18 Nov Philosophy 140

Philosophy 140

Final Paper (100 points)

 

Final Paper Prompt:

In the first part of Cal Newport’s book, Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World, he presents his foundational argument as to why we should adopt digital minimalism into our lives. What are some of his main reasons for this conclusion? Next, identify an author from our course (primary source) that you think would either agree or disagree with Newport’s primary ideas, and explain why. Be sure to cite! Last, present your own ideas regarding Newport’s Claim. 

Additional Information:

This paper is fairly open-ended, and I am not looking for any specific “correct” answer to any of the above questions. You’ve come to find that this class has covered a great deal of different areas regarding technology, so the range of possibilities is equally broad. 

The goal of the paper is for you to synthesize what you’ve learned and apply it to a contemporary issue regarding technology through Cal Newport’s text. Be sure to utilize key terms/concepts from whatever primary source that you have selected in order to have a thorough discussion. This is considered an analysis paper, which requires that you select a central topic, include a thesis statement that you will defend throughout the paper about said topic, and be sure that most everything in your writing should serve as support for your main point (thesis).

 

 

 

*Please use MLA Format for ALL citations*

*No minimum word count required; 4-6 pages should suffice if the writing is of high quality*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Philosophy 140 Final Paper Grading Rubric

 

 

 

Introduction and Conclusion

 

______    Introduction (0 – 10):  Does the introduction contain a specific thesis statement (the claim you intend to discuss)? How well does the first paragraph introduce your topic and the issue in question?  Is your introduction within five sentences?  

 

______    Conclusion (0 – 10):  How well did you state what you have accomplished in your essay?  Do you convey the wider ramifications?  Is your conclusion within five sentences?  

 

Supportive Body Paragraphs

 

______  Content (0 – 30) How well did support your ideas with source content? Did you define relevant key terms? Does your writing exemplify understanding of both the key concepts you are discussing? Is your writing factually accurate? Did you demonstrate mastery of the materials you choose to discuss? Are the quotes you use relevant to your discussion? 

 

______  Clarity (0 – 30) How clear is your overall thesis? Does each of your body paragraphs serve to support your thesis? Did you maintain focus throughout the paper, or were your ideas all over the place with little logical ordering? Is your terminology readily understandable? Are your ideas readily apparent, or is it difficult to understand what you are intending to communicate? Do you tie the quotes into the overall discussion with proper transitions, i.e. no “floating” quotes?

 

 

Composition and Mechanics

 

______    Composition, Spelling, and Grammar (0 – 10): Is your writing clear form mechanical errors? Typos? Grammatical or spelling mistakes? Is it evident that you proofread your paper?

 

______    Mechanics (0 – 10):  Did you draw upon ideas from at least one author from the class?  Did you use parenthetical citation and cite your sources in MLA format? Did you employ at least three quotes total? Is your paper 4-6 pages in 12 point Times New Roman Font with 1-inch margins?

 

 

 

 

               Total (out of 100 points)