course material

1. How is the infliction of pain on another a form
PHIL-2255: Mid-Term Paper Topics and GuidelinesChoose one of the two topics below and
respond to all of the associated topic questions in formal academic writing. Use 1” margins
on all sides, double-spaced pages, and 12-font. Use the MLA citation style. The paper should
exactly five full pages times new roman size 12 font double-spaced MLA format excluding
the works cited page. Keep the introduction short and to the point. The entire purpose of
the introduction should be to deliver the thesis statement (what claim do you wish to
defend in this paper?). Avoid empty generalities at the beginning of the paper (such as
“Existentialist questions have been discussed for millennia…” or “Kierkegaard is a famous
philosopher…”).About three-and-a-half to four pages of the paper should be employed on
explaining and analyzing the authors’ views. This means clearly and carefully answering all
of the topic questions, explicating the relevant arguments, and explaining their significance.
In this part of your paper, it is extremely important to accurately characterize the authors’
position (if this hasn’t been done properly, any criticisms or objections made will fall flat).
Most of the paper should be in your own words, though the use brief quotations, as needed,
is encouraged as long as the text is properly cited. Always illustrate the relevance of the
quotation, situate its context, and explain its meaning in your own words.The other page or
two of the paper should be devoted to your own critical assessments of the arguments
presented and a defense of your own position on one of the philosophical issues. If you
disagree with the author, offer objections and explain why you think their argument is
unsatisfactory, and then defend your own position on the issue. You may find yourself
agreeing with the author’s conclusion; be sure to give good reasons for why you do. Either
way, it is always a good idea to entertain possible objections to your own conclusions,
followed by reasons for thinking that the objections do not hold up. This will make your
own conclusion much stronger.This assignment can be completed without the use of
sources outside of our class texts. If you do look to secondary sources, stick to published
books or peer-reviewed journal articles. Never use any internet sources without approval
from the instructor. The instructor will also be checking your paper against AI-assisted
technology, such as ChapGPT; use of these technologies for completing this assignment is
strictly prohibited as a violation of the Academic Honesty Policy.How Does Kierkegaard
Answer the Question about How to Live? What is the traditional understanding of truth
seen from the objective point of view (from Concluding Unscientific Postscript)? What are
Kierkegaard’s grounds for criticizing it? What kind of question cannot be adequately
answered by the objective point of view? What is subjective truth for Kierkegaard? What is

2. the “paradox” of Christianity, and why is it the ideal that can give our lives the greatest
meaning?Explain the difference between the person who lives in “infinite resignation” and
the “knight of faith.” How does Kierkegaard apply this distinction to the case of Abraham?
Why does he consider Abraham to be the exemplar of true faith and not simply a base
murderer?