Final Writing Assignment (#8)
- Choose one of the three topics in Chapter 6: either
a. Absolute Space and Motion
b. Biological Classification
or c. Modularity of Mind - Write a four to six (or more) page essay on your choice of topic.
- Your essay will be graded on organization, completeness, sentence and paragraph
construction, originality and grammar. It should be double-spaced with normal one-inch
margins, and use a reasonably-sized font such as Times New Roman 10 or 11.
The principal source of background knowledge for your essay must be the topic discussion in
Chapter 6 of the Okasha text. You may use other sources to supplement your essay. If you do,
you must include a “Works Cited” page at the end giving complete information about your
source(s)—including the complete URL if it is a web page. You must also put the material you
copy from any source in quotes with a note in parentheses after the quote with its source
(e.g., Okasha, p. 100). Every entry in your “Works Cited” page must be included and cited
with a quotation or a paraphrase in the body of your essay. - Your essay must answer the specific questions given below for each topic:
a. Absolute Space and Time
What are the differences between the concepts of space held by Leibniz and Newton?
Explain the consequences of their views in terms of motion. What is “space” like in the two
views? Describe and explain their thought experiments to defend their positions. Make
references to the issues of this course given in lecture; that is, analyze your selected theory
dispute in terms of scientific inference, scientific explanation, realism and antirealism,
rationality of theory choice, and/or possible bias from external values.
b. Biological Classification
Describe and explain the Linnean system, the BSC, and phylogenetic systematics
classification systems. What are the arguments for each? Compare and contrast the views of
Aristotle, Darwin, and Mayr with regard to these systems. Make references to the issues of this
course given in lecture; that is, analyze your selected theory dispute in terms of scientific
inference, scientific explanation, realism and antirealism, rationality of theory choice, and/or
possible bias from external values.
c. Modularity of Mind
Explain the origins and arguments for the modularity of human cognitive abilities and
compare to the general-purpose problem solver model. What is the theory of Jerry Fodor and
how does it differ from Noam Chomsky’s views and the “massive modularity” thesis. Make
references to the issues of this course given in lecture; that is, analyze your selected theory
dispute in terms of scientific inference, scientific explanation, realism and antirealism,
rationality of theory choice, and/or possible bias from external values.