VISIT ▻ shop.philosop-HER.com

Starting Points

1. Select a Philosophical Topic &
2. Present a Deductively Valid Argument

This page contains parts 1 & 2 of the 10 part PEE Writing Assignment

YOU ARE HERE 🔽

OVERVIEW 🔽

ASSIGNMENT #1 Topic

STEP 1 Select a philosophically interesting / controversial topic.

STEP 2 Do research on all sides of the issue.

Grading Rubric

Peer Review Rubric

ASSIGNMENT #2 Present

STEP 1 Take an informed and definitive position on the matter.

STEP 2 Construct a valid argument in standard form.
Are these terms confusing? No worries! See here for HELP

Grading Rubric

Peer Review Rubric

Part 1 Topic Relevance

Pick 1 philosophical issue related to the content of YOUR course which YOU find particularly interesting & relevant to use as your topic for the writing assignment.

Part 2 Research

Find and correctly cite TWO reliable sources of online information about your selected topic and write a brief annotated bibliography for each.

Why only two sources?

More research can, should, and will be done during the course of this scaffolded assignment.

The point here is merely to ensure that at least one opposing viewpoint was considered when selecting one's topic.

STEP 1 How to Select a Topic for a Philosophy Paper

Factual Topics

About the truth / falsity of a claim or consistency of a theory. While there are often more than two options for most factual topics, remember to keep a narrow scope.

Examples

“Whether or not [something] is the case / true / a better theory / explanation than [something else].”

"Whether or not God [is / something].”

Moral Topics

About the permissibility of / obligation to perform a certain act. At some point in the development of your position, it will also be useful to identify which moral agent(s) have which responsibilities / not.

Examples

“Whether or not [some action] is morally permissible / obligatory.” [see here for ethics terminology]

“Whether or not it is morally permissible to [action towards] animals.”

Topics should be...

✓ Relevant

✓ Interesting

✓ Specific

✓ Neutral

Relevance = to the specific course you are enrolled in & the times

Interest = controversial / unsettled in the philosophical discourse

Scope should work within a simple argument and 5 paragraph writing assignment

I.e., phrased as a neutral statement (rather than a question / assertion so as to not indicate one's position)

NOTE: This ensures that you are framing the issue as objectively as possible, and will later make a great TITLE

Having Trouble Thinking of a Topic?

Check Your Course Materials

Consider one of the topics being covered in your course, as well as any additional resources provided by the instructor, as a general place to start; which you can then narrow down to something more specific.

Consider searching key terms related to your ideas in one of the following online encyclopedias / databases to locate their philosophical equivalents ⇨

Go Beyond The Classroom

Peruse the FREE RESOURCES linked below ⇩,
as well as at the bottom of Why Study Philosophy page

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy [SEP]

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy [IEP]

Very Short Introductions to Philosophy [VSI]

STEP 2 How to Construct An Annotated Bibliography

Part 1 Cite Research

✓ Cite AT LEAST 2 Sources on opposing sides of issue

MLA Format

Author last name, Author first name or initial. “Title of work”. Title of volume that contains work. Edition. Location of Publication: Publisher, Year. Page range.

Part 2 Annotate Sources

✓ Annotate EACH source in no less / more than one paragraph

What should be in each "annotation"?

✓ Summarize why you selected the source &

✓ What reason(s) are given in support of the position
for / against the issue by the author(s)

Grading Rubric

ASSIGNMENT #1

Peer Review Rubric

ASSIGNMENT #2: PRESENT

How to Present a Deductively Valid Argument in Standard Form

Step 1 Assert Conclusion

Based on your topic and research from Assignment #1, take an assertive and informed position which you will now construct an argument to support.

No matter which of the deductively valid argument forms you end up selecting for Step 2, your position should be the conclusion statement of your argument.

Step 2 Construct Premises

Working backwards from your conclusion in STEP 1, construct premises which lead to your conclusion following the argument form you find works best for you (i.e., allows strongest support possible).

This involves (i) replicating your conclusion wherever else it should appear and (ii) filling in the remaining variable(s) with appropriate reasoning.

STEP 1 Asserting Your Conclusion

Part 1 Take a Position on Your Topic

[ASSIGNMENT #1 ⇧]

Sample Topic: Whether or not it is morally permissible to procreate.

Sample Position: It is [not] morally permissible to procreate.

Part 2 Select a Valid Argument Form

While it is recommended to try out different forms before making your selection, only a single argument should be presented (whether simple or complex)

Sample Argument Form: Modus Ponens [MP]
Affirming the Antecedent

P1. If P, then Q.

P2. P.

C. Therefore, Q.

Part 3 Position ⇨ Conclusion

Sample Argument Construction: Take the position you took on your topic and plug it in to your conclusion [plug in for Q in conclusion ⇩].

Modus Ponens [MP]
P1. If P, then Q.

P2. P.

C. Therefore, it is not morally permissible to procreate.

STEP 2 Constructing Your Premises

Part 1 Repeat Conclusion

Locate THE SAME variable from conclusion [Q], in the premise(s) [consequent of P1 ⇩]

P1. If P, then it is not morally permissible to procreate.

P2. P.

C. Therefore, it is not morally permissible to procreate.

Part 2 Fill-in Missing Variable(s)

Think of why someone should believe the conclusion is true [plug in for P ⇩]

P1. If it is extremely likely that future generations will suffer from the effects of climate change, then it is not morally permissible to procreate.

P2. It is extremely likely that future generations will suffer from the effects of climate change.

C. Therefore, it is not morally permissible to procreate.

Note on Constructing
Your Own Argument

More Argument Forms
& More Examples

Argument forms like Hypothetical Syllogism [HS] and Constructive Dilemma [CD] do not conclude with assertive statements, and so are best combined with one of the other argument forms (Modus Ponens [MP], Modus Tollens [MT], or Disjunctive Syllogism [DS]). HINT HS + MP / MT and CD + DS.