Final Paper

Your final assignment is to write an essay on one philosopher covered in this course.

Instructions

Choose one of the six philosophers — Aristotle, Aquinas, Kant, Mill, Nietzsche, or de Beauvoir — and develop a focused argument or analysis related to their work.

Requirements

• Minimum three pages, double-spaced, MLA format
• Choose a specific claim, argument, or concept from the philosopher's work
• Develop a thesis — take a position, don't just summarize
• Support your claims with evidence from the primary texts we've read
• Address at least one potential objection to your argument

Suggested Approaches

• Defend or critique a specific argument made by your chosen philosopher
• Compare how two philosophers in the course address the same question
• Apply a philosopher's framework to a contemporary moral question and evaluate whether it holds up
• Identify a tension within a philosopher's position and argue for a resolution