What role should religion play in political life and why?

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Compare and contrast the selections from John Locke “Toleration and Government” (PIDI, pgs. 78-93 ) and the selections from Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s “The Necessity for Islamic Government” (PIDI, pgs. 562-569) on the relationship between religion and politics. What role should religion play in political life and why? What are the justifications for including religion in politics? What are the reasons for excluding religion from politics? Which author provides the most convincing argument about the relationship between politics and religion and why? Finally, consider what role, in any, ideology plays in each author’s understanding of the relationship between religion and politics.
Successful papers will include two main parts. First, your paper should break down (i.e. summarize), analyze (i.e. critique), and compare the core components of Locke’s and Khomeini’s respective conceptions of religion and politics. Second, your paper should assess the compatibility of Locke’s and Khomeini’s respective conceptions of religion and politics.
Make sure to use textual evidence in the essay and cite the evidence.

Should capital punishment be legal if the state deems that the offender cannot rehabilitate?

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Should capital punishment be legal if the state deems that the offender cannot rehabilitate?

Do animals have rights and do those rights extend to all animals or so the rights change based on the complexity of the animal?

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Do animals have rights and do those rights extend to all animals or so the rights change based on the complexity of the animal?

Examine at least two types of biases that you likely experienced as you evaluated the premises for and against your position.

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Write a 3–4 page paper in which you:

Conflicting Viewpoints Essay: Part 1.
Identify three premises (reasons) from Pros & Cons of Controversial Issues that support your position, and explain why you selected these specific reasons.
Explain your answers to the “believing” questions about the three premises opposing your position from Pros & Cons of Controversial Issues.
Examine at least two types of biases that you likely experienced as you evaluated the premises for and against your position.
Discuss the effects of your own enculturation or group identification that may have influenced your biases.
Discuss whether your thinking about the topic has changed after playing the “Believing Game,” even if your position on the issue has stayed the same.

Discuss  Philosophical analysis on abortion.

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Discuss  Philosophical analysis on abortion.

Write an essay about the theory or theories of history inherent to the book Capitalism, Alone by Branko Milanovic.

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Write an essay about the theory or theories of history inherent to the book Capitalism, Alone by Branko Milanovic.

Does alternative medicine work better in many cases than standard western medicine?

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Does alternative medicine (e.g. acupuncture, homeopathic medicine, etc.) work better in many cases than standard western (allopathic) medicine?

Does your essence determine your existence or are you a product of your choices and environment

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This 3-4 page Project Assignment picks up the discussion of the self in the week 2 discussion by asking you to further explore the question of who you are. If any of the philosophers we read this session might agree with your view, identify the philosopher and explain their position on the self. If any might disagree, identify and discuss the points of disagreement. Personal experience is particularly relevant to this prompt, so feel free to compare your own ideas/experiences to the philosophical theories from the readings. You might consider the following questions as you develop your response:

Does your essence determine your existence (as in the avocado view), or are you a product of your choices and environment (as in the artichoke view)? Or do you not have a solid, separate self at all (as in the non-Western views of the self)?

Does race/sex/gender/class/sexual orientation play a role in who you are? Is gender identity a fixed biological reality? Why or why not?

Discuss disability awareness and how it affects them.

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Discuss disability awareness and how it affects them.