PHIL 207G P 1 04 The Meaning Of Life Fall
I have posted the instructions, and prompt below for the essay! Thank you.
Answer the following question:
Alice Howland is the fictional protagonist of the 2007 novel Still Alice by Lisa Genova (also made into a 2014 movie of the same name). Alice is a 50 year old cognitive psychology professor recently diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Knowing her unavoidable prognosis of ever-increasing dementia, Alice sets up a plan to commit suicide once her dementia advances past a pre-defined point. (She plans to take a daily cognitive test on her phone, and once her scores are bad enough, the phone instructs her to read a letter written earlier to herself, telling her to take a bottle of lethal pills stored for that eventuality).
1. Compare and critically evaluate how Kant and Benatar would assess Alice’s intention to carry out killing herself: what are the strongest reasons and arguments each marshals for their assessment of Alice’s suicide, how would each respond to the other philosopher’s contentions, and, whose analysis and supporting reasons are most convincing and why?
Some pointers and goals to keep in mind when writing a philosophy paper:
Make sure to focus only on the specific issues raised in the question you are answering (do not
attempt to summarize all of the various things the authors have said in their pieces)
Use your own words as much as possible
Correctly cite and attribute direct quotations, and cite ideas that are not your own. For assigned
readings, cite by Author and Page Number. Please use an accepted citation style to refer to
sources not included on the syllabus (APA, MLA, Chicago Manual of Style, Turabian, etc.).
Specify the various claims involved as exactly and precisely as possible
Define and clarify any technical, controversial, or ambiguous terms or concepts
Clearly state each of the premises used to support the position under consideration, and explain
the reasons supporting those premises
Explain any missing premises (and reasons in support of them) needed for the argument
Accurately represent the claims and arguments of the theorists considered
Focus only on the claims and arguments directly relevant to the question posed
Pay primary attention to the key arguments presented in the text, though you may go beyond
those arguments once those have been adequately treated
Clearly organize the consideration of claims, premises, potentially contrary considerations, and
assessment
• Critically evaluate positions and arguments by subjecting them to potential objections, considering how the objections might be responded to, and rendering an overall assessment of the controversy
