Critical Essay Assignment
Analyze various philosophical arguments to determine how they are used to support the overall positions and systems of particular philosophers and philosophies
Compare and contrast various philosophical positions, and their supporting arguments, to determine which position is more valid, sound, and persuasive
The student will craft their own original arguments and examples to harmonize with and support the overall positions and systems of particular philosophers and philosophies
The student will express their original arguments, explain philosophical positions, and critique and evaluate philosophical arguments, all while using good grammar, spelling, and writing technique to the best effect possible
Students must use one primary source text and at least one secondary source text.
A primary source for our purposes is an original philosophic work, such as any of the writings of Plato, Aristotle, Marcus Aurelius, Kant, Nietzsche, etc.
Secondary sources involve analysis, synthesis, interpretation, or evaluation of primary sources. They often attempt to describe or explain primary sources. Secondary sources include our textbook, peer-reviewed academic journal articles, etc. Non-scholarly sources, such as Wikipedia, History.com, or the dictionary, are unacceptable.
While paraphrasing is fine, the body of your paper should not contain more than 10% worth of direct quotes from outside sources. I want to seeYOUR analysis in YOUR own words.
PARAMETERS
A critical essay is a written assignment in which analysis and close reading of a philosophically significant, short passage is undertaken in order to illuminate a philosopher’s meaning or message. It is related to—but very different from—a persuasive essay (where a student makes an argument in order to persuade) or a research paper (where a student compiles information for various sources to support a thesis). Each philosophy student must complete a critical essay in order to successfully complete PHIL 1301.
The essay must be 500 words long plus a Works Cited page. The essay must be formatted in standard MLA format: 1” margins, Times New Roman font, 12-point font, double-spaced, pages numbered at top right with last name, first page formatted with information and centered title. Citations should be parenthetical and follow MLA conventions.
Here’s a link that explains MLA format you can refer to:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/24/
Students should decide on three elements to create a proper thesis to explore in their critical essay:
Choose a philosopher.
Choose a specific primary source written by the selected philosopher that addresses the chosen topic. Students should also use one secondary scholarly source.
Choose a philosophical focus/topic. Students must already have a passage in mind in order to choose something in that passage to focus upon.
APPROVED PHILOSOPHERS
Thales
Anaximander
Anaxagoras
Anaximenes
Heraclitus
Parmenides
Pythagoras
Plato
Aristotle
Albert Camus*
Augustine [philosophy of religion]
Blaise Pascal
Boethius† [philosophy of religion]
Christian Wolff†
Christopher Hitchens [atheism, political philosophy]
Copernicus
Cornell West
David Hume†
Edmund Husserl† [phenomenology]
Eugene Thacker [philosophy of horror]
Franz Kafka*
Friedrich Nietzsche
Fyodor Dostoyevsky* [existentialism]
Georg W. F. Hegel†
Giordano Bruno
Gottlob Frege†
Graham Harman [speculative realism]
Hannah Arendt
Immanuel Kant
J. C. Friedrich Hölderlin*
J.J. Rousseau
Jacques Derrida
Jean-Paul Sartre
Jeremy Bentham†
Johann Georg Hamann†
John Dewey
Karl Marx
Ludwig Feuerbach†
Ludwig Wittgenstein† [language]
Marcus Aurelius [Stoicism]
Martin Buber [existentialism, ethics]
Martha Nussbaum [feminism, virtue ethics]
Martin Heidegger†
Michel Foucault [power, punishment, violence]
Mike Resnick* [cultural relativism]
Niccolo Machiavelli [political philosophy, ethics]
Noam Chomsky [language, political philosophy, ethics]
Richard Dawkins [atheism]
Robert Heinlein*
Sam Harris [atheism]
Sigmund Freud [philosophy of mind]
Slavoj Žižek
Soren Kierkegaard
Thomas Aquinas [philosophy of religion]
Thomas Ligotti* [philosophy of horror]
Umberto Eco [semiotics]
Ursula LeGuin* [gender identity]
Voltaire [political philosophy]
Willard Quine
William Blake*
William Lane Craig [apologetics]
William James
William Ockham† [nominalism]
*Individuals marked with an asterisk (*) are not generally considered philosophers in the traditional sense, but have written works that may work for this assignment. Extra approval is needed by the instructor.
†Individuals marked with an obelisk (†) are particularly challenging and not necessarily recommended for beginning students in philosophy. However, students with a particular interest in them should consider them approved (and of course, more credit for the bold.)
SUGGESTED TOPICS
good and evil
justice [dike]
truth [aletheia]
Being [Dasein, Sein, presence, existence/existenz]
Becoming
spirit
soul
God(s) or theism
atheism
freedom
punishment
violence
beauty
property
meaning of life
purpose of life
history
nature [physis]
fear
horror
dread [Angst]
victory [nike]
prejudice
bias
humor
love
luck
destiny
fairness
fate
destiny
determinism
Logos
techne
blasphemy
secular/sacred
usefulness or utility
HIERARCHY OF SOURCES
Each critical essay must be centered on one primary source selection. However, you may want to consult one to three other sources. You must be very careful and selective about using sources other than your primary source. Remember, this essay relies on your interpretation of a source, not your opinions, nor is it a research paper where you collect sources to support your thesis. Support for your thesis comes from your close reading of a text, the primary source.
