Grading Criteria

1. Accuracy. The accuracy of factual statements or interpretations of a particular philosopher's writings is always relevant in evaluating written work.
2. Proper Use of Citations. The use of citations and quotations in support of the interpretations offered in the paper of a philosopher's views will be considered in grading. In particular, citations and quotations should be (a) accurate, (b) in the proper form, and (c) relevant to the topics or issues discussed in the paper.
3. Evidence of Effort. The amount of effort put into preparing the paper, insofar as this can be ascertained from the written work itself, will be considered in grading. Some signs that insufficient effort has been made are (a) work that falls short of the requested length, (b) writing that includes frequent misspellings and/or grammatical errors, (c) sloppy or illegible writing.
4. Cogency of Thought. Central to the pursuit of philosophical wisdom is the task of discovering reasonable beliefs that are based on sound justifying arguments and evidence. Thus one criterion for judging the quality of philosophical writing is how well an author supports his/her views with clearly stated and convincing reasoning.
5. Insight. A superior paper will display some insight into a philosophical issue or the views of a philosopher that goes beyond what is said in class lectures and discussions.
6. Originality. A superior paper may also include some original ideas or new approaches to philosophical issues. Of course an idea or approach is not good simply because it is original. There must still be some reasons offered as to why the idea or approach is plausible, useful, reasonable, important, etc.--in short, why it should be entertained or accepted.