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Paper
Due: Thursday, February 21st
750 words maximum
Instructions on submitting your paper will be provided to you in tutorial
Consider the following passage:
After considering everything very thoroughly, I must finally conclude that this proposition, I am,
I exist, is necessarily true when ever it is put forward by me or conceived in my mind. (Descartes,
Meditation II.)
Explain and evaluate the argument Descartes is making in this excerpt. What is special about the
proposition I exist, according to Descartes? What role does the argument play in his
epistemology? Is Descartes successful in defeating skepticism?
If you like, you may use the ideas of Locke or Berkeley against Descartes account. You may
also use Descartes account to criticize Locke or Berkeley. Please note, however, that this is an
argument paper and not a compare and contrast paper.
In writing your paper you must do the following:
1. Have a clearly stated thesis.
2. Explain the theory you are appealing to or arguing against clearly in terms of the concepts we
have encountered in class and in the course readings.
3. Argue for your thesis with reference to material we have encountered in class and in the
course readings.
4. Anticipate an objection to your thesis.
5. Reply to this objection.
Please note the following:
!Papers without proper and complete citations and a proper bibliography will not be accepted.
Where applicable always cite passages and ideas from the readings NOT from the course notes.
You must list all readings referenced from our text in your bibliography individually by author.
All in-text citations must include page numbers.
!No late papers will be accepted.
!Papers will not be read beyond the maximum word count.
!Papers must be double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font, with standard margins.
!Papers that do not meet these requirements will be penalized at the instructors discretion
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Required Paper Components:
1. Introduction: Keep it brief and to the point. What are you going to argue, and how are
you going to argue for it? What theory will you appeal to/argue against? What major
point will your argument make? Your thesis statement is normally the last sentence of
your introduction.
2. Exposition: Here you will explain the view that you are either supporting or arguing
against. Assume that your reader is intelligent but knows nothing about the theory or
view you are explaining.
3. Argument: Here you will begin the argument for your thesis. Stick to the best reason(s)
in support of your thesis. Do not introduce more claims than you have the space to
develop adequately.
4. Objection: Here you will consider a strong objection against your own argument. How
might an opponent criticize your argument? You will likely want to stick to one strong
objection in this paper.
5. Reply: Here you will continue your argument for your thesis by answering the objection
raised in section 4. It is important that this section brings something new to your
argument, and is not just a restatement of claims you have made earlier in your paper.
6. Conclusion: Here you will briefly sum up how you have argued for your thesis.
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