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This is Midterm 1. Your exam is due by 11:59 pm on Fri Oct 2. Late submissions are allowed and will be graded according to the Late Work policy in our syllabus.
There are two questions on this exam. They are both Personal Essays that should be done in the same way we have been doing our assignments, and they will be graded in the same way as well. Please review the Personal Essay guidelines before starting this exam to make sure you are clear about what is expected.
Please compose both of your answers entirely in a single Google Doc. Make sure that you have the Doc set so that anyone with the link is an editor. Your version history must show the complete evolution of your answers from start to finish (Notes first, Outline second, Essay third), so please do not start your answers somewhere else and then cut and paste them. Do not use tabs, links, etc. to separate different questions or different parts of a question. You will submit a single URL of your doc to Canvas.
If you have questions about the exam, please post those to this thread on the discussion list on Canvas so that everyone gets the same information about the exam. Please allow up to 12 hours for a response.
You will see that both questions are based on audio recordings - for both questions your first step is to listen carefully and take notes. Do not attempt to automate that process with a note taking app of some kind (unless the use of such tools is a documented accommodation you have for note taking from Disability Resources). You can take notes directly into your Google Doc or you can take them by hand on paper and then type them into your Google Doc. If you take handwritten notes also include photos of them immediately after the notes you enter in your Google Doc.
You are welcome to consult with the UMD Writing Center about any aspect of this exam. Please do not discuss this exam with anyone or anything else. Our No Use Automated Writing / AI Tools policy remains in effect (see below).
Question 1) Please listen to this March 2017 episode of The Public Philosopher (42 minutes). The topic is Would life be better if robots did all the work? This is a discussion moderated by Michael Sandel, the author of Justice. Your own podcast later this semester will adopt a similar format where you will play the role of Michael Sandel. This is just something to be aware of as you listen. If you have any trouble with this link you can find an mp3 of the podcast in our Canvas Files.
NOTES : Take notes as you listen to this discussion. These should be relatively detailed and cover the entire 42 minutes. Your goal is to record points of information as they arise in the video, not to create a transcript or a summary. Insert time stamps every 5 to 7 minutes (formatted like 05:00 to represent minute 5). Your notes should be specific bullet points rather than summaries or full paragraphs.
(optional) INSERT PHOTOS OF NOTES (if you prefer to take notes on paper first type them into your notes section and then insert photos of your handwritten notes below).
OUTLINE : Once your notes are finished, make an outline by describing each element from the prompt below that you will need to address in your essay. Each item in your outline should be followed by the specific points you will make to address them. You should complete both your notes and outline before writing your essay.
ESSAY : In your personal essay describe the ethical issues at the heart of this discussion and the different perspectives that were presented by both the audience members and the moderator. For each of our philosophical foundations, describe an argument made in this discussion that would be consistent with that foundation. Remember that our foundations include Utilitarianism (Chapter 2), Libertarianism (Chapter 3), Immanuel Kant (Chapter 5), John Rawls (Chapter 6), and Aristotle (Chapter 8). Please be specific in describing the argument and include whatever examples or anecdotes that may have been used when it was presented. Make sure to specifically explain how each argument connects to a particular foundation. Please make sure to use specific ideas and terminology as found in Justice and not from other sources. Conclude your essay with your own personal perspective on this issue. Describe your position on this discussion and explain which philosophical foundation is most consistent with your perspective. Support your position with both personal experience and specific points from the foundation you are relying upon.
Question 2) Please listen to the first 10 minutes and 30 seconds of this August 2026 episode of Here and Now. The topic is Flock cameras. If you have any trouble with this link you can find an mp3 of this episode in our Canvas Files.
NOTES : Take notes as you listen to this episode. These should be relatively detailed and cover the first 10 minutes and 30 seconds. Your goal is to record points of information as they arise in the video, not to create a transcript or a summary. Insert time stamps every 3 to 4 minutes (formatted like 03:00 to represent minute 3). Your notes should be specific bullet points rather than summaries or full paragraphs.
(optional) INSERT PHOTOS OF NOTES (if you prefer to take notes on paper first type them into your notes section and then insert photos of your handwritten notes below).
OUTLINE : Once your notes are finished, make an outline by describing each element from the prompt below that you will need to address in your essay. Each item in your outline should be followed by the specific points you will make to address them. You should complete both your notes and outline before writing your essay.
ESSAY : When trying to resolve an ethical dilemma it is often not possible to maximize the competing goals of promoting the general welfare, respecting freedom, and cultivating virtue. In your personal essay please describe the ethical dilemma posed by Flock cameras as described in this report and discuss how this dilemma introduces competing tradeoffs between promoting the general welfare, respecting freedom, and cultivating virtue. Then, discuss three solutions to this dilemma, where each prioritize one of these goals at the expense of the other two. To be clear, one solution should prioritize promoting the general welfare, another should prioritize respecting freedom, and the third should prioritize cultivating virtue. Make sure to specifically explain how each solution connects to a particular foundation. Please make sure to use specific ideas and terminology as found in Justice and not from other sources. Conclude your essay with your own personal perspective on this issue. Describe your position on this discussion and explain which philosophical foundation is most consistent with your perspective. Support your position with both personal experience and specific points from the foundation you are relying upon.
No Use of Automated Writing / AI Tools (from Syllabus)
You may not use automated writing / AI tools like Gemini, CoPilot, ChatGPT, Grammarly, Claude, DeepSeek, etc. at any point in developing any work you will submit for a grade in this class. The only exception is that you may use the default spelling and grammar checkers found in Google Docs.
The purpose of this policy is to encourage authentic engagement with our course materials in a way that improves our critical thinking skills and our ability to organize and present information we have learned in an engaging and personal way.
You are always welcome to consult with the UMD Writing Center for assistance with any aspect of our Personal Essays, Exams, or Podcast.
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