PHIL
100: Introduction to Philosophy
SECOND ESSAY ASSIGNMENT:
TOPICS:
For your essay choose one from the following topics:
A) In Search for the I: Dennett, Sanford and Descartes all seem to be on the same mission: to find the “I.” Their strategies and their conclusions, however, are vastly different. Compare and explain the different ways different philosophers attempt to find the mysterious “I,” and try to explain how their strategies influence what they actually can find.
B) Plato and Descartes on Morality. Both Plato and Descartes present at least a fragmentary approach to morality. Compare and contrast the two authors’ views. Consider such issues as their approach to following the laws and customs of a country/city, exercising religious duties, commitments to others’ well-beings, etc.
DEADLINES
For the Tuesday Thursday
Session:
For the Saturday Session:
LATE DEADLINE:
NO ESSAY WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE LATE DEADLINE!
Formal requirements:
Your essay should be about 2-3double spaced pages, typed with 12 point
characters, having 1” margin all about (these are just general guidelines)
There is no penalty for length per se, but papers exceeding 4
double-spaced pages of text (about 1200 words) will be penalized, if they could
have been shortened by careful editing.
(Footnotes may appear on a separate page.)
Give a title to your essay on its first page. Don’t add/use title page
or cover. Make clear in the heading of your paper the topic you selected.
You might consult secondary sources, though it is neither required nor
necessary. Concentrate on the texts you read for classes!
CITE FULLY AND ACCURATELY. Make
sure you accurately state the position of any author you discuss. Any time you quote an author or attribute a
proposition to an author, the quotation or attribution must be supported by a
citation to the text, with page numbers.
YOU MAY NOT CITE ME AS AN AUTHORITY ON WHAT AN AUTHOR SAYS (only
exception: if you explicitly disagree with what I said in class). YOU MUST CITE
THE AUTHOR HIMSELF.
Where the reference is to a text in the assigned readings, it is sufficient to
provide page references in parentheses immediately after the quotation or
attribution. In all other cases, provide
a full bibliographic reference in a footnote or endnote. The page limit on the paper applies to the
text of the paper only. Footnotes are
free.
TO SHOW THAT YOU UNDERSTAND AN AUTHOR'S POSITION, IT IS NOT SUFFICIENT
TO SIMPLY PARROT THE AUTHOR. Where you
quote the author, make sure you explain in your own words the significance of
the quoted material. It is often helpful
to use your own examples to clarify the views of the author you are discussing.
CAREFULLY DISTINGUISH VIEWS THAT YOU CLAIM AN AUTHOR HOLDS FROM VIEWS
THAT YOU CLAIM THE AUTHOR SHOULD HOLD OR IS COMMITTED TO HOLDING. Claims that an author holds a particular view
must be supported with cites to the text.
But claims that an author should hold or is committed to holding a
particular view must be supported with relevant arguments, in addition to cites
to the text.
CRITICAL EVALUATION. In your
paper, you must critically evaluate the positions taken by authors you
discuss—that is, you must take your own stand on which side is, on balance, the
most reasonable position to take, and explain why you think so.
AVOID PLAGIARISM. You are expected to be familiar with the
“Statement on Plagiarism” available on my webpage.
EVALUATION
Evaluating your essay I will consider the
followings:
A clear presentation of your position (“central thesis”).
The arguments you present to support your position/thesis.
The insight, originality and the substantiality of your essay (or the
lack of them)
The structure of your essay.
Style and grammar.
This essay is worth of 12% of your final grade!
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