1101 Philosophy

Write on one (but not both) of the following two topics: Topic 1: In the meditation two of descartes’ meditations, the meditator claims to know that i exist as a thinking thing. Do you agree? Why or why not? A good paper on this topic should:

Explain what the claim in question means. Be sure to justify your interpretation by referencing relevant details from the primary text, while being as charitable as possible in your interpretation.

Consider our attempt, in class, to reconstruct things in terms of a deductively valid argument vs. A series of individual cognitive acts. C. Assess the extent to which the meditator ultimately succeeds in establishing the above claim, and then carefully and persuasively justify this assessment. The only resources you’ll need are:

Your lecture notes / slides on the topic, and b. Ch.5 of the textbook, and c. The primary text by descartes uploaded to d2l topic 1: In an enquiry concerning human understanding, hume presents a skeptical problem that is now referred to as the problem of induction. Is there an effective solution to this problem? Why or why not? A good paper on this topic should:

Provide a clear explanation of the problem hume raises and why someone should find it worrisome. Be sure to justify your interpretation of hume by referencing relevant details from the primary text, while being as charitable as possible in your interpretation.

Articulate what you believe is the best response to that problem and then carefully assess whether this response succeeds in solving the problem.

Consider how someone might try to object to your assessment, and then provide a persuasive, fair minded response to this objection. The only resources you’ll need are:

A. Your lecture notes / slides on the topic, and b. Ch.7 of the textbook, and c. Hume paper uploaded to d2l ii. Further instructions:

Unlike the previous paper assignment, this assignment is asking you to critically assess the argument you’re considering. To that end, you’ll first need to carefully and correctly explain the argument, and then provide a persuasive assessment of whether or not the argument or solution succeeds, and why.

1. You’re encouraged to use lecture slides, note you took in class, and the primary text as your guide. Ultimately, however, you must demonstrate that you understand the argument, by explaining key points in your own words. Simply summarizing the lecture slides, without any evidence that you really understand the argument you’re assessing, will likely result in a failing grade. Additionally, any copying, quoting, or paraphrasing that doesn’t follow proper citation guidelines, as outlined in your citation assignment, will automatically result in a failing grade and possibly being expelled from the college.

2. For this assignment, you do not need to consult any resources apart from the lecture slides, notes you took in class, and the primary text. Students sometimes feel the urge to consult outside sources, particularly sources on the web. You are strongly encouraged to resist this urge. There are plenty of articles online which offer commentary on both topics. However, the vast majority of those articles are subpar and will only lead you astray. If you're having difficulty understanding what was presented in class, then please ask me for further clarification in class or office hours.