Final Essay Assignment
PHI 3000: Metaphysics
ASSIGNMENT
Write a philosophical essay that responds to ONE (1) of the prompts below.
Your essay should be a minimum of 1750 words (this is approximately six pages double-spaced, excluding the bibliography page). There is no maximum length limit. Please use standard 12-point font – e.g., Cambria, Helvetica, Palatino, Times New Roman, etc. (Please note: it will be difficult to successfully answer the prompt in less than 2000 words.)
To do well, you must demonstrate sustained critical engagement with the relevant course lectures, texts, and approved secondary sources and support your claims with quotes, in-text citations, and/or philosophical arguments.
You must use the specific editions of the texts I have provided you on Canvas. Essays that use other editions/translations will not be accepted.
This is NOT a research paper. The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate deep reflective engagement with the ideas of one (or two) thinkers we have studied together this semester. I want you to explain the topic using the text and my lectures as a guide and to provide your own take on the subject matter at hand. It is fine to disagree with my interpretation. You also don’t need to get every detail “right” to do well. However, if you submit an essay that merely restates what others think, you will not do well. In short, you must think for yourself. You should use the lecture notes I have provided for you, but please do not copy them directly or thoughtlessly repeat what I say.
You may NOT use any outside sources for philosophical content: the use of any outside sources for philosophical content will be considered plagiarism and will result in failure. I have provided you with secondary sources for most of the texts we have studied together. In addition to these, you may also use relevant entries from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy and the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. If you make factual claims, you must cite your source. You can use any citation style you are comfortable with as long as page numbers are provided in-text and it is obvious what you are referencing.
If you plagiarize any part of this essay, you will fail the course. We now use plagiarism software that is far superior to anything available online (including AI detection software) and I also check essays for plagiarism the old-fashioned way. In short, I will probably catch you if you plagiarize, and the penalties are severe, so please don’t do it. Just to be clear: You are not permitted to use Chat GPT or other AI software. If you do so, you risk failing the course.
You must save at least two drafts of your final essay (in differing stages of completion) as well as copies of your working notes. (You do not need to submit these drafts and notes unless I request them, but if you do not have them when requested you will fail the assignment.)
PROMPT
(4) In the Symposium, Plato’s Socrates provides us with a multifaceted account of the nature of love. Critically evaluate Socrates’ understanding of love in Plato’s Symposium. What is love according to Socrates? What are the chief merits of his account? What does Socrates ultimately miss or get wrong about the essential nature of love in his speech? Is this deficiency accounted for in any of the other speeches? What do the other speeches (especially those of Aristophanes and/or Alcibiades) add to the overarching conceptual account of Eros and its vicissitudes presented by Plato in the Symposium?
Main Sources
Lectures-
lecture 1: https://youtu.be/9FuZrhjJhRE?si=nMffUwKbVt5r00VL
lecture 2: https://youtu.be/48mJMIquN94?si=09ZAIwrCz8UpkyTk
Readings- attached pdfs
Secondary RESOURCES
Podcast on symposium
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03mhyzk
You may use the lecture videos, lecture notes, and secondary sources (various reader’s guides and commentaries) provided on Canvas. In addition, you are allowed to use these (and only these) online encyclopedias:
The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
(Links to an external site.)
[IEP]: A repository of entries covering philosophical topics. The articles here are appropriate for people who are new to philosophy.
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
(Links to an external site.)
[SEP]: A repository of entries covering philosophical topics. These articles are better for those with some background in philosophy.
Remember: you are not allowed to use any other print or online sources for this assignment (see above).
For help with writing, citing sources, etc., see:
The MLA Handbook
(Links to an external site.)
: An online resource for grammar, punctuation, and citation style in MLA format.
Good Luck!
A final note: Remember, I don’t believe in “self-plagiarism,” so feel free to use your previous discussion board posts, etc. in your essay. Also, if you were in my recent courses, you may reuse parts of essays if the topic is sufficiently similar. If you choose to do this, please let me know in the notes to your submission, so we can avoid any confusion concerning plagiarism.