How should you pick sources to use? Here is a guide for the order of importance:
The primary source (REQUIRED)
Commentary on the primary source by a contemporary of the philosopher
A well-known, established philosopher’s commentary on the primary source
A well-known thinker’s commentary on the primary source (other than philosophers)
Any philosopher or thinker
You may also consult books on word origins, the history of (Germany, Austria, etc.) where your philosopher lived, alternate translations, and lexicons (if looking at an interlinear translation).
Do not cite from these (though you may consult them):
Encyclopedias
Dictionaries (unless you are specifying etymology)
General introductions or textbooks
Do not cite OR consult from:
Wikipedia, Yahoo answers, or anything open-sourced or crowd-sourced online
Strangers you meet on the street
Friends, relatives or roommates who once read a book or saw a documentary on philosophy
Using unapproved sources as stated above will cost one letter grade per instance.
Wells Modified Grading Rubric: Short Essay Assignment:
Criterion
(Specific to philosophy critical philosophical essay assignment)
Beginning 1
Developing 2
Accomplished
3
Exemplary 4
Score
Organization and Content (70 percent:maximum of 70 points total)
1. Clear Thesis/Main Idea
Thesis is philosophically relevant and significant related to stated topic.
Thesis statement is unclear or is not stated; no discernible thesis.
0 points
Thesis statement is stated but unclear, inappropriate, or does not address a philosophically significant issue.
1-5 points
Relevant and significant thesis is proposed but may not match the reality of completed essay.
6-10 points
Interesting, relevant and significant thesis is proposed and follows through the essay.
11-15 points
2. Uses supporting evidence
Must use philosophically sound, logical arguments based on close reading of the text
Little or no use of supporting materials/details (explanations, examples, definitions, theorems, illustrations, statistics, analogy, quotations from relevant authorities/sources) that make appropriate reference to information or analysis and minimally support the content
0 points
Limited use of supporting materials/details (explanations, examples, definitions, theorems, illustrations, statistics, analogy, quotations from relevant authorities/sources) that make appropriate reference to information or analysis and partially support the content
1-4 points
Sufficient use of supporting materials/details (explanations, examples, definitions, theorems, illustrations, statistics, analogy, quotations from relevant authorities/sources) that make appropriate reference to information or analysis and generally support the content
.
5-6 points
Skillful use of a variety of types of supporting materials/details (explanations, examples, definitions, theorems, illustrations, statistics, analogy, quotations from relevant authorities/sources) that make appropriate reference to information or analysis and significantly support the content
7-10 points
3. Presents logical conclusion
Conclusion derives logically from thesis
No logical conclusion or conclusion is confused/unclear.
0 points
Conclusion is basically coherent but has significant weaknesses. Conclusion may not follow clearly from stated thesis or objectives.
1-4 points
Conclusion is coherent and strong, but has either presentation problems, is not fully persuasive, and does not address counter-arguments.
5-6 points
Conclusion is logical and persuasive; counter-arguments are effectively addressed.
7-10 points
4. Uses own words and/or cites sources when appropriate
MLA style with minimum of one primary source with 1-3 appropriate secondary sources; uses quotations, paraphrase, and summaries appropriately
Evidence of plagiarism.
0 points AND failure of assignment.
Inaccurate/inappropriate citations, style format mistakes, too much derivative material versus original writing and ideas.
1-5 points
Few citation or style problems. May still need more original analysis versus derivative writing, and may use too much quoted material.
6-10 points
Quotations are few and effectively cited.
11-15 points
5. Contains minimum required arguments and counter-arguments
Three arguments with examples and two counter-arguments
No arguments or counter-arguments
0 points
Contains at least two arguments an d one counter-argument with examples; or more arguments with no examples
1-9 points
Contains minimum required arguments and counter-argument but has weak examples
10-17 points
Contains three or more required arguments and two or more counter-argument with effective examples
10-15 points
Mechanics (30 percent:maximum of 30 points total)
1. Uses complete sentences
Includes excessive errors in mechanics and/or distracting inconsistencies in grammar usage
Includes word choice, vocabulary, notations, symbols and sentence structure that minimally support the effectiveness of the content
.
0 points
Includes frequent errors in mechanics and/or inconsistencies in grammar usage
Includes word choice, vocabulary, notations, symbols and sentence structure that partially support the effectiveness of the content
1 point
Includes few errors in mechanics and mostly consistent grammar usage
Includes appropriate word choice, vocabulary, notations, symbols and sentence structure that generally support the effectiveness of the content
2-4 points
Includes clear and consistent grammar usage and mechanics
Includes appropriate word choice, notations, symbols, sentence structure, and vocabulary that enhance the effectiveness of the content
5 points
2. Exhibits college-level writing (including vocabulary and sentences of varying length)
Vocabulary includes appropriate philosophical terminology
Usage may not meet minimum college-level writing standards. Substandard vocabulary and telegraphic prose.
0-2 points
Usage at low-level college writing standards with some vocabulary problems. Prose may evidence some complexity.
3-4 points
Usage at average expected college level writing with appropriately sophisticated vocabulary and paragraph structure. Few or no problems.
5-8 points
Usage meets and exceeds college-level standards.
9-10 points
