PHL 220 at Southern New Hampshire University is a three-credit philosophy course on death and the meaning of life.
SNHU's catalog describes three parts: questions about whether life is meaningful, questions about death, and a final group of questions about creating new people, suicide, euthanasia and the death penalty.
The subject matter is personal, but the marking is not. You are assessed on how well you reconstruct an argument, test it with objections and reach a reasoned view, not on whether your view is comforting or popular.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | Southern New Hampshire University |
| Course code | PHL 220 |
| Credits | 3 |
| Subject | Philosophy (existential questions, ethics of life and death) |
| Prerequisites | None listed in the SNHU catalog |
| Typical work | Discussion posts, short argument analyses, a longer essay (check your course for the exact list) |
The Three Parts of PHL 220
The catalog frames the course as a series of questions. Each one corresponds to a debate you can enter with an argument.
| Part | Questions the catalog lists |
|---|---|
| Meaning of life | Is life meaningful? If not, is it absurd? Do we create meaning? How are religion and meaning related? |
| Death | Is dying bad? Should we fear death? How should death shape how we live? Is there life after death? Would we want to live forever? |
| Wider questions | Is creating new people good or bad? Are suicide, euthanasia or the death penalty ever morally permissible? |
Key Ideas and How to Handle Them
Reconstructing an Argument
Most philosophy marking starts here. Put the author's argument into numbered premises and a conclusion, then check whether the conclusion follows and whether each premise is believable.
Illustration: Take the common argument that death is bad because it deprives us of future good. (1) Something is bad for a person if it deprives them of good they would otherwise have had. (2) Death deprives a person of the good of continued life. (3) So death is bad for the person who dies. A critic can then target premise 1 or 2, for example by asking how something can be bad for a person who no longer exists.
Distinguishing the Kinds of Meaning
Be clear which question you are asking. "Does my life matter to the people around me?" is different from "does the universe give human life a purpose?" Papers lose marks when they slide between the two without saying so.
Objections and Replies
A strong essay states the best objection to its own thesis and answers it. Choose a real objection from the readings, not a weak one you can knock over easily.
Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them
| Assignment type | What it tests | How to approach it |
|---|---|---|
| Discussion posts | Accurate understanding of a reading and a reasoned reply to peers | State the author's claim in your own words, then add one objection or example |
| Argument analysis | Reconstructing and evaluating reasoning | List premises, test validity, then judge the weakest premise |
| Position essay | Defending a thesis against objections | One clear thesis, two or three reasons, one serious objection with your reply |
| Reflection | Applying ideas to a case | Link a concept to a scenario and stay with the course's terms |
A Simple Plan for a PHL 220 Essay
Philosophy essays reward planning more than long drafting. This outline fits most prompts in a course like this one.
| Step | What to write |
|---|---|
| Question | One sentence stating exactly which question you answer |
| Thesis | Your answer, in a sentence a critic could disagree with |
| Argument | Two or three reasons, each tied to a reading |
| Objection | The strongest challenge, stated fairly |
| Reply | Why the challenge does not defeat your thesis, or how you adjust it |
Where Students Get Stuck
- Reporting instead of arguing. Summarizing a philosopher is only the first step. Say whether the argument works and why.
- Personal opinion without reasons. "I feel" is not an argument. Give a premise someone could accept or deny.
- Treating sensitive topics carelessly. Suicide, euthanasia and the death penalty need precise, respectful wording and attention to the readings' distinctions.
- Too many thinkers. A short essay is stronger when it engages two authors properly than five superficially.
Study Tips for PHL 220
- After each reading, write the conclusion in one sentence before you note anything else.
- Keep a running list of objections you meet, since they recur across the three parts.
- Define key terms (meaning, harm, well-being) once and use them consistently.
- Read your thesis last, as if you were a critic, and add the reply you would give.
- If a topic is distressing, take a break; SNHU also provides student support services you can contact.
Three Classic Positions to Know
The catalog questions are old ones, and the readings usually set out positions you can name and compare. Learn each position with its strongest objection so you can move quickly in discussion posts.
| Question | A position | A common objection |
|---|---|---|
| Is life meaningful? | Meaning comes from a purpose given by something beyond us | Why would an external purpose make life meaningful rather than simply assigned? |
| Is life meaningful? | We create meaning through our own projects and commitments | If meaning is chosen, can any choice, however trivial, count? |
| Is death bad? | It is bad because it deprives us of future good | It is hard to see how a person who no longer exists is harmed |
| Should we want to live forever? | Endless life would be a good, since more good life is better | An unending life might become tedious and lose its point |
The positions above are general summaries, not a claim about which authors your course assigns. Always name the author from your own reading list and quote or paraphrase their actual wording.
Planning the Course Around Its Three Parts
A steady rhythm helps with a reading-heavy philosophy course. This is a suggested pattern, not the university's schedule.
| Stage | Aim |
|---|---|
| Read | Mark the conclusion and every reason given for it |
| Summarize | Write the argument in numbered premises |
| Question | Note one premise you doubt and one you accept |
| Draft | Turn those notes into a discussion post or essay paragraph |
| Revise | Remove anything that is summary without a point |
How We Help with PHL 220
Send the assignment prompt, rubric and the readings you are required to use. We can explain an argument you find confusing, review your outline or draft for structure and objections, and prepare a custom response so you can see how a strong answer is built.
GradeEssays is independent of Southern New Hampshire University. Our help is tutoring, custom answers, editing and feedback for study purposes; use it within your university's academic integrity rules. We do not log in to course portals or complete assessments for submission, and we cannot promise a grade.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The SNHU catalog lists none, so the course is open to students from any major as an elective or general education option.
No. You are marked on the quality of your reasoning and your use of the readings, whatever conclusion you reach.
It overlaps on euthanasia, suicide and the death penalty, but it also covers meaning, fear of death and immortality, which an applied ethics course usually does not.
Follow the word count in your instructions. Inside it, a focused thesis and one well-developed objection beat a wide survey.
Yes. Send the passage and we explain the argument step by step and show how it connects to your assignment.
We provide custom answers and feedback for study. Anything you hand in must be your own work, in line with SNHU's integrity policy.