Some remarks on writing the paper:

1. It is not recommended that you use any other source but the course texts and class notes.

2. Write clear sentences in ordinary language. Philosophical problems are difficult, so your mission should be to clarify (yet not oversimplify) the issue, not to obscure it. Imagine your audience to be a reasonably intelligent person who has no prior knowledge of this topic. Do not attempt to write in an airy, "philosophical" style--use plain language. Be to the point, but not terse.

3. Making a brief outline beforehand is a good idea. When you start writing, close the textbook and your notebook. Focus on following a clear chain of reasoning throughout the paper; constantly referring to the text can be a distraction.

4. Plan on writing several drafts of the paper. Ideally, write it and do not look at it for a day or two. If you pick it up, read it, and are somewhat confused about what is being said, you can imagine that another reader would feel the same way. It is easy to think a sentence is clear since you "know what you mean" by it. This is not sufficient--the sentence must be clear on its own, and the paper must be self-sufficient. Make your thoughts accessible to others.

5. Get down to business quickly. A lengthy introduction is not necessary. A cover page containing your name and class time may be used.

*6. This paper requires that you draw upon class materials and discussions. What is important is that these arguments and insights are incorporated into your paper's presentation. A good paper offers a unified argument. What you say in the exposition of the views of others should be part of an argument of yours for the thesis of the essay. Make sure that the relevance of others' input to the point you wish to make is made clear to the reader.

7. While we all ought to strive to write a grammatically accurate paper, the most important thing is that what you are saying is clear. If I cannot understand your writing, this will inevitably affect your grade negatively.

8. Feel free to stop by my office to discuss your outline. I reserve the right to limit these informal meetings to no more than ten minutes, especially when other students are waiting to meet.

9. You are allowed and even encouraged to discuss the questions and issues that this assignment raises with others in the class. However, when you sit down to write your essay, you must do so alone. Do your own work!

10. Please put any references to materials used in class within the body of the paper in the following form: (Author, page number). If you do choose to use other sources besides course materials, you must properly document these sources and include a works cited page. Plagiarism is a serious offense. If you are not sure about what to do in a particular instance, ask. There is no need to document references to your lecture notes, although you should strive to express the ideas discussed in class in your own words since this demonstrates your understanding of the material.