John Stuart Mill says that he is not discussing “liberty of the will,” but “civil or social liberty, assignment help
Answer the first three questions. Each answer should be about 750 words. The 4th question is optional and is for extra credit. You will receive 6 points extra credit for completing the extra credit essay with at least a B grade.
The final exam is due on Saturday, 12/ 17 at 11:59 PM. You will receive an extra 4 points for early submission, if your essay is submitted by 9 AM Saturday, the day it is due.
1. John Stuart Mill says that he is not discussing “liberty of the will,” but “civil or social liberty.” What is the distinction he is making? Could someone like Pereboom who is a hard incompatibilist accept Mill’s political views? Or would his stand in opposition to free will commit his to be opposed to Mill’s political liberty? Would Stace’s compatibilism require him to accept Mill’s political views? Or could he favor free will, while opposing Mill’s political liberty? In other words, are they two separate issues? Or does your position of free will influence your position on political freedom, and vice versa?
1. Descartes, Parfit, and Dennett raise the issue of whether “I,” a unitary self that persists over time, exist. Descartes arrives at an Ego theory that Parfit and Dennett both reject. Explain how Descartes arrives at his concept of the self after initial skepticism. Explain how Parfit and Dennett criticize this Ego theory. Then explain why it is important to solve this problem, i.e., what the implications of accepting the Ego Theory or rejecting it are for how we live our lives and for our religious beliefs. Do the same for the Bundle Theory. Remember, the authors are offering arguments that are designed to convince their audiences of their positions. They are not just offering opinions.
2. Richard Taylor argues for a subjective criterion for the meaning of life; but Plato argues that “the unexamined life is not worth living,” which would seem to be an objective criterion for a meaningful life. Explain the differences between Plato and Taylor, including Plato’s argument for his criterion and Taylor’s reasons for his rejection of objective criteria like Plato’s. Remember, the authors are offering arguments that are designed to convince their audiences of their positions. They are not just offering opinions.
Optional Extra Credit: You must score at least a B on this essay to receive credit. At the beginning of the semester, I asked you about your understanding of the nature of philosophy. Now, at the end of the semester, I am asking you again, and I expect that you have learned something over the course of the semester. Using my definition of philosophy that I gave you at the beginning of the semester, your initial understanding of philosophy as presented in first Discussion, along with Plato’s definition of philosophy (and our discussion of that definition), as well as the readings we discussed over the course of the semester, explain the nature of philosophy and how your initial conception of philosophy has grown or changed over the semester. Use one of more of the readings we discussed over the course of the semester to illustrate your explanation. Do not get your definition of philosophy from any outside source. (6 points)
Plagiarism will result in an F for the course. Plagiarism consists of presenting someone else’s words as your own by not enclosing them in quotation marks.
