2 page philosophy essay

Philosophy 2305 Dr. Robert Tierney Essay Question The Duty to Dis/Obey the Law Please answer one and only one of the following questions. Questions: (1) Assume that we are back in the time when COVID-19 infection rates were at their worst in Houston. Assume, also, that Houston authorities have enacted social distancing requirements such that violations of them can result in fines of $1,000 per violation. Suppose that your friend Sam is being hurt financially by Houston’s social distancing laws. Sam has been watching a lot of Infowars1 lately. Based upon what Sam has gathered from this program, he/she2 has concluded that that he/she has no duty to obey Houston’s social distancing laws because he/she disagrees with those laws. Alex Jones has explained that this was the view of the great philosopher Socrates. In fact, Jones explains, Socrates went to jail because he believed that we have a right to violate any law that we disagree with.3 Based on your reading of the Crito, and the handout that I provided in connection with it, you think that Mr. Jones and Sam haven’t quite got their history of philosophy right. Explain, based on those documents, where and how you think that they might be going wrong. Focus on what I have called “the Core Argument” and what Socrates argues in terms of the “social contract.” (You don’t have to discuss the argument concerning the duty of gratitude nor the argument concerning obedience to a superior authority.) In answering this question, write in ordinary prose (i.e. sentences and paragraphs) as opposed to using numbered-step arguments. That is, you do have to give the relevant arguments, but you must express them clearly in ordinary prose. (2) Suppose that your friend Sam has been watching a lot of Infowars4 lately. Based upon what Sam has gathered from this program, he/she5 has concluded that this whole Corona Virus thing is all a big hoax perpetrated by the “radical leftists” (i.e. the Democrats) in order to enable them to socialize medicine so that they can turn the babies in the maternity wards gay.6 1 This is Alex Jones’ program. 2 “Sam” can be short for “Samuel” or “Samantha,” whichever you choose. In other words, it is up to you whether Sam is male or female. 3 I’m making up the facts of this question; but, from what I’ve seen, I doubt that I am misrepresenting the kinds of things that Jones says on that program. If you are a Jones fan, and you really think that he is getting at the truth on his program, just play along with the question anyway. It’s a hypothetical question. 4 See supra note 1. 5 See supra note 2. 6 See supra note 3. Question on the Duty to Obey or Disobey the Law, UHD, 2305, Fall, 2020 v3.0.doc Page 1 of 4 Based on these conclusions, and his/her own frustration with policies of social distancing, Sam wants to organize a protest in front of Houston’s city hall next Tuesday. Sam knows that you have been studying ethics, and wants to let you know about the good work that he/she is doing. He/she writes to you (via email) and his/her message, in pertinent part, states the following. I knew that you’d be excited to learn how I’m championing social justice, just like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It’s just like Dr. King says, if you feel like there’s a social injustice, then that is all you need to know. Trust your gut! And there’s no need to waste time trying to talk to a bunch of freedom-hating politicians and deep-state7 bureaucrats, you just get out there and do your thing. If the cops try to do anything about it, we will defend ourselves by whatever means necessary. And if they start making arrests, and we can’t fight them off, we’re gonna get out of there before they can catch us and take us to jail—i.e., the gulag where they throw the freedom-loving heroes that won’t accept their lies. It’s gonna be great! Civil disobedience! Direct action! We’re gonna do it up MKL style! Do you think that Sam has the right ideas about what it is to “do it up MKL style”? Please explain. Address the various specific things that Sam claims in her email, and deal with them in adequate detail in terms of what you have learned about King and the Civil Disobedience from this course.8 Important Note For purposes of this question, assume that science is real. Moreover, assume that relevant scientific organizations9 are much more likely to provide accurate information about viruses and other scientific matters than are politicians, televangelists, popular entertainers, TV and radio personalities, political propogandists, and other such characters. More specifically, assume that the CDC basically has the most reliable available information about COVID-19 (at least when its message is not being warped by political pressure to downplay the severity of the situation). Approach to Writing The questions provided above are structured to elicit a demonstration of your understanding of very specific aspects of the course material. Though there may be some variation in how students express the relevant points, there are fairly specific right answers to these questions. Given what was said in the preceding paragraph, the content we have covered in the course dictates how long your answer should be. I am guessing that that you could answer any of these questions in adequate detail in less than 750 words, maybe less than 500. I simply won’t know until I read your answer. Just deal with the question in the manner described in these instructions. 7 Are there “deep-municipality” bureaucrats? (This footnote is meant to be a joke.) 8 Though the temptation may be particularly great in this instance, do not bring in outside information about King or civil disobedience or the civil rights movement. I want to know what you learned about the relevant issues in this class. 9 By “relevant scientific organizations” I mean roughly the following: Scientific organizations concerned with the relevant area of knowledge that are widely respected by established scientists with expertise in the relevant area of science. Question on the Duty to Obey or Disobey the Law, UHD, 2305, Fall, 2020 v3.0.doc Page 2 of 4 You do not need to write formal essays with introductory and concluding paragraphs. Just get down to the business of answering the question posed. Write as much as you need to in order to correctly and completely carry out this task. The appropriate length for this assignment may vary a bit from student to student, depending upon his or her approach and writing style. Be as concise as you can be without sacrificing the quality of the content of your answer. Carry out the assigned task clearly, precisely, concisely, and completely. Your goal is to make it obvious to your instructor that you understand the relevant material. Of course, a good answer will explain any philosophical or technical terms used in an answer. Citations Do not use lazy paraphrasing. If you are going to quote, then quote; if you are not, then you should properly construct your own sentences. If such “paraphrasing” comes without an appropriate citation, it is plagiarism according to the UHD standard—regardless of whether or not you are using sources provided in this course. When quoting a source that is a document used in this course, you must give a proper citation. When you quote a source, you must give a proper citation that includes the specific page on which that quote occurs. If you are using a source from this course to inform your thoughts and ideas, but not directly quoting it, you do NOT have to give a citation. You can use either MLA or Chicago style cite form. I will not worry much about the details of cite form as long as the citations are complete and clear. Do not use outside sources—i.e., use only the sources of information provided to you by your instructor in this course. If you do not follow this rule, i.e., if you use outside sources, then you must follow appropriate citation requirements, which are much more demanding than those I have just given in relation to course sources in the preceding paragraph. The standard for outside sources mandates not doing anything that constitutes plagiarism according to UHD policy (see below). Your answer should largely consist of sentences of your own construction, not quotations. However, you can and should use quotations from the relevant text to support what you have already explained in sentences of your own construction. Plagiarism The following is UHD policy. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to: •Directly quoting the words of others without using quotation marks or indented format to identify them. •Using sources of information (published or unpublished) without identifying them. • Paraphrasing materials or ideas of others without identifying the sources. Page 3 of 4 If you do not fulfill these obligations, you will get an F for plagiarism. For a full description of the penalties see the syllabus. Warning: Do Not Work with Other Students Every student must write his or her own answer independently. Please see the definition of academic misconduct in the student handbook. Format Do not retype the question you are answering in your answer. Just give the answer. Your answer should type-written, double-spaced and in Verdana 10-point font. In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, type your full name, “Crito Question” or “MLK Question,” “Philosophy 2305,” the number for your section of the course (i.e., the CRN number), and the date. If your work runs to more than one page, make sure