SAN DIEGO MESA COLLEGE
PHIL 108
CRN: 65031
FALL 2015
INSTRUCTOR: PROF. NINA ROSENSTAND
PERSPECTIVES ON HUMAN NATURE AND SOCIETY
3rd RESEARCH ESSAY, DUE DEC.8.
You may turn it in Dec.10 and lose 3 points.
Worth max. 50 points. NO LATE PAPERS ACCEPTED! Papers cannot be submitted by e-mail. You must keep a copy of
the paper for your records.
Identify the essay as ESSAY #3. Write min. 3 pages, maximum 5 pages, typed and double-spaced, about one of the
following questions, answering all bullet points. Please do not print back-to-back. You must have at least two outside
research sources, in addition to the textbook (except #3), and a bibliography at the end of the paper. One source must be a
scholarly acceptable Internet source. You must cite sources of quotes and references (MLA, APA or Chicago Manual of
Style). Question #4 requires independent research. You may submit this essay as a joint project if you wish,
working together with one other student in the class. You will both receive the same grade for the essay; it is up to you to
divide the workload.
1. HOBBES/LOCKE VS. ROUSSEAU (Refer to Ch.9)
 Compare and contrast Thomas Hobbes’ AND/OR John Locke’s and Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s theories of
humans in the state of nature, and the Social Contract. (You MUST include Rousseau, and you may
include either Hobbes or Locke, or both).
 In your view, which thinker has a more accurate view of social existence? Which social world would you
rather live in? Explain.
2. ANIMAL JUSTICE (Refer to Green Course Reader and TMTS Ch.10)
 Describe Bekoff and Pierce’s theory of animals having a sense of fairness, and discuss the possible
implications for the treatment of animals in the future.
 In your view, how should we as a society treat animals? (Remember there are pets, working animals,
farm animals, wild animals, etc.)
3. THE FUTURE OF HUMAN SOCIETY?
Imagine one or more aspects of American society in the year 2065. Choose one or several areas of
human social life/activity and speculate about its/their future development, citing researched works
by philosophers, sociologists, and/or other scholars.
Topics may include, but are not limited to the following: Gender roles; humans and the
environment/climate; race relations; parenting; moral values; religion; war and other armed conflicts;
positive/negative consequences of technological advances; space exploration; expressions of art;
attitudes toward death; medical advances. Your paper should involve descriptive as well as normative
elements.
This topic requires you to do independent research. You may use a science-fiction film or novel as your
2nd outside source if you like.
Advice: Spend some time exploring the subject before writing. This topic is for those who want to have some
serious fun with their research as well as their imagination! Mere speculation is not enough! You will be graded on
how well you integrate research and speculation.
PLAGIARISM POLICY
What is plagiarism in a research paper? Copying from someone else’s paper. Having someone else write your paper.
Copying/quoting from an outside source (such as a book, a journal, or a webpage/other Internet source), or from the
textbook, without stating the source. Changing a word here and there is not sufficient! Whenever you quote or refer to a
text other than your own, the proper procedure is to reference it.