Position Paper #10: Transformative Experience
Instructions: You are the author of a philosophical advice column, @LoveofWisdom. You must respond to the queries of your readers by giving them advice using the arguments and positions we’ve encountered. Ultimately, you’ll make a well-informed case about what your reader should do, based on your evaluation of the relevant philosophical debate.
You have received the following letter:
Dear @LoveofWisdom,
I’m approaching the end of my sophomore year of college, and I need to declare a major. Unfortunately (as surprising as this might sound!) I’m really torn between majoring in Mathematics and majoring in Theater. I’ve taken a few classes in both areas really loved them, but in really different ways: They bring out really different parts of me! This is a really big deal for me—I’m the sort of person where, once I decide, I’m going to be all in. (Plus, it is hard to change majors which are this different later on.) The thing is, I’ve worked through all of the pro/con charts, and I feel confident that either decision is a practically good one.
All I really know is that whatever major I pick is going to really shape not only the practical opportunities that I have in the future, but also what kind of life I want for myself. My theater friends (you know how they are) tell me that after a semester or so of being on stage, I’ll be a totally different person in ways I really can’t anticipate right now. That sounds exciting to me, and I’m definitely curious what it would be like for me to be a full-time Theater Person, but I can’t tell if that’s a good reason to make this decision. I can also see myself enjoying discovering theorems and proofs, alone in a library or a cozy chair. I’m happy being on my own, too, and discovering things!
I don’t really need advice about Mathematics or Theater specifically, but I really care about making a rational decision. I’m particularly concerned with regretting my decision: This decision will change me—what if I don’t like where I end up? I can’t know without choosing, so how do I make this decision? Can I really even make a rational decision here? (And: gosh, why does it feel so hard?!)
Help! MajorMajorChoices
Your mission: Present and defend your position in the debate! Answering MajorMajorChoices will involve interaction with Paul’s “Transformative Experiences”, and possibly other readings from our course.
To do this well, you’ll need to do three things:
Define and explain what it is for an experience to be epistemically transformative and personally transformative.
Say whether the decision MajorMajor is making involves a transformative experience and defend your answer.
Given your answer to (2), explain whether MajorMajor can make a rational choice about this decision. Then defend your answer: Consider how someone might resist your advice and answer them.
For example: You might here agree with Paul and argue that MajorMajor can make a rational choice—but not by consulting the expected values of the outcomes. (Note: A complete answer will need to say something to help the reader understand the model of rational choice to which Paul objects.)
The Goal: To explain why you’ve reached your view in a philosophically rigorous way, with an eye toward discussing this with the class. There are many ways to do this well!
The defense of your position will take anywhere between 800-1,000 words. For further instructions and hints, see this section in the other position paper prompts.
Sources and Citation: Since you’re showing and developing your own reasoning, the most important thing is to do your own work. You must cite any sources external to your own thoughts! I heavily encourage you not to use sources external to the course readings, since many people have thought through these issues and I want to hear your current thoughts, not theirs. However, if you utilize any source at all, cite it! This includes: Did you look at a webpage while thinking about this? Cite that webpage!
I have no preference on citation style or other formatting: Only that you do cite sources in a way that a reader can identify the source (and page numbers, et cetera) and cite consistently. Please check in with me if you have any questions or concerns.
Last Completed Projects
| topic title | academic level | Writer | delivered |
|---|