Assessment for this course is divided into five components:
1. Paper 1 (25%)
A list of topics (drawn from the units on utilitarianism and global poverty) will be distributed in class on February 11, and the paper (1500 words) will be due, 2.5 weeks later, on March 2.
2. Dialogue (15%)
In this assignment you will write a dialogue between a set of theorists discussed in the class so far.
Instructions will be distributed in class on March 14, and the assignment (800-1000 words) will be due, 2.5 weeks later, on March 30.
3. Paper 2 (30%)
A list of topics will be distributed in class on April 8.
You will share your draft with your editing partner 2 weeks later, on April 22.
They will give you comments by April 25 and you will revise the paper as needed.
The paper (1500-2000 words) will be due on April 29 (our last class).
4. Reading Responses (15%)
You will submit a response to one of the readings for each Friday class.
The response should be submitted to our class email address by 4pm the Thursday before class.
Important: If someone has already posted a response for the upcoming class, please post your response as a reply to that person's, so that we can see all responses for a single class in a single thread.
Your response (approx. 1-2 short paragraphs) should include answers to the following questions:
1. Which passage most leapt out at you in the reading for this class?
2. What does the passage say (briefly)?
3. Why is it interesting to you?
4. What question(s) or concerns do you have about it?
Responses displaying puzzlement, lack of comprehension, irritation etc. are encouraged.
You are welcome--indeed urged!--to respond to other students' responses in addition to posting your own, but you're not required to.
Note: I'll be asking you to submit all your responses to me compiled in a Word doc at the end of the quarter. It'll be easier for you to do this if you compile them as you go along.
5. Contribution to Class Environment (15%)
This portion of the grade reflects your level of engagement while in class. Such engagement includes:
regular attendance;
evidence that you have completed the readings;
speaking up in class discussions (covering both quantity and quality of contributions);
active listening;
support of your fellow students.
This handout gives you some helpful advice on the various ways to participate in philosophical discussions.