State of Consciousness

For this assignment, you will submit a 2-3 page (body only, standard border and font) paper on the topic selected for your group project. Once you have determined your topic, narrow down that topic to a particular subtopic or item of interest. A good way to narrow down your topic would be to identify some issue, concept, argument, or idea that you have learned from the topic on the basis of its interest to you. You might be interested in this subtopic because of some past experience or because it intrigues you intellectually, or perhaps because it provokes questions or criticisms from you. Whatever the reason for your interest in this subtopic, you should explore that subtopic in greater detail (using the readings and links provided or through any additional research). Once you have identified a subtopic or specific item of interest, begin to consider a thesis on that specific topic. A thesis can be a question that needs clarification, it can be a position on the topic in question, or it could be an observation about the nature of the topic (comparing positions or considering a specific application). In any case, the thesis is the core of the paper. In the paper, you will provide an argument that supports your thesis statement. Your paper should advance evidence and reasons in support of your thesis statement. For philosophy papers, evidence comes in two forms: 1) citations from primary or secondary sources, and 2) original arguments. When citing either primary or secondary sources, you need not only to repeat what these sources say, but you must also provide context and an interpretation that clearly links the evidence to your thesis. When providing original arguments, remember not to overstate your case (if you do, your argument may be susceptible to easy objections). Also, be sure to consider possible objections to your argument (especially those that come from the readings and links provided in the course). You will need to provide a works cited page with all relevant sources. You may use any standard citation form (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.). Your paper will be graded according to the following criteria: Thesis: the paper provides a clear, relevant, and insightful thesis statement. Argument: the paper provides sufficient, relevant, and accurate evidence in support of the thesis statement. This evidence is organized in a clear and convincing manner. Understanding: the author presents a fair and accurate interpretation of the topic with an awareness of various positions as well as the differences between them. Composition: the paper is written clearly, with minimal grammatical and spelling errors, and provides accurate and properly formatted citations.