Description
You have a couple of friends named Pat and Terry. Pat comes to you one day and says they have just finished PHIL 1301 and have decided to drop out of school. Inspired by Socrates, they’re going to start a “philosophy food truck”. This truck is going to go around, park at different places, and ask people tough questions — all in order for the public to gain in wisdom.
Pat has the basics taken care of. They have got a couple of sponsors, so while they won’t be living in luxury, they won’t starve either. They have the truck and they are smart people. What else do they need?
Pat and Terry have come to you for help, though, because they have to convince their families. Pat has a wife and three kids. Terry’s parents are really opposed to this idea. They will have to spend a lot of time on the road. Things may be neglected. Maybe it will be a miserable failure.
Pat and Terry have come up with three basic premises to use in arguing for their plan. They run these by you:
The philosophy truck will help people find true beliefs on which to base their lives.
The philosophy truck will help people refine, extend, and maintain their key beliefs, making them better people.
The philosophy truck will provide an important community service.
You want to help Pat and Terry. The paper is your chance.
Write a response to Pat and Terry in which you either:
Help them extend, refine, and develop one of their basic premises above so that their argument with their families will be stronger. OR
Showing them that one or more of their premises are not really good enough; they can’t make an effective argument based on that premise.
2-3 double (or 1.5) spaced pages. No larger than a 12 point, reasonable font. 1inch margins.
Use APA or MLA for citations only (don’t worry about other formatting in those styles)
Number your pages
The paper needs a title. Put that title on the top center of the first page.
Put your name and 1301– “section number” just below that title.
Don’t leave more than one inch between your name and the start of the paper
Per the Harvard handout, it’s fine to use first person.
Your paper should obviously contain the following structural elements (from the Harvard “writing philosophy” handout)
Precise thesis
Definition of key terms
Brief explanation of argument at beginning (an introduction)
Explanation of any/all other arguments used (from one of the readings, for example)
You may use one or more of the readings to help your argument (or as a potential objection to your argument)
An argument to support your thesis
(Optional) Anticipation and arguments against a possible objection
Conclusion
Suggestions
Remember that philosophical writing is careful and modest. You may want to just tackle one of Pat and Terry’s premises, developing a good positive or negative argument for one of them.
Use any of the readings we have covered to help you. Perhaps one of Socrates’ (or Guttings or Descartes or . . .) arguments apply here. Make sure to summarize any argument you take from somewhere else in your own words.