Requirements:
1) Write a paper defending an answer to the question, “What is the meaning of life?”
= What is the telos of living for a human being?
2) Discuss answers from three philosophers, one from each of these three groups:
a) Socrates, Plato, Aristotle
b) Cyrenaics, Epicureans
c) Cynics, Stoics
3) Define, explain and give examples of all relevant philosophical concepts
a) E.g. evaluative hedonism (if you write on Socrates)
b) E.g. dominant component of eudaimonia (if you write on Plato or Aristotle)
c) E.g. preferred indifferents (if you write on the Stoics)
4) Explain at least one argument in favor of each answer you discuss, and explain why you
favor one particular answer
Recommended Structure:
Section 1: explain the theory of the telos of living for a human being defended by a
philosopher you disagree with. Define, explain and give examples of all relevant
philosophical concepts. Explain at least one argument in favor of this theory and explain
your reason for rejecting this theory.
Section 2: do the same for another philosopher you disagree with.
Section 3: do the same for the philosopher you agree with, but save the reasons for
rejecting this theory for the final section.
Section 4: discuss objections to the philosopher you agree with that might be raised by
the philosophers you disagree with, and explain how the philosopher you agree with
might respond to those objections.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q1: how long should the paper be?
A1: four sections. If you focus on the number of words or pages, then you will write a
worse paper and your grade will go down. Focus on the concepts and arguments.
Q2: can I discuss an answer to the question that we did not cover in the course?
A2: yes, but be careful: the main point of this exam is for you to show me what you have
learned about ancient Greek philosophy. Don’t get off the topic and begin discussing
material that is irrelevant to ancient Greek philosophy.
Q3: can I argue my own opinion?
A3: yes, but be sure that you discuss how ancient Greek philosophers might object to you.
Q4: should I have a bibliography or list of works cited/consulted?
A4: yes. You should use and cite the course lectures and books. I urge you not to do any
research on the internet for this paper: philosophical research is difficult to do well
and I reserve it strictly for senior philosophy majors and graduate students. If you do
internet research for this paper your grade will probably suffer and you could end up
suffering plagiarism trouble, which can be very bad.
Sample Bibliography:
Adams, Don. 2017. Ancient Greek Philosophy. Amazon Kindle.
——. 2018. From Socrates to Plato. Amazon Kindle.
——. 2021. Second Plato Lecture. Blackboard
