Instructions:
See the question prompts for the final paper. Answer ONE of the seven prompts.
Review the rubric thoroughly before choosing your topic and writing the paper.
The paper should be 6-8 pages long in 12 point font and double-spaced. Six pages means six full pages not five full pages and a line or two. Papers that are too long (a few words is fine, but 200 is too many) will also lose points.
Tips:
The questions are broad and general by design. The idea is for you to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding without any guard rails. The evidence, examples, concepts, debates, dialogues, etc. are all in the texts we read, the supporting lectures, the guiding reading questions, the homework quizzes, the extra credit discussions, the previous tests with my feedback, etc.
The final paper is your opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge. Accordingly, you want to be explicit in your explanations, claims, analysis, etc. For example, if you claim that Kant brings together Rationalism and Empiricism, this is correct. However, you want to explain why he thinks this/how he defends this conclusion. This is not a book report; instead, you want to analyze the piece, and you do this by explaining why the person argues for the position he/she does, how this position is distinct from a different position, the implications of this position, its strengths and weaknesses, etc. The more information the better so long as you stay within the limit for length.
General Instructions:
See Rubric for details on how each piece of the paper will be scored
Spelling, grammar, style, organization, general coherence, clarity, concision, transitions between sentences and paragraphs, and length all count toward your grade.
Your answer must be accurate, coherent, and make sense. Inaccurate or erroneous facts, assertions, attributions, explanations, definitions, etc. will lose points.
Beyond accurate summary, the questions ask you to take a position so you need to make an argument that defends your position. Support your argument with evidence from the texts by showing how the pieces fit together, and the significance of the claims (why they are important, what they teach us, how they challenge or push us to consider something anew, how they distinguish themselves from a different position or competing position/argument, etc.). For full credit your answers will be insightful and demonstrate an excellent understanding of the material. Vague statements/definitions, ambiguous unclear statements/definitions, non-coherent statements/definitions, unsupported statements/arguments, “kinda-sorta” statements, irrelevant or ill-founded premises/conclusions, and irrelevant or non-essential arguments will result in the loss of points. For example, if you think Plato’s metaphysics is more compelling than Aristotle’s, you must not merely state this but argue why this is so. After precisely and accurately explaining what Platonic metaphysics entails, you also want to make it clear why it is significant, how it connects to other central features of the argument, and if it is a plausible, strong, and/or weak approach/set of arguments in contrast to Aristotle’s.
Synthesize the material by integrating all of the parts into a coherent whole. This means demonstrating conceptual clarity, strong organization of ideas, proper use of language, general coherence and cohesiveness of your paper, and a well-supported argument. Moreover, it should be insightful, reflective, well-argued, and not crafted in haste/last minute.
Avoid hasty or last-minute writing. Edit. Run spell check and grammar check. Revise, revise, and revise again before submission.