Only papers submitted as Word (.doc/.docx) or Adobe (.pdf) documents will be accepted and graded.
At the top right should appear your full name, the date, and your course and section numbers. That’s it – you DO NOT need to out my name, the semester, or anything other than what I’ve asked for.
Typed, double-spaced, aligned left (not justified), paragraphs indented, with 1” margins all around, and please – no titles.
12 pt. Times New Roman font (i.e., the same font this page has been done in).
I am looking for good, concise, cogent argument – not length – I’d rather the paper be somewhat short(er) and to the point, than long and needlessly drawn out with pseudo-academic filler material gleaned from the text, internet, etc. I want to know what you know; not what the authors you read already know. That said, you probably can’t answer the prompt well in fewer than four full pages, and if you go much over six, you’re probably padding the content.
You must cite at least 1 print source in addition to your text – books, journal articles, etc.
It should go without saying but bears repeating here that Wikipedia, Spark Notes, etc. are neither sound nor reliable resources for collegiate academic work, and should neither be consulted nor “borrowed from.”
Any and all instances of academic dishonesty, i.e., plagiarism, will not be tolerated and will be dealt with swiftly and appropriately harshly – at the very least it certainly will constitute a failing grade for the term paper, and may result in a failing grade for the entire semester, and/or a referral to the academic dean.
Works cited in footnotes (if you don’t know how to do this correctly, then ask – it’s important to learn how to do this correctly) with author, title, publisher, edition, publication date, pages referenced, etc. DO NOT cite in parenthesis or on a works cited page. See Foolproof Footnoting.pdf Download Foolproof Footnoting.pdf
Include quotes (properly cited and formatted) where appropriate, and absolutely no plagiarism.
Your paper is to be turned in via the course page in Canvas – no hard copies are required, nor will they be accepted. Make sure you’re familiar with the use of the assignment drop box well ahead of the due date.
Your term paper should be written with following in mind:
You are to write, using any one of the particular philosophers’ theories or concepts that you have read, been taught, or that have been discussed throughout the entire semester, a practical and applied use of their thought in the real world. Specifically, you are to summarize one philosopher’s most prominent theories, and those theories’ potential for practical application in your area of personal, professional, or academic interest.
Your term paper should take the form of:
1) Introduce your paper. We’re studying the great ideas of Philosophy, and all of our philosophers have been included for very good reasons; your introduction should indicate your understanding of the main reason(s) for your philosopher’s inclusion, as well as what makes them worthy of our attention.
2) Summarize the key concepts (at least one; no more than three) posited and developed by that philosopher – this should include what their philosophy replaced and/or what has replaced it since, if applicable, and should show a well-rounded understanding of their work both in and of itself, as well as within the context of the overall academic study and applied practice of Philosophy.
▪ 2A) Included in your summary of their work should be topically accurate citations of and quotations from their written work that support the focus of your summary of their main ideas.
◦ 3) Discuss the possibilities of practically applying your chosen philosopher’s work to a topic within a personal, professional, or academic area of your own choosing, most often the one in which you are working in or toward currently, but it could also be an area or topic of casual interest to you.
▪ 3A) Included in your section on practical application should be at least one example of a case study or hypothetical situation in your chosen field in which the philosopher’s work could be applied, as well as a discussion of the means by which it would be applied, and, if applicable, resolved.
◦ 4) You should wrap up your term paper by summarizing and tying together the salient points of what you’ve presented in terms of the philosopher’s key concepts and potential for practical application. In most cases, this will be something of a rehashing of your introduction; in other words, tell me what you’re going to do, do it, then tell me what you just did – this is a helpful way to stretch papers to the required length. Don’t think of it as being redundant – think of it as being thorough.
