Philosophical & Ethical Issues in the Law

PLSC 467 (5 units / WP-3) Winter 2017

MWF 10:0011:20 AM Arntzen Hall (AH) 15
Western Washington University

Instructor: Paul Chen (paul.chen@wwu.edu)

Office: Arntzen Hall 436 (650-4876)
Office hours: [starting 2nd week of class]) TR 3-4 PM & by appt.

***You are responsible for knowing the contents of

and abiding by the policies set forth in this syllabus.***

I. IMPORTANT DATES
Mon., Jan. 16 NO CLASS: Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
Sat., Jan. 21 Essay 1a: draft (uploaded on Canvas by 6 PM)
Sat., Jan. 28 Essay 1b: revision
Sat., Feb. 11 Essay 2a: draft
Sat., Feb. 18 Essay 2b: revision
Mon., Feb. 20 NO CLASS: Presidents Day Holiday
Sat., Mar. 4 Essay 3a: draft
Sat., Mar. 11 Essay 3b: revision

II. COURSE DESCRIPTION

Catalogue description: Philosophical and ethical inquiry into legal issues and problems.
Topics covered may include the philosophical and ethical foundations of law; law in relation to
justice, morality, and equality; and philosophical and ethical inquiry into specific areas or current
topics of law (e.g. tort, criminal, property, and/or constitutional law; capital punishment,
affirmative action, same-sex marriage, and abortion).
Prerequisites: PLSC 250, PLSC 311, plus one upper-division course in either law or
political theory
In this course we will apply philosophical and normative concepts to analyze legal issues
and problems. Some of the questions that we will explore include: What is the nature of law?
What is its purpose or function? What is laws relationship to justice, morality, religion, and
politics? We will ponder some of the enduring philosophical debates in law.
These questions are both fascinating and weighty. They are fascinating because they
require us to probe deeply into something that most of us take for granted, namely the existence
of law and the legal system. These questions are also weighty because the legitimacy of our laws
rests upon our answers to these philosophical and normative questions. The readings will serve
as starting-points for our discussion of various theoretical issues in law in general, and issues
arising in more specific legal contexts (e.g. constitutional law and interpretation, criminal law,
tort law, discrimination).
This quarter we will focus on the issue of gay rights and, more specifically, same-sex
marriage (SSM). Although the U.S. Supreme Court mandated the legal recognition of SSM in
PLSC 467: Syllabus & Reading Schedule p. 2 of 10

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015), the consequences of that ruling are still unfolding. Some questions
raised include the following: Might the legal definition of marriage be expanded further, e.g., to
recognize polygamy? To what extent do the Courts rulings on gay rights clash with its other
rulings recognizing personal rights to free speech, freedom of association, and freedom of
religion? How might the Courts ruling in Obergefell be used to advance the rights of
transgendered persons?
III. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Course-specific. Because this course draws upon and integrates different approaches to,
understandings of, and content areas in law, it in effect serves as a kind of capstone for those who
have taken other law courses. Students will have opportunities through essays, homework, and
class discussion to improve their thinking and arguing about the subject matter from multiple
perspectivesconstitutional/legal, philosophical, and ethical/moral.
Because this is a writing proficiency (WP) course, I have incorporated into the curriculum
formal instruction and practice in writing and revision. By the end of the course, students will at
a minimum have mastered standard conventions of writing and English usage. But they will also
be more conscious of what they communicate through their writing, as well as more skillful in
controlling what they wish to express.
General. By grappling with legally and philosophically complex issues, I hope that by the
end of the course you will have further developed some of the quintessential skills that
accompany a liberal arts educationan ability to think critically, to communicate ideas and
arguments effectively both in speech and in writing, and to analyze problems that do not lend
themselves to simple solutions or clear-cut answers.
IV. REQUIRED READING
David M. Adams, Philosophical Problems in the Law, 4th ed. (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth,
2005) [selected pages will be emailed or posted on Canvas]
Mortimer J. Adler, Ten Philosophical Mistakes (New York: Macmillan 1985) [selected pages
will be emailed or posted on Canvas]
[required purchase:] James Fleming, Sotirios Barber, Stephen Macedo, and Linda McClain,
Gay Rights and the Constitution [GRC]: Cases and Materials (New York: Foundation Press
2016)
William Strunk & E.B. White, The Elements of Style, 4th ed. (New York: Longman/Pearson,
2000) [will be emailed or posted on Canvas; also available for free online]
[required purchase:] Joseph M. Williams and Gregory Colomb, Style: Lessons in Clarity and
Grace (10th ed.) (New York: Pearson Longman 2010)
Additional readings may be emailed, posted on Canvas, or placed on course reserve.

