Write a Position Paper
Do people, at the end of the day, always do what they desire most? Or do people sometimes act strictly for the good of “the Other,” without even a trace of self-interest?
you will be writing a “position paper” [word count = minimum:1800 words – maximum: 2300 words]: this is a research paper in which you will address a particular issue introduced in the topic of the paper (see below for the list of topic choices). It should be written in a formal style and be in the third-person voice, and it should present your original, considered solution or unique approach to solving the problem or settling the issue in question. The thesis will state your opinion, but it will also provide justification for why you have that opinion or hold this point of view on the issue. This is the main point of writing a position paper. The presentation of your “reasons why,” in other words, the sum of evidence you find to support your position, plus a statement of the position itself, comprises what philosophers call an “argument.” This kind of paper is also known as an “argumentative essay.” A philosophical argument is simply giving reasons (the premises of the argument) for why a particular claim (the conclusion of the argument) should be taken as true.
The introductory paragraph should present the issue in question and include a clear and precise statement of your thesis, which is your position on the issue. Another essential element of the position paper or argumentative essay is a consideration of at least one alternative position on the same issue, and this is typically an opposing view. So in this paper, you will assert and defend your own position, and you will also consider an opposing or alternative position on the issue and the argument(s) in support of that view. Finally, you will show why you reject the opposing or alternative position and instead hold the one you do.