New Assignments

Professor Nobis is almost done grading everyone's first writing assignments: he should be done by tonight. 

Wednesday, today, we'll discuss the moral theories presented in "A Short Introduction to Moral Philosophy."

This Friday and Monday AND WEDNESDAY: we will discuss the issues and arguments from EMP Ch. 1. THIS OUTLINE IS NOW DUE BY FRIDAY, WHICH IS A CHANGE FROM WED. TURNITIN HAS BEEN CHANGED.

For next MONDAY and WEDNESDAY -- 2/17/14 AND 2/19/14) we'll discuss EMP Ch. 2:

Read EMP Ch 2 on the moral theory known as moral or cultural relativism. Also read Jim Pryor's (online) Guidelines on Writing a Philosophy Paper (link).

Writing assignment, due MONDAY AFTER THE INAUGURATION (2/17/14), before class, submitted to Turnitin:

Please write a short paper on the topic of the moral theory known as moral or cultural relativism. Do not read anything else on these topics besides the Rachels EMP and the paragraphs on the theory in RTD. Please write a brief explanatory essay that follows the guidance suggested below and answers these questions:

1. What is the moral theory known as moral or cultural relativism?

2. What arguments does Rachels discuss for the conclusion that the moral theory known as moral or cultural relativism is false? Explain those arguments.

3. What arguments does Rachels discuss for the conclusion that the moral theory known as moral or cultural relativism is true? Explain those arguments.

4. Based on your understanding of what moral or cultural relativism is, and the arguments for the conclusion that the theory is true and the arguments that the theory is false, what do you believe about the theory? Do you think it's true, or that it's false? Explain.

You must use this template this template to organize your paper with these subject headings. keep the headings / outline labels in the document. This will improve the organization. So, again, download that file and use it to structure your paper.  If you do not do this, you will get a zero on the paper:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3cgtsnrj7ixxywn/template%20for%20cultural%20relativism%20assignment.doc

or

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ohc1cqyy09en3u1/template%20for%20cultural%20relativism%20assignment.rtf

You should not write anything that would be unclear to the reader (who is, as Pryor describes, lazy, stupid, and mean -- http://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/guidelines/writing.html). So, as one example of this, you should not write, for example, anything like, "In section 2.2 this topic is discussed," and go on from there. You should not do this because your reader will have no idea what you are talking about. So you need to always keep your audience in mind and explain in a manner that your reader will understand.

 I also strongly encourage everyone to visit Morehouse's Writing Center for this assignment and any other: http://philosophy302.blogspot.com/2013/09/morehouse-writing-center.html

I WILL ALSO GIVE ANOTHER ASSIGNMENT TOO, DUE THAT SAME MONDAY.