Philosophy-Philosophy Essay

Philosophy Essay

Format: Times New Roman, 12-size font. Double-spaced. Double-sided (and stapled, if necessary). Include your full name, the number of the question you are answering, and a word count at the top of the page.

NOTE: the word count does not include name, date, question number, title, or text of the question you are answering. Source: James Rachels, The Elements of Moral Philosophy. No other sources are necessary, and I strongly encourage you to stick to the textbook. I want you to directly engage with the relevant chapter from the textbook. This is not a research paper. Of course, I cannot stop you from seeking help from online sources, etc., but be warned: if you merely paraphrase without citing or, even worse, copy and paste ideas from resources you find online you will be punished for plagiarism (see NOTE at the end of Assignment instructions ON PLAGIARISM).

If you need help writing your paper, you should come see me or email me and ask for my help.

Citations: Whenever you directly quote an author, be sure to include their exact words in quotation marks, with the page number(s) in brackets after the quote and before the period.

For example: According to Rachels, the lesson that “‘common sense’ cannot be trusted…may turn out to be Utilitarianism’s greatest contribution” (123). If you paraphrase an author’s ideas without quoting their words directly, be sure to still include the page number(s) in brackets where you found the idea(s). For example: Rachels contends that the most valuable contribution of Utilitarianism to moral thinking may be its lesson that one cannot trust “common sense” (123).

Since we are all using the same textbook, you only need to include the page number in brackets after the citation. However, make sure that it is clear from the context who/what you are citing. If you quote something, do not let the quote do too much work for you. If the quote is long and/or complicated, be sure to show me that you understand what the quote is saying by also explaining it in your own words.

Goal: The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate your comprehension of some of the arguments presented by Rachels (in Elements) that we have looked at in the last month. Prove to me that you have spent some real time grappling with/trying to understand the relevant reading. Do not just rely on notes you took in class or the power-points to complete the assignment.

Length: Assignments must be between 800-900 words. The three sections that comprise your paper should be roughly equal in length (approx. 275-300 words per section; go into as much detail as you can, given constraints of length).

General Advice: I am looking for complete essays that stay on topic and avoid filler. An essay that is filled with irrelevant or off-topic considerations will be marked down. An essay that fulfills the length requirement but that is incomplete will be marked down. An essay that is under 800 words or over 900 words will be marked down. Do not include a general introduction or conclusion. Just jump right into answering the question. Read only Chapter 5 will be to answer those question.

1. A) Explain the difference between Psychological Egoism and Ethical Egoism. B) Explain two of Rachels’ arguments against Ethical Egoism. C) Do you agree with Rachels that we are sometimes genuinely altruistic (rather than merely self-interested)? Why or why not?