The Communist Manifesto as the outside text. I would like to relate it to Utilitarianism that we learned in class. In addition I would like to discuss Nicomachean Ethics. How the happiness of of one person is sacrificed for the happiness of others. In addition I would like to discuss what is the ultimate happiness.

Texts: Utilitarianism by Sandal and Nicomachean Ethics

Ultimately, the paper should explain a connection you see between the course material and an outside object (i.e. a social or political issue, a work of art, a theory from a different discipline, etc.) and demonstrate how the course material has changed, refined, complicated, or confused your understanding of that object.

This paper is a chance for you to demonstrate the extent to which the course has helped you: develop your understanding of philosophical ethics, sharpen your skills as a close, careful reader and interpreter of texts; and cultivate your ability to develop and convey your thoughts clearly in writing. Please approach this assignment with that goal in mind.

The Requirements: You may choose to organize your paper however you wish, but it MUST incorporate:

v at least two direct quotes from at least two different readings from our class.

· You must include at least two quotes; you may include more than two.

· You must quote at least two texts from class; you may quote more than two.

v at least one direct quote from your chosen external text • You must include at least one quotes; you may include more than one.

The meaning of every quote you include in your paper must be clearly explained and contextualized. Do not leave quotes to speak for themselves; interpret them for your reader.

Proposals: You must submit a paper proposal to me via email no later than Wednesday, May 5th. Paper proposals should:

1. Identify the external text you plan to use;

2. Identify the two course texts you plan to use;

3. Provide a brief paragraph explaining the argument you plan to construct.

Submission and Guidelines:

Papers should be submitted via Blackboard by the date and time of our scheduled final exam: Saturday, May 15th. Please submit your paper anonymously and refrain from including any identifying information (like your name) in the body of the paper.

Papers should be 1200 to 1600 words, typed, double-spaced, 12-point font. Please include a word count in brackets at the end of your paper.

Please include a bibliography at the end of the paper, and be sure to clearly cite all quotations using the author’s name and the page number (or, for Aristotle, the Book, Chapter, Section format).

Reminders about philosophical writing: Because philosophical writing generally deals with abstractions, one way to ensure clarity is to make those abstractions more concrete through the use of:

1. Examples. Using examples to illustrate concepts is always helpful for a reader. You might think about how Kant uses the example of the false promise to illustrate the concept of the categorical imperative, or how Aristotle frequently uses analogies to help explain ideas.

2. Textual support. In any and all writing about philosophical texts, it is very important to incorporate direct quotes to support the points you are making. See if you can avoid paraphrase and instead find the pieces of text where the points you wish to convey are made, then quote those pieces of text, and explain how they make their points (i.e. explain what the quotes mean).

Finally, clear simplicity is always preferable to opaque complexity. Philosophical writing is not about trying to make concepts and theories seem as complicated as possible but rather to clarify those already complicated concepts and theories for your reader.