Metaphysics; Plato and Aristotle Essay

a. IntroductionAs a major assignment for this course, you atomic number 18 to make unnecessary an bear witness wallpaper on a radical relating to the subject matter of the course and drawing on course veridical. This should be a new paper, written by you individually, specifically for this sort out.You have two options to do this assignment.First option You shtup write an essay paper in a rather classic style by selecting one of the listed topics in intermit b. If you decide to do the first option, you are required to pick one of the listed topics and write a philosophic essay according to the description provided for each topic. plump for option You evoke conduct a philosophical project and write an essay on the findings of the project. For this option, you need to become an undercover philosopher and interview 5 contrasting good deal on a philosophical topic destinen in part c. The last outlet of your project should include the interviews results and your own an alysis.Regardless of the option you choose you are required to follow these criteriaYou are required to do only one of the mentioned options. But it is better to make decision as concisely as possible since it exit take time to accomplish either of them.This assignment is due no later than 1159 p.m. on Monday, April 28. Late papers will only be trustworthy with an appropriate excuse and a point deduction.Your paper will be submitted via TurnItIn by means of the Blackboard website for the course. Just so you are aware, TurnItIn automatically checks your paper for buc placeeering and will catch it if you try. No telecommunicate or paper submission will be accepted.You should use the MS Word template send provided in your Blackboard. Papers not prepared in that format will not be graded.The final paper should be addressd as Your Last Name_Your EU ID_Your Course Section.DOCX o For pillow slip if your last name is Jones and your EU ID is mhj034 and you are in PHIL 1050 departm ent 001 accordingly your file name should be Jones_mhj034_001.docx. Another example Ahmadi_kia9801_002.docx for student named Ahmadi with kia9801 as EU ID taking 002 section of the course.There must be _ (underline) character betwixt name, EU ID, and class section. o EU ID is the ID you use to login to your Blackboard account. You coffin nail find your class section by looking at the title of the course listed in your Blackboard account.Your paper must be no less than 1000 and no more(prenominal) than 1500 words (this is content only this is not calculation name, title, footnotes, bibliography, etc.) Papers with less than 1000 or more than 1500 words will be graded with a point deduction.You may find a PDF copy of Writing Philosophy on Blackboard, it is strongly recommended that you use this resource to dish out you write a good paper.All sources, including assigned readings, must be formally quotationd according to the Chicago Manual of Style (resources for which can be found online). Use of fosterary sources is strongly sanctiond but not required. Remember that failure to cite sources technically constitutes plagiarism For further information, you can review the universitys policy on academic integrity at http//www.vpaa.unt.edu/academic-integrity.htm.Regarding citations, long quotes of 4 or more lines are not allows and will result in a noticeable point penalty if used. Remember also that not only direct quotes also paraphrasing of another persons clobber must be formally cited.All sources must be listed as footnotes. No bibliography or informant list at the end of the paper is required. Further details virtually citation can be found in the MS Word template file in your Blackboard account.This assignment makes up 25 out of 100 points for your final grade. You will be graded equally on writing, your digest of material, and your own critical response. Beyond these you can lose points for having a paper that is too short, failing to cite sour ces, or in whatsoever other way failing to adhere to the instructions and criteria for the assignment.Grading CriteriaAn A paper is one that follows all format requirements, is at the standards of college writing, contains an excellent summary of course material, andshows careful thought process about the topic.A B or C paper is one that follows most format requirements, is at or near the standards of college writing, contains a summary that shows a good or at least raw material grounds of course material, and shows your own conceptualiseing about the topic.A D or F paper is one that is well below the paper requirements or the standards of college writing, contains a summary which shows a poor understanding of course material, and/or where any thought of your own on the topic is lacking. And, of course, any paper containing plagiarism will receive an F.Given that this a college course, it is expected that all students are capable of a certain level of writing quality. If you fe el that your writing skills are not the best, I would strongly encourage you to seek help from the UNT Writing Lab (http//www.unt.edu/writinglab/).b. First Option Classic EssayFor your essay you may select from a list of topics below. Your topic will take two aspects. First, you should sum up a possibleness or set of theories of philosophy that we have learned or discussed in class. Second, you should give your own agate line for what is the proper view regarding that topic. Your paper must have both a summary of course material and your own original dealing on the topic, in roughly equal measure.Essay Topics If you decide to write a classic essay paper you are required to choose one of the following topics. other you could do the second option described in part c. (1) Metaphysics Plato and Aristotle First,summarize Platos theory of the Forms as ultimate reality (The Republic). Then, summarize Aristotles theory of the four causes and form/matter as ultimate reality (Physics). The second half of your paper should critically compare and contrast the two, and give your own argument for which you think is more correct, and ultimately state and turn over for what you think the true temper of reality is. (2) Knowledge Descartes and Hume The first half of your paper will take in summarizing Descartes view of knowledge (Meditations), indeed summarizing Humes view of knowledge (Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding). The second half of your paper should critically compare and contrast the two, and give your own argument for which you think is more correct, and ultimately state and argue for how you think we acquire true knowledge and what the limits of knowledge are.