Second Paper Topic

Philosophy 157

Winter, 2005

Due: Monday, March 14, in class

Write an essay of roughly 5 pages on the following topic. Use the assigned readings as the basis of your work. Be sure to quote the text whenever you attribute a claim to either of the philosophers. You may make references to page numbers in parentheses ('EE' for Sartre and 'FR' for Foucault). Papers not turned in on the day due will be penalized progressively, with the penalties increasing each two working days overdue. Each penalty is an increment of a letter grade (e.g., A- to B+). Papers should be double-spaced (3 lines per inch) with ample room in the margins for comments.

Sartre considers human reality to be free, while Foucault finds it to be in the grip of power-relations. Explain their respective conceptions of human reality and why they see it in the way they do. Are there any points of contact between them? Which view do you find more plausible?