So these are the prompts for the final essay. You have to choose ONE (1) prompt from the three below. Your essay should be three (3) or at most (4) pages long, double-spaced in a regular font.
1. Explain what functionalism is. Explain EITHER the ‘inverted qualia’ OR the ‘absent qualia’ objection to functionalism. Are either of those objections decisive? Evaluate the arguments here.
2. Does Libet’s experiment argue for epiphenomenalism about conscious intentions?Is it successful? Evaluate the arguments here.
3. How does Jackson explain what physicalism is?Set out Jackson’s example about Mary. Explain how, according to Jackson, the example of Mary is supposed to show that physicalism is false. Next, evaluate Jackson’s argument. Does it succeed? Why or why not?
I have attached reading for every prompt available to help with other sources to support the paper. The rubric is copy and pasted below :
Here’s the grading rubric I will be using:
Each paper starts out with a B grade, and then earns 1/3 of a letter grade (+1) or loses 1/3 of a letter grade based on several factors.
Reconstruction of others’ arguments and ideas
– great work: +1
– fine but not great work: 0
– big mistake or gaps, especially if they carry through to criticism: -1
Writing style
– very lucid structure and/or writing style: +1
– fine structure or style, but not great: 0
– really messy structure or very difficult/unclear style: -1
Critical evaluation by the student
– original, developed reaction (even if it doesn’t totally ‘work’): +1
– minimal effort, with no original or developed criticism: 0
– complete lack of critical evaluation on the part of the student: -1
Other relevant features
– sloppiness in critical section (doing too much, going too fast, not registering which claims support which, and the like): -1
– improper citation that doesn’t amount to plagiarism fully (e.g. lifting phrases from handouts or articles without properly explaining them): -1
– lack of a clear stance (flip-flopping, or failure to commit, especially when stating thesis at beginning and end of paper): -1
– far too long: -1
– etc.
I have attached to this announcement one of the guides to writing a philosophy paper. Here’s a website that contains second guide: http://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/guidelines/writing.html (Links to an external site.).
