Pls use the folllowing documents to finish option 1. 6 pages, double space, Make sure you follow the instruction of reference
Please write more detail and be specific about the points you are going to argue.
From my understanding, this is an argumentation essay, and the professor would like to see us to clearly states both side and argue for one side.
Also, make sure “Discuss this debate by considering how a “liberal” like Shrage might respond to the concerns raised by either Estes or Gauthier (discuss one or the other, not both).”
Philosophy 201 Online, Philosophy of Sex and Love
Essay Assignment 2
General Instructions
Write an essay, 5-6 double-spaced pages [1500-1800 words by computer word count], on one
of the topics given below. Do not exceed the length restriction. Since part of your task for this
assignment is to present your thoughts concisely, papers that go substantially beyond the length
limit will lose marks. The assignment is due on Wednesday, July 20, at 11:55 pm EST.
Submission:
You must submit your work online through the Essay Assignment 2 folder in the LEARN
Dropbox. Please note carefully that only ONE file will be accepted to the Dropbox. Therefore,
you must not use the Dropbox to store drafts or otherwise incomplete versions of your work.
Use only supported browsers to submit your work. See below for detailed instructions on
preparing online submissions and the LEARN Dropbox.
Do not include your name anywhere in the assignment; this is a measure designed to
ensure bias-free grading. However, the following pieces of information MUST be on the front
page of your assignment:
• Student ID Number
• Course Name and Number
• Assignment Number (i.e. Essay Assignment 2)
• Date
Late policy:
Late essays will be penalized at the rate of 10% per day late. No exceptions will be made
without a documented excuse of sufficient weight (e.g., a medical emergency).
Note on plagiarism:
Passing off the work of others as your own constitutes plagiarism and is a serious offence. All
suspected cases of plagiarism are referred to the Associate Dean’s office. See the Faculty of
Arts webpage on Ethical Behaviour for important information on plagiarism and other academic
offences. See below for instructions on appropriate methods of citation for your essay.
Topics
Choose one of the following as the topic for your essay:
Option 1: Both Estes and Gauthier argue that the practice of prostitution is, by its very nature,
problematic from an ethical point of view. By contrast, Shrage argues that in different sociocultural
circumstances, prostitution could be acceptable and unproblematic. Discuss this debate
by considering how a “liberal” like Shrage might respond to the concerns raised by either Estes
or Gauthier (discuss one or the other, not both). Whose position is more credible, and why?
Argue for your view.
Option 2: Merino criticizes Nozick’s “union” theory of love by considering three interpretations of
what it is for lovers to form a union and arguing none of them ultimately makes sense. Using
Nozick’s text, argue for one of these interpretations, and offer a defense on behalf of Nozick.
What might he say to support his views? Is he ultimately right? Argue for your position.
Citations
• Use in-text references of the (author, page #) format whenever you directly quote or
paraphrase, or otherwise represent ideas from assigned course articles.
• References to lecture content should be given by the course author’s name and the section
number of module page cited.
• E.g., (Marino, Mod. 5.3)
• A separate Works Cited list is unnecessary if your only sources are readings and learning
materials from the course. However, any use of outside sources must be properly
documented and included in a Works Cited list at the end of the essay. Please note that
consultation with outside sources is unnecessary, and may even prove to be a distraction.
Guidelines on Essay Content
The essay assignments for this course are designed as an opportunity for you to think about,
and argue for, your own response to philosophical issues raised in the course. Typically,
assignments of this sort confront you with two challenges:
First, since the assignments will focus on ideas presented in the course texts, one challenge is
to find clear and succinct ways of summarizing ideas and arguments presented by authors
from the texts. In doing so, it is important that you be clear and fair in how you present these
ideas and arguments. It is also important that you make the effort to summarize the views of
others in your own words. You can use brief quotations when it is important to stress how an
author has actually stated a specific point, but don’t let the use of quotations, or even close
paraphrases, come in the way of your own effort to encapsulate what the author is getting at.
