Philosophy 234 - Paper assignment 1



The paper has several parts.
* It will have a thesis. The thesis must have a very specific format. Either it must be from the list below, or I must approve it in writing.
* It will give an argument that your thesis is true.
* It will respond to all the obvious objections to your argument or thesis; these are all the objections that come directly from what we covered in class.
* It will explain a non-obvious objection to your thesis. This is an objection we have not covered in class. You must do your best to make this look like a good objection (even though you don't believe it is a good objection, since you believe your thesis).
* Finally, it will explain why the non-obvious objection does not work, and so why your thesis really is true.

The grading standards are here.

Pre-approved theses:

You may not change any aspect of these theses (except to fill in the brackets in each) without my written approval. These theses contain two conditionals; you must argue for both, but only have to give a counterexample to one.

If [conditions] then the power structure of a company is just; if [those conditions are not met] then the power structure of a company is unjust.

Pick one group: young children, adolescents, addicts: If [conditions] then marketing to [this group] is morally permissible; if [those conditions] are not met, then marketing to [that group] is morally wrong.

If [conditions] then an advertisement is morally permissible; if [those conditions are not] then the advertisement is not morally permissible. (You only need to discuss advertisement of products that are morally permissible to sell at all, and can focus on ads directed at normally competent adults)

For any employee E working for company C: If [conditions] then E autonomously chooses to work for C; if [those conditions are not met] then E does not autonomously choose to work for C. (Be careful: you'll probably need relatively specific conditions on this one; saying "if they are sufficiently informed, etc" is likely to be trivial)

Theses that need approval

Theses on these topics must be approved by me; that is, if you write on one of these, I have to have approved, in writing, the exact thesis your paper is about. Your proposed thesis should have the same structure as those above; that is, it should tell me "Under these conditions, such-and-such is wrong, and in all other conditions it is permissible." Please note: there is nothing bad, or more difficult, about these topics; I only require approval because I want to check that you are writing on the most ethically interesting aspects of these topics.

The permissibility of marketing college educations (what sort of techniques are and are not morally permissible).

Under what conditions do college students give morally relevant consent to [their education? to pay tuition? to the demands their school places on them? etc.] (Be careful: you'll probably need relatively specific conditions on this one; saying "if they are sufficiently informed, etc" is likely to be trivial)

Under what conditions is it permissible, or just, to employ people who cannot give morally relevant consent to their employment contract?

Are there power structures at companies that are unjust, but better than the alternatives? Can it be morally permissible to knowingly create a company with an unjust power structure?

Pick a group not mentioned in the topics above (so, not children, adolescents, addicts, or normally competent adults), and discuss the permissibility of marketing to them.

I'm open to you writing on other topics as well; talk to me if you are interested.


A note on trivial theses (this applies to both pre-approved and novel theses) Here's an example of a trivial thesis: "If selling A does not violate any moral obligations, then selling A is permissible." This just means "If it is permissible, it is permissible." That's not worth writing about. A trivial thesis is one where the antecedent and consequent mean basically the same thing. Trivial theses are no good because there are really not informative. You are not allowed to write about trivial theses.


Outline due: Feb 16, 8pm. Email your thesis and a brief description of your argument. Put this in the body of your email - no attachments. Use the following subject line: 234 OUTLINE PAPER 1.
Draft due: Mar 2, 8pm, email it to your partner (as an attachment) and cc me, subject line 234 DRAFT PAPER 1
Comments due: Mar 5, 8pm, email to your partner and cc me, subject line 234 COMMENTS PAPER 1
Paper Due: Mar 9, 8pm; subject line 234 PAPER 1 FINAL.


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