Please note that you will be turning in revised versions of this paper for the next two writing assignments based on the feedback provided.
Pick one of the following topics and explain and defend your position in a 3-4 page research paper:
1) Is it likely that God exists given all the suffering in the world?
2) If all of our choices are the inevitable results of events beyond our control, could we still have free will?
3) Are our minds immaterial substances?
Your explanation should be clear, detailed, and accurate and capture the main idea(s) of the theories discussed in the textbook and in class. You should also indicate why the answer to the topic question is significant.
You will need to explain in your own words what you take to be the strongest arguments in favor of and opposing your position based on what is discussed in the textbook and in class. Your explanations should be clear, detailed, and accurate, capturing the main ideas of the arguments.
In discussing these arguments, you also need to consider possible replies to them in your own words. This discussion should include a detailed and clear explanation of why we might reasonably suspect that the premises of the arguments are false or their inferences are not compelling.
As you discuss your position and the relevant arguments and replies, you will also need to make significant use of at least three citations from either the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (https://iep.utm.edu/), the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (https://plato.stanford.edu/) or both. You will need to provide a Works Cited list that includes all of the relevant bibliographic information, using either MLA, APA, or Chicago-style based on your preference.
Finally, you should include an introduction with a thesis statement addressing your position that is supported in your paper by an overall evaluation of the arguments and replies discussed, as well as a conclusion summarizing what readers should take away from this discussion along with any relevant implications or remaining questions that might still need to be addressed. Your introduction should include your explanation of why the theory is significant and also provide a clear sense of the organizational plan of the paper.
It is also important for you to avoid spelling and grammatical mistakes, wordiness, and redundancy, and to make sure you choose your words carefully based on their precise meanings.
Be careful to avoid wording that sounds too much like the chapter or any other source, unless you are citing them. When you use any wording from another author, please be sure to put the wording in quotation marks and cite the author appropriately. If you paraphrase somebody else’s ideas, please cite the original source as well. If you do not provide proper citations where you are borrowing words or ideas from others, you are plagiarizing. As a possible penalty, you may receive a 0 for the assignment and be turned in for academic dishonesty.
I will also deduct points for falling short of the page length requirement.
