Mr. Coleman's Philosophy Classes 2010
Classes In Session
Fall 2010 Harbor College / Starts August 30, 2010
Philosophy "6" Logic Class Filled . . . . . Into First week. . . . . welcome. . . .
The Philosophy Of the Essay
Ø The essay differs from a summary.
Ø Knowing the difference will make your world change as you notice the difference in the grading of each paper.
Essay
1. An essay takes a viewpoint and attempts to prove its validity.
1. A summary takes no viewpoint and has no thesis; it merely recapitulates the facts.
2. An essay assumes the reader is already familiar with the matter and tries to help him or her make better sense of it.
2. A summary assumes the reader is ignorant about the matter and tries to inform him or her about it.
3. An essay explains and evaluates. It tries to bring the reader to a better understanding of the subject.
3. A summary recounts the main points of the subject without in anyway trying to interpret it for the reader.
4. As essay archives all of this by formulating a strong, clear and interesting thesis about the subject.
4. A summary doesn’t try to present it’s own point of view of the subject and therefore has no need to subordinate anything, only to report on it.
5. In an essay, the writer argues for the stand taken about the subject, trying to make it convincing for the reader.
5. Having taken no stand, the writer finds no need to support or argue in a summary but merely to report, assert, and summarize.
6. This leads the writer to scan the research data for those items only, that support the thesis or demonstrate a point in it.
6. In a summary, the writer includes as many of the items as he or she can find.
7. In an essay; the writer tries to interpret the subject, leading the reader to see clearly what he or she had seen only dimly (all of it).
7. No such things are attempted in a summary.
8. As essay answers such questions as; How did this all come about and why?
8. A summary concerns itself only with the question; What happened?
9. An essay is; as a result, interesting to read, stimulating, and leads to new discoveries.
9. No new discoveries are made or announced in a summary; its object is to review and summarize.
Mr. Coleman
Writing The Philosophy Paper For Mr. Coleman’s Class
1. Have you studied what you want to say and can you speak it philosophically?
2. Having your thoughts together, now you must construct your argument in terms that I would understand your Philosophical argument.
3. Each part of your paper or thesis must present an argumentative from the cause of your statements.
4. Make sure that you fully understand the terms that you are attempting to confront with your paper.
5. Weigh your argument against what we have studies thus far in Phi “1”.
6. Example your argument with terms that we have covered in the class. (This is what I am looking for in all of your papers.
7. Ask yourself the question; “Do I fully understand what I’ve just written? Is there a way that I might make my argument clearer?
8. Now after you have formulated these ideas; begin to construct your paper in outline form. (I have found this method the best in construction of formal outlines in analysis of subject matter.
9. Have another person in your family (friends) read your paper. If they can’t make up or down of the writing; how would you expect me to fully understand what you are saying.
10. Proof read the paper long before you turn it in and please note all papers are due on the date prescribed. (There will be no exception to this given rule.)