According to Socrates, must one heed popular opinion about moral matters

1.
Philosophical Essay– You will write a two-part 5-6
page essay (excluding the Works Cited page) using our .libguides.com/PHIL101″>Library Guide for PHIL101 and our
Online Library to answer one of the following questions:

1. According to Socrates, must one heed popular
opinion about moral matters? Does
Socrates accept the fairness of the laws under which he was tried and
convicted? Would Socrates have been
wrong to escape?
2. If God exists, is murder immoral? Can those who do not believe in God be highly
moral people? Can people who practice
different religions agree about how to resolve a moral disagreement?
3. Consider the following philosophical puzzle:
“If a tree falls in the forest and there’s no one around to hear it, does it
make a sound?” (1) How is this philosophical puzzle an epistemological problem?
And (2) how would John Locke answer it?
4. Evaluate the movie, The Matrix, in terms of the philosophical issues raised with (1)
skepticism and (2) the mind-body problem. Explain how the movie raises
questions similar to those found in Plato’s and Descartes’ philosophy. Do not
give a plot summary of the movie – focus on the philosophical issues raised in
the movie as they relate to Plato and Descartes.
5. Socrates asks Euthyphro, “Are morally good
acts willed by God because they are morally good, or are they morally good
because they are willed by God?” (1) How does this question relate to the
Divine Command Theory of morality? (2) What are the philosophical implications
associated with each option here?
6. Explain (1) the process by which Descartes
uses skepticism to refute skepticism, and (2) what first principle does this
lead him to? (3) Explain why this project was important for Descartes to
accomplish.

Essay Part
1: At the end of week 4you will turn in (1) a
clearly articulated thesis statement, and (2) a selected list of appropriate
sources using our .libguides.com/PHIL101″>Library Guide for
PHIL101 and our Online Library, as indicated below:
1.
Identify at least one
encyclopedia, or similar work, providing a big picture overview of key issues
your topic needs to address.
2.
Identify at least one
secondary source, an interpretive work, addressing your which was written by
someone other than the philosophers identified in your topic. This secondary source should be located
through the journal article database available in the APUS Online Library,
where contemporary philosophical articles pertaining to your topic, can be
located. For instance, use EBSCO’s
Academic Search Elite. This is a
searchable database of scholarly articles from many academic disciplines,
including philosophy. It should be used
to locate contemporary scholarly articles pertaining to epistemology,
perception, Locke, etc. It also contains
the full text of many of the articles.
3.
Identify at least one
primary source, from a major philosopher identified in your topic choice. Be
sure that the primary source selected pertains to the issues raised by your
topic.
Explain briefly how the content of each
source will assist you with your Philosophical Essay Assignment. Provide a
complete reference in MLA style for each work selected.

Format
your Philosophical Essay using .apus.edu/Online-Library/tutorials/mla.htm”>MLA guidelines
(see .doc#Policies”>Citation and Reference Style). All papers should be double spaced and
written in Times New Roman 12 point font.
Papers should include indented paragraphs, no extra space between
paragraphs, and 1 inch margins on all 4 sides.
Keep quotes from sources to 2-3 lines and no more than 10-20% of the
paper; this is especially relevant with regard to secondary sources. Never let your secondary sources take over or
make your argument for you.

File Names: Please label all MS Word file attachments in
the following manner: Your last name_Assignment
Title (i.e., Smith_Philosophical Essay Part 1).

The following is an example (do not copy and use) of Essay Part 1 due
at week 4:

Name
Date
Class

Thesis Statement:

In this essay I evaluate the philosophical puzzle: “If a tree falls
in the forest and there’s no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?” In
my evaluation I explain that this question raises the epistemological problem
of how a subjective experience, such as sound, relates to what can be known of
reality. I demonstrate that this question is a puzzle because it exposes the
limits of what we can claim to know based on sensory experience. Lastly, I will
explain how the empiricist, John Locke, would evaluate and answer the
puzzle.