V. COMMUNICATION
Canvas and email. This course has a Canvas website. Call ATUS if you are not
automatically linked to the courses Canvas website. You are responsible for all information
posted on Canvas or emailed to you. I recommend you set your Canvas notifications to daily
at a minimum. You should check both Canvas and your campus email several times a week for
class-related announcements.
When emailing the instructor (or TA, if applicable), please include the course number in the
subject line so the reader knows which class you are referring to. If you do not use your WWU
email account, call ATUS (650-3333) to learn how to forward email to another email account.
PLSC 467: Syllabus & Reading Schedule p. 3 of 10

DO NOT email me from within Canvas. I may not see your email until the following
day (because of delayed notification). Apart from attaching brief notes to assignments or exams
that you upload on Canvas, DO NOT email me from within Canvas. Email me using your
WWU or other standard email account.
Office hours. I encourage you to visit me during my regular office hours (printed on the
first page of this syllabus), even if only to say hello, but definitely if you have questions about
the class or material. If you cannot make my regular hours, I am happy to arrange another time
to meet with you. The best way to reach me is by email.
Let me know as soon as possible if for ANY reason you have trouble learning the
material or keeping up in class. I will do all I can to help. DO NOT WAIT until just before
an exam. If issues outside of class are affecting your schoolwork, you are encouraged to contact
the following resources for help:

issue contact phone website

medical issues Student Health 650-3400 http://www.wwu.edu/chw/student_health/
Center
emotional or Counseling Center 650-3164 http://www.wwu.edu/counseling/
psychological issues
family or personal Office of
crisis or emergency Student Life; 650-3450 http://www.wwu.edu/dosoffice/
Dean of Students
Alcohol and Drug
substance abuse Consultation and 650-6865 http://www.wwu.edu/pws/about_adcas.shtml
Assessment
Services
violence or Consultation and
sexual assault Sexual Assault 650-3700 http://www.wwu.edu/pws/about_casas.shtml
Support
University Police:
personal & public non-emergency 650-3555 http://www.wwu.edu/ps/police/index.shtml
safety emergency 650-3911
anonymous incident SAFE Campus 650-7233 [not applicable]
reporting

VI. POLICIES ON COURSE REQUIREMENTS

A. Regular class meetings
Attendance. Students must attend all class meetings. However, attendance will not be
taken, nor will it count toward a participation grade (see Section VI.B. below).
Preparation. I expect everyone to complete the assigned reading BEFORE we discuss it in
class. The required reading consists of the assigned pages in the textbook, the accompanying
PowerPoint slides (if applicable) posted on Canvas, and cases (if applicable). The reading
schedule following the syllabus lists all of the required readings and their due dates. The dates
are estimates of when we will discuss the material, but I will do my best to follow the schedule
as closely as possible.
Note: Recommended or optional readings (as indicated on the reading schedule) will
generally NOT be tested on exams, EXCEPT when the instructor covers information from
those readings in-class, in which case the information covered in-class may be tested on
exams.
PLSC 467: Syllabus & Reading Schedule p. 4 of 10

