philosophy short paper

Short Paper #1

1500 words minimum/maximum

(approximately 4 ½ pages)

Due 9/24/14

Your task is to compare the views – and the reasons explicitly given or implied or suggested for these 

views – presented in at least two of the following texts by at least two different authors: Plato's (1) 

(2)King's “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”; and (3) Lao Tzu's 

“Living as Water” on one of the following issues: (a) the basis for judgments of good and bad conduct; 

(b) the good life; or (c) the obligations of the citizen.

Formatting instructions and deductions

• Name, student ID, class hour in the header

• 1 inch margins on all sides

• Page numbers in the header

• Text double spaced

• 12 point, standard font

10 point deduction for each violation of the above

Grammar deductions

1 point for each grammatical error

Word count

10 point deduction for word count violation

Quotations

10 point deduction per quote exceeding ten words. I prefer that you not quote at all but put the

text into your own words. If you do quote be sure to cite the quote in the manner appropriate to your 

discipline. If you don't have a discipline yet, select a citation style of your choice (APA, MLA, 

Turabian, Chicago). Footnotes, endnotes, or a works cited page (if you include one) do not apply to 

your word count. The word count only applies to the essay itself.