Essay Subject: Of all the philosophical debates covered in the class, pick one and explain both sides in detail. To do this, make sure you rely on the readings for that debate covered in class and posted on blackboard. Then choose the side you consider superior and develop your own arguments to support this choice.
Requirements:
– The paper should be 5-6 pages long (not including title or reference page). The length creates an expectation in the grader as to how much detail she will find in it.
– Your paper must be typed and double-spaced.
– A reference page is required. Any recognized format (MLA, APA, etc.) will do.
– Use 12-point font, Times New Roman. Do not use space-wasting techniques. Use normal margins, and do not insert extra spaces between paragraphs. If your paper has the required length as a result of these techniques, it will affect your grade.
– When you submit, Blackboard will check your paper for coincidences with other sources: I expect to see none. This is not a research paper where you have to rely on other sources. This is a philosophy paper where the most important thing is your comprehension of the problem. Therefore, DO NOT use other sources, and generally DO NOT QUOTE the readings (or anything else). Explaining things in your own words is the best way of demonstrating your comprehension.
Suggestions:
– Spread the writing process through several days. Essay writing takes many decisions, from the small (e.g. punctuation) to the large (e.g. organization, subject selection). Very often these decisions need to be digested and revised.
– Make sure that you have a solid grasp of the material you will be discussing before starting to write. This grasp can come from various sources, such as assigned readings or class discussion. If there are points that seem obscure to you, search for clarification. The internet can be very useful in these cases. If that doesn’t work, make a list of the obscure points and ask me for an appointment.
– Write with a plan. Do not sit down to write aimlessly. Rather, have at least a tentative outline of the subtopics you plan to cover before starting to write. Proofread for grammar, spelling and punctuation at the end.
– Think about the entire paragraph and about each sentence before beginning to write them.
