It should be a think paper in which you critically examine an author s arguments on the topic. Your papers will not be graded so much on a demonstration of extensive philosophical knowledge as on the willingness to strike out on your own, thinking independently about the topic and attempting to argue for a position. To encourage class discussion, your instructor will assign short readings to specific students for in-class presentation. These presentations can be considered good practice for writing your papers because you can attempt to go beyond simple summarization and give your own reaction to the subject. Students not giving a presentation on a given day will have the responsibility of preparing questions on the reading assignment.
Regular attendance is required .
Because class discussion is an important part of the course, each student is expected not only to attend regularly, but to keep up with the reading assignments in order to take part in discussion. More than five unexcused absences will result in a final grade reduction. Norman Barry, An Introduction to Modern Political Theory . St. Martin s Press, 2000. Their Origins and Impact .