Use specifics from the texts to support your answers, but do not merely summarize the material.

Essays should be typed (double-spaced) and approximately 4-6 pages in length. This paper is due on Monday, June 17. Papers must be submitted on time. Papers handed in late will receive a one grade deduction for each class late. I will be happy to look at drafts ahead of time; in fact, I encourage it! Parts three and four in The Philosophy Student Writer’s Manual are especially relevant in writing this paper. You will need to understand the rules of writing arguments for a philosophy paper. If you did not buy the manual, I suggest you do so. At the least, consult the class web page which has a link to a "Guide for Writing the Philosophy Paper."

When you hand in your hardcopy of essays, also hand in a floppy disk with the file on it (and only the file). Write your name clearly on the disk itself (it will be returned to you). Save the file in either .doc or .rtf format.

Read the questions carefully. Proofread your work.

1) Think about how we have explained and discussed the relationship between soul and body. If the soul is some part of you, are some of those parts more closely attached to the physical body than others? If so, is my sense of who I am dependent on all or any of the parts? For example, is my soul more closely related or attached to my heart? If so, does that mean if I have a heart transplant, my identity and sense of self change? Discuss the mind-body/soul-body issue in relationship to the texts we have studied; you might also use "The Sixth Sense" or some other relevant film in your discussion. Ultimately, this question asks what we use (body or soul?) to define who we are. Avoid theological/religious discussion, and do not cite the Bible as a source.

2) Socrates argues that when his body dies, he will not die because the true essence of "Socrates" is not his body but his soul–i.e., the "I" in "I am Socrates" has little to do with Socrates’ physical appearance. One of the issues this raises is what death really means. If, as Socrates argues, the soul survives the physical death of the body, and the soul is the real "I," then how is it possible to argue that "I" ever really die? Using Socrates’ arguments (in the Phaedo) (and Russell and Geach), write an essay in which you clearly define "death," and in doing so discuss the dispensation of both body and soul at "the end" of what we call "life." Avoid theological/religious discussion, and do not cite the Bible as a source.