Assignment Overview

ASSIGNMENTS OVERVIEW

Item	% of grade	Due date
Participation	15%	Ongoing
Midterm	15%	3/23
Homework and Quizzes	20%	Ongoing
Three Argumentative Papers (10% each)	30%	2/23,  4/13, 4/27
Final exam	20%	5/25
TOTAL	100%

ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTIONS

Class participation

Verbal discussion—such as taking and defending positions and asking or answering critical questions—is a vital part of the practice of philosophy. Consequently, the final grade for this class reflects this. Professor MacDougall takes note of student participation after class every day. Students must be present to participate, but for full credit must actively and verbally participate by asking critical questions, answering questions posed to the class, or volunteering ideas and thoughts relevant to class topics. Sometimes participation points can be gained by posting to an online discussion board or completing some other assignment (to be explained in class). Participation points can additionally be earned by contacting Dr. MacDougall by email or by arranging meetings during office hours. However, there is no way to get full credit for this segment of the class without active verbal participation. Exceptions may be granted in unusual circumstances by Dr. MacDougall if it is discussed at the beginning of the semester.

Homework and Quizzes

Homework and quiz grades are a large component of this class. In this class, we will learn to read philosophy works to discover the thesis and arguments of each assigned reading. Homework assignments may require students to identify these components of the assigned reading. Homework will be assigned a class ahead of time. If for some reason you must miss class, you can check Blackboard to see if any assignments have been announced. 

The instructor will occasionally give comprehension quizzes on readings. Students will generally be forewarned about these a class in advance. Reading quizzes will usually cover major points or arguments from that day’s readings.

Three Argument Papers

The argument paper assignment requires students to write a critical paper interacting with one of the day’s assigned readings. 

Student should choose the reading they would like to interact with and complete that reading well in advance of class. The paper is due at the beginning of class, that is, before we have discussed that reading in class. For due dates, see “Assignments” above or see the due dates in the schedule.

Argument papers should develop a thesis that responds to a significant argument, point, or assumption in the reading. The thesis of your paper should be critical, which means it should indicate whether what the author said was true or false, right or wrong, good or bad, etc. It is not about whether you agree with the author (although, obviously, if you argue that something the author said is false, the reader can infer that you disagree with the author on that point). 

The introduction of the paper should clearly explain the argument(s) or point(s) from the reading with which the student plans to interact. Ideally, the introduction should explain why the point which the student will write about is significant for the author’s argument as a whole. Usually, the thesis should be stated at the end of the introduction.

The body of the paper should consist in arguments and evidence supporting your thesis. It is not necessary to use external sources for an A-grade and the papers are intended to be completed without any further research.* The bulk of the paper should consist in your own thoughts developed in response to the main claims or arguments made by the author. 

The essay as a whole should demonstrate understanding and careful reading of the author’s whole argument, not just the point the student wishes to address. 

Rubric

“A” papers will demonstrate clear understanding of the author’s main claim(s) and the arguments or premises the author gives in support of the main claim(s). They will respond with a single claim (their “thesis”) that is supported by an original argument of their own. “A” papers should show evidence of individual reflection and critical thinking. They will consider objections and respond to these in a plausible way. They will not contain serious grammar or syntax problems, and will adhere to the formatting requirements below.

Formatting requirements for papers 

The paper should contain at least 800 words (i.e., be at least approximately 3 pages in length). It should be double spaced, and should use 12.0 Times New Roman Font with no greater than 1” margins.

Please cite the essay you are interacting by referring to the author’s name and the page number in the text (for example, “(Dworkin, 155)”). 

*If you want to use external sources for some reason, you must properly cite them. Any external sources cited should be formatted according to the Chicago Manual of Style “Author Date” format (or, if the student prefers, some other standard bibliographic style, such as MLA or APA). All external sources must be cited properly. Failure to do so will be considered an instance of plagiarism and penalties will be assigned at the professor’s discretion.

Midterm

The midterm will cover material from the first half of the semester. Format will be explained during the midterm review session.

Final

The final will be structured like the midterm. The final will not be primarily cumulative, but will instead focus on the content learned in the second half of the course. Students will be expected to remember some of the basic ideas learned in the first half of the course, of course.