Philosophy 1100- Professor Kulanjiyil: Assignment Information

Information taken from the course syllabus:

Position Paper: You will be required to write a position paper for this course. This is a formal research essay, in which the writer takes a certain stand on a philosophical subject, examining both the opposing and the supporting views. 

Topics - You may choose one of the following topics for the position paper:

1.  “The value of philosophy is, in fact, to be sought largely in its uncertainty.” (Bertrand Russell)
2. “Whatever the future will hold, there is nothing anyone can do about it. What will happen cannot be altered.” (Richard Taylor)
3.  “Freedom is man’s capacity to take a hand in his own development. It is our capacity to mold ourselves.” (Rollo May)
4. “It is the heart which perceives God and not the reason.” (Blaise Pascal)
5. “The nature of man is evil; his goodness is the result of his activity.” (Xunzi)

A written proposal (in 100 words) must be provided with the following information to get your topic approved: 

1. The philosophical topic/theme you plan to explore in your paper 
2. A clear statement of the position you intend to present 
3. A tentative source list of minimum four academic sources, following MLA bibliographical format 

Proposals without proper MLA format and research sources will be rejected. Proposals beyond two working days will not be considered except in extraordinary cases. See the syllabus for the due date. 

You can consult only peer-reviewed academic Journal articles and book chapters within the past 20 years. No encyclopedias, Dictionaries, audios and videos can be used. All non-academic sources such as AI generated materials, like ChatGPT, Wikipedia, news magazines, popular internet sources (.com; .org; .edu, and others) must be avoided. You are encouraged to make use of COD electronic databases and search engines to gather your sources. See Appendix- C: for Some Recommended Philosophy Journals. 

Tentative source list (for proposal) and Works Cited information (final paper) must be complete (name of the author, title of the article, name of the journal, place and year of publication), complying to MLA format. 

The final paper must provide 4-5 pages of discussion excluding cover page and a “Works Cited” page (double spaced, font size: 12). In-text citation must match with “Works Cited.” Works Cited information must have a minimum of 5 professional sources (journals and books in philosophy and ethics for the past 20 years), two of must be printed sources. 

Searching

• Try searching using JSTOR, Academic Search Ultimate, and the COD Library Catalog
  • Try the same search keywords in any of these resources.  
  • Remember to adjust your date to sources created in the past 20 years.  
• Combine the key words that you identified to use in your search, for example:  Philosophy AND Freedom
• You can also search for your topic AND an philosophical theory, for example:  Personal Choice AND Free Will

Elements of a Position Paper 

(Adapted from: http://homeworktips.about.com/od/essaywriting/a/argument.htm) 

1. Consider several issues that will have two conflicting points of view or very different conclusions. 

2. Consider both sides of your topic and take a position. 

3. Consider points you could use as evidence for or against the issue. 

4. Determine what position you can back up with reasoning and explain why your belief/position is reasonable and logical. 

5. Present both sides of your issue with an assessment of each. 

6. Explore two sides of the topic (briefly) and provide proof as to why one side or position is the best one. 

7. Arguments must be built on sound theoretical, scholarly support. Mere opinion should not be presented.