I suggest you take notes as you reade.g. summarizing sections of the reading in your own
words. You may need to read the material more than once. If you do not fully grasp the
material, bring questions to class so we can address them. You can also ask me questions during
the class break, in office hours, or via email.
Socratic dialogue. In addition to lectures, I will frequently engage in Socratic dialogue
where I will call upon students at random to answer questions based on the reading. Besides
asking questions that require you to recall information you should have read, I may ask
hypothetical-based questions that require you to speculate on an issue or scenario not
specifically covered in the reading. The purpose of Socratic dialogue is to cultivate your
analytical and critical thinking skills by having you articulate your thoughts aloud.
B. Participation [NOT graded]
Forms of participation. You should demonstrate in class that you have read the material,
either by volunteering answers to questions or by asking questions to clarify issues. You can also
demonstrate outside of class that you have grappled with the reading by interacting with me in
office hours, via email, or on a Canvas discussion forum.
Students can also participate outside of class by emailing me online sources or articles
that relate closely to the subject matter of the course. When doing this, you must include the
following information with your email for it to count toward your participation: (1) a brief
summary of the materials contents and main points; (2) 1-2 sentences explaining how the
material relates to the subject matter of the course; and (3) a paragraph (100 words max)
describing what you liked and/or disliked aboutor what drew your attention tothe source.
This information should be formatted neatly in a Word doc with your name and student ID
number, and attached to the email. Additionally, the contents of the document should also be
copied-and-pasted into the body of the email so I can read its contents without opening the Word
doc.
Grading. Participation is not a graded component in this course. I assume all students will
actively engage in discussion in-class. Nevertheless, please read the next few paragraphs in
which I set some ground rules about civility when disagreeing with others as we discuss
controversial topics.
Active engagement. The interaction in this course, because of its small size, requires of
students a much higher level of intellectual sophistication and academic responsibility than is
normally required in larger classes. A key component of this course is your participation as an
active learner. I expect you to thoughtfully engage the reading material, your classmates, and me
in discussion. The primary purpose of dialogue is to help each other sharpen our reasoning
skills, improve our understanding of concepts and ideas presented in the readings, and challenge
our intellects and preconceptions by grappling with issues over which reasonable persons have
differing views. Therefore, it is important that you actively listen to others as well as share your
ideas. If you are by nature loquacious, then you should try to speak less; if, on the other hand,
you are by nature taciturn, then you should try to speak more.
Respect while disagreeing. Because the aim of a seminar is to learn by discussion, it is
crucial that each student speak as to maintain an atmosphere of critical but constructive dialogue.
This does not mean refraining from critiquing others viewpoints, but it does mean doing your
best to give reasons for your critique. (Merely saying, I think youre wrong, is not a reason.
You should state why you think so.) Although disagreements are bound to arise, we can and
should discuss our viewpoints with respect and civility toward others. Indeed, disagreement
itself is a form of respect, because it shows you are taking another person seriously enough to
engage them, rather than ignore them.
PLSC 467: Syllabus & Reading Schedule p. 5 of 10

C. Writing Assignments (in lieu of exams)

In lieu of exams, students will submit a number of different writing assignments, which
include weekly writing exercises, synopses of the weeks reading, and longer essays on topics
prescribed by the instructor.
Weekly writing exercises. Every Wednesday by 6 PM, students must upload onto Canvas
writing exercises from the writing textbook. (Consult the reading schedule for these
assignments.) More details will be given in the homework instructions.
Writing exercises will be graded credit/no-credit. Credit will be given if the student, in the
instructors judgment, has put in a good faith effort. Exercises that either contain spelling or
grammatical errors or look sloppy will receive no-credit. For each exercise given no-credit,
5% will be deducted from the students writing exercises grade, which begins at 100%. Students
may either miss submitting one (1) exercise or drop one (1) no-credit exercise without penalty to
their writing exercise grade.1
Synopses. A synopsis is a one-page (or less) summary of a writers thesis and major points.
Every Sun. and Tues. by 6 PM Mon. and Wed. by 8 AM, students must upload on Canvas
synopses of the readings whose authors names are underlined in the reading schedule (one
synopsis is due each Mon. and Wed.). For the weeks in which an essay is due, students must
write a 1-3 sentence summary of the theses of the underlined articles for that week. More details
will be given in the homework instructions.2
Synopses will be graded credit/no-credit. Credit will be given if the student, in the
instructors judgment, has put in a good faith effort. Synopses that either contain spelling or
grammatical errors or look sloppy will receive no-credit. For each synopsis given no-credit,
5% will be deducted from the students synopsis grade, which begins at 100%. Students may
miss submitting up to three (3) synopses or drop up to three (3) no-credit synopses without
penalty to their synopsis grade.
Essays. Essay questions will be prescribed by the instructor, and graded based on both their
content (e.g. arguments, ideas, logic, substance) and their form (e.g. grammar, spelling, usage,
structure, coherence). Each essay will be revised, and the revision graded.
While some exam questions, including parts of essays, may require that you merely recall
information you have learned to answer them, there are also questions, including parts of essays,
that will require you to understand and apply what you have learned to situations or problems
that were not explicitly covered in class discussion or in the reading. Put another way, the
answers to these questions will not necessarily be found in your reading or in your notes; you
will need to construct your own answer. This is one of the goals of a liberal education: not just
learning how to collect and restate facts, but to weigh the credibility, understand the significance,
and interpret the meaning of those facts in order to draw a conclusion or make a judgment.
Proper citation. When referring to, quoting, or paraphrasing the work, idea, or argument of
another person, you must cite that source in a footnote, endnote, parenthetical reference, or
combination thereof as appropriate. For complete guidelines on proper citation style, consult
Kate Turabians Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7th ed.
(University of Chicago, 2007). See
http://www.press.uchicago.edu/books/turabian/turabian_citationguide.html) for a quick guide
to Turabian. Failure to properly cite works, including online sources, constitutes plagiarism
even if the writer is unaware of having plagiarized.

