.PHIL
100: Introduction to Philosophy
For your final term paper
choose one from the following topics:
A)
Descartes, Turing And Hofstadter on Thinking Machines. Descartes argues in the Discourse that machines cannot think. Several contemporary
philosophers would disagree with him. Explain Descartes’s
arguments and consider whether or not Turing and others addressed the issues
Descartes raised.
B)
FALSITY.
Philosophers’ ambition is to find the truth. Falsity, nevertheless, seems to
have significant role in many philosophers’ approach. Consider the role of
falsity in Descartes’s Discourse and Meditations
and in Mill’s On Liberty. You might
also take into consideration Plato’s Euthyphro.
C)
Literary Excursion. You can select a novel (or other literary
work as drama, poem, etc) and present a philosophical analysis based on some of
the reading we discussed during the quarter (i.e. on Plato’s, Descartes’s, Dennett’s, Sanford’s, Turing’s, etc. work).
Explain how literary works can support or undermine philosophical theories.
IF
YOU SELECT OPTION C, YOU MUST DISCUSS YOUR SELECTION WITH ME ASAP (before
Thanksgiving).
DEADLINE:
Formal
requirements and evaluation are the same as before.
Please,
pay special attention to my Statement
on Plagiarism, available on my web-site.
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