Directions for the debates are linked to the webpage syllabus. The debates are graded on five criteria detailed there. Please get a copy as soon as you can. One of the other in-class exams can be missed, or taken to improve your score on a previous exam. The final exam is cumulative.
Participation is an ungraded student responsibility.
I believe that discussion is a key ingredient of doing philosophy and a key ingredient in your success at this course. That's because more than information gathering, philosophy involves seeing the complexities of ideas, and their implications. Oral participation includes asking questions, raising objections, pointing out unclarities during class presentations, and actively and positively participating during in-class activities. Asking questions of your fellow students during debates is also encouraged and can help those students to better clarify themselves.