Philosophical Issues in Education, Spring 2004

Professor Cunningham

First Paper Assignment

Please answer the following question in an essay of approximately 5 to 7 pages. The paper is due May 4 at the start of class.

In the Meno , Socrates espouses a view that virtue is knowledge. Please summarize Socrates' justification for this view. Meno offers a different view. Please summarize their justification for their view.   Which position is closer to your own?   Explain

If you agree with Socrates, discuss at least two arguments against the view that virtue is knowledge and refute those arguments. If you disagree with Socrates, describe your own view of virtue and give two arguments why virtue is not equivalent to knowledge. Explain how your view differs (if it does) from Meno's view.

Describe at least one personal experience in which YOU increased in virtue and show how this experience is consistent with your view of virtue (knowledge or something else).

An “A” paper will answer each of these questions fully in a coherent essay, will accurately describe the views of Socrates and Meno and the justifications for their views, will include at least three quotations from the Meno or the selection from Protagoras , will describe you own view in a coherent way, will include a personal experience relevant to the increase of your own virtue, will be logically consistent, and will be well-written without grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors.

3-30-04