Here is the list of options from which to choose your paper topic. The idea is to use the same topic for all three papers in this course. If you want to switch topics between papers or if you want to choose a topic not on this list, it is best to consult with your instructor first.
Your paper topic is a particular question that you will attempt to resolve using logic and critical thinking. Choose a question from the list below that interests you and about which you feel that you will be able to conduct scholarly research and construct logical arguments on both sides. Feel free to modify the question into something more concrete and specific if it would allow for a stronger or more interesting paper.
Here are the topics from which to choose (they are organized into categories to make it easier to narrow down your choice):
Ethical Questions:
• Is it permissible to use capital punishment on persons convicted of certain crimes?
• Is physician assisted suicide morally acceptable when a person is suffering from a painful, incurable, terminal condition?
• Is abortion morally acceptable when the woman's life is not in danger due to the pregnancy?
• Is it acceptable to purchase clothing made by underpaid and poorly treated workers in other countries?
Legal/Political Questions:
• Should a photo ID be required for voting?
• Should legal marriage be available to couples of the same sex?
• Should marijuana be legal for recreational use?
• Should vaccinations be required for all children of certain ages?
Economics:
• Does federal assistance for college education for people with low incomes help the economy in the long run?
• Are government subsidies (e.g. for agriculture, oil exploration, etc.) generally good for the economy?
• Would shifting to alternative sources of energy (wind, solar, etc.) be likely to benefit or harm our economy in the long run?
Daily Life:
• What is the best way to invest one's money (example: Are mutual funds better on average than investing in real estate)?
• What is the best method for managing one's time?
• Does the use of Social Media tend to improve or harm relationships?
• Are video games (or is pornography, TV, etc.) addictive (or harmful)?
Education:
• Is online education 'as good as' on ground education generally?
Informal Logic
For further information, review the document Presenting Arguments in Standard FormPreview the document.
Arguments in Sources
Take a look at the following list of topics for your final paper: List of Suggested Topics. Choose a topic of interest to you, for which you feel you could create a strong argument on both sides. You will be using this topic for all three of your papers in this course.
Find one source that presents a view on one side of the topic you chose. Your source here does not have to be scholarly, but perhaps an article that you find in a newspaper or on the internet. Present the main argument made by the source. Make sure to put the argument in standard form, with the premises listed above the conclusion.
Without taking sides on the issue, explain whether you feel that the source provides the strongest representation of the reasoning on that side of the issue. Consider the following questions in your initial post:
How clearly was the argument expressed within this source?
What more could be done to strengthen the reasoning in this source?
What might one do to objectively understand the issue?
a minimum of 50 words
Example: Argument in standard from:
P1. If the earth wasn't flat, then the curvature of the earth would be visible in the distance.
P2. There is no curvature visible to partially block the cityscape approximately 16 miles away.
C. Therefore, the earth is flat.
What the complete response to this discussion would look like:
TOPIC: Is the Earth flat?
In support of the idea that the Earth is flat, rapper B.o.B (2016) tweeted, "The cities in the background are approx. 16miles apart... where is the curve ? please explain this," along with a picture of himself on a mountain top with a cityscape in the far distance. In standard form, his argument would be:
P1. If the earth wasn't flat, then the curvature of the earth would be visible in the distance.
P2. There is no curvature visible to partially block the cityscape approximately 16 miles away.
C. Therefore, the earth is flat.
B.o.B's statement of the argument is somewhat clear. He explicitly stated the premise based on his experience, that looking the city approximately 16 miles away his view was not blocked in any way by a curvature of the Earth. His question, "Where is the curve?" indicates he expects to find one that would indicate the Earth is spherical.
The argument leaves unstated the connection between the Earth being spherical (i.e., not flat) and the curve being visible as well as the conclusion that the Earth is flat.
To make his argument clearer, he would have had to explicitly state the relationship between the curve not being visible in the photograph and the Earth being flat as well as stating his conclusion. Providing these details in his statement would have given the reader all of the relevant information needed to evaluate the relationship between the premises and his conclusion.
Given the picture, B.o.B's claim that the curve is not visible from 16 miles away (Premise 2) is believable and lends some support to the conclusion. For the first premise, however, additional information is needed. The reader would have to know and evaluate whether the curve of the Earth's surface should be visible at a distance of 16 miles given the planet's size.
As stated, it would be necessary to know at what distance, relative to the size of the Earth, its curvature, if it existed, would be visible to humans.
Based on that information, B.o.B's (2016) argument that the curve not being visible at 16 miles proving the Earth is flat could be properly evaluated. Additionally, the limitations of human vision (i.e., how far humans can see) might also be relevant for evaluating this argument.
This information may indicate if it is even possible for humans standing on the planet to observe the cure. If not, this argument, as stated by B.o.B. (2016) would fail. With this information, the topic question, "Is the Earth flat?," might properly be answered.
References
B.o.B. (2016, January 24). The cities in the background are approx. 16miles apart... where is the curve ? please explain this [Twitter post].