Category: Philosophy

Evaluate the quality of scientific and anecdotal evidence using the standards of inductive and deductive reasoning described in the course. Consider the quality of causal relationship, analogies, generalizations, and/or moral reasoning.

Is Social Media Good For Society?

Length: 5–7 pages, 7–9 paragraphs, 1250–1600 words

Use the course book in file

This writing project includes a comprehensive application of the elements of critical reasoning that we are studying in this course. The main objective is to use the critical thinking strategies described in the course to analyze and evaluate contrasting arguments. You can preview the requirements for the final paper in the Week 8 assignment below.

This is not an opinion piece or persuasive essay.

The goal is to present contrasting arguments using information from credible sources and to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of these positions using content from the course.

As you put this together, are you following the critical analysis process that we emphasize in critical reasoning? This means fairly considering all research equally before reaching a conclusion.

Your rough draft should include 1–2 paragraphs for each of the following elements:

Introduction: Identify the issue/topic. Provide the necessary background and important recent developments. Define key terms and concepts.

Arguments and Counterarguments: Summarize the best arguments on both sides of the issue. Include relevant research from credible sources used to support each conclusion.

Evaluation of Critical Thinking: Assess the strength of the arguments and the quality of thinking surrounding this issue.

Identify weaknesses in critical thinking such as fallacies, rhetorical devices, vague language, and cognitive biases.

Provide specific examples of how these weaknesses appear in arguments, using terminology and definitions from the course

Evaluate the quality of scientific and anecdotal evidence using the standards of inductive and deductive reasoning described in the course. Consider the quality of causal relationship, analogies, generalizations, and/or moral reasoning.

Conclusion: Analyze the totality of research and offer a critical thinker’s response to the issue.

Identify your own position and experience with the issue and explain how your thinking of the subject has evolved as a result of your analysis.

You must use a minimum of 5 research references in APA Style and include in-text citations in your paragraphs. Include a minimum of 3 academic peer-reviewed books or journal articles.

Other sources may be used as supplemental sources, such as journalistic, government, web-based, or media sources. Sources should not include dictionaries, encyclopedias, or general information websites like Wikipedia.

Identify the fallacy and why you think that this particular type of advertisement represents the fallacy that you have chosen.

Find an example of a fallacy used in popular advertising or any persuasive text. Upload the image/words or provide a link.
Identify the fallacy and why you think that this particular type of advertisement represents the fallacy that you have chosen.

You the book in the file when referencing fallacy

Consider Russell’s views on western attitudes towards sex in the 1930’s. Has western society followed Russell’s advice, and to what extent? Is society still too prude and irrational about sex, or has it become too sexually liberal?

Bertrand Russell in sexuality

Consider Russell’s views on western attitudes towards sex in the 1930’s. Has western society followed Russell’s advice, and to what extent? Is society still too prude and irrational about sex, or has it become too sexually liberal? Give reasoning to support your answers.

Describe the activity or artifact you have found, and give a link to it if it’s on the web. Argue for why the activity or artifact counts as philosophical.

Find something out in the world beyond the course that you think counts as an example of philosophical content, or thinking, or a philosophical activity.

It must be something that isn’t obviously connected to philosophy (e.g., a philosophy blog would obviously be connected

to philosophy, or a newspaper column like The Stone from the New York Times, which is written by philosophers: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/category/the-stone/ (Links to an external site.)).

There are many different options for this assignment, from novels to films to video games to TV shows to everyday activities. It’s up to you

what you want to pick to talk about.

Describe the activity or artifact you have found, and give a link to it if it’s on the web.

Argue for why the activity or artifact counts as philosophical.

Do so by first defining what philosophy means to you, and referring to at least one philosopher we have discussed in class to show how this definition fits what they do.

Give details about what the philosopher says or does to support your claim that this definition fits with their work, referring to specific things in the texts where relevant.

Then argue for why and how the activity or artifact you have found counts as philosophical under this definition.

Finally, include somewhere in your post (doesn’t have to be at the end) an explanation of one way in which you engage in philosophical activity in your life outside of class, based on the definition of philosophy you have given earlier.

If you can’t think of anything, talk to me for help!
You may include with your post an image or embedded video or audio file, if you wish, but note:

The images or audio files you post must be either public domain or licensed to allow reuse. And if they are the latter, they must be attributed to their original creator correctly.

Here is a resource to explain what  mean by this, and how you can correctly attribute images: http://wiki.ubc.ca/

Documentation:

PDCCLicenses (Links to an external site.). If you include any images that are not clearly marked as public domain or licensed for reuse, they will be removed and points will be taken off for not following instructions.
Videos posted on YouTube or Vimeo can be embedded into the assignment even if they aren’t licensed for reuse.

How long the text should be:

Don’t have a hard and fast rule for this; basically it should be as long as necessary to include all the elements noted above. Still,don’t think you can do this well in less than 500 words at a minimum, and don’t think it needs to be more than 1500 words at a maximum (which doesn’t mean that you should try to hit the maximum, and add in unnecessary things to do so!).

Grading:

This is worth 100 points, based on your thorough completion of the components of the assignment as instructed. You must include everything required for full credit. The response in Week 7 is worth 50 points, a Discussion Grade.

Explain why Jackson and Nagel think that mental states cannot be reduced to physical states.What is folk psychology?

Week 5 Discussion: Philosophy of Mind.

Thomas Nagel: What is it like to be a Bat?

Frank Jackson: Epiphenomenal Qualia

Churchland: Reduction, Qualia, and the Direct Introspection of Brain States

Jackson and Nagel.pdf download

Churchland.pdf download

Answer any 7 of the 11 questions. Answer an additional question for extra credit. thoughtfully and thoroughly answer the questions. Make sure your answers are detailed and well-supported. If a question has more than 1 part, make sure you answer every part. Explain using your own words and own examples.

Discuss answers with your group, esp. concerning #11.

What are qualia? Explain using an example.

Explain what Jackson’s examples of Fred and Mary and Nagel’s example of the bat are meant to demonstrate.

Explain why Jackson and Nagel think that mental states cannot be reduced to physical states. (Use your own example to illustrate.)
What is folk psychology?

Use an example to illustrate.

What is intertheorectic reduction? (Use an example to illustrate.)

What does Churchland hope to reduce with intertheorectic reduction? What does he want to replace it with? Explain why he thinks this is possible.
Explain either the example of the wine taster or the symphony conductor. Explain what these examples are meant to demonstrate.