Philosophy paper

6. Ruth Snyder was executed in 1928 at the age of 32 by the state of New York. She and her lover were convicted of first-degree murder. They had murdered Ruth’s husband by suffocating him with chloroform-soaked rags and strangling him with wire. She had one daughter with her husband. Both Snyder and her lover were sentenced to death. Snyder was executed by electric chair, soon after her lover was executed. Do you think that execution by electric chair was morally justified for Snyder’s case? Would life imprisonment have been too lenient a punishment for Snyder?

Philosophy Essay Grading Rubric

15% - Introduction and Conclusion

______ Introduction (0 - 10): Does the introduction contain a specific thesis statement (the claim you intend to prove)? How well does the first paragraph introduce your topic and the issue in question? Is your introduction within five sentences?

______ Conclusion (0 – 5): How well did you state what you have accomplished in your essay? Do you convey the wider ramifications? Is your conclusion within five sentences?

40% - Reasons

______ Reason One (0-20 pts each): How well did you apply an ethical theory/principle or article to the case? Have you defined relevant key terms from the philosopher’s article?

______ Reason Two (0-20 pts each): How well did you apply an ethical theory/principle or article to the case? Have you defined relevant key terms from the philosopher’s article?

30% - Objection and Your Reply

______ Objection (0-15): How well do you present and defend against objections against your view? Do you give strong representation of opposing viewpoints?

______ Your Reply (0-15): How well do you defend against counterarguments or objections?

15% Composition and Mechanics

______ Composition, Spelling, and Grammar (0 – 10): Is your language clear and precise college-level writing? Are you using correct terminology? Did you proofread your paper carefully? Are the ideas in your paper logically ordered?

______ Mechanics (0 – 5): Did you draw upon ideas from at least two authors discussed in class? Did you use parenthetical citation and cite your sources? Do you follow directions for the formatting of the electronic copy (see checklist)?

Total (out of 100 points)

Do’s and Don’ts - Writing Guidelines for your Essay

1. Support with Reasons and Evidence: A philosophy paper is usually not primarily a summary or explanation; it needs to make an argument by giving reasons and replying to objections. Every claim you make should be supported with evidence or reasons. Do not merely offer opinions or assume that anything is ‘obvious.’ Support your conclusion with relevant reasons and adequate data.

2. Stick to the issue. Make sure that all the claims in your essay are directly connected to the issue under discussion and are significant to defending your position. Use of relevant and original examples is a good way of demonstrating to the reader/grader that you understand the material. However, if something doesn’t directly contribute to supporting your argument or explaining something, it probably should be left out of your paper. Don’t leave a sentence in just because it sounds good or is well written; everything in the paper should do philosophical work. The structure of a philosophy paper is very much like a mathematical or logical proof. You don’t want to add anything that doesn’t somehow help you to prove your points, and all your points should aim toward the same goal -- of proving your thesis statement.

3. Guide the reader. Do not make the reader/grader struggle to find out what your argument is or how one idea connects to another. Also, do not confuse the reader with abrupt shifts in direction and huge gaps in logic. Arrange your ideas in a logical sequence. It is a good idea to include transitions that reveal how one idea connects to another, words like ‘therefore,’ ‘because,’ ‘however,’ ‘on the other hand,’ ‘for example.’ Don’t make the reader do the work. Guide the reader through your train of thought. Your reader should be able to move from sentence to sentence and from paragraph to paragraph without becoming lost or confused.

4. Keep your word choice simple and precise, but define key terms.

In philosophy papers it is very important to be concise and clear. An excessive literary style or flowery writing is discouraged; instead, focus on clearly stating and defending your ideas. Unless you are a relatively polished writer, keep your sentences short. Doing so will help you to express one idea at a time and thereby increase precision. Any serious attempt to support or sustain a position requires a clear statement of what is at issue, and sometimes this involves a careful definition of key terms. Any words used in a technical sense should be clearly defined. Be precise and consistent in your use of terms. Also, don’t use ambiguous language or assume the reader/grader will know what you mean.

5. Write a Short Intro and Short Conclusion: Instead of beginning your paper with the usual introduction that starts with general ideas and ends with your thesis statement, you will begin your essay with three or four sentences. You will omit introductory remarks about how important the issue is, how it has troubled thinkers for centuries, how opinions on the topic vary, ad nauseum. You should not waste your limited and valuable space on wordy “filler” or “fluff.” Instead, in several sentences, you must make clear what your main thesis is, how you will be supporting it, and perhaps imply the obstacles that you must overcome, i.e. the objections you will need to defend against.

6. Play defense before beginning offense. Anticipate Objections.

Anticipate and discuss what opponents might say in criticism of your position. Doing this will make your essay balanced and will create the impression that you are open-minded, reasonable, and thoughtful. Readers will then be more likely to believe you. After presenting counterarguments, defend against the objections to your position, and then present the positive case for your side. Sometimes some writers prefer to give their positive arguments first and then follow with objections to their position.

7. Adopt a charitable tone.

When opposing another person’s views, adopt a tone that is generous and sympathetic. Avoid sarcastic, condescending remarks. Confine your discussion of an opponent’s point of view to issues and do not resort to personal attacks on your opponent. Do not insult or verbally abuse the opposing or rival viewpoints. These tactics may work in political debates, but not for scholarly papers. Try to present opposing views in the most charitable light and accurately present the strongest points of the opposing side. Later in the paper, you can argue that, despite the merits of the counterarguments, your reasons have greater moral weight and override valid objections.

8. Use only a few quotes. Sometimes it is a good idea to quote a particular author. One reason may be because the source is an expert authority and the quote lends credibility to the claim you are trying to support. Another reason is that the language of the author contains a unique phrase or has historical significance which would be lost, if you used your own words. Nonetheless, you should try to use quotes carefully and sparingly. Do not let quotes make your points for you. Quotes should not replace your own explanations or commentary. Since you should not submit a paper that is essentially a string of quotes with an occasional idea from you, try to limit the number of quotes to no more than one short quote per page. You should cite your quotes and integrate it effectively in the body of your essay. You should provide the context of the quote and offer the meaning and significance of it.

Be sure to cite your quotes. If you use a book or article outside of our assigned class readings, you should include a bibliography or works cited page (MLA or APA). For this assignment, however, it is better to focus on the articles and theories we have examined in class; outside sources are not necessary. Unqualified internet sources may actually not help your philosophical arguments. For our purposes, parenthetical citation is sufficient for citing quotes. At the end of a quote and before the period (or ending punctuation mark), write in parentheses the author’s last name followed by a comma and the page number(s).

Example: John Doe writes: “The majority of Americans . . . this policy (Doe 73).”

For more directions on how to use parenthetical referencing: