Purchase College Spring 2016

History of Philosophy II Prof. J. Uleman

INSTRUCTIONS for the THIRD PAPER

General Information
Papers are due via email, as Microsoft Word docs, named
"Yourlastname Hist II Paper 3," by 11:59pm, Wed., Apr. 13.
Papers are short: 4-5 pages, or 1200-1500 words.
These are not research papers. Although you are free to
consult secondary literature, you are not required to use
anything beyond the reading we did for class, your notes, and
your own mind. (Conversations with friends may also be
helpful.)
If you do consult secondary literature (including websites),
say so.
Strive to be precise (to say exactly what you mean), concise
(to say it efficiently), and clear. Edit and proofread.
Be sure to complete and paste in the checklist, available on
Moodle.

Assignment
What idea or issue has most engaged or intrigued you so far this
semester? Stake a claim about it. Using the texts of at least
two of our philosophers, at least one of whom must be Leibniz or
Hume, write an argumentative essay (a la Weston) that defends
your claim. You may use our philosophers to defend, oppose, or
illustrate your claim. It will be important, whatever else you
do, that you formulate, entertain, and defeat a plausible
objection to your claim.

Possible topics
List to be generated in class.