The final assignment will require research and contemplation to present a final coherent argument on some topic. Digital literacy is necessary for assessing the quality and veracity of sources one used to support one’s position and refute any counterarguments.
Course Objectives:
- CO1: Examine and analyze a variety of issues confronting human beings today.
- CO2: Identify and evaluate opposing viewpoints on philosophically problematic and controversial issues.
- CO3: Develop critical thinking to be employed in the diagnosis of the issues under discussion as well as other perplexing issues of contemporary life.
Looking through the weeks in this class, take the time to open each week and look at the topics addressed. What you are doing here is discussing three options for a final presentation. You are encouraged to consult the description in week 8 so you will understand the expectation for the final product.
Topic Options:
– Contemporary Philosophical Movements: Experimental Philosophy
– Contemporary Applied Ethics: The Environment and Animal Rights
– War and International Terrorism
Week 8 Expectation:
The task at hand is to create a 15-20 slide presentation demonstrating not only expertise in some contemporary topic or subtopic of something addressed in this course, but to argue some key point(s) related to some philosophical problem addressed by the topic or subtopic. Specific guidelines for the presentation will be given below, but the key is taking a position and being able to argue that position effectively in the presentation.
Some examples:
- After exploring the relationship between neuroscience and morality, you may argue that the evidence rejects the notion of free will (or demands it).
- After exploring the various concepts of an enduring self, you may choose to argue that memory is all that matters and someone with severe dementia is no longer the same person and physician-assisted suicide can be seen as the morally right thing to do.
- After exploring the nature of sex identification and gender, you may choose to argue that gender is a social construct and fluid OR gender is biological and people must accept their DNA.
- After exploring the philosophies around love (types) you may choose to argue that love is subjective and even the practice in Japan of men marrying anime characters or pillows is morally justifiable.
The choice is yours, but clearing it with your instructor is not a bad idea. The presentation must present an overview of the topic AND make a logical, academically defensible argument for some point related to that topic.
The overarching goal for this assignment is for you to become an expert on one specific topic or aspect of one topic. The method we have used to get you here is scaffolding, where each assignment builds on the one before it. You had a chance to ponder several topics in terms of level of interest. After selecting one, you researched resources to give you the information you need to gain that expertise. After researching you were given the opportunity to visualize how the information would be arranged and presented. The hope is that all of you will not only become experts on the topic, but that you will be able to lucidly and logically argue a philosophical position.
The technical aspects of the presentation are as follows:
- One cover as well as one slide with a clear outline of what will be covered and in what order.
- Bullets on the slides with an explanation in the notes.
- If you choose to narrate the presentation, have the transcript in the note section.
- At least one citation for each resource referenced occurs in the notes or on the slide where the resource was used.
- At least one slide for properly formatted references.
- Try to make the presentation aesthetically pleasing.
- Be sure your logic is valid and sound or inductively strong.
What you are submitting here is a *properly formatted document detailing three or four options for your final product. For each of the options, provide the following:
- Details about the option – these will vary by the type of option selected.
- Why you find this topic intriguing
- A brief description of what you believe you know about the topic already – If you are already well versed, then just say about you would classify your depth of knowledge.
Again, keep the final product in mind, but some possible topics include, but are not limited to:
- Neuroscience and the development of morality
- Human biology and the origins of morality
- Some research based on experimental philosophy
- The use of film or literature to convey philosophical theories
- The role of memory to a person’s sense of self
- Animal rights
- Just war theory
- The philosophy of terrorists
- The philosophy of love
- The philosophy of gender
- The philosophy of charity
- Neuroexistentialism and social justice
Again, these are just a few and you are also free to focus on the philosophy of a specific philosopher like John Searle, Patricia Churchland, Peter Singer, or Ayn Rand. It would not be bad to check with your instructor if you want to look at something else. Just be sure it is covered in some way in the course.
*Properly Formatted = double spaced, on inch margins on all four sides with either properly formatted MLA heading or APA cover page.
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