Final Paper Value: 1 x 30%, 30% of total grade Your final paper will consist of a research project and should be 2300-3000 words and conform to scholarly standards of style and documentation. You should use MLA (Modern Language Association) format (Links to an external site.) for citations. Your text should draw on between three and eight outside sources, which must be cited and listed in a bibliography. At least two of your sources must be hard copy (i.e. not from the internet.) Compare and contrast the two thinkers you have chosen: in what ways do they overlap, in what ways do they conflict? Is one influenced by another? Do they share some common root? How do they view human nature differently? How do they view the ultimate source of ethical value? What does each one claim constitutes a “good life?” What is the highest value for each?
The authors are ARISTOTLE AND PLATO
THIS IS MY PROPOSAL TO THE PROFESSOR: I propose that my final paper focuses on justice. I will review how Plato and Aristotle generally view justice. This is an important topic because justice is as essential in today’s society as it was years ago. I will stick to reviewing and contrasting specifically justice with these two philosophers. They both have similarities, but they also have differences in their thoughts about justice. Plato’s take on justice merely is what is good is good and what is bad is bad and that everyone should have their own justice. Aristotle on the other hand reasons why something is good or bad and examines what is considered right. How do we determine what is just? I will concentrate on Plato’s and Aristotle’s views, determine what position I agree with and provide my own viewpoint. By examining our thoughts and feelings and looking at ethical theories, we might understand why we see things the way that we do or Plato and Aristotle may help us look at things differently. Who knows, we may change how we examine justice altogether. Justice has been described in a lot of different views through this course. Reviewing different philosophers helps us to explore our own values and beliefs and to examine what is important to us, how we want to live our lives and what we want to teach our offspring’s.
THESE RESOURCES MUST BE USED IN ADDITION TO 3 MORE
Resources: Dashti, Bibi. “The Concept of Justice in Greek Philosophy (Plato and Aristotle).” BrewBannerOriginal, 20 June 2016, brewminate.com/the-concept-of-justice-in-greek-philosophy-plato-and-aristotle/.
Lockwood, Thornton, and Thanassis Samaras. Aristotle's Politics: A critical Guide. Cambridge University Press, 2016.
Hamedi, Afifeh. “The Concept of Justice In Greek Philosophy (Plato and Aristotle).” Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, Jan. 2014, doi:10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n27p1163.
Stanlick, Nancy. Plato & Aristotle on Equality, pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~stanlick/equality1.html.
Sim, May. “Rethinking Virtue Ethics and Social Justice with Aristotle and Confucius.” Asian Philosophy, vol. 20, no. 2, 2010, pp. 195–213., doi:10.1080/09552367.2010.484954.
Strauss, Leo, and Cropsey, Joseph. History of political philosophy. 2nd ed., Rand McNally, 1972.
RESPONSE TO PROPOSAL FROM PROFESSOR:
Dear , I recommend that you focus your proposal a bit more–what aspect of justice will you be comparing? Or you could do a general comparison and then explain how both philosophers would deal with a particular issue of justice? Also, careful with the explanation of Plato's account of justice. You need to be more precise as to what is meant by saying that for Plato what is good is good? This does not really capture Plato's view–so make sure you are more specific here. I know this was part of the original proposal but I did not comment on it. In the last section of your paper you can explain which view you think is stronger and why.
