Response to Article Assignment | Online Assignment

The article you will be responding to is attached along with the rubric. Do not use a “Works Cited” page, use only footnotes. Some examples of philosophical theories we have been over in class are: Cultural Relativity, Egoism, Kantianism, Utilitarianism, and Social Contract TheoryPhil 2306 Writing Assignment 5 – Term Paper (20%):
Due on 11:59 PM
Each student is required to read the following article available from the course blackboard site:
Schuklenk, Udo and Ricardo Smalling. “Why Medical Professionals Have No Moral Claim to Conscientious Objection Accommodation in Liberal Democracies.” Journal of Medical Ethics: The Journal of the Institute of Medical Ethics, 43(4), 234-240. 7 p. APR 2017.
Each student must then offer a clear discussion of a properly formulated thesis of the student’s design in response to the article and the issues raised by its authors concerning Medical Professionals and Conscientious Objections. This will require utilizing various theories and principles drawn from the course material to argue in support the chosen thesis, recognize plausible objections to the arguments raised in support of the thesis, and responding to those objections accordingly. It will be important to recognize different interpretations of theories were different interpretations will impact the acceptability of your argument. Students should utilize relevant principles, arguments, and analogies discussed during the course wherever appropriate.
The purpose of this assignment is to provide students an opportunity to demonstrate the development of their philosophical writing abilities over the course of the semester. Students are encouraged to work on this project throughout the semester as they complete the other writing assignments during the course. Students are also encouraged to seek regular feedback from the instructor specifically on their writing by completing drafts and meeting with the instructor to discuss their writing during office hours.
• Papers MUST be typed and double spaced in 10 – 12 point Calibri or Arial font with 1 inch justified margins.
• To receive any credit for the assignment a student’s paper must be at least 1500 words in length. This is a firm minimum limit. Do not be surprised if you submit a paper that is only 1499 words and receive a ‘0’ for your submission. This word count only includes the body of the paper (the actual discussion of the material). It does not include extraneous material such as identifying information at the outset of the paper (your name, my name, the class, paper title, etc.) and it does not include footnote citations or other reference materials.
• Students should strive to submit a paper that is no less than 3000 words in length.
• Students should seek to use any available material from the course, be it readings, lecture material, discussions in class, etc.
• When utilizing such material in his/her term paper, each student should reference the material via footnote (NOT in text citation or endnote) in a way that makes clear where the material originated.
o If you are not familiar with the proper way to utilize footnotes, come to office hours for individual instruction.
o Note that a “footer” is NOT the same as footnotes. These are different features and have different names for a reason. If you do not understand, come to office hours and ask!
Students will be evaluated on the clarity of their argumentation and their ability to clearly present a critical argument in support of their chosen positions. As this is a Philosophy paper (and not an English paper) the emphasis will be on argumentation and clarity of argument (rather than imagery). Spelling/grammar/punctuation mistakes that detract from the clarity (or readability) of a student’s paper will be penalized. Students are encouraged to meet with the instructor to discuss writing style as well as content and to make use of any available resource to assist with the writing of his/her paper.
The following online guide to writing a philosophy paper is strongly recommended by the instructor for all students to utilize during the writing of the term paper:
http://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/guidelines/writing.html
This assignment must be submitted via TurnItIn on the SHSU Blackboard course site by the time specified above on the date due. Students are responsible for ensuring that their submission is compatible with the software utilized by Blackboard and that it is properly submitted. Be sure to “confirm” your submission to TurnItIn by clicking the corresponding “confirm” button when required. Students using apple products or other “non-PC” software/products are advised to submit their material as .pdf universally readable files to ensure that their submission is not penalized for lateness (an unreadable file is not submitted until a readable version of the file is submitted and accepted).
The following rubric will be in use in evaluation of each student’s submission for this assignment:
Paper Introduction 3
Thesis statement, clearly and readily identifiable 1
Thesis position (the conclusion/goal of the paper) clearly stated and readily identifiable 1
A clear statement of the conflict/issue that motivates the thesis 1
Introducing the Author/Paper/Argument under discussion 4
Reader can clearly identify what you are reporting to be Schuklenk & Smalling’s thesis 1
You accurately report Schuklenk & Smalling’s thesis 2
Accurately report the scope (context) of Schuklenk & Smalling’s argument 1
Clarity and Depth: Exposition of the Arguments/Conflicts under discussion 8
Competency of the text and the nature of the philosophical problem demonstrated using appropriate references (original article, relevant source material, textbook, etc.) 3
Efficiency (Demonstrated ability to present the relevant information accurately & completely, w/o overly long quotes or attempting to summarize every paragraph from the article) 2
Are the essential elements of the philosophical problem clearly addressed? 2
Are the finer elements of the philosophical problem clearly addressed? 1
Treatment of Plausible Objections and Defense of Thesis 12
Clear statement of objection(s) to thesis and why objection(s) is(are) problematic 6
• More credit earned for recognizing more effective objections
• More credit earned for recognizing greater number of objections
Effective discussion/response to each objection 6
Each combination of an objection and a response (or set responses to a single objection) should include the following elements:
• Clear identification of the objection to the argument and the theory/principle to be used in the objection to the argument
• Accurate representation of the theory/principle being used as the basis for the objection to the argument
• Clear, careful reflection of how the objection is a problem for the argument
• Clear identification of the response to the objection and consistent use of the same theory/principle to be used in the response to the objection
• Accurate representation of the theory/principle being used as the basis for the response to the objection (which may reflect a shift in interpretation/focus of the principle)
• Clear, careful reflection of how the response is an appropriate response to the problem created by the objection
Philosophical Consideration/Effort 7
Paper reflects a careful consideration of the topic 3
Evidence of independent thought by author (not merely regurgitation of lecture) 2
Paper analyzes the positions, is not merely a summary of the positions 2
Writing (Spelling, Grammar, Usage, Punctuation, Flow) 6
Paper is clear, well written, easy to read 2
Paper presented as a single series of objections to a single argument 1
Paper properly referenced using footnotes (NOT endnotes or in-text citations) 1
Paper properly formatted [font size/type, margins, quotations if used, etc.] 1
Irrelevant material [“fluff”] omitted from paper 1
Total Possible Points 40