Each philosophical position paper should be 500-800 words and written in a format appropriate for a philosophy essay (see below):
Briefly describe the claim that will be the object of your critique. This could probably be done as part of the short opening paragraph. Remember the “Principle of Charity.”
Explain why this claim is significant. This is the “So what?” Why should we care about this claim? You might explain, for example, that if the claim with which you’re concerned turns out to be objectionable, then there will turn out to be problems with one of the author’s main arguments. This could probably be done in a paragraph or so.
Critically evaluate the claim you have identified, and whose significance you have established. In other words, explain why the claim is objectionable. This will require the most work, and should occupy the bulk of your paper. Here is where you should introduce not only counter arguments which can be from course materials and empirical evidence (provide citations).
After submitting your assignment, please add a comment that describes the specific ways you have incorporated the feedback from your peer review of your Philosophical Position #2.
Notes
You may wish to consult A Brief Guide to Writing the Philosophy Paper
Additionally, all writing should be grammatically correct and written for an academic audience explained in A Guide to Writing an Academic Paper
Claim: This is a statement that is essentially arguable, but used is used to prove an argument.
Philosophical significance: You must be sure that the claim you are critiquing is in the subject matter of philosophy, not zoology, physiology, economics, etc. (for guidance, please consider the branches of philosophy described in the textbook). So, for example, if an author says that highly competitive youth sport improves children’s performance as adults, this may be a pedagogically significant claim but not a philosophically significant claim, since it does not say something about right or wrong behavior. A philosophically significant claim would be a claim that a certain kind of behavior or policy is right or wrong, or that certain individuals have or do not have certain rights, or that people in certain circumstances have or do not have certain obligations or duties, etc.
Philosophical significance: You must also be sure that the claim you are critiquing is significant, not minor or trivial. For example, suppose an author were to say that he thinks that people have the right to 2,000 calories of nutrition per day, and you were to think that people really only have the right to 1,950 calories of nutrition per day. Then while your disagreement with the author would be an ethical one (because it would be concerned with the extent of the rights that people have), it would not be a very significant one, because even if the author were to concede this point, it wouldn’t have a substantial impact on the practical implications of his or her views.
