Personhood
Background:
Our main learning objective is ‘analysis’. But what’s the point of analyzing if we can’t apply. Our task is to synthesize, structure, and apply concepts from our course.
The purpose of this assignment is twofold: 1) To organize applied information in a precise form; 2) To make something that narrates your complex idea.
Your task:
Your assignment is to choose one of the following topics or any other topic that we discuss in Phil 1:
1) Mechanisms of ignorance
2) Socrates, Plato, and the Allegory of the Cave
3) Truth and Gettier
4) Personhood
5) Representation: Art or Science
6) Feminism
7) Egoism
The Project, Part 1 has two components:
1. The Writing Component:
• 50% of the total assignment.
• 1000-word essay, double-spaced.
• Must work individually on this
• Word document and double-spaced
How to Structure Your Writing Component:
A. Present Proper Background on Your Topic:
The necessary components are: A) that you introduce the importance and B) relevant background knowledge on the topic. It is also that you C) engage your audience with your episode.
A bit more detail on (A)-(C): What is the topic about? Who cares about the topic? Why is it important? What makes it interesting? What details have people put forth? (You can pick and choose those details.) You have to be as efficient as possible in the exposition. In the introduction you should have a way to make the audience interested in the topic. This is why it is very important that you choose something that you are fascinated by. If you do, you will be very involved in the discussion, and it will be easy for you to draw the viewer’s attention to the episode.
Note that your topic will be BOTH the concept and the application of the concept to the context. So, think about how to precisely state this.
B. Your thesis:
The necessary components are: you have to have A) a clear thesis which tells the audience what you will argue; and B) an outline for how your discussion will flow. Make sure that you are giving a cohesive discussion, rather than just listing some viewpoints on the topic. Work a lot on the precision of your thesis, and the structure/steps that you will use to unfold your thesis. Your thesis will give a precise glimpse into how your argument works. That is, how does your particular concept apply to a given modern-day context? Then, your outline for your discussion will structure each of the components into the subsequent paragraphs/sections that you set out.
C. The specific components of your argument:
The necessary component is that you make explicit how each concept that we learned seamlessly integrates into your argument. This will require many paragraphs. I would recommend having paragraphs that focus on one small point and then illustrate that point.
D. Conclusions:
In a unique fashion, state what you have done and why it is important.
E. Make sure to always cite. MLA, APA, Chicago, are all acceptable for citations. Make a habit of citing your sources in written work. (You do not have to say a citation out loud in the video component.)
