Many people get their philosophy from little paperbacks that talk about "Aristotle's Law of Identity." The exercise is to write a paper about it. What is the Law of Identity? How did it come up, i.e. what was Aristotle talking about when he introduced it? What role does it play in his philosophy, and in subsequent philosophical systems?
You are supposed to write this paper off the top of your head, based on what you have heard, or what you have learned in class, or what you have learned from your own reading. In other words, write it without going to the library.
"The mark of an educated man is the clarity of the line drawn in his mind between what he knows and what he doesn't know." - Irving Babbitt
Is there such a line in your mind? Look over what you have written about the law of identity, and ask -- which side of the line is it on? Are you sure?
Please write down your answer to Part A before continuing. (Of course, "I don't know" is a valid answer.)
Go to the library and look up what Aristotle actually said. Compare this with what you wrote for Part A.
Remember, this is an epistemology exercise. We aren't really talking about Aristotle here, we are talking about the difference between what you know and what you think you know. If you try to look up "Aristotle's Law of Identity," you will be very surprised at what you find, or what you don't find.
The answer is on the next page.