PHL331 Social Contract and the Civil Society Essay
Please strictly follow the guiedlines.
Top 4 Elements of a good philosophical essay/grading standards
1. A stated thesis. This is a vital ingredient of any good paper. It tells the reader what the
central claim is. Thesis: A thesis is the claim that you are proposing to discuss, whose
truth you are proposing to demonstrate. It is the most difficult part of formulating a
philosophical essay. See samples below.
2. A stated plan for developing the thesis. In the first paragraph, briefly say how the central
idea will be developed. “I will show X, then Y and then Z”
3. Textual usage: Make sensible use of texts to demonstrate meaning, as sources of
evidence or interpretation. But don’t use text simply to fill space
4. Understanding, clarity, coherence: The points supporting the thesis should be related to
each other, and not be contradictory to one another. Some sign that you understand
the basic issue or problem, and argument discussed in the text or in class for or against.
Some other things
5. No BS: BS is relatively easy to spot. Its only purpose is to fill space. These papers aren’t
that long. Make every word count. Here are some examples of common BS on
philosophical essays. (BS need not be false to still count as BS.) The test for BS is
probably a lot like Judge Learned Hand’s test for pornography. If it looks like porn it
probably is.
a. “Since the dawn of time, man has thought/questioned/etc. “¦..”
b. “Descartes was born in”¦.”
6. Imagination and Engagement: This is not easy to quantify and may be the most difficult
thing to do; however, I want you to try to engage with the problem. Introduce
your
own
view of the matter provided that you provide an argument for it.
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