PHI 107 FIRST PAPER/GRADED WRITING ASSIGNMENT 2012

Fall

TASK/TOPIC: Assessing Traditional Arguments for God's Existence. Write a 3-4 page (double spaced) paper that critically examines one of the three main traditional arguments for God's existence: Ontological Argument or Cosmological Argument or Teleological (Design) Argument Include a first page (do not count it as one of the 3-4 pages of the paper) on which you give an explicit statement in numbered premise/conclusion format of the specific argument you are evaluating in your paper. You can use any of the statements of the relevant arguments given in lecture, in the textbook, or your own formulation. (If you use an explicit statement from a source other than the lecture or textbook, be sure to cite your source.) Your paper should explain why you believe the argument is or not successful. - Is it valid? (if not valid, say which specific inferences are not valid) - Is it sound? (If challenging premises, say which premise(s) and why) - Is it persuasive? - Why or why not? - Give reasons to support your claims. - What possible objections might be raised against the argument? - How could the argument be defended against those objections? etc... Please include a header line at the top of each page of your paper that includes "PHI 107 First Paper" - your name, your discussion section #, and name of your TA. That is, on the top of each page should be a line like the following: PHI 107 First Paper - John Smith, Section 101, TA: Mike Campbell * IMPORTANT REMINDER: Be sure to cite and credit any sources you rely on whether you using explicit quotation, paraphrase or someone else's ideas. DUE DATE: Papers are due in class (lecture) Tuesday Oct 5. * No late papers except in the cases of documented illness (or other similar documented emergency condition). GRADING: The assignment will receive a letter grade A-F with possible + or - (which equal +/- 0.3

Students will receive a (+) toward the 10% participation component of the course as long as they complete an adequate paper. Anyone who fails to do the assignment will receive a (-).