Explain Mackie’s view about moral values. Explain one of Mackie’s arguments for his view. Critically evaluate that argument. ——————————————————————————– Be sure to do all of the following: Introduce the topic, without supposing that your reader has any specialized knowledge, attended this class, read Mackie, etc. Include the argument, in standard form, in your paper. State your thesis – a summary of your assessment of the argument. Your thesis should be similar to one of the following: “Mackie’s argument for his view is unsound because…” “Mackie’s argument for his view is plausible because… Clearly explain the premises and conclusion. Define any key philosophical terms and concepts when you use them. Critique the argument. To do so, consider the following questions: Do you think all of the premises are true?Why or why not? Do the premises give adequate support for the conclusion?Why or why not? Does the argument commit any fallacies?If so, which one(s)? How? Your paper must be free of typographical, spelling, and grammatical errors. Advice: Outside research is discouraged. Everything you need to write your paper is in your text, your notes, and, hopefully in your head. Using class notes: I encourage you to consult class notes for ideas for your paper. However, merely reproducing class notes in your paper is not acceptable. A noteworthy exception is that it is acceptable to reproduce an argument which you critique exactly as it appears in class notes. Feel free to use sentences starting with “I think…” and the like, especially when giving your critique of the argument. Restrict your discussion to explaining and evaluating the argument under consideration. Discussion of irrelevant issues will not enhance your grade. For general information about writing philosophy papers, see Vaughn, Writing Philosophy and Perry, Bratman, Fischer, “Writing Philosophy Papers” (PBF, 15-21).
