First, you must write a paragraph or two carrying out one of the following tasks:
Identification: Identify what the ethical conflict is in a particular case presented in a reading.
Explication: Articulate an argument, theoretical principle, or the main outlines of a theory presented in a reading.
Definition: Define a concept presented in a reading.
Evaluation: Briefly evaluate an argument presented in a reading. Application: Apply a theoretical concept or principle presented in a reading.
Second, you must develop a specific, informative question about a reading. Ask a question that is actually a meaningful question. Make sure that it’s not just some basic comprehension question that can be answered by reading the text. It must be a serious request for further expansion or clarification.
This week:
- 1. Read
(a) Philosophical Problems and Arguments Ch. 1
(b) “Plato’s Apology of Socrates” pdf (http://www.sjsu.edu/people/james.lindahl/courses/Phil70A/s3/apology.pdf)
- 2. Task:Explain the idea of logical possibility and necessity. Give an example.
- 3. Question: Develop a question about something from the readings. Is there a concept that you don’t quite get? Does something need to be clarified? Have you tried to apply a concept to your own observations and found it confusing?