(3) Cogito Argument and Counter-Argument The first half of your paper involve summarizing Descartes arguments in support of Cogito and philosophical implications of it (Meditations), past summarizing an strong counter argument from another philosopher (Modern or Contemporary) against Cogito and its implications. The second half of your paper should critically compare and contrast the two, and give your own argument for which you think is more correct, and ultimately state and argue for the relevance and validity of Cogito argument. (4) Ethics Aristotle and Kant The first half of your paper will involve summarizing Aristotles virtue ethics (Nicomachean Ethics, books I and II), then summarizing Kants deontological ethics (Foundation for the Metaphysics of morality).The second half of your paper should critically compare and contrast the two, and give your own argument for which you think is more correct, and ultimately state and argue for what you think is the proper approach to ethics, including whether ethics should be approached through good character or rules for action. (5) Knowledge and Method Aristotle and Descartes The first half of your paper will involve summarizing Aristotles view on knowledge and mode (Physics), with emphasis on the Empiricist method and his te leological account of nature and further will involve summarizing Descartes view (Meditations), with emphasis on the Rationalist method and Cartesian doubt. The second half of your paper should critically compare and contrast the two, giving the pros and cons of each as well as your owncritical reflection on the proper approach and method for knowledge.c. Second Option Philosophical ProjectFor this option you are required to interview five different people on a philosophical topic listed below. First you need to understand the topic well in order to conduct your interviews. Then you pick your interviewees and acquire the questions. You need to accurately record their answers. Then you summarize each interviewees responses in a very concise but clear paragraph. To do this you need to suggest the philosophical core implied in the answers. You should not simply write down everything they say, because only philosophical arguments of their responses are important and relevant to this work. You should use up your questions is a way that makes interviewees reveal their principles or assumptions regarding the topic. Then you give your original thinking on those philosophical arguments and principles by comparing, criticizing, and challenging them.Generally speaking, your essay should include at least 8 paragraphs. First paragraph should include the questions you asked in your interviews. Five next paragraphs could be dedicated to the summaries of five interviews, and one paragraph for comparing the philosophical arguments and criticizing them, and one last paragraph for presenting your original thoughts on the issue. You should be creative in your questions and let the interviewees speak in their own voices. However you should guide the interview so that you can grasp the underlying philosophical principles. You should not include the interviewees name or identity in the paper. This is controllingly against UNT regulations for much(prenominal) research. Also you dont need IRB approval since this is only a class assignment and the results will not be published in any way.Interview Topics(1) Ethical relativism. The main(prenominal) question is is ethics relative or absolute?. However in addition to this question you should ask more questions to make the interviewees clear about their idea of ethical principles. You should ask interviewees to explain their reasons with examples. Also you can contest their responses by giving them counter-examples. For example, for a person who thinks ethics is relative, acounter argument could be then everything is correct at the same time or why killing innocent people for fun is always wrong then? Or for a person who deliberates that ethical principles are absolute, a counter example is what if an ethically wrongdoing (such as lying to a murderer, or torturing a terrorist) is the only way to stop a disaster? (2) Absolute Truth. The main question is is there an absolute truth? You should ask interviewees to explain their reason. Also you should ask them if absolute truth depends on homosexual read/write head or whether or not is attainable by human mind. A challenge to people who believe in absolute truth is how exactly they know there is an absolute truth? or how can they justify their position? On the other hand, if they believe in relativity of truth, then the challenge is then everything can be true or false at the same time and this is contradictory (isnt it?). Also you can ask if scientific truths are relative in their opinion or not. In addition, they should make it clear on what parameters truth depends (e.g. social contract, power, culture, personal preference, utility, etc). And also if truth is relative then why do we think we know the physical world better than ancient thinkers (dont we?)(3) environmental Ethics. The main question is do we have moral duty to nature and environment? You should ask questions such as are we morally responsible for nature and environment?, is there anything morally wrong about destroying nature (intentionally or unintentionally)?, what if destroying nature is necessary for human life? and what makes us responsible for nature? You can also ask questions about what elements and aspects in nature makes us responsible. For instance, we are responsible because it is useful for us, or because it is beautiful, or because animals and plants are alive (like us), or it is because of the next generations that we are responsible? Or combination of them.You should clear up what sort of ethical relationship each interviewee is assuming between them and nature. Also do they think that human is just a plain member of ecosystem or special member who stands above everything because it is human world? Also to what extent we should care for nature? (4) Existence. The main question is what makes our innovation important?. You may ask questions such as why we are here?, why we should not kill ourselves?, what is the most valuable in h uman life?, what makes life worthy of living?, what isvaluable about existence?, is the any purpose in human life? and is there any meaning in human existence?.(5) Being Human. The main question is what is human being? Under this topic you should ask the interviewees to give a very clear and concise definition of human being and then ask them further questions to challenge their definition. For example, if human being is defined as a rational animal, then why we consider mentally impaired humans as human being? The main concern in this topic is to explicate the essence of human being. Also you should ask them to explain how philosophy/science/religion can help us understand the nature of human being. Also you may ask them to clarify whether or not human being has a fixed nature /essence. In this regards you can ask do you think human beings have changed in their nature/essence over the course of history? Also you may ask them how can we grasp the truth about human nature.P