Essay I

Posted: Thu, Sep 26, 2024

Due: October 12, 11:59pm, to D2L > Assignments

Format: 2–3 pages, double-spaced, any reasonable in-text or footnote citation style so long as you consistently apply it (use Chicago Author-Date if you don’t have a favorite)

Assignment: Please write an essay on one of the following prompts.

In “Privacy v. Equality,” MacKinnon claims that the right to abortion should not be construed as a gender-neutral right to privacy (as Roe had it), but in terms of “the social and political problematic of the inequality of the sexes” (p. 98). Please present what you take to be MacKinnon’s strongest argument for this claim. Do you think the argument is persuasive? If so, defend it against a plausible worry; if not, raise a plausible worry and consider how MacKinnon could respond.
One of the main points of contention in the reform of rape laws is whether rape is “violence, not sex.” What does this slogan mean, why was it significant, and do you think it is the right way to think about rape—why or why not?
Both Brownmiller and MacKinnon think that rape is first and foremost a problem of male domination over women, but they give different diagnoses: where Brownmiller blames rape on the penis, MacKinnon famously argues that this is precisely to understand rape from a male standpoint. Please explain the disagreement here. Who do you think is right after all, and why?
Against Brownmiller and MacKinnon, Davis and Greene argue that rape is not primarily a symptom of sexism. For Davis, it is also an expression of racism and capitalism; for Greene, it is also part and parcel of “prisons as total institutions designed to dehumanize and constrain their captives” (p. 874). Please choose any one of Davis’s and Greene’s arguments that you like the most. Carefully present that argument and critically assess it by offering a plausible worry and considering how either Davis or Greene could respond.

Advice:

Imagine that you are writing to a friend not enrolled in the class, rather than to me as the instructor. Don’t presume familiarity with the readings. Explain your key terms. Use clear, direct, and simple prose. Don’t mistake obscurity for profundity.
Show your work. Don’t report merely that an author holds the view they do. Rather, explain why or on what grounds they hold that view. Be sure to cite relevant textual evidence to support your interpretation of the author.
Integrate your sources into your essay through paraphrases unless there is really no other way around. And even on the rare occasion you have to use a direct quote, explain what you take the quote to mean; don’t simply leave it to the reader to interpret on their own.
You must have a thesis that you are arguing for. Keep in mind that philosophical writing is argumentative, not merely expository. Of course, in order to get to your assessment of another author’s argument, you will need to explain the argument first. But your own take should be the star of your essay, not an afterthought.

Plagiarism: There is absolutely no need to consult outside sources to complete this essay. But if you do, you must cite them properly. I view plagiarism as a very serious violation of the university’s Code of Academic Integrity, and you should as well. Please see https://new.library.arizona.edu/research/citing/plagiarism for helpful advice on avoiding plagiarism.