PAPER ASSIGNMENT: MEANING AND HAPPINESS

Note: read this paper assignment carefully.

THE POINT: For this paper you are to develop your own view in light of the philosophers we have studied in
class. This writing exercise is intended to develop your ability to philosophically reflect upon and defend a
position. This is worth 25% of your grade.

OVERVIEW:

In this class we have explored the accounts of happiness given by Plato (and to a lesser extent
Socrates), Aristotle, Epictetus, and Kant. In each case we examined (a) what happiness consists in, (b) what
conditions are necessary for one to be happy, (c) how risk should be dealt with, (d) the relation between virtue
and happiness, as well as other related concerns. We have also examined the question of meaning in life, and
how this might relate to happiness. In connection with this we have looked at Tolstoy, Camus, Frankl and
Kierkegaard. These thinkers all seem to agree that the question of meaning has priority over the question of
happiness, and they both hold that meaning cannot be imposed from the outside. Camus claims existence is
meaningless, there is no God, no afterlife, and religious hope is a harmful delusion. In response to the
absurdity of life (a technical term for Camus), and the suffering of this meaningless state in which we find
ourselves, he advises that we must defiantly accept our fatein this, some measure of happiness can be found.
Both Frankl and Kierkegaard, however, diverge from this attitude. In particular, Frankl differs from Camus on
hope and the future, and on the possibility of meaning through our suffering. Kierkegaard in some ways agrees
with both Camus and Frankl, yet he puts the emphasis on Christian faith as the means through which we
secure meaning, and with this a hope for happiness. Through his analysis of Abrahams faith, in the Akedah
(the story of the binding of Isaac), Kierkegaard draws these religious themes out as a response to a (perhaps)
meaningless existence. His analysis of Abrahams faith, however, shows that faith can potentially be at odds
with the moral life (virtue). Thus, according to Kierkegaard, there may be a tension between meaning,
happiness and living a moral life (as we see with Abraham). And yet, only in faith can we ever truly have these
three things.

THE ASSIGNMENT.

Consider the following questions we have examined in class. Is existence meaningless?

Is meaning important? Can we have meaningful lives? If meaning is possible, how can we secure it? How does
religious faith fit in? What is the relation between happiness and meaning? And ethics, the moral lifehow
does this relate to meaning? In this paper you are to explore these themes; but not necessarily all of these themes!
Your primary question will be the following:

WHAT MUST WE DO IN ORDER TO FIND MEANING IN/FOR OUR LIVES?

Note: to answer to this question you must consider how meaning relates to both happiness and ethics/
the moral life.
Your answer to the primary question must take into account at least four of the of authors we have
examined in this classand you must consider two of the following in your paper: Camus, Frankl, or
Kierkegaard. To be clear: you are not simply to drift off into the aether of your own emotional or personal
experiences. You must stay grounded in the texts. Your answer to the above question, then, must be
developed through an examination of their views. Explain their views. Do you agree with them?
Disagree? Why? How do they differ from each other? How are they similar? This essay is not an opinion
pieceyou are to defend your position in relation to these authors. Give reasons. Provide arguments.
Your job is to convince the reader of your view.
Here are some additional themes you might consider as aspects of your paper: (a) the role of hope, (b) the
role of faith, (c) how to deal with seemingly meaningless suffering. This is not a checklist of topics you
need to cover in your paper, but rather suggestions for themes you may discuss and develop.

OVERVIEW

ON FORMATTING, ETC. 5 7 pages (do not go over or under the limit), 12pt font, Times
New Roman, 1 inch margins (left, right, top, bottom), double spaced, with acceptable citations. Do not try to fill

the space by making the margins or the font bigger (or anything of this nature). Do make sure you have
checked your document for spelling, grammar, punctuation, READABILITY, and so forth. Read it out loud to
yourself, and write multiple drafts. Strive for a scholarly toneagain, this is not simply an opinion piece. You
are to analyze other positions and defend your own. Be cautious of over-generalizing. Be reflective and fair to
positions with which you may not agree. Citations should be properly formatted.

HOW TO CITE AN AUTHOR

1.

The authors name and page number should be within parentheses ( )

2. The citation should look like this: (Frankl, 25)

3. Place the citation outside of the quoted or cited passage and before the period
4. The citation should like this:
a) Direct Quote: and our humanity was taken from us (Frankl, 59).
b) Paraphrase/Summary of authors idea: Frankl claims his humanity was taken (Frankl, 59).
DO NOT look at other sources; stick to the primary texts we have read in this class. IT IS EXPECTED THAT YOU
ENGAGE WITH THE TEXTS WE HAVE READ IN THE CLASS. For every author, you must have citations in order to back
up your claims about what he saysground your discussion in their writings as much as possible, integrating
quotes and references through the flow of your argument and explanations. Without this engagement, your
grade will be significantly diminished. Your own view should emerge in relation to the views we have
discussed, and you will need to show this.
THE WRITING STYLE
1. AVOID COLLOQUIAL OR CONVERSATIONAL LANGUAGE. For example, instead of writing, Socrates was like
never do injustice, man, write instead, Socrates claims that one must never treat another person unjustly.
2. CONCISE INTRODUCTION. The purpose of the introduction to your essay is to INTRODUCE the AIM and
CONTENT of YOUR paper to the reader. Keep it simple and direct, with a clearly stated thesis. Your
introduction should briefly state (a) the problem you will be addressing and (b) the way in which you will
address or solve the problem. Think of it this way: the former is your set-up and the latter is your thesis.
3. AVOID GRAND OPENINGS. Just as you should avoid far-reaching, absolute claims in your paper, you must
be careful to avoid using this sort of language in an introduction. There are two ways you might fall into
this trap:
a) SWEEPING STATEMENTS. (i) For thousands of years, philosophers and politicians have been trying to
define justice or (ii) We all know that justice is an important value
b) HISTORICAL CUSHIONING. Plato was the student of Socrates, a poor philosopher who has given us
no written works of his own. Socrates was sentenced to death in 399BC
Example of introduction: While Camus, Frankl and Kierkegaard agree on some essential issues, there is in fact
a disagreement among them on something quite fundamental. Camus holds that X. But Frankl and
Kierkegaard claim Y and Z. I claim MY THESIS.
NOTE: an introduction is typically not the proper place for defining terms or explaining concepts. That comes later. The intro
is meant to place the reader in a position to easily understand the topic and argument of the paper.
THESIS: your thesis should be seen as the answer to a question. But it is more than that: it is meant to be the
guiding star of your paper, the point upon which everything converges. Every paragraph and sentence you write
should be measured against your thesisask: does what I say here advance or explain or relate back to my
thesis? If it does not, ruthlessly remove it from your paper!
USE PLAIN LANGUAGE AND SIMPLE SENTENCE STRUCTURE. Keep it simple. Dont allow yourself to get tangled
up in long and convoluted sentences. The purpose of an essay is not to impress the reader with fancy terms and

complex sentence structure; rather, the goal is to present a reasonable position in an organized and systematic
way.
GRADING OF YOUR PAPER WILL INVOLVE THREE BASIC AREAS:
Conceptual work: understanding of the conceptual landscape, good grasp of the texts and logic of the
arguments, offers insightful comments, etc.
Quality of writing: organization, clear and smooth transitions, readability, grammar, clarity, works
with the texts (quotes integrated into discussion), stays on target, etc.
How well you followed the directions of this paper assignment.