1
There are five (5) weeks of required writing exercises.
2
There are seven (7) synopses currently on the reading schedule. Additional synopses of cases in GRC will be
announced later.
PLSC 467: Syllabus & Reading Schedule p. 6 of 10

Writing assistance. Because this is a writing proficiency course, you must use proper
English spelling, grammar, usage, and style. Consult dictionaries and Strunk and Whites
Elements of Style. One-on-one consultations with writing tutors are available at the Writing
Center (WC) (650-3219) near the Learning Commons in Wilson Library. The WC also has
online resources for writers at http://libguides.wwu.edu/writingcenter_resources, and can give
feedback on your drafts submitted online. Students can either make an appointment or just drop-
in. I strongly recommend you take advantage of the WCs human and online resources.
For written answers, I use a checklist of terms covering issues, facts, concepts, and other
items that I think are relevant to the answer. The more items on the checklist that are discussed
in your answer, the better your grade. I also give credit for items in your answer that do not
appear on the checklist, if I think they are relevant. I do not penalize for including irrelevant
material in your answer, so it is better for you to include more information than less.
Collaboration. While I encourage you to work with others by sharing and discussing ideas
and arguments (I may even provide incentives for students to collaborate on assignments or
exams), any final written product must be yours alone. Except for group essays, no two or more
persons may submit the same or substantially similar work and claim that either each of them
wrote it or that they wrote it together. (See Section VI below for policies regarding plagiarism
and cheating.)
Reasonable accommodations. Contact the Office of Student Life (650-3844) and/or
disAbility Resources for Students (650-3083; drs@wwu.edu) to request accommodations for
learning- or testing-related disabilities, and inform the instructor as soon as possible if you
require them. Visit http://www.wwu.edu/disability/ada.shtml or more information.
D. Peer-review homework
One of the best ways to improve ones own writing is to read and revise others writing.
Therefore, students will be assigned to make comments on at least one other students writing
exercises, synopses, essay drafts, and essay revisions. More details will be given in the
homework instructions.
E. Course Grade
Components:
Essay 1a: draft 7.5% Essay 2a: draft 10% Essay 3a: draft 12.5%
Essay 1b: revision 12.5% Essay 2b: revision 15% Essay 3b: revision 17.5%
Writing exercises 5% Synopses 10.0% Peer-review 10%
Incompletes. A grade of K (incomplete) will be given only to students who have done
passing work in the course but who cannot complete the course because of verifiable illness or
emergency. A student with excessive absences or missed exams will not be given an incomplete.
VII. DISCIPLINARY POLICIES
Academic honesty. WWUs academic honesty policies and procedures, which cover
plagiarism, cheating, and other related topics, can be found in Appendix D of the University
Catalog and at http://catalog.wwu.edu/content.php?catoid=7&navoid=1014. Students are
responsible for knowing and complying with all University policies. Students may also contact
the Dean of Students Office at http://www.wwu.edu/dos/office/ if they have questions about
these policies. Below I have summarized the policies most pertinent to the course.
Plagiarism. While I encourage you to share and discuss ideas and arguments with
others, the final product must be yours alone. No two or more persons may submit the same or
substantially similar work and claim that each of them wrote it or that they wrote it together.
PLSC 467: Syllabus & Reading Schedule p. 7 of 10

