Midterm Writing Assignment/Writing Assignment 1 Most essays…
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Midterm Writing Assignment/Writing Assignment 1 Mоst essаys thаt аre A quality are 750-1000 wоrds. *Please Disable Grammarly and оther AI Tools before beginning. This exam evaluates your ability to understand philosophical theories, apply them to specific situations, and critically evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. Essays that rely mainly on memorized lists of arguments without engaging the specific question will receive limited credit. Pick ONE of the prompts and write your essay. Possible Essay Prompts Cultural RelativismA humanitarian organization is debating whether to intervene in a cultural practice that local leaders strongly defend as central to their identity, while international observers argue that the practice causes serious harm. FGM is a similar example we examined in class. Using cultural relativism, analyze whether intervention is morally justified. In your essay, explain/define cultural relativism as a moral theory, apply it to the situation described, evaluate whether cultural relativism gives a satisfactory answer in this case, and defend your evaluation by addressing at least one serious objection. (Choose any issue but some possible ones are FGM, Circumcision, arranged marriages, corporal punishment of children). SubjectivismTwo people disagree about whether breaking a promise is morally wrong. Each sincerely believes their own view is correct, and neither can convince the other. According to moral subjectivism, is there any meaningful sense in which one of them could be mistaken? In your essay, explain/define moral subjectivism, analyze how it understands moral disagreement, and evaluate whether subjectivism can adequately explain moral criticism or moral error. Psychological EgoismImagine a firefighter who knowingly risks their life to save complete strangers, with no expectation of reward, praise, or personal gain. Can psychological egoism plausibly explain this behavior? In your essay, distinguish psychological egoism from ethical egoism, apply psychological egoism to this case, evaluate whether the theory successfully explains the firefighter’s actions, and address at least one challenge to your evaluation. Stoicism A recent college graduate experiences significant anxiety about career uncertainty, social comparison, and fear of failure. Using Stoicism, explain how this philosophy would advise the person to think and act. Your essay should explain three central themes of Stoicism, apply each theme to the situation, and evaluate whether this philosophy offers a realistic or adequate approach to modern life. Grading Criteria Your essay will be evaluated based on clarity and organization (30%) and content and analysis (70%). Strong essays have a clear thesis, logical structure, and well-organized paragraphs. They demonstrate an accurate understanding of the material, directly address the prompt, apply philosophical ideas to concrete cases, and offer thoughtful evaluation supported by reasons. A more detailed grading rubric is available in the syllabus.
Pаrаgrаphs V thrоugh X fоcus оn a problem and solution. What is the problem and what is the solution? (Type your answer in the text box below. No more than one sentence each for the problem and solution).V “Paper is fantastic,” Jacobson tells me as we tour E-Ink offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “If books or newspapers on paper had not already been invented, if we lived in a world only with computer screens, then paper would be a breathtaking breakthrough. But the way we use paper is incredibly wasteful.” W Jacobson illustrates to me the E-Ink technology he hopes will someday supplement ink on paper. It prints electronic letters on squares of plastic that can be erased and reused. I ask Jacobson why he uses plastic. “Paper tears too easily,” he replies. “We’re working on a plastic substance that looks and feels like paper. You could photocopy it, even underline on it with a special pen.” X “Isn’t that a lot of trouble to solve a problem that doesn’t exist?” “A problem does exist,” Jacobson says. “Paper needs to be taken into the digital age. We need writing that changes on paper. Think about all the information people download from the Internet. They don’t want to read it on a computer screen, so they print it on paper. The demand for paper is soaring. Think of all the savings in cost and the pollution prevented if you needed less paper.”