The second challenge is that of critically evaluating the ideas and arguments your essay
focuses upon. This is the most important task, since expressing and defending your own
judgement on a philosophical issue is the main point of writing an essay in the first place. In
developing your own critical perspective, it is important to provide your own argument — i.e.,
your reasons for the judgement you arrive at — whether you are defending or opposing the
author(s) you are discussing. It may be that your critical reflections lead you to propose
alternative conclusions to those of the author(s) your essay focuses upon. This is fine, but here
too it is important that you give reasons (i.e., an argument) for your conclusions. It is also
important to be aware of possible criticisms of your own views and, as far as possible, to show
how such criticisms might be addressed.
The essays for this course are not research essays. It is therefore strongly advised that you
devote most of your attention to the relevant readings from the course texts, rather than trying to
find additional sources (either in the library or on the web). From time to time, you may wish to
allude to facts in the world that aren’t discussed in the readings. This is fine, but be aware that
you may need to include a citation to a relevant source if the fact(s) you allude to are not
common knowledge (i.e., things that you could reasonably expect any educated reader to be
aware of). In general, it is important that you provide appropriate citations for any reading
material that informs your discussion, including course material. Essay topics distributed
during the term will contain explicit instructions on how to cite your sources, and you should
attend to these instructions carefully.
Here are some additional pointers for you to keep in mind as you work on the essay
assignments:
• Your paper should have a title. It should also include page numbers.
• Have a clear thesis that you argue for. Do not merely summarize, or write a report.
• State your thesis early on, argue for it, then give a brief conclusion at the end of the
paper.
• Be sure to argue for your claims, instead of stating personal opinions without
justification. Arguing for your claims means giving reasons and justifications.
• Be as methodical, organized, clear and concise as you can. Make it easy for the reader
to know exactly what you mean.
• When discussing texts and authors, be sure you bring out the most important points they
make on the topic under discussion. You won’t be able to summarize everything they
say, so be prepared to make some judgements about what is most important and what
can be left aside for the purpose of your essay.
• Read charitably: when describing or criticizing the views of others, present those views
as strongly as you can — that is, make them seem as plausible and important as
possible, even if the ultimate goal of your discussion is to point out problems with those
views.
• Use ordinary, everyday language for the most part. If and when you have to use
specialized terminology, state what your terms mean.
• The reading audience you should have in mind is a smart person who knows nothing
about the particular subject at hand.
• For improvements to organization, clarity, style, etc., try reading your paper out loud to a
friend; listen to your own sentences, and ask what your friend understood the main point
to be.
• Thinking about philosophically is challenging, but it can also be a lot of fun when you
approach it with some interest and energy. Have fun!
The essay assignments in this course will be graded for clarity, organization, originality and
quality of ideas, writing skills, quality of argumentation, and significance of the thesis.
Guidelines for Submitting Papers Online
• Only the following file types will be accepted: Rich Text Format (.rtf); Microsoft Word
format (.doc or .docx)
• Be sure to save your assignment in an appropriate folder or on your desktop for easy
retrieval.
• Ensure that the name of your file does not include special characters such as symbols or
punctuation. Such characters may cause problems with the upload.
• You will only be able to upload one file per assignment. Please combine all documents
into one file.
• Do not zip your files.
• There is a maximum file size of 2 MB. If your file is larger than 2 MB, please contact
Technical Support for assistance. Contact information can be found on the Contact Us
page in LEARN.
How to Submit Assignments Online Using a LEARN Dropbox
• Click on the Add a File button within the Dropbox to upload your assignment from your
computer.
• Click on the Browse button to look for your assignment file on your computer.
• Find and select your assignment file and click Open. The file path and assignment file
name will appear in the upload file box.
• Upload your assignment by clicking the Upload button. When the file has finished
uploading, the name of your file will appear under the Files to submit area.
• Click the Submit button. If you do not click the Submit button, the file will not be
uploaded.
• After submitting your file, a confirmation message will appear. This message will include
a link to your submitted file beside Files to submit. Please ensure that your
submission is visible on this page.
If you are having difficulties uploading your files, please try the following:
• Check the computer requirements.
• Ensure that your file name does not contain any special characters such as #, +, -, *, !,
or ?
• Ensure that there is an extension at the end of your file name (e.g., Assignment1.doc).
If you are still experiencing difficulties after checking the above items, please contact Technical
Support.
Note: Your graded assignment will be returned to you through the Dropbox. Review the graded
file for feedback on your work.
