Forum 1: Critical Thinking

Write at least one long paragraph in answer to each question, below. I want everyone to answer both questions.

Post your answers in the comments, below. Just click on "comments" and enter your information.

1. Think back over the arguments you made in the discussion of the case study. What were some things you were assuming to be true?
2. Think about your opinions and beliefs regarding the case study, throughout the whole process so far. How have your attitudes and beliefs changed?

Be sure to include at least your first name and last initial in your response, so I can give you credit for doing the assignment! Have a good weekend - don't forget to read chapters 1-4 in Rulebook for Arguments.

Assignment #1

Syllabus and Schedule Fall 2010

Here are links to your syllabus and schedule for the course.

To print these documents, click on the "print" link at the upper left corner.

Philosophy 110 Syllabus

Philosophy 110 Schedule Fall 2010

Final Grades for Course

Hi everyone,

Hope you're having a great summer! Thanks for an engaging course, and I hope to see you again! Here's a link to your final grades: Spring 2010 - Final Course Grades Philosophy 110.

(Photo (c) Luc Viatour, published under GNU Free Documentation License. More gorgeous photographs at lucnix)

Some extra information regarding the paper

This might possibly be relevant to your consideration of the new law in AZ, particularly in terms of Rawls' first principle of justice and Mill's (that's possessive, not plural!) concerns about liberty.

Extra Credit Assignments

Philosophy 110 Spring 2010

Extra Credit

Earn up to 50 points for each assignment completed satisfactorily. Each paper should be a minimum of 2 pages to answer the assignment sufficiently to gain any points. Papers should be typed, double-spaced, and in no larger than 12-point font.

1. Aristotle and Mill both want to promote human flourishing, but come to quite different conclusions about how best to do that. Write a paper in which you compare and contrast their views about what constitutes human flourishing and how best to achieve it.
2. Give a brief description of a situation you faced, in which you didn't know what was the best thing to do. Give a detailed description of how you would apply the categorical imperative to that situation (that is, actually walk through the application of the c.i. to that situation), and say what decision(s) you would come to by using the c.i.
3. Propose a change to an existing law and give a detailed analysis of why your change would be a better rule to have in our moral code.

Final Term Paper

Here's a link to the assignment for your final term paper. Let me know if you have any questions while you're working on it.

You can get started on #s 1 and 2 now.

The transition to Google docs format didn't quite deal with the footnotes, so you'll see a bit of weird formatting. The tiny numbers 1 and 2 in question 1 are footnotes.

Here are some links to general information about and coverage of SB1070:

This is a Times story about the bill before it had been signed into law. Covers some of the general provisions and some of the controversy over the bill.

This is a synopsis of the bill with basic legislative information about it.