it is not enough to simply say that you agree with a philosophical view, but instead you need to support your view with reasons and arguments. Keep in mind that one typically finds one case more compelling than another for some reason, or because of some criterion or criteria. Try to be upfront about the criteria by which you are evaluating your argument(s). For example, I might find case A to be more convincing than case B because I find case B to be clearly false, while case A is at least closer to the truth. While truth is often a good criterion, it may not always be the most appropriate way to proceed (this is likely the case when one simply doesn’t know the ultimate truth about the matter under discussion), so reflect for yourself on why you find a certain position persuasive (or at least more persuasive than another). Also, as you’re writing, think about possible objections to your case, and give reasonable effort to countering those objections before they happen. This paper should be at least around 2 pages double-spaced in length (but not more than 4), in an average size font, with regular 1” margins. Feel free to contact me if you have questions. I want the paper to be written on plato′s appology and Socrates views on death. I want three arguments on why Socrates view of death is convincing and why.