Here are some possible topics for your 1st essay. You don’t have to choose any of these listed below, and feel free to develop your own topic or to modify my suggestions to suit your own interests and thoughts. Any topic you choose, however, should be based in the primary source material, and should engaged the issue(s) critically by raising challenging questions, thinking through the problems presented in the texts, and offering your own supported thoughts, opinions, and reflections. This is a short essay (5 pages), and so try to stay focused on the topic. See my “tips” for essay writing to give you some guidance, and don’t hesitate to share you ideas with me or Professor Katie as you develop the essay. Best of luck!

1. How do Plato and Chuang Tzu differ on the nature of personal identity? What is the “self” according to both Plato and Chuang Tzu; how do we define it (if we can), how do we come to know it (if this is possible), and what does this say about the nature of existence, who we are as persons, and how we should live our lives?

2. What is the difference between Plato’s Philosopher King and Chuang Tzu’s Taoist Sage. What type of intellectual training goes into becoming a Philosopher King or a Taoist Sage, and what are their views of social organization, politics, and the world in general.

3. Choose any controversial moral or philosophical dilemma and ask yourself how Plato and Chuang Tzu would address solve it. For example, what would Plato and Chuang Tzu say about abortion, the death penalty, homosexual marriages, underage drinking, or affirmative action? What would they say about assisted suicide, drug use, war, or teen pregnancy? You can choose your own issue, although make sure it is philosophically interesting and relatively controversial, (i.e., an issue where there is some disagreement).