Take-home exam

1F03 - Meaning in Life

Term: Winter 2024

Instructor: Dr. Manuel Vasquez Villavicencio

Special Instructions:
You have to submit the completed exam to the designated folder on A2L until April 10, 11:59
pm. Please be aware of the format guideline for your file (MS Word, numbered pages, 1.5.
spacing, fonts 12 Times New Roman, regular sized margin).

The take-home exam consists of two parts:

PART A: Long answer questions: Please answer the three long answer questions (you find them
on p. 2). Each answer can bring you up to 20% of the exam grade. The answers must be between
350 to 500 words.

PART B: Personal reflection:

The personal reflection (for detailed instructions see p. 2) can bring you up to 40% of the exam
grade. The personal reflection must have a certain length (1000 to 1500 words).

Your answers in Part A and B will be evaluated based on the following rubric:

• Demonstrated knowledge of the specific literature relevant to the question. 45%

o You need to present and synthetically discuss the relevant conceptual distinctions
to adequately answer the question.
• Appropriate presentation and discussion of your arguments. 40%
o Your arguments should take into consideration the relevant literature discussed
during the course, be presented in a structured way, and show an autonomous
position on your part.
• Clarity and organization of your writing. 15%.
o Your text should be written in a way that makes your answer easy to understand
and follow a clear structure.
1
Take-home exam

Part A: Long-answer questions

1. Among the sources of happiness discussed by Lorraine Besser in her book, what is the
most important source of happiness according to you? Please describe the source you
choose and justify your opinion.

2. As Lorraine Besser claims in her discussion about the pursuit of happiness, the paradox of
happiness maintains that the direct pursuit of happiness is self-defeating. Outline one
argument for and one argument against the paradox.

3. What is in your opinion the best theory of happiness to accommodate the narrative form
we attribute to our lives? Please outline the theory of your choosing and outline an
argument in its favor.

Part B: Personal reflection

Please reflect on the development of your thoughts on an issue we have discussed in the course.
You select the issue yourself. The personal reflection should outline your previous position on the
issue, develop your new view, and justify why you have changed your view. If you have not
changed your opinion about any issue we have discussed, select an issue from the course,
describe it, outline your view on it, and argue why you have not changed your position.

The End