There are two suggested topics, listed below, but if you want to write
on another topic relevant to the course, feel free to do so. It might be
a good idea, however, in that case, to check with me and/or your TA
first.
I don’t expect or recommend that you use any sources beyond the texts
assigned for the course. If so you must of course make it clear exactly what you
are using and how (this applies even if you don’t quote verbatim). Also: whatever
topic you choose, and whatever outside material you may use, it should still be
clear that the assignment was written for this course.
Conduct a dialogue with an AI interlocutor about one of the two suggested
topics (or in response to your own chosen topic, but again you might want to
check in first if you decide to do that). Begin by describing the course and
explaining the assignment to the AI, then stating, in a few sentences, a claim
about your chosen topic. Instruct the AI to respond to each turn in 120
words or less, with either a single serious objection to what you last said
or a single significant comment or request for explanation, evidence, or
clarification. Instruct the AI: “You may rely on some of your general
background knowledge about philosophy, but do not to treat yourself as
an authority on Plato or Aristotle; if I refer to a passage you have not
been given, and its meaning seems questionable in a relevant way, ask
me to explain it.” Respond to what the AI says at each turn in such
a way as to move the conversation forward, supplying quotations from
our texts as appropriate. Continue for approximately 8–12 substantial
turns (see if you can reach some kind of conclusion or natural stopping
place).
Make sure you use an AI service that can generate a shareable transcript link.
(As far as I know all major ones can.)
Create an edited version of the conversation, about 5–6 pages in length,
consisting of the parts that you think best forwarded the argument/explanation.
Mark the places you have removed text with an ellipsis (“…”). Place the URL ofthe link to the raw transcript at the beginning. You may give the dialogue
a title if you think of something appropriate.
You must still cite any outside sources if you use them. Also, except for the
way assigned, you may not use AI in a way that would constitute cheating if you
similarly consulted a human, and you must cite it if a similar use of a human
source would require citation.
(Note: this version of the assignment is based on Robert Smithson and Adam
Zweber, “Reviving the Philosophical Dialogue with Large Language Models,”
Teaching Philosophy 47 (2024): 143–171, which can be freely downloaded here.
Smithson and Zweber’s ideas required some significant changes for use in this
course, however, and they should not be held responsible for my version.
Thanks to Tate Krogstad, who is himself doing interesting work on the
use of AI in philosophy assignments, for drawing my attention to this
article.)
Traditional paper route
Write a 5-7 page paper on your chosen topic. The paper must, of course, be
entirely your own work. In particular, AI use is limited by the general course
policy: you may not use AI in a way that would constitute cheating if you
similarly consulted a human, and you must cite it if a similar use of a human
source would require citation.
