Final Paper: if you choose the paper option, you’ll have a lot of freedom to craft an assignment that reflects your philosophical growth and your educational and career interests. It can be interdisciplinary and creative. In fact, I hope it will be! You have the freedom to decide what to pursue, and which texts to place in context with each other. However, as Uncle Ben Parker says, ‘with this freedom comes great responsibility.’ You will submit an argumentative paper. The paper should be at least 1,250 words. You must engage with at least 1 text from the course. But, you can take that text and engage with any issue. A very traditional approach might be to write a paper arguing that Kant has an ethical system that solves more problems than Aristotle. Before you choose this option, think about what you want to present so you can fill out the contract’s proposal.
Whether you choose to complete Fieldwork or a Project/Paper, make sure do the following: 1) Fill out the contract on the next page. 2) Read the suggestions and grading information below (which applies to all choices). 3) Submit it by the due date!
Grading: the final project/paper is worth 15% of your final grade. It will be graded based on the quality of the submission. I will take into account the effort expended, the relevance of the project to the class, the evidence of deep reflection/engagement with the texts and your own values, and the clarity with which you present your ideas in the written portion. – You must have it submitted by the beginning of class. Late submissions will be accepted but will be docked one full letter grade for every day it is late. o EX: a submission after the beginning of class on the day it is due drops from a B- to a C-.
Comments: remember to develop an argument for your opinion, and to engage with objections to your argument. If you cannot think of objections to your argument, then your opinion is likely a fact or it’s poorly thought-through. Either way, your paper and your argument suffer with the absence of carefully considered objections (and your responses to them). Be clear and succinct. A few things to keep in mind: – Note clearly what text you are responding to but you need not include a formal Works Cited page. – Consider possible objections to your position, and address them. Not considering such objections amounts to not thinking through your own position. – When explaining your position, remember that you have to explain why you think the position is justified. Having a view is not very interesting; why you have a view and think it is justified is interesting. – When you are done writing, read over your own paper critically. Was your view consistent? Did you make your points clearly?
