Paper Requirements for PHM 3100, Freedom and Justice, Fall 2000
There are two short papers required for this class. The first one is due on October 18th. The second is due on November 22nd (the Wednesday before Thanksgiving). Choose your own topics from within the structure and content of the syllabus - that is, choose topics based on the subject-matter we'll cover in class. You are to write two papers on different topics; the topics in general are equality, rights, authority, and justice. So, you could choose to write your first paper on equality and the second on authority, or the first on rights and the second on justice, or whichever two you prefer.
Remember, however, that these are not traditional research papers. The source of the basis of your papers MUST be one journal article for each paper from respectable academic sources in philosophy or political science. For example, you might find a journal article on a topic in which you are interested from the journal Political Theory or you might find one in Ethics or Social Philosophy and Policy, or the Journal of Social Philosophy. DO NOT use articles from Time or Newsweek, newspapers, or on-line journals EXCEPT those that are also available in print. You can find acceptable on-line journals through the UCF Library in JSTOR (see the Department of Philosophy web-site for further information on the use of electronic resources) or other electronic means of journal article retrieval available through the Library.
The papers are to have the following general format. First, provide a brief (1-3 page) summary of the argument of the article you have chosen. Second, provide a 3-4 page critical appraisal of that argument. (A critical appraisal is NOT constituted by pointing out how hard the article was to read. If you choose an article you think is too dense to make any sense, choose a different one.) There are literally thousands of articles available on the topics covered in this course. You should have no difficulty finding something to use; however, you might have some trouble deciding which article among the many available on which you choose to focus your attention.
In essence, then, you have two papers due in this course - one on 10/18 and one on 11/22. You choose the topics (two of them from among equality, rights, authority, and justice). Your papers should be between 4 and 7 pages each. They must be typed, double-spaced, and have standard 1" margins on all sides. Use a normal font size (such as 10, 12, or 14). Proofread! Your papers represent you, so write with care. Choose the articles on which you will write critical appraisals from respectable academic journals. Together, the papers constitute 50% of your final grade (25% each).
This page created and updated on 8/22/2000.