Here is a blurb about the podcast from Wikipedia: “Philosophy Bites is a podcast
series featuring philosophers being interviewed for 15–20 minutes on a specific
topic. The series, which has been running since 2007, is hosted by Nigel
Warburton, freelance lecturer, and David Edmonds…The podcast has been one
of the top 20 most downloaded series in the United States and has over 34
million downloads.”
For the essay assignment, you should do the following:
• Choose one of the podcast episodes that is on a topic of interest to you
from the list below (all the way at the bottom of these instructions); you
may want to listen to a few before deciding on one.
• Write an essay that summarizes the podcast episode (your summary
should only be one paragraph that gets at the main ideas of the episode).
In addition to discussing the podcast, your essay must include reference
to/discussion of at least one reading from our text that relates to the
topic of the podcast episode, as well as at least one reference
to/discussion of an article/entry (also related to the podcast episode) in
either The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy or The Stanford
Encyclopedia of Philosophy, through quotation and/or paraphrase.
• Your objective for this essay is to inform your reader about whatever
concept/topic/philosopher/problem is discussed in the podcast; the
essay should be informative, not persuasive.
Regardless of the podcast episode you choose, your essay must include the
following:
• A heading done according to MLA
• An original title
• An introductory paragraph that contains your thesis (see this VERY
helpful advice on how to write your intro/begin your essay, and if you are
unsure of how to write a thesis, read this advice on developing a thesis)
• A summary of the podcast episode you chose. If you are unsure of how to
write a summary, read this helpful advice on how to write a summary.
• Body paragraphs that develop and support your thesis (here is some
excellent advice on how to structure body paragraphs)
• A minimum of 3 full pages (your works cited page doesn’t count as a
page)
• A conclusion (see this VERY helpful advice on how to conclude your
essay)
• A MLA works cited page that includes all sources referenced in your
essay.
Your essay should be double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12 point font; your
paper should be written in Standard English and done in MLA format. To submit
your paper, click on ‘Essay Assignment’ in the Unit 5 folder. You should attach
a file that can be opened with Microsoft Word (doc or docx); do not submit a
pdf or type in the submission box.
Any instance of plagiarism will be punished by a minimum of an F on the
assignment and a report to the dean of the philosophy department. Further
punishment could include failure in the course, suspension, or expulsion.
Episodes of Philosophy Bites
139 What is Philosophy?
009 Edward Craig on What Is Philosophy?
027 Alain de Botton on Philosophy Within and Outside the Academy
143 Martha Nussbaum on the Value of the Humanities
107 John Armstrong on What Can You Do With Philosophy?
002 Mary Warnock on Philosophy and Public Life
218 Simon Glendinning on Philosophy’s Two Cultures (Analytic and Continental)
170 Brian Leiter on the Analytic/Continental Distinction
072 M.M. McCabe on Socratic Method
001 Simon Blackburn on Plato’s Cave
019 Mary Warnock on Sartre’s Existentialism
093 Sebastian Gardner on Jean-Paul Sartre on Bad Faith
210 Colin McGinn on Descartes on Innate Knowledge
075 Adrian Moore on Kant’s Metaphysics
082 Christopher Shields on Personal Identity
021 Tim Crane on Mind and Body
255 Keith Frankish on the Hard Problem and the Illusion of Qualia
254 Ted Honderich on What it is to be Conscious
044 Thomas Pink on Free Will
P03 Neil Levy on Free Will, and Its Connection to Moral Responsibility
144 Paul Russell on Fate
197 Daniel Dennett on Free Will Worth Wanting
003 Stephen Law on The Problem of Evil
103 Marilyn McCord Adams on Evil
067 Peter Adamson on Plotinus on Evil
162 Frank Jackson on What Mary Knew
254 Ted Honderich on What it is to be Conscious
203 Tim Bayne on the Unity of Consciousness
123 Ned Block on Consciousness
128 Pat Churchland on Eliminative Materialism
074 Barry C. Smith on Neuroscience
Sample Solution
