To earn an A or B you must read King Lear and Antigone, and write a 4 page paper comparing the philosophy of the Republic to each of these writings. Your analysis must be supported by specific page cites and there can be no more than 3 writing errors. An A requires an A on the exams and an A on the paper, and a B requires a B on both. Short writing assignments may count as extra credit. These papers are for students who wish to spend time learning to do philosophy without worrying about grades.
Philosophy is more like tennis than it is like intellectual history.
The skill of philosophy takes time to develop, and grades are not often helpful in this process of intellectual development. Topics will be based on questions for class discussion. The papers will represent your reasoned responses to these questions. A second set of short papers will help to develop your skills in logical organization, writing, and expressing your understanding of philosophical arguments. You will be responsible for all material that has been assigned whether the material is discussed in class or not.