Essay Questions for Intro on-line
Overall: Write and essay between 4 and 6 pages long, double-spaced, 12
point font.
Choose one topic only to write about.
More Important Instructions:
(i)
Long quotes do not count, so if a quote takes up a third of a
page, that doesn’t count for the length requirement. More importantly all
quotes must be explained in your own words. Advice: quote when (i)
controversial things are said (ii) obscure things are said but seem important
(iii) beautifully put points are made.
(ii)
Your essay must have structure: there must be sections and the
sections must have useful titles helping the reader follow the debate
(iii)
One section must be the
Introduction....” An introduction must state your conclusion as a thesis
statement
(iv)
All references made in your essay must be read by you. You will be asked to prove it if
there is a question about authorship. E.g. You wrote an essay and referred to a
book by Smith. This means you actually read some of the book by Smith. If you didn’t read anything in the book or source then you cannot use it
as reference. The “use” of an unread source
will be considered fraud.
(v)
Use whatever style manual you prefer best, but 4-7 pages,
double-spaced, 12-point font.
Topic one: Jackson’s
argument for Property Dualism and Epiphenomenalism
The aim of this essay is to explain and evaluate Jackson’s
reasoning for thinking the brain has non-physical properties like the
“hurtfulness of pain”, or the “quality of colour experience”.
According to Jackson the painfulness of pain is
epiphenomenal.
(i)
Explain what that means and explain
(ii)
why Jackson thinks the quality of pain is
epiphenomenal.
(iii)
Explain Jackson’s argument that the qualities of
conscious states are not physical qualities of the mind by explaining his
example of Fred and the red tomatoes.
(iv)
Discuss, are the qualities of our experience
physical and epiphenomenal?
Topic Two. Can the
freewill defense solve the problem of evil?
(i)
State and explain the atheist's argument from
evil for the nonexistence of God.
(ii)
State and explain the free will defense that
allows for a perfect god and evil to exist
(iii)
Reflect on yourself and others: why do people
choose to do wrong acts? What might be the source of evil in humans?
(iv)
Explain the point, and relevance to the debate,
of the following quote from J.L. Mackie: “If there is no logical impossibility
in a man’s freely choosing the good on one, or on several occasions, then there
cannot be a logical impossibility in his freely choosing the good on every
occasion.”
(v)
Adjudicate: Does the problem of evil prove there
is no perfect god?
Topic three: Harris
Against free will
Harris writes:
“The popular conception of FW rests
on 2 assumptions: [1] that each of us could have behaved differently than we
did in the past, and [2] that we are the conscious source of most of our
thoughts, [intentions] and actions in the present…both of these assumptions are
false”.
(i) Explain what these two assumptions are and give examples
of each, then
(ii) Explain his reasons for believing each is false
Harris believes we do not have free will and yet he seems to
believe it is fair to hold people morally responsible anyhow. He writes:
“Judgments of responsibility depend
on the overall complexion of one’s mind not on the metaphysics of mental cause
and effect”
(iii) Explain what he means and give an example of “judging on the overall complexion of one’s mind” and
how that might work.
(iv) Critically evaluate
Harris’ views on free will and moral responsibility. Is he right? Why, why not?
Topic Four: Strawson
and Ultimate Responsibility
According to Galen Strawson, no one is ultimately
responsible for what they choose to do.
(i)
Explain what Strawson means by “moral
responsibility”.
(ii)
Explain Strawson’s “regress” argument and his
basic argument regarding “self-creation” for the claim no one is responsible
for what they choose to do. Be sure to tell a story of a person’s life (maybe
two people is better, maybe your own life would be helpful) to illustrate his
regress argument.
.
(iii)
Explain Strawson’s response to the idea that if
we weren’t determined we could be responsible.
(iv)
Critically evaluate, is Strawson right? Is no
one responsible? Or could we be if we weren’t determined?
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