Students are expected to know what constitutes plagiarism (i.e. presenting the work, idea,
argument, or illustration of another as your own without properly attributing it to the author or
source). Plagiarism also includes submitting for credit in this class, without informing the
instructor, your own work that was previously done for another class. (This is, in essence,
getting double credit for work you have done. However, if you would like to build upon work
that you did in another class, feel free to approach me with a proposal.)
Cheating. Cheating, or helping another student cheat, including copying the questions
and/or answers on an exam, is prohibited.
The penalty for plagiarism or cheating is an F for the course. Let me know as
soon as possible if for ANY reason you have trouble learning the material or keeping up in
class. I will do all I can to help. DO NOT WAIT until just before an exam. If personal
issues are affecting your schoolwork, contact the Dean of Students Office (650-3706) and/or the
Counseling Center for help (650-3164).
Classroom courtesies. During class, DO NOT use your cell phone to call or text; DO
NOT read non-course related material (e.g. books for another course or any other books or
newspapers); DO NOT carry on side-conversations or make noises, gestures, or other
remarks that might distract other students or the instructor.
Using a laptop. During class, DO NOT open on your laptop inappropriate websites
unrelated to the course (e.g. Facebook or other social media websites, youtube, email websites).
VIII. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
WWU is committed to equal opportunity and a campus environment free of harassment and
discrimination based on race, color, creed, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual
orientation, gender expression or identity, marital or veteran status, or genetic information. If
you feel you may have been harassed or treated unfairly by a WWU instructor, other employee,
or student, talk to a faculty member or contact the Equal Opportunity Office for more
information (650-3307; http://www.wwu.edu/eoo/). You may also report such an incident
anonymously at https://esign.wwu.edu/admcs/process/forms/EOC/Bias2.aspx.
IX. CHANGES TO THE SYLLABUS
I may amend, at any time, the policies in this syllabus or the readings in the schedule below.
Students will be notified of changes.
PLSC 467: Syllabus & Reading Schedule p. 8 of 10

SCHEDULE OF READINGS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

Week 1:
Wed., Jan. 4; Fri., Jan. 6
Course Administration & Introduction; Who cares how you write?
Required reading:
[Wed.] Syllabus; seminar ground rules; Chens pre-political principles
[Fri.] Beason (PDF), Ethos and Error, College Composition & Communication 53:33-64 (2001)
[focus on pp. 47-60; skim the rest]
Gilsdorf & Leonard (PDF), Big Stuff, Little Stuff, Journal of Business Communication
38:439-475 (2001) [read pp. 447-451 (from Research Methods through the tables), 459-468
(Discussion and Recommendations)]
[Fri.] STYLE reading: Writing exercises (by Wed. 6 PM): none
Ch. 2: Correctness [see footnote]
3

[optional] STYLE, Ch.1

ELEMENTS (PDF), pp. 1-26

Week 2:
Mon., Jan. 9; Wed., Jan. 11; Fri., Jan. 13
Crash Course in Philosophy (Ethics) & Law; Epistemology;
What is morality and its source?
Required:
[Mon.] Adams, 4-14 (from Sources of Law)4; Adler, Knowledge vs. Opinion (Ch. 4)
[Wed.] Adams, 40-46 (Classical Theories of Law); Simon, Chs. 1-2, Concl.5 [see footnote]
[Fri.] STYLE reading: Writing exercises (by Wed. 6 PM):
Ch. 3 (actions) 3.3: choose 3 words from Exer. 3.2then
Appendix II (sources) apply the 3.3 instructions to those words
3.5: apply the instructions to the even-
numbered sentences from Exer. 3.4 that use
nominalizations
3.6: apply the instructions to the even-
numbered sentences
3.7: ditto above

***Mon., Jan. 16NO CLASS: Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday***

3
See especially pp. 24-26 on gender bias.
4
Pp.4-8 review some basic legal concepts. Pp. 8-14 review the competing theories of J.S. Mills utilitarian
ethics and Immanuel Kants deontological ethics. This is meant to give students a gist or superficial overview of
how ethics relates to law. Students who are already familiar with these theories may read them quickly.
5
Students whose last name is lettered A-M will write a synopsis of Ch. 1, while all other students will write a
synopsis of Ch. 2.
PLSC 467: Syllabus & Reading Schedule p. 9 of 10

