Subject Code & Title :- PHIL102 Theories of Human Nature Research
Assignment Type :- Essay 3
Weighting :- 50% (10% for Plan, 40% for Complete Essay)
Length and/or format Research Essay Plan :- 1 page following template on LEO
Research Essay: 1800 words (including footnotes, excluding references)
Learning outcomes assessed :- 1, 2, 3
Unit Rationale, Description and Aim: This unit, which may be taken as part of ACU’s Core Curriculum, introduces students to philosophical reflection concerning what it is to be a human being.Students examine key concepts,theories and debates relating to a range of important themes in this area, such as the nature of mind and its relation to the body; the basis of personal identity and the ‘self’the relationship between rationality and emotion; the meaning and extent of personal freedom the inter-personal nature of being human the significance of gender & sexuality considerations about the meaning of life; and the implications of human finitude and mortality.The unit aims to assist students to develop an understanding of key philosophical concepts and theories that allow them to reflect on their beliefs and assumptions,and to engage with the views of others. It also looks to enhance students’ skills in critical reflection on experience,the analysis of arguments, and the formulation and communication of coherent positions of their own.
PHIL102 Theories of Human Nature Research Essay 3 – Australian Catholic University.

Assignment 3 Research Essay :-
This is your major piece of work for this unit. You will investigate more deeply one (1)philosophical issue covered in the unit. Specifically, your research essay will respond to one (1) of the following questions.

1.In what sense, if any, could you exist, without your body?
2.What does it take for two simultaneous experiences to belong to the same person?
3.Does experience have a subjective character? If so, can physicalism account for it?
4.Is Aristotle justified in his claim that the life of ethical virtue is less happy than the life of contemplation?
5.Is Hobbes’ conception of human nature too pessimistic? If so, can this be used to challenge his argument for an absolutist government? If not, might some other form of government still be justifiable?
6.“Life both is, and is not, absurd”. Assess this paradoxical claim with reference to the thought of Thomas Nagel and one other philosopher.
7.Does death give meaning to life?

Essay Plan :- In addition to the essay itself, you are required to submit a one-page essay plan in advance of the essay itself. A template, along with advice, are provided on the LEO site under‘Essay Plan Template and Guidelines’. This is primarily designed to assist you in planning and you will receive feedback on how you are going. Submission of your essay plan by Friday October 23rd, 5.30 PM AEST, accounts for 10% of your overall mark for this unit.

Tips :-
a.Research Essay Guidelines. Please ensure that you access and carefully read this document (available on the PHIL102 LEO site) for more information on how to complete this task.
b.Start Early! Start thinking and reading about it immediately, and see your lecturer or tutor early if you are experiencing difficulties in settling on a research question:
o Readings and other resources on all topics are available from the start of the semester,so there is no reason to wait until the topic is covered in class.
o Use the essay plan as a springboard to press ahead with your reading and thinking.Leaving it too late will mean having limited time to compose your thoughts clearly and to get help from your lecturer and tutor.

c.Research Question. Indicate clearly your chosen question (your essay cannot be marked if you do not indicate the question you are addressing), and make sure you address it directly.
o Avoid generalised ‘overviews’ of the problem. The emphasis should be on actually engaging with the specific question you have chosen to write on. You are not writing‘about’ a topic. You are writing an answer to a specific question.
o Your introductory paragraph is very important in order to clearly state up front what the major argument of your essay will be (see the ‘Research Essay Guidelines’).
o Vague sweeping statements without supporting evidence should also be avoided, as should dwelling on details that are not directly relevant to the essay question.

d. Ask for Assistance! Please don’t waste time worrying or procrastinating. Your lecturer and tutor are here to assist you, so please ask for assistance as needed.
o All sources that are quoted or closely paraphrased need to be acknowledged (i.e.,cited). In this way you will avoid any inadvertent plagiarism.
o See ‘Academic Integrity’ below, and the Academic Integrity module in LEO.

e.Reference properly. You should only use and reference quality published works (i.e.,books, book chapters, articles, or other peer-reviewed sources) in your essay.
o To find reliable texts, use the library search tool instead of just Googling. If in doubt about the status of any source, check with your lecturer/tutor.
o A bibliography of works cited needs to be provided at the end of the essay.

