Personal Identity

Description

Explain the problem of personal identity over time. Defend body theory, or psychological theory, or soul theory. Alternately, criticize all three views, and conclude that there is no plausible theory. Content Requirements Your paper MUST include the following elements. 1. A brief introduction and conclusion. The introduction must contain a clear thesis statement. Your paper should be focused around one main point, and that should be made clear in your first introductory paragraph. I will look for a clear thesis statement, which explains what you will argue for in the paper. Do not make it fancy. I recommend: “In this paper I will argue that…” and then fill in your conclusion. Keep your introduction brief. Introduce your topic simply, then state your thesis. That’s it. Your conclusion should also be brief. 2. A clear argument. I will look carefully to see whether your paper contains an argument. Remember, an argument is a set of statements that provide reasons in support of a conclusion. I prefer clarity over elegance. Feel free to begin your paragraphs with phrases like, “The first reason I believe this is because…”, “The second reason I believe this is because…”, etc. 3. An objection to your argument, and a response to the objection. You cannot think carefully and hard about a topic unless you engage with objections. You must include at least one well-developed objection to your argument. A well-developed objection will be more than one sentence, and should include an example to illustrate it. 4. Engagement with at least three scholarly sources. One of your three sources must be a source that was not required for the course reading. I recommend using the sources provided on the “Additional Resources” pages, but you are welcome to find your own sources to. However, they must be scholarly sources. If you’re in doubt whether a source qualifies, please ask me.