[SOLVED] Philosophical Issues PHI215

Philosophical Issues PHI215
Requirements: 1500 words, not including a works cited/bibliography and titling information. Please include a word count on your paper.
TOPIC: Special Composition Question
What is the Special Composition Question as laid out by Peter van Inwagen?
In your paper evaluate van Inwagen’s argument of the Special Composition Question: Be sure to 1) clearly reconstruct the original argument, being sure to highlight all key elements of the theory 2) Discuss at least one possible solution or response to the SCQ 3) evaluate whether or not the potential response to the SCQ you discuss is successful and satisfactory; if it is argue why, if it is not show why it is not.
Points to consider for these papers:
Textual evidence (in the form of direct quotations) must be used to support your position. I will not accept papers that fail to use textual evidence.
Your papers should be based only on the course readings, lectures, and course resources. Please do not consult textual sources other than the assigned readings for your papers; in my experience, this usually leads to confusion, since different philosophers of- ten use the same terms somewhat differently. I especially warn you against consulting Wikipedia as a reference source, as it is often incomplete, inaccurate, and confusing on philosophical topics.
If you’re having problems structuring your paper look at the specific wording and order of the essay prompt. I write all the prompts in such a way where the structure is built into the questions and, if you follow the prompt, your outline should already be given to you.
Your introduction should be the shortest section of your paper, and should, for the purposes of this class, contain a clearly-worded thesis statement that says something along the lines of: “I argue…” “I assert…” etc. Please clearly state what you will be arguing in the introduction and not give your main point in the conclusion.
Your conclusion should not include any new information. Conclusions should serve as a way of wrapping your paper up, and ending the conversation you’re having with the reader. If you feel like you absolutely must include further information, it would be a better idea to either add it into the main part of your paper, or consider taking something out to make room for it.
A few (miscellaneous) things to think about:
I welcome any and all positions, provided they are supported with relevant details, premises, arguments, etc. However, that merely having an opinion does not make said opinion justifiable—or even good. As such, your paper would need to advance reasons you hold this position, and show why you are making the argument
Please do not try to write a paper to impress me, or one that you think I will like to hear/agree with. I care more that you have each struggled with these issues than just heard these things that I’ve said and regurgitated them.
If at all possible, please try to avoid giving personal examples when writing argumentative papers. I do not mean to suggest your relationship with whomever or your experiences are trivial, but only that these things will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to help convey your position and make your argument.
In academic writing it is generally advisable to write from a position of near-certainty regarding one’s own position. This is not to say you should write “I’m right, dammit!” but that you should avoid language that implies hesitancy on your part. In other words write, “I assert…” “It is my position…”; NOT “I hope in/feel/believe.” The latter implies you aren’t sure what you’re arguing, or that your position is too wishy-washy.
Please refrain from using valorized language or to assume, carte blanche, the person about whom you’re writing is male. The general trend is to use the feminine form for examples. You may, if you think it appropriate, use the singular “they” but be aware that some professors consider this to be stylistically awkward. Gender-neutral pronouns, such as “ze” and “zir” are also appropriate, but using them can be a little difficult at first because we’re not really taught about gender neutrality in English.
Finally, because this is a formal assignment, please use formal language throughout the course of your paper. Avoid the use of contractions and Internet lingo.
Here is a brief (and rough) description of what the grades on papers mean:
An A paper does not make any mistakes. It is clearly written, contains nothing that is misleading or capable of being misinterpreted, and is completely understandable to a reader with no background at all in philosophy. An A paper doesn’t make the reader work to understand it; the material is presented in such a way that it is easy for the reader to pick the paper up and come to understand the issues being discussed.
A B paper may contain some minor ambiguities or some sentences that could be misinterpreted, but it does not substantially misrepresent any philosophical problems, views, or arguments. The writing may be less than perfectly clear, but the writing is clear enough to accurately convey the problems, positions, and arguments under consideration to a reader with no background in philosophy.
A C paper fails to convey a fully accurate sense of the problems, positions, or arguments under consideration. A C paper may say a lot of things that are both correct and relevant to the topic, but there is something that prevents it from enabling a reader with no background in philosophy to fully understand the philosophical issue that the paper is about. Either the writing is too obscure to make the philosophical positions adequately precise, or the author misrepresents some substantial feature of some philosophical position, or the paper’s structure isn’t explicit enough to enable the reader to see clearly how its pieces fit together. But to earn a C, you must address the prompt, your writing must be clear enough for the reader to understand what you are trying to do in the paper, and you must describe the relevant philosophical views and arguments at least mostly correctly.
With D papers, there are more serious problems. A D paper says some things that at least partially address the prompt, but either there are major misrepresentations of the relevant philosophical views or arguments, or the writing is too unclear to enable the reader to understand the author’s main points, or the paper has no discernible structure. Still, not every paper that meets the word-number requirement earns a D. A D paper must show some level of understanding and engagement with the prompt, and it must reveal some accurate understanding of the relevant philosophical issues. A paper that fails to engage at all with the prompt, or that is so obscure that it reveals no evidence of understanding of the course material, will not earn a D.
Of course, pluses and minuses will be given to papers that fall in between these descriptions, but the issues here are too subtle and varied to characterize in the abstract. The comments that accompany your grade will address the particular strengths and weaknesses of your paper.