Knowledge and Reality Paper

Due: June 30, 2016 at 8am

The paper should be 3-4 pages (double space, typewritten). You choose the topic, from the list below.
The paper should be a philosophy paper in which you focus on normative, evaluative, or conceptual issues.
The paper should follow standard MLA formatting, which means it must include a works cited page.
Your paper MUST contain a thesis statement.
You must support your thesis with evidence from the text.
1. Suppose you agree with Socrates that true judgment is necessary for knowledge, but not sufficient. What else is
needed? Suppose, for instance, that I arbitrarily chose to believe that Columbus is the capital of Ohio. I happened
to be correct, but it seems wrong to say that I know that Columbus is the capital of Ohio. Why? Is it because I
cannot provide an account of some kind?
2. In Meditation I, Descartes says that he cannot even be certain that squares have four sides because God (or an evil
demon) might simply deceive him each time he considers how many sides a square has. Does it seem plausible that
God could do something like this? Given the concept of four and given the concept of square, could it
possibly be that squares have any number of sides other than four?
3. Does Descartes believe in free will? What does Descartes human freedom amounts to?
4. Consider Berkeleys argument that we perceive ideas, ideas are whatever the mind perceives, and therefore the
(apparently material) things we perceive are really just ideas. Does Berkeley mean the same thing by idea and
perceive throughout this argument? Provide an argument to the conclusion that he does not.
5. What are some things (other than Lockes examples) that we claim to know, but which Locke would maintain that
we do not? Would Locke say that we know that the flame heats the kettle? That it is 12 oclock? That 2+3=5? Why
or why not?
6. Locke says that we know of our own existence by intuition, and not by sensation. Could he have attributed
knowledge of our own existence to sensation? Why or why not?
7. Berkeleys argument is tailored to refuting a materialist origin of ideas; having done so, he argues that ideas must
originate with a spirit, and that this must be God. Does this exhaust all of the possibilities? That is, if we accept his
argument against materialism, does it follow that God must be the origin of our ideas? He argues that ideas cannot
originate in oneself; is this persuasive?

Grade
A

Conceptual Accuracy
and Argumentation
All terms defined
correctly; all views, ideas,
and arguments stated
accurately in students
own words; logical
connections between
ideas are correct and
clear, shows deep
understanding of context
and rationale of views and
arguments.
All terms defined
correctly; shows a good
understanding of the texts
and arguments goes
beyond the obvious; may
have minor factual or
conceptual
inconsistencies.

Thesis
Essay controlled by
clear, precise, welldefined thesis; is
sophisticated in both
formulation and
insight

Clear, specific,
arguable thesis
central to the essay;
may have left minor
terms undefined

Shows an understanding
of the basic ideas,
arguments, and context
involved in the
assignment; may not
define all terms;
dependent on original
wording; may have some
factual, interpretive, or
conceptual errors

General thesis or
controlling idea; may
not define several
central terms

Shows inadequate
command of ideas and
arguments; key terms not
defined; has significant
factual and conceptual
errors

Thesis vague or not

central to argument;
central terms not
defined

Misinterprets or lacks
understanding of key
ideas, arguments, texts,
and assignment

No discernible thesis

Development and
Support
Exposition, interpretation,
and argumentation are
detailed and thorough;
logical connections
between ideas are evident;
uses persuasive reasoning
to develop and support
thesis consistently; uses
examples, quotations, and
citations of scholarly
sources effectively
Pursues explanation and
proof of thesis
consistently; develops a
main argument with
explicit major points with
appropriate textual
evidence and supporting
detail; exposition,
interpretation, and
argumentation are
sufficiently detailed
Only partially develops the
argument; shallow analysis;
some ideas and
generalizations
undeveloped or
unsupported; makes
limited use of textual
evidence; fails to integrate
quotations appropriately;
assertions are made with
little to no support or
rationale
Ideas and arguments not
explained or developed;
digresses from one topic
to another; bald assertions
made with no rationale;
makes insufficient or
awkward use of textual
evidence; relies on too few
or the wrong type of
sources; key questions or
ideas barely addressed or
not at all
Little or no development;
may list disjointed facts or
misinformation; uses no
quotations or fails to cite
sources or plagiarizes; key
questions or ideas not
addressed

Structuring

Language and Style

Essay is streamlined; has

well-constructed
paragraphs; appropriate,
clear, and smooth
transitions; arrangement
of organizational
elements seems
particularly apt

Clear and thoughtful

articulation of ideas; uses
sophisticated sentences
effectively; chooses words
aptly; observes
professional conventions
of written English and
manuscript format; makes
few minor or technical
errors; avoids jargon and
defines all technical terms
A few mechanical
difficulties or stylistic
problems; may make
occasional problematic
word choices or syntax
errors; a few spelling or
punctuation errors or a
clich; usually presents
quotations effectively,
using appropriate format

Distinct units of thought

in paragraphs controlled
by specific, detailed, and
arguable topic sentences;
clear transitions between
developed, cohering,
and logically arranged
paragraphs

Some awkward
transitions; some brief,
weakly unified or
undeveloped
paragraphs; arrangement
may not appear or
entirely natural; contains
extraneous information;
tends to be repetitive

More frequent wordiness;

unclear or awkward
sentences; imprecise use
of words; some distracting
grammatical errors; makes
effort to present
quotations accurately

Little discernable
structure; repetitive and
wanders from one topic
to another; illogical
arrangement of ideas

Some major grammatical

or proofreading errors;
language frequently
weakened by clichs,
colloquialisms, repeated
inexact word choices;
incorrect quotation or
citation forma

Disorganized and
repetitive; no transitions;
incoherent paragraphs;
suggests poor planning
or no serious revision

Numerous grammatical
errors and stylistic
problems seriously detract
from the argument; does
not meet academic and
especially philosophical
standards