***Mon., Jan. 16NO CLASS: Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday***

Week 3:
Wed., Jan. 18; Fri., Jan. 20
Reasons and Arguments in Judicial Decision-making
Required:
[Wed.] GRC, Ch. 2 (What counts as reason in public debate?)
[Fri.] STYLE reading: Writing exercises (by Wed. 6 PM): none
Ch. 11 (global coherence)

***Sat., Jan. 21: Essay 1a (uploaded on Canvas by 6 PM)***

Week 4:
Mon., Jan. 23; Wed., Jan. 25; Fri., Jan. 27
Protecting Fundamental Rights: A Brief History of the 14th Amendment
Required:
[Mon.] Adler, Moral Values (Ch. 5); Human Nature (Ch. 7); Human Society (Ch. 8)
[Wed.] GRC, Ch. 3; Ch. 4.I-III
[Fri.] STYLE reading: Writing exercises (by Wed. 6 PM):
Ch. 4 (characters) 4.2, 4.4

***Sat., Jan. 28: Essay 1b (uploaded on Canvas by 6 PM)***

Week 5:
Wed., Feb. 1; Fri., Feb. 3
Gay Rights before Same-Sex Marriage
Required:
GRC, Ch. 4.IV (Bowers, Romer, Lawrence)6
[Fri.] STYLE reading: Writing exercises (by Wed. 6 PM):
Ch. 5 (cohesion) 5.1, 5.2, 5.3

Week 6:
Mon., Feb. 6; Wed., Feb. 8; Fri., Feb. 10
Same-Sex Marriage
Required:
GRC, Ch. 4.V-VI (Baker, Goodridge, AG Letter, Windsor, Baskin, Latta, Obergefell)
[Fri.] STYLE reading: Writing exercises (by Wed. 6 PM):
Ch. 6 (emphasis) 6.1, 6.2, 6.3

***Sat., Feb. 11: Essay 2a (uploaded on Canvas by 6 PM)***

6
Synopses of selected cases in GRC will be announced.
PLSC 467: Syllabus & Reading Schedule p. 10 of 10

***Sat., Feb. 11: Essay 2a (uploaded on Canvas by 6 PM)***

Week 7:
Mon., Feb. 13; Wed., Feb. 15; Fri., Feb. 17
Same-Sex Marriage (contd)
Required:
GRC, Ch. 4.V-VI (contd); Devlin, The Enforcement of Morals (1965)
[Fri.] STYLE reading: Writing exercises (by Wed. 6 PM):
Ch. 7 (concision) 7.1, 7.2, 7.3

***Sat., Feb. 18: Essay 2b (uploaded on Canvas by 6 PM)***

***Mon., Feb. 20NO CLASS: Presidents Day Holiday***

Week 8:
Wed., Feb. 22; Fri., Feb. 24
Legal Enforcement of Morality
Required:
[Wed.] HLA Hart, Law, Liberty, and Morality (1965); G. Dworkin, Devlin Was Right (1998)
[Fri.] STYLE reading: Writing exercises (by Wed. 6 PM): none
Ch. 10 (motivating coherence)

Week 9:
Mon., Feb. 27; Wed., Mar. 1; Fri., Mar. 3
Gay Rights vs. Freedom of Association & Speech
Required:
GRC, Ch. 5.I (BSA, CLS, Harper)
[Fri.] STYLE reading: Writing exercises (by Wed. 6 PM):
[optional] STYLE, Ch. 8 (shape); Appendix I [optional] 8.1, 8.2, 8.3
(punctuation)

***Sat., Mar. 4: Essay 3a (uploaded on Canvas by 6 PM)***

Week 10:
Mon., Mar. 6; Wed., Mar. 8; Fri., Mar. 10
Gay Rights vs. Free Exercise of Religion
Required:
GRC, Ch. 5.II-III (Reynolds, Smith, Hobby Lobby, Elane Photography)
[Fri.] STYLE reading: Writing exercises (by Wed. 6 PM):
[optional] STYLE, Ch. 9 (elegance) [optional] 9.1, 9.2, 9.3

***Sat., Mar. 11: Essay 3b (uploaded on Canvas by 6 PM)