Thinking Things Through
 

Writing Assignment #1

Choose one of the following topics and compose a short essay that is between 400 and 700 words in length.  You want your discussion to be substantial (say something worth reading), well reasoned, excruciatingly clear, and concise (in other words, make your point in the best way you can and move on).

1) Outline Descartes' second argument for the existence of God.  Do you take the argument to be valid?  Is it sound?  If not, which single premise do you find most suspect and why?  Finally, discuss how this argument reflects Descartes' general conception of human knowledge (try to be as specific as you can here). 

2) Briefly summarize Plato's Allegory of the Cave.  What are the central ideas in the allegory?  What do you believe is the purpose of the allegory; what does it intend to communicate?  Critically discuss one or two aspects of the reasoning behind the allegory.  Could we be living in the cave? 

Writing Assignment #2

Consider the opening pages of Newton's Principia Mathematica.

a) Discuss, in 1-2 paragraphs, the structure of Newton's text in relation to other material we have examined.  Does the reasoning look like anything else we have seen?  Is it novel in any obvious ways? 
b)  Outline the rotating bucket thought experiment, p. 10
c)  Critically evaluate the structure and strength of the argument that uses the rotating bucket thought experiment (1-2 paragraphs)

Writing Assignment #3

This assignment asks you to consider the role of imagination in philosophical arguments - in particular those concerning the nature of the human mind.  Compose an essay of 4-6 pages (~1200 to 1800 words) with the following structure:

a)  Describe Searle's Chinese Room scenario (pp.347-349 in the text).
b)  Outline the argument you believe Searle intends to make from this thought experiment. 
c)  Briefly evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the argument.
d)  Now consider EITHER one of St. Anselm's two arguments for the existence of God (pp.16-17 in the text) or one of Descartes two arguments for the existence of God (pp. 78-79).  Outline that argument, so that you can compare it to the one given by Searle.
e)  Do you see significant similarities or dissimilarities between the two arguments you have outlined?  In particular, what role does the notion of "imagination" play in each case? 
f)  Comment on whether the comparison can inform your evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of Searle's argument.  What does it suggest about the value of these sorts of arguments for understanding the nature of human minds, and whether they can be meaningfully considered as computational devices?

You want the essay to be a single discussion that covers these points as part of a unified discussion of the issues.  Do not separate out the different sections of your discussion.  I have simply provided you with some structure to guide the development of your essay.
 

 Last Updated: 9/18/03