We can choose our own topic, which sounds great until you're staring at the infinite abyss of possible questions. My problem is that I have two very different ideas, and I can't decide which one to go with.
Option A: The "I actually care about this" topic. I'm really interested in the ethics of artificial intelligence and whether machines could ever have moral agency. It's new, it's relevant, and I genuinely want to explore it. But here's the thing—it's so new that there's not a ton of philosophical literature on it yet. I'm scared I'll run out of sources or end up with something shallow.
Option B: The "safe" topic. Free will vs. determinism. It's a classic. There are like a million books and articles. I could write a solid paper in my sleep. But... I'm so bored of it. Every philosophy student writes about free will. Do I really want to add another one to the pile?
My professor said "write what you're passionate about," but also "make sure you have enough sources." So which one wins? Passion or pragmatism?
I'm leaning toward the AI topic and just hoping I find enough material. But what if I get halfway through and realize there's nothing left to say? Has anyone else taken a risk on a niche topic? How did it go?
Option A: The "I actually care about this" topic. I'm really interested in the ethics of artificial intelligence and whether machines could ever have moral agency. It's new, it's relevant, and I genuinely want to explore it. But here's the thing—it's so new that there's not a ton of philosophical literature on it yet. I'm scared I'll run out of sources or end up with something shallow.
Option B: The "safe" topic. Free will vs. determinism. It's a classic. There are like a million books and articles. I could write a solid paper in my sleep. But... I'm so bored of it. Every philosophy student writes about free will. Do I really want to add another one to the pile?
My professor said "write what you're passionate about," but also "make sure you have enough sources." So which one wins? Passion or pragmatism?
I'm leaning toward the AI topic and just hoping I find enough material. But what if I get halfway through and realize there's nothing left to say? Has anyone else taken a risk on a niche topic? How did it go?