How to submit Via Turnitin

PHIL102 Theories of Human Nature Research Essay 3 – Australian Catholic University.

Acu Policies And Regulations :
It is your responsibility to read and familiarise yourself with ACU policies and regulations, including regulations on examinations; review and appeals; acceptable use of IT facilities; and conduct and
responsibilities. These are in the ACU Handbook, available from the website.

A list of these and other important policies can be found at the University policies page of the Student Portal.

Assessment Policy and Procedures :-
You must read the Assessment Policy and Assessment Procedures in the University Handbook:
they include rules on deadlines; penalties for late submission; extensions; and special consideration. If you have any queries on Assessment Policy, please see your Lecturer in Charge.

Please note that:
(1) any numerical marks returned to students are provisional and subject to moderation;
(2) students will not be given access to overall aggregated marks for a unit, or overall unit grade calculated by Grade book in LEO; and
(3) students will be given a final mark and grade for their units after moderation is concluded and official grades are released after the end of semester.

Academic Integrity :-
You have the responsibility to submit only work which is your own, or which properly acknowledges the thoughts, ideas, findings and/or work of others. The Academic Integrity and Misconduct Policy and the Academic Misconduct Procedures are available from the website.Please read them, and note in particular that cheating, plagiarism, collusion, recycling of assignments and misrepresentation are not acceptable. Penalties for academic misconduct can vary in severity and can include being excluded from the course.

Turnitin :-
The Turnitin application (a text-matching tool) will be used for all written assignments in this unit,in order to enable:
• students to improve their academic writing by identifying possible areas of poor citation and referencing in their written work; and
• teaching staff to identify areas of possible plagiarism in students’ written work.

While Turnitin can help in identifying problems with plagiarism, avoiding plagiarism is more important. Information on avoiding plagiarism is available from the Academic Skills Unit.

You should submit your draft well in advance of the due date (ideally, several days before) to ensure that you have time to work on any issues identified by Turnitin. On the assignment due date, lecturers will have access to your final submission and the Turnitin Originality Report.

Please note that electronic marking, Grade mark, is used in this unit using Turnitin. Turnitin will be used as a means of submitting, marking and returning assessment tasks and so a text matching percentage will appear on your submission automatically.

First Peoples And Equity Pathways Directorate For Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Students

Every campus provides information and support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students. Indigenous Knowings are embedded in curricula for the benefit of all students at ACU.

Student Support :-
If you are experiencing difficulties with learning, life issues or pastoral/spiritual concerns, or have a disability/medical condition which may impact on your studies, you are advised to notify your Lecturer in Charge, Course Coordinator and/or one of the services listed below as soon as possible.

For all aspects of support please visit ACU Info section in the Student Portal.

• Academic Skills offers a variety of services, including workshops (on topics such as assignment writing, time management, reading strategies, referencing), drop-in sessions,group appointments and individual consultations. It has a 24-hour online booking system for individual or group consultations.
• Campus Ministry offers pastoral care, spiritual leadership and opportunities for you to be involved with community projects.
• The Career Development Service can assist you with finding employment, preparing a resume and employment application and preparing for interviews.
• The Counselling Service is a free, voluntary, confidential and non-judgmental service open to all students and staffed by qualified social workers or registered psychologists.
• Disability Services can assist you if you need educational adjustments because of a disability or chronic medical condition; please contact them as early as possible.

PHIL102 Theories of Human Nature Research Essay 3 – Australian Catholic University.

Need help with your study – connect with the Academic Skills Unit
Academic Skills Unit offers services and resources to help you succeed in your studies, including online and face-to-face workshops, consultations and drop-ins.

As a first-year student, you also can access the 24/7 on-demand study support service which includes:

• Academic writing feedback, where you can submit a draft of an assignment and get general feedback on areas including grammar, spelling, structure and referencing; and
• Connect Live, where you can chat with online tutors in real-time around generic skills like literacy, maths, accounting and economics.

For more information about the Academic Skills Unit, visit the Student Portal or the ACU’s LEO site.

Online Resources And Technology Requirements
The LEO page for this unit contains further readings/discussion forums. Its URL is:

You should note that it is your responsibility to monitor LEO activity. In particular, make sure to check for messages that have been posted for you (which might not have been forwarded to you via email) and for feedback after submission of assessment tasks.