or exam one, you will be choosing 4 questions from the study guide/questions list. You can only choose one question per section (eg, you cannot choose two questions from section 1). Yes, this means there will be sections you will not choose a question from.
You will write anywhere from 2-4 paragraphs for each question you choose (they can be longer!).
You will be uploading your finished exams to canvas before the due date. In total, your exam should (at minimum) be around 1300-1500 words (but can be longer!).
In writing your answers, you should keep in mind that you are talking to a fellow student who is not taking our class. So, you will need to give context, explain ideas, and even source/cite material. Like as if you were writing a really good (academic) blog post.
You will use all the relevant material from our first unit/module. This means, at times, you will be using multiple sources in your answers. I don’t demand actual citations, but referencing lectures, texts (textbook material and the dialogues), and anything else we have covered will be crucial but look below for further clarification.
YOU CANNOT USE OUTSIDE SOURCES! Only material from our textbook and canvas are allowed.
All in all, this should not be considered lightly. I have given you more than three weeks to finish this project and your first major paper is due the same week, so don’t let things slip!!
You will be uploading to canvas/turnitin so please avoid copy/pasta from the internet or from working with your friends (as always, some very minor overlap can happen but you must write your own work!).
General Advice: Write as if you are speaking to another student who is not enrolled in our class. They have interest but do not have the context or the background necessary to understand your answer. So, you should ELABORATE, GIVE EXAMPLES, PUT THINGS IN CONTEXT, and/or everything else that may help you explain your answer to your buddy/mom/etc… Follow the handy checklist below for further clarification.
The Checklist (the minimum):
Remember to ask yourself all the important checklist questions:
Did I answer every part of the question?
Did I organize my answers?
Did I fully explain any concepts, ideas, thought experiments, arguments, etc… necessary for a layperson to understand your answer to the question?
Did I base my answers on what I learned from class (the lectures, the textbook, our discussions, related coursework, etc…)?
Did I provide reasons for my own claims (backed up my claims with evidence, logic, or sensible assumptions (depends on the context*)?
Did I avoid using sources from outside the class material?
As a shorthand (rough guide), did I write 2-3 paragraphs (6 to 10 sentences each) or more?
Did I use examples to illustrate points or concepts?
Did I meet the minimum word threshold of 1300-1500 words?
For “A”wesome “A”nswers: Did I cite the textbook or primary readings? Did I draw connections between course subject matter and my life/literature/culture/society/etc…? Did I write a minimum of 3-4 long/detailed paragraphs or more?
Questions: Section 5:
1. Nagel claims that in answering the question “How would you like it if someone did that to you?” reveals why you should not treat others badly. Suppose someone answers: “I wouldn’t like it if someone did that to me. But luckily no one is doing it to me. I’m doing it to someone else, and I don’t mind that at all!” How does this response miss the point of the question?
Section 4:
1. Is it possible to be both a social reformer and a cultural relativist? If so, explain how. Can you give any examples of social reform movements that might make sense from a cultural relativist perspective?
Section 3:
1. People commonly choose to act to conform to popular opinion. If popular opinion led to the same conclusions arrived at through moral reasoning, would it still be important to engage in moral philosophy? Why or why not? Support your answer with an example.
Section 2:
1. What is an informal fallacy? Pick two fallacies and explain them using/with your own examples.
