Term Paper on "Locke's Egalitarian Arguments Are Reconcilable With His Theory of Property"

Quoted Instructions for "Locke's Egalitarian Arguments Are Reconcilable With His Theory of Property" Assignment:

ASSIGNMENT #2: THESIS-SUPPORT MICROTHEME

Locke*****'s commitment to human equality is considered to be the guiding principle of his political theory. Write an essay addressing whether Locke*****'s egalitarian arguments are reconcilable with his theory of property.

GUIDELINES

* This microtheme assignment is similar to the previous one as it shares its main objective to develop your skills of writing a focused argument that is supported by textual evidence. However, whereas the previous assignment provided you with a thesis statement, this assignment poses a question; hence, you will be formulating your own thesis statement in the introduction of your essay. Indeed, one of the additional objectives of this assignment is to develop your skills of formulating a clearly and cogently articulated thesis or argument; this exercise will prepare you for writing a persuasive essay.

* You should have a specific focus clearly articulated in your introduction, indicating how you are going to be approaching the assignment question *****i.e. which dimension or aspect of Locke*****s theory of equality and/or property will you focus on to make your argument? You should maintain this specific focus throughout your essay.

* To support your position, you need to make frequent use of Locke*****s Second Treatise. Your writing should demonstrate your grasp of Locke*****s arguments in different sections of the text. Hence, even if you choose to focus on a particular section (e.g. Chapter V on Property), make sure that you elaborate your interpretation by drawing on different sections of the text. Indicate the relevant page number(s) in parentheses even when you do not quote the text.

e.g. Locke draws a crucial distinction between the state of nature and the state of war (15).

Since you will be focusing on one text, you do not need to provide a separate bibliography.

* You should avoid long quotations. Since a microtheme is a very short essay, it is important to use your limited space effectively. One of the purposes of the assignment is to develop your skills of interpreting complex arguments and articulating them in your own words. Make sure that your quotations are very brief; given the purposes of this assignment, they should not exceed two lines. And do not merely list quotes, assuming that their meaning or relevance is obvious to your reader; when you use a quote, make sure that you are demonstrating its relevance to your argument.

* Please title your essay. For the purposes of this assignment, please also include a statement of your thesis/argument after your title. You should write a very brief introduction where you articulate your thesis statement, specify your focus, and state how you will approach the question. You should also have a very brief conclusion to give the reader a sense of finality.

* This is an analytical essay that requires formulating, demonstrating, and defending an argument; your language should reflect that goal. Since this is not a personal essay, avoid sentences beginning with, among other things, *****I feel***** and go for a more analytical language (e.g. I argue/propose/demonstrate/contend/suggest, etc.)

* Since the essay is not a mere recollection of your reading and thinking experience, your ideas should probably not appear in the order that you happen to think them, especially if that is not the most logical way of organizing them. Think carefully about how to organize your supporting points and structure your paper; outlines can be helpful.

* Your assignment is due October 28, 10:35 am. You need to submit a hard copy of your paper at the beginning of class; do not e-mail your papers. Exceptions can be granted only in cases of emergency and are contingent upon the approval of the instructor.

* Any microtheme that is not submitted at the beginning of the class is considered *****late***** and will lose 20 points. Your assignment will lose 10 points for every additional day (including weekend) it is late.

* Your microtheme should be 2 ***** 3 pages (double-spaced, 1***** margins, and 12-point standard font).

* Proofread for spelling errors, incomplete sentences, mistaken quotes, etc.

* Number the pages of your assignment; do not forget to write your name and staple your paper.

GRADING CRITERIA

This assignment is graded over 200 points. The following criteria will be taken into consideration in the grading of the assignment:

* Focus and Clarity: Is there a specific focus and clearly articulated position in the introduction and the rest of the essay? Do you make your supporting points clear?

* Textual Evidence: Are you drawing on the relevant sections of the text to support your argument or position? Do you make defensible assertions about the text? Are you citing page numbers correctly?

* Argumentation: Is there a clearly articulated, logical relationship between the thesis stated in the introduction and the supporting points elaborated in the rest of the essay? Do you provide persuasive and plausible arguments about the concepts and positions in the texts as you are making the case for your thesis? Does your interpretation anticipate, and respond to, counter-arguments that can challenge your position or reading?

* Organization: Do you present your arguments in a coherent order, assigning one supporting point per paragraph and making smooth transitions? Is your paper organized carefully to abide by the page limit?

* Language and Style: Does your essay avoid slang or colloquial language? Has it been proofread for spelling and grammar? Does it deploy words and phrases carefully for a clear and effective mode of presentation? Do you have title and page numbers?

GRADING SCALE

Remember all your assignments, attendance, and participation add up to 1000 points.

Below is the grading scale that will be used in determining your final grade:

945-1000 A

895-944 A-

845-894 B+

795-844 B

745-794 B-

695-744 C+

645-694 C

595-644 C-

495-594 D

494 and below F