Mechanics (form): Your essay — excluding footnotes, bibliography, and CRITO outline (see handout CR3) — should be approximately 5 pages in length; it should have, as a maximum, one-inch margins all around; it should be double-spaced in 10-12 point, non-italicized font of your preferred type and be left justified only; it should include your name and date, single-spaced, in the upper left-hand corner (right next to the staple attaching your CRITO outline); it should contain no grammatical or spelling errors and conform to the basic conventions of academic, or formal, writing (for example, no contractions (can't, don't, etc.), slang, or inappropriate gender-specific language (mankind vs. humankind, he vs. he or she, etc.); minimal use of the passive voice,* nominalizations,** and "mere opinion" (CRITO will be invaluable here);*** and proper — meaning consistent — use of footnotes and bibliography). See also the philosophy department's Style Checklist. Edit your work frequently and carefully: Poor form and style seriously distract from and often undermine the quality of the content.
Deadlines: Exact due dates TBA. Outside of officially recognized (i.e., those identified in the MCLA Student Handbook) reasons for missing work, I do not accept late papers. Each student will write two argumentative essays, one due roughly at midterm time, the other during finals. I will collect and review CRITO outlines well in advance of the final deadlines for submitting essays.
Grading: You will receive a grade of A-F for the essay. I attempt to adhere to a traditional understanding of the grades A-F (outstanding-abysmal) as articulated by the Foundation for Critical Thinking:
http://ctlt.jhsph.edu/resources/views/content/files/38/Assessing%20Critical%20Thinking.doc
You may always (and only once) re-submit an essay one week from the day I return your essay. An essay showing significant improvement may receive a new, higher grade. There is no guarantee of a grade increase. There can be no grade decrease. Attach the original, graded essay to the back of the rewritten essay.
Content: At times I will determine the specific focus of your essay; other times the topic will be one you choose (with my approval). Your task is to research, construct, and refine a sophisticated yet clear, philosophical yet interesting, argumentative essay. I expect that your thinking and research efforts will take you well beyond the texts I assign in class — these essays are your opportunity to shine as a researcher, writer, artist, and scholar.
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*Avoid the passive voice whenever possible.
For example:
Good: "Good writers avoid the passive voice."
Not so good: "The passive voice is avoided by good writers."
**Avoid nominalizations by expressing important actions as verbs, not nouns.
For example:
Good: "He decided to write clearly."
Not so good: "He made a decision in favor of clarity in his writing."
***Opinions require substantiation.
For example:
“Informed” opinion: "I think Clive Bell is right (or wrong) for reasons X, Y, and Z."
“Mere” opinion: "I think Clive Bell is right (or wrong)."
MCLA Handouts
