PHIL 681: Ninth Short Paper
Due April 6
(Reminder: You do not have to do this particular paper. You need to do
any four short papers (or three short papers plus a presentation), plus
the major semester paper, over the course of the semester.)
Option
One
Both in his language and in the issues on which he
focuses, Empedocles appears to show a familiarity with the work of
Heraclitus, Parmenides, and Zeno.
Choose one of these three philosophers, and show how
Empedocles attempts to address some questions and problems associated
with their work - either questions and problems that the other
philosopher himself attempted to address, or questions and problems
raised by the other philosopher’s work (things the other
philosopher
might not have dealt with adequately, etc.), or both.
You may find particularly useful the recommended
articles by Longrigg and Mourelatos; and the recommended chapters in
Curd’s The Legacy of
Parmenides
and Graham’s Explaining the
Cosmos.
You may certainly quote the text, but when you do so
you must explain what you think the quotations mean and imply. There is
no need to use any sources other than the assigned and listed
recommended texts. Your discussion of these secondary texts should not
simply repeat or paraphrase their arguments, but should also show your
assessment of their accuracy and of the sufficiency of the support they
give for their points. This paper should be approximately 4-5 pages
long (typed, double-spaced, 12-point font, one-inch margins). It is due
in class on April 6.
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Option
Two
Same as Option One, but use Philolaus (and relevant
secondary sources) instead of Empedocles.