Hope to get an A on this Essay Topics Choose one of the following:
1. Cultural relativism is often presented as a challenge to the study of ethics and the validity of moral reasoning. What is this challenge? What is Rachel’s response to this challenge? Is Rachel’s successful in meeting this challenge? If so, defend him against possible objections. If not, why not? Defend the cultural relativist thesis against Rachel’s objections.
2. Nussbaum in “Judging Other Cultures” argues against female “circumcision” which she believes ought to be called female genital mutilation. This is our test case for the relativist thesis: Nussbaum is a Western white woman. She is criticizing a practice predominantly performed on the African continent. What is her critique of such a practice? Is she entitled to level such a critique? What four reasons do relativists give suggesting that she is not? How does she respond? Are you convinced by her response? Can such a practice be justified as part of a cultural tradition of which we should not interfere? [Note: due to the limitations of length if you wish to consider one or two reasons and responses that is acceptable; in fact, it is recommended.]
3. Nagel in “Right and Wrong” considers it to be logically inconsistent, incoherent and thus irrational to deny the universality of morality and moral reasoning. What is his argument supporting the moral point of view? Do you agree?
4. Do animals have rights? Referring to the arguments of Regan and Narveson, argue for your answer to this question.
5. Regan in arguing for a “deep ecology” approach to ethics including animal rights supports sentientialism and while having sympathy for an even deeper ecological approach, ultimately he cannot endorse it. What is “deep ecology”? Sentientialism? The deeper ecological view? Do you agree with Regan here?
6*. “Why should I be moral?” “Why should I care about a stranger or help a stranger?” For Rorty in his article “Human Rights, Rationality and Sentimentality” there is no rational answer to these questions and there exists no such rational moral obligations. All we can do with respect to such questions and with respect to the human injustices, inequalities and sufferings we see is to tell a “long, sad, sentimental story” concerning them. The basis for moral thought and action is the singing of sad songs and the telling of sentimental stories. What are Rorty’s arguments for such a view? Do you agree? * Most likely we will not have the time to get to this article in class. But if you are interested in this question feel free to write on it. I will keep it in mind that we did not discuss it. Length: 5-7 double spaced typewritten pages: 1300-1800 words. Notes/Requirements: These are requirements so do follow them – i.e., you would hate to have your essay handed back to you ungraded simply because you didn’t number your pages. Unfortunately I cannot accept any papers over email: with this many students I will have no toner, no paper and not much of a printer left if I did. Also, consider how time consuming it would be to print out all of the essays and staple them. time that could be better spent. I would like one or more pages of critique – a “what you think section.” What I mean by this is that I do not want the essay to be purely exposition. I want you to start developing the talent of constructing your own arguments criticizing or defending a position. Often a student will divide the essay into two parts:
(i) exposition and
(ii) a critique where they argue for their position. That is fine. Or a student will intertwine their criticisms and arguments in the body of the essay itself. That is fine as well. As long as you are starting to construct some of your own arguments, that is what is desired. Essay format and presentation. Therefore, please don’t just answer the questions loosely held together without a common thread or theme. If you like to write a paper on a topic not included above but directly related to our readings, feel free to do so; however, clear it with me in advance. For example, you may wish to write a paper defending animal rights focusing exclusively on Narveson’s article rebutting his arguments, that is fine. Number your pages. Write your name, my name and the course code on your cover page. That way, the assistants will know which mailbox to place the essay. You can simply staple the pages of your essay with a cover page. That is preferable. If you wish to hand the essay in a plastic folder that is fine as long as it is easily removable from the folder and re-inserted. Do not hand in the essay with a transparent film like plastic covering or a folder where the pages need to have holes punched in them: I know that it can look nice but when you are grading a stack of essays, it is too cumbersome to remove the essay from the covering and then attempt to reinsert it, often crumbling the cover. Proper Referencing: Whenever you are quoting something or using an idea that is not your own, you have to reference it in an endnote or footnote. I am not picky regarding the style, whether it is MLA, Chicago Manual of Style or even if it is more informal.
However, all the essential information should be there: (i) Author, Title of the Article or Book, Source [the journal if it is a journal article, the publisher and date of publication if it is a book, or the website] and the page number in the article or book itself from where you are getting your quotation or idea. (ii) If you are using our course kit, you can simply refer to the course kit. For example, suppose you are writing on Martha Nussbaum’s “Judging Other Cultures” you can use the Bibliographical information in the back of our course kit or just Martha C. Nussbaum, “Judging Other Cultures,” p.119, in Course Kit. That is fine. I know where to find the quotation or the idea.
Do Not: (i) quote something or use an idea and then in your endnote/footnote simply refer to the article leaving it to me to search the article in order to find the page number. For example, do not simply state “Martha Nussbaum, ‘Judging Other Cultures’” or “(Nussbaum, 1999)” which refers to the article in your bibliography again leaving it to me to search the article to find the page number of the quotation or idea. (ii) Simply list the source in your bibliography with no reference in the essay where you are using this source. Whenever you use a source you have to reference it in the body of your essay. Don’t Plagiarize. Sometimes you can get away with it and I have a sneaking suspicion that some students in my class may have gotten away with it in the past. However, more often than not you are caught and I have to come down hard on it: report to the associate principal which means the class cannot be dropped, and a zero on the assignment with no chance of a rewrite. Besides, there is a rewrite option in this class and you are cheating yourself if you do plagiarize. Danger: these questions are rather broad giving you latitude and freedom to develop your thought in a number of directions. However, a frequently recurring problem I have noticed over the years has been that a number of students, a sizable minority, wrote very broad, “brush-stroke,” general summary papers not that different from the lecture handouts. This leaves me little by which to assess their talent and ability and consequently they did not do as well as they could have. Don’t fall into this trap. I would suggest that you narrow the topic. Often an excellent paper will explore with expertise and skill a few points and arguments. I don’t expect you to cover all the points/issues in five to seven pages. Danger: read the article. I would like you to do ALL of the readings for this course. I think you are cheating yourself if you don’t. For example, you get better at philosophy the more you read which enhances the education that you are paying for. However, often students are unable to do all of the readings. Fair enough. But you do need to at least read the article(s) that you are writing your assignment on. Sadly, there are students who have left the impression that they have been working exclusively from the lecture notes without even reading the article itself and I have been far too lenient in the past regarding this: this leniency has to come to an end. Do read and cite from the actual article(s) – they are not that long. Good Luck and have fun with it! Philosophy should be fun!
