1) Craft a thesis paragraph as you did for the prior essay. It should contain your thesis (italicized), an explanation of its terms and intent, and any necessary framing (for example, if your thesis might seem too obviously true, show how at least some reasonable people might disagree). Your thesis paragraph should contain NOTHING ELSE but these elements, and in particular it should NOT contain any reasons for thinking the thesis is true -- save these for the body of the paper.
2) With each premise as the topic sentence of its own paragraph, the premise itself likewise italicized, use each paragraph to explain and defend its premise.
This phase is due at 5pm on Friday, December 2, as an email message sent to myself and Kyle (John) Innis.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Second Essay (for non-bloggers)
This process will be similar to the first essay, but we will combine several of the earlier phases. So for Phase One I would like:
1. A topic
2. A preliminary thesis (the aim is to state, in a simple declarative sentence, a claim you think is true, interesting, in need of support, and for which you can develop supportive evidence)
3. A list of premises (each stated as a simple, declarative sentence, collectively sufficient to make a compelling logical case for the thesis. Premises can include data, strongly suggestive examples, conceptual analysis, and indeed any sort of legitimate grounds for thinking the thesis is true).
Please send this first phase in the body of an email message to me, and to Kyle (aka John Innis) by the end of the day on Friday, November 11th (Veteran's Day).
1. A topic
2. A preliminary thesis (the aim is to state, in a simple declarative sentence, a claim you think is true, interesting, in need of support, and for which you can develop supportive evidence)
3. A list of premises (each stated as a simple, declarative sentence, collectively sufficient to make a compelling logical case for the thesis. Premises can include data, strongly suggestive examples, conceptual analysis, and indeed any sort of legitimate grounds for thinking the thesis is true).
Please send this first phase in the body of an email message to me, and to Kyle (aka John Innis) by the end of the day on Friday, November 11th (Veteran's Day).
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Blogging Suggestions
A couple of ideas for blogs:
1) Find a possible fallacy in a passage of text in the wild (letters-to-the-editor columns are a pretty reliable source) and analyze it -- or present it for others to analyze.
2) Write a clever fallacious argument of your own, and see if the rest of us can figure out where it goes wrong (i.e., what fallacy or fallacies it commits).
1) Find a possible fallacy in a passage of text in the wild (letters-to-the-editor columns are a pretty reliable source) and analyze it -- or present it for others to analyze.
2) Write a clever fallacious argument of your own, and see if the rest of us can figure out where it goes wrong (i.e., what fallacy or fallacies it commits).
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Final Phase (in standard form)
1: College students need to know how to follow assignment instructions and edit their prose as formal writing. (common wisdom)
2: Most students have failed in multiple respects to edit their phase five drafts according to the instructions and the writing checklist. (direct observation)
3: It is Professor Silliman’s professional duty to insist that students learn to follow assignment instructions and edit their prose as formal writing. (follows from premise 1 and Professor Silliman’s job description)
4: Professor Silliman’s efforts politely and supportively to request that students follow the assignment instructions and edit their prose as formal writing have had limited effect. (follows from premise 2)
5: Although he disapproves of such bullying tactics, Professor Silliman cannot think of any alternative means of fulfilling his duty except the threat of academic grades. (introspection)
Therefore:
6: The final phase of each student’s essay (due in hard copy at the beginning of class on Monday, October 31st) must be substantially free of errors of form, substance, and presentation, or Professor Silliman will not assign it a score.
Corollary: a separate, mathematical argument shows that it is difficult to receive a passing grade for the course if you do not receive a score for the paper.
2: Most students have failed in multiple respects to edit their phase five drafts according to the instructions and the writing checklist. (direct observation)
3: It is Professor Silliman’s professional duty to insist that students learn to follow assignment instructions and edit their prose as formal writing. (follows from premise 1 and Professor Silliman’s job description)
4: Professor Silliman’s efforts politely and supportively to request that students follow the assignment instructions and edit their prose as formal writing have had limited effect. (follows from premise 2)
5: Although he disapproves of such bullying tactics, Professor Silliman cannot think of any alternative means of fulfilling his duty except the threat of academic grades. (introspection)
Therefore:
6: The final phase of each student’s essay (due in hard copy at the beginning of class on Monday, October 31st) must be substantially free of errors of form, substance, and presentation, or Professor Silliman will not assign it a score.
Corollary: a separate, mathematical argument shows that it is difficult to receive a passing grade for the course if you do not receive a score for the paper.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Citations
Some of you have asked about citations for your essays. There are several different citation standards, and so long as you are consistent it does not matter much to me which you use. Since this is a short essay, a full-scale bibliography would be overkill. Here are some principles for figuring out when and how to cite:
Whenever you got an idea, or particular way of expressing it, from someone else, that person deserves acknowledgment out of respect and intellectual honesty. Also, unattributed use of copyrighted material is illegal.
Keep it clean -- a simple footnote that gets the reader as directly as possible to the source, without interrupting your prose, is best.
A citation to a printed source is preferable to an electronic one, even though you may have located it electronically (internet addresses have a way of disappearing). If your source only exists on the web, look for signs that it is reliable (named author, dated posting, respected host site such as a major university, internal references to published data...).
Whenever you got an idea, or particular way of expressing it, from someone else, that person deserves acknowledgment out of respect and intellectual honesty. Also, unattributed use of copyrighted material is illegal.
Keep it clean -- a simple footnote that gets the reader as directly as possible to the source, without interrupting your prose, is best.
A citation to a printed source is preferable to an electronic one, even though you may have located it electronically (internet addresses have a way of disappearing). If your source only exists on the web, look for signs that it is reliable (named author, dated posting, respected host site such as a major university, internal references to published data...).
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Don't Wait!
Thanks to all of you who submitted Phase Fours. I will be working my way through them today, and if I think I can make a useful suggestion you may hear from me on email. Go ahead without me on Phase Five (below) however, refining, editing, clarifying, and putting your essay in manuscript format (see the last item on the Writing Checklist). Feel free to contact Kyle or me if you have specific questions as you work, and by all means use the writing center and any other resources you can muster. Good writing takes time, so start the process early.
For bloggers who haven't done so already, it would still be a good idea to put your argument in standard form up on your blog, in the hope that your classmates can help you improve it.
For bloggers who haven't done so already, it would still be a good idea to put your argument in standard form up on your blog, in the hope that your classmates can help you improve it.
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