Due: Friday, October 10.
Write in 900 words or less on a topic of your own choosing. You may choose to answer to one of the following questions:
1. In The Republic, Glaucon argues that justice arises only as an expediency among persons, and that people act justly only because they have to. He illustrates his point by suggesting that if a ring that conferred the power of invisibility were given to a just person, that person would Ògo into the marketplace and fearlessly help himself to anything he wanted, enter houses and sleep with any woman he chose, set prisoners free and kill men at his pleasure, and in a word, go about among men with the powers of a god.Ó (695) Is Glaucon right? Argue for your case by reference to at least two characters from two different movies.
2. The Seventh Seal finds Jšns (the Squire) and his housekeeper faced with the decision whether to give water to Raval, a fallen priest and would-be rapist that is dying of the plague. In his paper, ÒIn War and Massacre,Ó Nagel distinguishes between utilitarian and absolutist conceptions of right action. Explain how each would guide Jšns and the housekeeper in making their decision. Which conception is correct, in this case?
3. Once Descartes begins to consider his own error-prone nature, he is Òforced to admit that nothing that I used to believe is beyond doubtÓ (117). Yet, Descartes does not stop there, but goes on to decide there is one thing that he is certain of, that he cannot doubt, that he is Òa thing that thinksÓ (119). Suppose that, like Cypher, you have a choice as to whether to live in the Matrix or outside it, or like CŽsar, to continue to live inside the dream or proceed to the Ôreal worldÕ? How should a person infected by Cartesian doubt proceed?
4. In The Matrix, Cypher says, ÒYou know, I know that this steak doesn't exist. I know that when I put it in my mouth, the Matrix is telling my brain that it is juicy and delicious. After nine years, you know what I realize?... Ignorance is bliss.Ó He then makes a deal to return into the Matrix. Robert Nozick uses the notion of an Òexperience machineÓ to argue that we care about more than just having good experiences. Consider CypherÕs choice, and/or that of CŽsar in Open Your Eyes, in light of NozickÕs argument.
5. James Pryor argues that living in the Matrix precludes certain kinds of life choices. Explain and assess PryorÕs argument.
6. Thomas Nagel suggests that the absurd occurs in ordinary life in situations that include Òa conspicuous discrepancy between pretension or aspiration and reality,Ó and he goes on to argue that absurdity is inescapable in life. Consider two characters from two different movies that count as absurd by NagelÕs criteria. Explain why they are absurd, and discuss what hope they have of emerging from their absurd predicaments.