Annotated Bibliography

E.J. Lowe, Ed. Routledge Philosophy Guidebook to Locke on
Human Understanding.
New
York, NY: Routledge, 1995. NetLibrary. 2002. 1 Mar. 2009
.netlibrary.com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/urlapi.asp?action=summary&v=1&bookid=73470″>http://www.netlibrary.com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/urlapi.asp?action=summary&v=1&bookid=73470
This source provides a
comprehensive discussion of John Locke, the person, and the arguments he puts
forth in An Essay Concerning Human
Understanding. It will also help to understand the book as it relates to
historical events and ideas. Additionally, it identifies arguments from the
work’s supporters and critics.
Kemerling, Garth. “John
Locke: The Origin of Ideas.” Philosophy
Pages. Britannica
Internet.2001. Web.
1 Mar. 2009. .philosophypages.com/hy/4l.htm”>http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/4l.htm
This source is a quick
introduction to Locke and his philosophical perspective and introduces the main
themes in his work, An Essay Concerning
Human Understanding. It will also help me understand the more complicated
aspects of Locke’s epistemology that I’ll be reading to write my essay.
Locke, John. An
Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Kitchener, Ont.: Batoche,
2001. Ebrary. 2005. 4
Oct. 2010. http://site.ebrary.com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/lib/apus/Doc?id=2001993
This is Locke’s major
empirical thesis, detailing how Lock perceived the problem of knowledge,
experience and sensation. This primary
text will provide the illustrations and proofs required of my thesis.
Uzgalis, William. “John
Locke: The Limits of Human Understanding.” Stanford
Encyclopedia of
Philosophy. 2007. Web. 1 Mar. 2009. .stanford.edu/entries/locke/#LimHumUnd/”>http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke/#LimHumUnd/
This source presents a
much more detailed analysis of Locke’s epistemology from his work, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding.

Grading Rubric for Part 1: Thesis Statement and Research Resources
Due at the end of Week 4

Points

Purpose:
Clearly articulated thesis statement of appropriate scope that (1)
tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the question, and
(2) tells the reader what you intend to accomplish in your essay.
Support:
List of three or more appropriate research resources (not including
course books).
Syntax, Style, Grammar, and Formatting:The writing
contains sentences that are always complete and grammatically correct, and
free of confusion and ambiguity. The
essay follows MLA formatting and adheres to the additional guidelines
detailed in the syllabus.

7

7

6

Essay Part 2: At the end of week 7the entire 5-6 page (excluding Works Cited) Philosophical Essay is
due and will be graded according to the following rubric categories.

Grading Rubric for Part 2: Complete Philosophical Essay
Due at the end of Week 7

Points

Purpose: The writing engages the reader with an
insightful approach to the subject through a clear presentation of complex
and interrelated ideas. The writing fully, accurately,
and clearly identifies the relevant issues in the question.
Support: The
writing develops ideas through careful explanations which are supported by
reliable and relevant evidence based on appropriate research. Claims are
supported and explained rather than simply asserted.Quotes
and examples are used appropriately to support ideas and claims. The essay is written in the third person
objective voice, rather than in the first person “I” subjective voice.
Organization, Clarity, and Formatting:
The writing flows
smoothly and reasonably from a well-defined thesis. Ideas and concepts
are fully developed, clear, and organized. Main ideas are not lost in
surrounding supporting evidence. The
essay is formatted in MLA style and adheres to the additional guidelines detailed
in the syllabus.
Syntax, Style, Grammar:The writing contains sentences that
are always complete and grammatically correct, and free of confusion and
ambiguity.

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25

25

Notes on Student
Resources, Assignment Labeling, Formatting, and Submitting:
a.
APUS has many excellent online
resources and tutorials for college research/essay writing, proper citation
using uses .apus.edu/Online-Library/tutorials/mla.htm”>MLA
style, general layout, etc. All of these
resources and can be found by accessing
our .libguides.com/PHIL101″>Library Guide for PHIL101.
You must be logged into the Online Library for all links to work.
b.
Forum posts are to be submitted
as a “reply” to the prompt thread. Make sure to click the related assignments
tab below the text box prior to submitting.
c.
Submit written assignments as
Microsoft Word .doc or .docx files only, and with your last name and the assignment
title. For example: Smith Essay Part 1.

d.
Format your Philosophical Essay
using .apus.edu/Online-Library/tutorials/mla.htm”>MLA
guidelines (see .doc#Policies”>Citation and Reference Style). All papers should be double spaced and
written in Times New Roman 12 point font.
Papers should include indented paragraphs, no extra space between
paragraphs, and 1 inch margins on all 4 sides.
Keep quotes from sources to 2-3 lines and no more than 10-20% of the
paper; this is especially relevant with regard to secondary sources. Never let your secondary sources take over or
make your argument for you.
e.
File Names: Please label all file
attachments in the following manner: Your
last name_Assignment Title (i.e., Smith_Philosophical Essay Part 2).
f.
Sources: Use only
scholarly articles and books found through databases in the APUS and other
libraries. If you must go outside of
these academic sources, let me know so we can review together. In general, keep quotes to no more than
2-3 lines in these relatively short papers.
Sources that should never be used in your research and writing include
the following:

Wikipedia.
Any essay writing web sites and web sites that have [.k12] in their
address.
Study sites or aids such as Pink Monkey, enotes.com, answers.com,
sparknotes.com, about.com, Bartleby.com, allfreeessays.com, ehow.com, associatedcontent.com,
cummingsstudyguides.net, essaysample.com, 123helpme.com, and any others like
these.