Introduction to
Philosophy
Paper Assignment
#3
DUE IN CLASS TUESDAY NOVEMBER 26,
2002 for TR Section
Write on one and only one of the following:
(1) To what extent, if at all, is any kind of Aristotelian friendship possible between individuals on the Internet?
IMPORTANT NOTES:
By Aristotelian friendship, I mean any of the three kinds of friendships discussed by Aristotle (or the permutations thereof). Be clear about the conditions for any friendship, as well as the factors that distinguish the various kinds of friendships (e.g., pleasure, utility, or goodness as the basis of attraction and motive of goodwill). You can take any number of angles on this question, including the distinction between generating and sustaining Aristotelian friendships on the net.
Sample thesis: “In this paper I will argue that although virtue friendships are not possible between people on the Internet, shared pleasure and shared utility friendships are possible, as are also mixed friendships where one person is involved for the sake of pleasure and the other utility.
(2)
Select two to four individuals from a television sitcom
and analyze whether such individuals would be considered friends (from the
perspective of Aristotle’s view of friendship), and to what extent Aristotle’s
view of friendship explains important features of their friendships (e.g.,
longevity, conflicts).
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Be sure to have a clear thesis statement here. (E.g., “Using Aristotle’s conception of friendship I will argue that the characters Rachel and Ross on the television sitcom Friends, have a fixed friendship in which each is attracted to the other for a very different sort of reason. I will also show that this analysis of their relationship explains the persistent conflicts in their relationship.”) Assume that your reader has not seen the television show and is not familiar with the persons you discuss. Remember to consider as many of the relevant aspects of Aristotelian friendship as possible: conditions of friendship, kinds of friendship (according to whether utility, pleasure, or goodness is the basis of attraction and motive for goodwill), time spent together, extent, nature, and significance of the conflicts between the characters.
Please note. The technical specifications of the paper are the same as previous papers. However, I will not be offering comments on any rough drafts or outlines on this paper. You are on your own this time. msudduth@attbi.com