Philosophy 118: History of Philosophy
4-5 Page Paper
Due Date: May 5
Write a 4-5 page paper on one of the following 4 questions:
1. In the Crito, Socrates considers whether it is just to escape prison. He decides that it
would be unjust to do so.
a. Explain, justify and motivate the argument that Socrates gives to the
conclusion that it is unjust to escape.
b. Either:
Argue in favor of the argument
Here you should present arguments in favor of the argument
You should also defend the argument against counterarguments
Or:
Offer up and defend your best criticism of the argument
Present your best counterargument to the argument
You should also defend your counterargument against counterarguments
2. The following question has 3 parts:
a. Explain the famous 3rd man argument, which Aristotle raises against Plato’s
theory of the forms.
b. Either:
Give Plato’s best possible response to the 3rd man argument. Here you
should give Plato’s counter to the argument. In giving Plato’s counter you
should defend against counterarguments.
Or:
If you think the 3rd man argument is successful in defeating Plato’s theory
of the forms, how could you modify Plato’s theory to accommodate the
challenge of the 3rd man argument?
(the 3rd man argument seems to create a problem for Plato’s view
because Plato thinks that the forms are actual idealized versions of
the objects of sense, i.e. the form EAGLE is an actual Eagle. So
how might we change Plato’s view to accommodate the worry
created by the 3rd man argument?)
3. Plato’s believes the forms are objects that exist independently from the objects of sense
while Aristotle thinks the forms have no existence independent from the objects of sense.
a. Please explain how Plato’s forms exist independently of the object of sense
b. Please explain how Aristotle’s forms have no existence independent of the
objects of sense (Aristotle calls such objects the primary substances).
c. Either:
Argue in favor of Plato’s view that forms have existence independent of
the objects of sense
Here you should support Plato’s view with your own positive
argumentation
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You should also consider counterarguments to your arguments
And you should also consider counterargument to Plato’s view and defend
against the counterarguments
Or:
Argue in favor of Aristotle’s view that the forms have no existence
independent of the primary substances
Here you should support Aristotle’s view with your own positive
argumentation
You should also consider counterarguments to your arguments
And you should also consider counterargument to Aristotle’s view and
defend against the counterarguments
4. One famous objection to Aristotle’s doctrine of the mean says that the mean isn’t
always best for there will be some, maybe lots of cases in which going to extremes is
justifiable.
a. Explain Aristotle’s doctrine of the mean
b. Explain the objection to the doctrine, which says that the mean isn’t always
best.
c. Either:
-Defend the Doctrine of the mean against the objection
-Here you need to provide positive support for the doctrine of the mean as
well as providing counterarguments to the objection
-You should also defend your own argumentation from counterarguments
Or:
-Argue in favor of the objection and against the doctrine of the mean
-Defend your argument against counterarguments
5. If there is some other paper topic you have in mind please see me. I would like to limit
possible topics to the following:
The paper must be one, which is argumentative such that it either argues in favor
of some philosophical view or position or against some philosophical view or
position. If you have an argument you would like to make or you think you have
a unique argument to make your own I am all for you writing your paper on
this…
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