Philosophy 5 Honors: Critical Composition

Los Angeles Pierce College

Department of History, Philosophy, & Sociology

Winter, 2019

Second Essay Prompt

Due Thursday, January 10th by 11:59PM

Turn this assignment in via email (to laych@piercecollege.edu or teach@christopherlay.com) both as an attachment and pasted into the body of your email. 

This assignment amounts to 15% of your course grade.

In five pages (that is, in no fewer than five pages, and no more than five and a half pages), using what we've learned up to this point in the They Say, I Say text:

1) explain Descartes's Method of Doubt and his immediate goal in employing it;

2) explain how one part of Nye's challenge could be straightforwardly applied to Descartes's Method of Doubt (not one of Nye's claims about majoring in philosophy); 

3) explain how Descartes could reply to the Nye challenge from 2), above;

4) argue in favor of either Descartes or Nye as you have presented them above; and

5) consider how a naysayer could reply to your argument from 4), above.

If you submit someone else's ideas, words, or phrases, you must cite those individuals: plagiarism of any kind will not be accepted.  If you submit ideas, words, or phrases from a previous essay of your own, explicitly state as much.  Please do not just represent, word for word, old material.  Go to http://libguides.piercecollege.edu/citation for excellent information on citing.

Use one-inch margins all around, double-spacing throughout, and Times New Roman font, size 12 only–and no title pages please.