Renee Descartes

Final Paper Assignment 7 10 pages, double spaced, 12 pt. font, one-inch margins, no title page
Any attempt to evaluate a philosophical theory presumes that one has done a sufficient job of
interpreting that theory. One common mistake made by those who are new to philosophy is to leap to an
evaluation of a text before offering a sufficient interpretation. Thus, as students of academic philosophy,
one of our primary tasks is to learn how to argue for an interpretation of a text, while referencing the
interpretive work of well-known scholars.
For this assignment, choose a canonical text in the history of philosophy and present a well-
organized interpretation of the main ideas given in the text. The goal is to create a clear, concise and
relatively complete presentation of one thinkers system (the metaphysical and epistemological arguments
they make in the text). However, in order to achieve this goal youll need to complete significant research
before writing a rough draft. Youll also need to cite at least one scholar who has published books and/or
articles on your topic (in a secondary source), so that you can establish your own interpretation in
reference to recognized scholarship. Do not write a sprawling book report or simply list themes as they are
given in the text. Instead, carefully present a logically consistent interpretation of your authors arguments.
In other words, explain what your author means by making certain claims.1 Interpret their writing.
In order to make your interpretation concise and relatively complete, look for an explicit theme or
conclusion in your authors arguments. Find statements that look like conclusions. For example, look for
statements about the nature of reality, the possibility of knowledge with regard to sense experience, or
some other fundamental issue in the primary source(s) youre using. Do not, for example, begin by offering
your opinion about todays society. Dont make unfounded conclusions: since, in todays society, we
now know that … If you need to see examples of research papers in philosophy, consult one or two of the
many academic journals in the library (see, for example, the journal Telos, which is available online and in
print form); then, skim the first few pages of two or three essays from different journals, in order to get a
sense of the proper style and form of a research paper.
Scholarly writing is a process. Start by looking for a thinker who argues for theses you find
interesting or challenging. You may find it helpful to first consult a general text on the history of
philosophy (such as our class textbook, The Great Conversation by Norman Melchert; there are several
similar resources in the Auraria library). Once you have skimmed through a few of these sources, choose a
thinker who piques your interest. The following is a list of some of the more well-known philosophers in
Western history: Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, Augustine, Cicero, Aquinas, Spinoza, Descartes, Leibniz,
Bacon, Hobbes, Hume, Locke, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Marx, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Wittgenstein,
Dewey, James, Russell, Husserl, Frege, Heidegger, A. J. Ayer, Carnap, Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Quine,
Davidson, Derrida, Foucault, Ricoeur, Habermas, Irigaray, Adorno, and, of course there are many
contemporary thinkers one could add (a list too long to include here). Choose a thinker who seems to
present a coherent and/or interesting theory (not necessarily one with which you agree). Then start by
reading some of the oversimplified interpretations of that thinker’s writings, such as short overview
books. For example, if you are interested in Aristotle, look for books such as Aristotle: A Very Short
Introduction. As you progress in your research, start with these general overviews and then look for more
specific, detailed interpretations (i.e. books that often carry the title A Commentary on . . . or The
Problem of … in Aristotles Metaphysics). After completing an initial phase of research, begin creating
organized notes and/or visual maps (simple diagrams). Use these notes to create a rough draft. Then check
your rough draft against a rereading of your author the primary sources and make sure you have not
plagiarized any material in the process. Make sure you havent simply copied sentences from a book onto
your notes and then used those same exact sentences in your draft. When using a quotation from a primary
1 Note: mindfully keep track of the sources youre using in order to create a bibliography page for the final draft. For this paper, use only
published journal articles and book chapters, not excerpts or commentaries from popular websites or encyclopedias. Avoid sparknotes and
the like. You may of course cite online journal articles and book chapters: they are still considered published, academic sources.
source, explain in your own words what the quotation means and how it fits into the argument your author
is making. Once youve written a workable rough sketch of the system of ideas youre presenting, visit the
writing center (NC 4014). The most important part of the writing process is the process of revision: have a
friend read your rough draft before you submit it as a final draft. Ask her/him to mark any section that does
not seem clear or well structured. Rework those sections. Read the paper aloud to yourself. Continue
revising your draft by having others read it and offer feedback.

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