Bright Academic Experts

Category: Philosophy

  • Reading/Lecture Questions

    Take a look at Alastair Norcross’ article here: The idea referred to in the lecture begins on p.159 but Norcross makes several arguments in this paper, all of which are worth reviewing.

    Once done with the article, please provide substantial answers to the following questions.

    1. Does Norcross’ “Life for Convenience” argument regarding the national speed limit (discussed in the video lecture) lead you to reject utilitarianism? Why or why not?

    2. Look up and describe the difference between act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism.

    3. Name three (3) philosophers who have written about utilitarianism along with the name of their work (book, article, etc.). Do not include people we have previously mentioned in this course (Hint: Think about where you might find a bibliography or Works Cited page).

  • Applying Socrates and Platos Philosophies to Contemporary Cu…

    Minimum of 4 pages, Times New Roman 12-point font, one-inch margins, double-spaced, proper

    MLA parenthetical citations for all quotes. Include an introductory paragraph in which you explain

    to the reader the intent and content of your essay, culminating in a thesis statement that

    encapsulates the main claim/s of the essay.

    Description

    Your final task for this lesson will be to apply what you have learned from Platos Allegory of the

    Cave and the Divided Line to our contemporary culture. Your essay should illustrate familiarity

    and comprehension of the main points of Platos view of reality and the vision of moving from the

    epistemological level of opinion to true knowledge presented in the Allegory of the Cave, and

    apply these themes to some contemporary issue. Additionally, your essay should consider how

    Socrates method of questioning and practice of philosophy is relevant in moving from opinion to

    knowledge.

    Either pick a current event/problem/issue or you may choose a contemporary film that reflects

    these themes of moving from appearance to reality and discovering that ones beliefs about the

    world are less certain than originally believed (the situation of the people in the cave). Apply the

    Allegory of the Cave to either the contemporary issue or the film that you have chosen and show

    how the levels of the allegory are reflected in the issue/film or how they could be applied.

    Some questions that you might consider in your essay:

  • How does Platos philosophy help us to explain or recognize certain human reactions to

    • our opinions being challenged? In what ways can we be subject to only a partial view or

    perspective about the world? Could the world we know and are familiar with be, in fact, an

    illusion? Think about different examples of how, in our contemporary world, we often

    remain at the level of opinion or belief, rather than seeking out the true nature of things,

    when perhaps we take our personal experience as indicative to the whole of reality. How

    does this contribute to the problems that we have in society, such as stereotypes, racism,

    sexism, discrimination, or xenophobia?

  • You will also need to think about how Platos epistemological task is a continuation of

    • Socrates philosophical aims and how the Socratic Method is important for moving from

    opinion to knowledge, as Plato insists we must do. Socrates method of questioning and

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    his experience of discovering that often people do not know what they thing they know

    show us why it is important to seek out other perspectives than ones own. Exposing

    ourselves to other viewpoints and learning that there are other experiences of the world

    that are not our own are ways to actually recognize if we have been living in the cave all

    along. Length – Graded assignments should be sufficient in length to address the

    question(s) or topic(s) completely. In this case, your essay should be a

    minimum of four complete pages of writing (this does not include heading).

    Submissions outside of the specified parameter will receive fewer points, and

    you may be required to resubmit assignments which are significantly below

    word limit or expectations.

    Writing Skills

  • No first person in formal writing assignments
  • Essay must include an introduction and thesis that indicates the entire aim

    • of the essay, including reference to the specific contemporary debate or

    film to be discussed.

  • Includes transitions/topic sentences that guide the reader and explain how

    • information will be used or connects to the theme of the essay

  • Quotes are contextualized introduced for why they are important and

    • then analyzed substantially after their us

    Content

  • Essay should include effective expression of ideas, supporting detail from

    • the materials/readings provided and relevant examples for such ideas

    when appropriate.

  • Essay should demonstrate insight into the topic and clear demonstration

    • familiarity and comprehension of the significance of Platos allegory of the

    cave.

    Essay should address the following topics:

  • Main points of Platos view of reality and his vision of moving from the

    • epistemological level of opinion to true knowledge (through allegory of the

    cave and divided line).

  • How Platos epistemology is influenced by the Socratic Method
  • The distinction between appearance and reality
  • Indicate how Platos philosophy is relevant to a current

    • event/problem/situation (only one) or film

  • Analysis of debate or film/philosophy relationship is detailed and remains

    • focused on connecting to Platos philosophy

    Presentation – You are expected to demonstrate college-level writing skills,

    appropriate sentence structure, format, and grammar. Assignments which are

    marred by errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling or organization will receive

    fewer points, and you may be required to resubmit assignments which are

    marred by significant errors.

    References – include properly formatted references for all

    materials/websites/information which are cited or utilized in your work

  • Philosophy Question

    ormat: 8.5″x11″ pages, 1″ margins, Times New Roman font, double spaced lines, indented the first line of each paragraph. Substantial errors in spelling or grammar will result in a reduction of grade. Student name and page number may be placed in a header within the margins, but this is not required (since Canvas will tell me who each paper was submitted by). Professor name, course name, date, etc. need not be included.

