Introduction to Philosophy
Third Paper
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate your comprehension of our semester’s final topics: political philosophy, political economy, and the meaning of life.
Skills
This assignment will help you practice the following skills:
- Structuring an essay.
- Writing analytically.
- Comparing and contrasting different views.
Knowledge
This assignment will help you become familiar with the following content.
- Social contract theory.
- Capitalism, socialism, and political economy.
- Objectivism and subjectivism about the meaning of life.
Task
For this assignment, you will be writing one small essay from a choice of three topics.
Each topic asks for a complex discussion that will include several ideas from the textbook and lectures. Your grade depends on you accurately using the course material discussed so far to give a complete answer to the prompt’s questions. A complete answer for each prompt will require incorporating at least six substantial ideas into your discussion.
Choose one of the topics from the following three options. Do not write an essay for more than one, I will not read them (sorry!).
Topic One, Social Contract Theory:
This essay asks you to compare and contrast Thomas Hobbes’s social contract theory with that of John Rawls.
Begin by explaining why Hobbes thinks that life with a government is better than life without a government. What does he think life in “the state of nature” is like, and why are people supposedly trapped in a cycle of violence and poverty? What natural rights do people possess in the state of nature? (20 points)
Then, explain what the role of the sovereign is in Hobbes’s theory. What kind of government does Hobbes advocate for, and why? (20 points)
Then describe the philosophical scenario in which John Rawls asks us to imagine writing the social contract. In what three ways are we different in this scenario than here on Earth? What do you know and what do you now know behind Rawls’s “veil of ignorance,” and how is this supposed to guarantee that the social contract we right is just? (30 points)
Explain how Rawls thinks we would seek to address social inequalities in an ideal social contract. What sorts of inequalities does he think are good, and why? What sorts of inequalities does he think are bad, and why? (30 points)
Finally, I assume we all agree that life in a democracy (or at least a constitutional monarchy) is preferable to life under a dictator, so I won’t ask you to weigh in on that debate. Instead, explain whether you agree more with Hobbes, who says that humans have all and only the rights that are legally defined by their country’s constitution and laws, or with John Locke and John Rawls, who believe that people are born with certain innate rights, no matter what the law says. (20 points)
Topic Two, Political Economy:
This essay asks you to explain the difference between capitalism and socialism and comment on if and how the losers of capitalist competition should be supported by the state. (This essay is mostly about definitions and examples, although I will ask you to make a moral judgment at the end).
Begin by defining the difference between capital goods and consumer goods, and between capitalists and laborers. Illustrate your definitions with examples of each. Then use these definitions to define capitalism and socialism as defined in Thomas Metcalf’s article. Give examples of how America is primarily a capitalist country. (30 points)
Describe two arguments in favor of capitalism found in Thomas Metcalf’s article, and then describe two arguments in favor of socialism found in his article. (30 points)
Using data from the lecture slides, briefly explain how much prosperity has been generated since the advent of industrial capitalism in the early 1800s. (20 points)
Finally, consider that while technological innovation and international trade are both essential parts of modern capitalism, they also take away some people’s jobs. Many of these people lose their jobs not because they are lazy, talentless, or corrupt, but simply because the market has changed. Unfortunately, some of them are not ready for retirement, but may be too old to start a new career. Do you think the government (or the person’s previous employer) should economically compensate these people? If so, how much? Is supporting involuntarily unemployed people compatible with capitalism? (40 points)
Topic Three, Meaning in Life:
Explain what “nihilism” means and give one example from the book of a reason in favor of nihilism. Then contrast the definition of nihilism with the definitions of objectivism and subjectivism about the meaning of life. (Note: that your book incorrectly uses the words “pessimism,” “externalism,” and “internalism” for what most philosophers would call nihilism, objectivism, and subjectivism.) (40 points)
Susan Wolf thinks that that life’s meaning has both a subjective and an objective component. On one hand, a person must enjoy, appreciate, or, in some broad sense, engage positively with something in order for it to contribute to their life’s meaning. On the other hand, they must be making an objective contribution to something that is valuable on its own, not something valuable just for how it benefits them. Meaningful lives participate in something larger than the individual whose life it is. Begin your paper by explaining the “passion view,” the “larger than oneself view,” and Wolf’s own hybrid view of meaning in life. (40 points)
Then, give your own example of something that does or could add extraordinary meaning to your life. Do not use Wolf’s own examples – be creative! Explain how that thing conforms to Wolf’s hybrid theory of meaning in life. Then identify what you think is the biggest obstacle to living a meaningful life in today’s society. Why is it such a big obstacle? This can be either an obstacle that you yourself are facing or something that you think prevents other people from living a life that is as meaningful as it could be. (40 points)
Editing and Style
Your paper must be in a double-spaced, professional 12-point font. The text must be left-aligned. Give it an appropriate title and bold and/or underline the title. Make sure your name and date are on your paper, but don’t put the name of the professor.
- The paper does not contain any “filler,” i.e. sentences unrelated to the prompt or their paragraph’s main idea.
- The paper has the proper typesetting spelling, grammar, paragraph structure and editing.
- Correctly following these criteria is worth 30 points.