    File should be in .doc or .docx (Microsoft Word) format. Note that as students of Florida Tech you have access to Microsoft Office, including via a web browser, so this should not present any difficulty. Submit the final version here, via Canvas.

    Content: Your second paper should summarize the position, on a matter of philosophical import, of a philosopher who lived between about 1650 A.D. and today. This need not be a philosopher we have or will discuss in class. This should be done in approximately 600 words.

    The philosopher you choose should be one who does not entirely agree with the position summarized in your first paper. In other respects your paper should be much the same as your first: you should not try to summarize everything the philosopher claims–just one claim should be summarized in depth. It may be a metaphysical claim, a value claim, or an epistemological claim, but it should be one of those! If you can figure out how to navigate / it may prove quite helpful to you. Just be wary of the dates, many philosophers on that list are not included in the appropriate time range! You may also find the / useful. Your paper should cite few sources–obviously you should cite the original work of the philosopher you are summarizing, but beyond that you should not use more than one or two other sources. Your bibliography should not be included in your word count. I do not have a citation format preference beyond “consistent.”

    Your paper will be graded across five areas:

    • Did you identify a specific argument about metaphysics, values, or epistemology from a philosopher of the appropriate time period? (0-20 points)
    • Did you clearly and accurately summarize that argument? (0-40 points)
    • Did you cite the original text(s) in which that argument was made, along with no more than two other academically appropriate sources? (0-20 points)
    • Is your paper grammatically correct, proofread, formatted as instructed, and otherwise linguistically coherent? (0-20 points)

  • Fascism vs Liberalism: Competing theories of political legit…

    The paper will examine whether fascism can provide a legitimate justification for political authority compared to liberal democratic theory.

    will compare:

    • Benito Mussolini fascist theory of the state
    • Federico Finchelstein modern analysis of fascist ideology
    • John Rawls liberal theory of legitimacy

    (Below is very specific instuctions to follow so it will be super easy)

    Attached Files (PDF/DOCX): Final Draft Instructions.pdf

    Note: Content extraction from these files is restricted, please review them manually.

  • Philosophy of nursing

    In the document attached below it explains the criteria of the paper. Personal values, professional values, alignment of values, nursing theory and conclusion. All topics that have that need their own paragraph. APA 7th edition forMAT

    Attached Files (PDF/DOCX): Fall 2025 NUR361 Philosophy of Nursing Paper Assignment With Topics (1).pdf

    Note: Content extraction from these files is restricted, please review them manually.

  • READ PDF

    Attached Files (PDF/DOCX): CASE STUDY 2.pdf

    Note: Content extraction from these files is restricted, please review them manually.

  • 1-1 Discussion: Exploring Your Identities

    1-1 Discussion: Exploring Your Identities

    Welcome to IDS 105! In this first discussion, youll introduce yourself to your peers and learn more about them too. Youll have an opportunity to discuss your social identities and motivations as a student.

    Understanding your own identity is an important part of daily life and will also help you better understand other peoples identities. In this discussion, you will introduce yourself to the class and explore identities.

    For your initial post, address the following:

    1. Refer to the module guide on social identities. Think about your daily lifeare you able to fully express your authentic self in all your social identities? Share how authenticity impacts your ability to be yourself.
    2. Then describe your why. What motivates you as a student? What drives you to keep going? Feel free to share your academic or career goalsits okay if youre still exploring them!

  • Philosophy Question

    Please answer ONE of the following six questions in 3-4 double-spaced pages.

    Footnotes and bibliographies are NOT necessary. Please use in-text, parenthetical citations referencing the Stephanus numbers (for Plato) or the Bekker numbers (for Aristotle), as I do in my questions.

    1. At the beginning of the Apology, Socrates claims that the Athenian jury will hear “the whole truth” from him; he will speak without “cleverness,” simply stating what is just as it pops into his head (17a-b). To what extent is Socrates’s speech to the jury honest? Does Socrates’s speaking justly require that he speak honestly? Answer by considering his interpretation of the divine sanctions that he claims justify his way of life.

    2. Does Socrates intend to refute the charges brought against him? If so, to what extent does he succeed? If not, what is his genuine intention? Answer by considering the distinction Socrates makes between the charges of corruption and impiety and between his old and new accusers.

    3. Why does Socrates refuse to flee Athens? Is the speech that Socrates puts into the mouth of “the laws” sufficient to explain his refusal to flee? Why or why not? Answer by considering the divergent moral and intellectual traits of Socrates and Crito as they appear in the Crito.

    4. Aristotle is often held to believe that nature supplies humanity with authoritative guidance on how to live. Is this an accurate description of Aristotle’s position? Answer by considering the distinction Aristotle makes between the good simply and the human good (Ethics 1094b7), and his argument for the city’s completeness or self-sufficiency (Politics 1252b28-1253a40).

    5. On what grounds does Aristotle distinguish political expertise from other kinds of expertise? Why is political expertise so difficult both to teach and to practice? Answer by considering Aristotle’s treatment of prudence.

    6. Does Aristotle adequately resolve the dispute over whether it is better to be ruled by the best laws or the best individual (Politics 1286a9-10)? If so, which does he prefer? If not, why is the dispute irresolvable?

  • Midterm

    The instructions in pdf I gave you say you get to choose a prompt these are the ones I want you to pick from

    Use Week 4 prompts

    1. Topic: From the Thomson reading, what could be a rebuttal to her arguments (Pick one of her thought experiments and refute it)

    2. Topic: From the Marquis reading, find a weak spot in his reasoning and expand on it.

    3. Both Marquis and Thomsons papers are from the ’70s and ’80s (so a really long time ago lol). Outside of the papers, what do you think they fail to discuss or an angle they shouldve taken? (There is no wrong answer here -I hope- so get creative and try to see what someone from the ’70s and ’80s missed now that weve been having this debate for an additional 3 decades)

    The readings are in the pdfs I gave you as well as the only source you need are the pdfs I gave but depending on which prompt you choose you may have to source both if you choose 3 then you have to put both but if you put 1 or 2 then use the pdf assigned to its question as the only source

    Make sure it is in either Word or PDF format

    Make sure you are using a proper essay style (you can pick any, MLA, APA, Chicago, etc..)

    Write which prompt you intend to write about

    Have fun!

    Rubric

    Midterm/ Final Grading Rubric

    Midterm/ Final Grading Rubric

    CriteriaRatingsPtsThis criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome

    Understanding philosophical concepts

    4 pts

    Good

    Demonstrates a thorough and accurate understanding of the philosophical concepts: or texts and explains key ideas with depths and clarity

    3 pts

    Average

    Shows an adequate of the concepts of tests with minor inaccuracies or oversights

    2 pts

    Basic

    Demonstrates a basic understanding but includes significant inaccuracies or superficial explanations

    1 pts

    Below

    unclear understanding of the concepts or texts

    0 pts

    Poor

    Does not demonstrate any understanding of the concepts or texts

    4 pts

    This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome

    Clarity and Organization

    2 pts

    Good

    Essay is well- organized, with a clear thesis, introductions, and coherent flow between ideas

    1 pts

    Average

    Essay is somewhat organized, but sections lack clarity or logical progression

    0 pts

    Poor

    Essay is poorly organized, with little to no logical structure or flow

    2 pts

    This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome

    Use of Evidence and Textual Support

    2 pts

    Good

    Consistently incorporates relevant examples, quotes or references from the texts to support explanations and positions

    1 pts

    Average

    Includes some examples or quotes, but they are either insufficient, irrelevant, or poorly integrated

    0 pts

    Poor

    No evidence or textual support provided

    2 pts

    This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome

    Grammar and Clarity

    2 pts

    Good

    Writing is free of grammatical errors and effectively communicates ideas clearly and concisely

    1 pts

    Below

    Writing contains occasional grammatical errors or awkward phrasing that hinders clarity

    0 pts

    No Evidence

    Frequent grammatical errors or unclear writings that significantly hinder clarity

    2 pts

    Total Points: 10

    Attached Files (PDF/DOCX): Judith Thomson-A Defense of Abortion.pdf, Marquis -Why Abortion is Immoral.pdf, PHI 1110 Midterm paper Assignment Guide (1).pdf

    Note: Content extraction from these files is restricted, please review them manually.

  • Essay

    In this essay assignment, you will choose one of the major philosophical questions or theories weve explored this term and develop your own thoughtful argument in response. This is your chance to engage deeply with ideas about morality, politics, identity, knowledge, or the good life, and to practice thinking critically about issues that shape human experience.

    Completing this essay will strengthen your academic skills in reasoning, writing, and analysis, while also helping you articulate your own values and perspectivesabilities that are essential not only in college, but also in everyday decision-making, professional communication, and meaningful interactions with others. Take this opportunity to explore a topic that genuinely interests you and to make your own voice part of the philosophical conversation.

    This essay provides a structured opportunity to formulate and defend an argument, criticize logically the arguments of others, while sharing your own philosophical reflections and intuitions. In essence, the goal of this paper is to give you a chance to practice philosophy, not just in your thinking, but in your writing and how you build your argument.

    Supportive Materials

    To be successful with this assignment, review the following before you begin. Note: you may have seen these resources already as you reviewed the content on the Learning Materials page.

    • Introduction to Philosophy, Chapters 1-5, 6-9, 11-12

    Complete Your Work

    Instructions

    • Select your topic from the document

    Guidelines

    • Paper must be typed and submitted in a Word document (doc or docx) or as a PDF.
    • Paper should be 5-6 pages in length, double-spaced, using 12-point font. Title page, works cited, and appendixes will not be counted towards towards the page requirement.
    • Use at least four sources (the textbook may be used as one of these sources). Sources should include at least TWO journal articles or books available through the
    • Please DO NOT cite any online reference encyclopedias such as Wikipedia, Britannica, or Encarta.
    • All sources must be cited (must have an end note or a foot note) and the source listed in a bibliography. Paper must be written in MLA or APA format (your choice).

    Rubric

    To see how you will be assessed with this assignment, review the associated rubric.

    If you have any questions about assignment expectations, it is always best to ask early.