Essay on "Revolution by Edmund Burke and Marie Jean"

Quoted Instructions for "Revolution by Edmund Burke and Marie Jean" Assignment:

HOW TO WRITE THE TAKE-HOME ANALYTICAL PAPERS

In this class you will write 2 take-home analytical papers (each worth 20% of your final course grade). These will be 3-4 pages long, typed, double-spaced (Times New Roman font size 12, with regular margins) on assigned readings. In addition to handing me a hard copy of the papers during the class session when the papers are due, you are also required to submit each paper by the due date to Blackboard via SafeAssign, which will check the content of your papers for plagiarism. Failure to submit your papers to SafeAssign by the due date will result in a grade of zero.

No late assignments will be accepted.



These papers are critical, reflective essays on the assigned readings. Each paper should consist of three main parts: summary, analysis, and critique. You do not need to label each section, but should begin each part with a new paragraph. The paper must effectively summarize the central themes and arguments of the assigned readings, while also demonstrating your critical engagement with the reading material and the course material in general. Your task is not simply to state your opinion, but rather to provide a well-reasoned and contextualized *****reflection***** on the main themes and arguments in the assigned readings, in keeping with the specific guidelines for each assignment. This requires a careful reading and analysis the assigned texts. In other words, your *****˜position***** must be well-informed and should indicate your close reading and comprehension of the assigned texts and their broader historical context(s). A primary objective of these writing assignments is to help you learn how to read, think, and write in a more analytical, scholarly, complex, and self-reflexive manner.

1. CRITICAL READING

To write a good paper, you first need to make sure you understand the assignment and that you have read the assigned readings effectively. You should approach the readings in an inter-textual manner (relating the material to other reading assignments, lectures, and class discussions), and engage in mental dialogue with the readings. Moreover, you need to learn how to coherently and accurately summarize other people*****s thoughts/views. This requires grasping the main ideas or central arguments in the assigned readings, as well as making sure you do not misrepresent those ideas and arguments when commenting on them.

If you find parts of the assigned readings difficult to comprehend, be sure to re-read those parts (or the entire text). Learn to approach the assigned texts with a ***** of curiosity and, if necessary, consult a good dictionary and/or additional online or printed sources. Avoid merely skimming the texts or skipping over parts you do not understand.

2. CRAFTING YOUR *****˜POSITION*****

As stated above, the papers must include a summary; analysis; and critique. Learn to write in a coherent, consistent, and focused manner. Be sure the reader/grader will not confuse your position with those of the authors in the assigned texts. Complete one thread of thought before moving on to the next one. Do not assume you do not need to explain certain key themes/concepts in the assigned readings because the person reading/grading your paper already is familiar with the readings. Proceed from discussing the general themes or the main outline of the texts to more specific points.



Follow these general guidelines when writing your paper:

A) SUMMARY

- Provide a brief summary of the main points in the readings. Demonstrate that you understand the main ideas in the texts by clearly explaining them in your own words.

- Explain the key topics covered in the readings and the way(s) in which the author(s) approach(es) them.

- Provide a clear and succinct summary in your own words of each author*****s central argument or the main ideas/points in the texts.

B) ANALYSIS

Contextualize the texts. For example, what is the broader historical context to which the text relates/refers? How is this text positioned within the broader context? Is the text responding to someone else*****s ideas/values and, if so, how? How does the author characterize and/or respond to those ideas/values and from what vantage point? What kinds of evidence, mode of analysis, etc., does the text utilize? Does the text convincingly provide alternative viewpoints and analysis, etc.? This approach will also enable you to contextualize your own summary of the readings in the first part of the essay.

Analyze the structure of the author*****s account and/or main argument and his/her supporting evidence/sources. Does the author rely on a particular methodology (i.e., a particular way of approaching, analyzing, and commenting on certain topics)? What do you think of the author*****s perspective, methodological approach, and/or mode of argumentation, choice of evidence, and descriptive style? Are the author*****s conclusions adequately based on the information provided in the text and is he/she convincing (why or why not)?

C) CRITIQUE

Keep in mind that *****critique***** does not mean to be merely critical and negative. In other words, you are not being asked to simply *****trash***** the opinion, argumentation style, etc. of the authors. Rather, you are being asked to be inquisitive and to formulate questions in your mind as you read the assigned texts and to provide an overall commentary on the readings that indicate your familiarity with the subject matter and your ability to contextualize the readings and engage with them in a complex intellectual manner by providing an concluding summary of your analytical interaction with the texts and/or what you consider to be the limitations of each text and why. In other words, engage in a multi-layered dialogue with the texts. Are there alternative ways of thinking about the author*****s main argument? Is he/she overlooking other available evidence and? Do you detect a flaw or a gap in his/her methodology and mode of argumentation? How else might the subject matter be approached (e.g., alternative evidence, methodology, etc.)? Critically respond to the text under analysis by discussing the value(s) and/or limitation(s) of the author*****s methodology, terminology, conceptual framework, overall historical approach, etc. Provide relevant and valid examples in support of your own position.



3. STYLE

Quotations

Avoid direct quotations, unless they are short and express concepts/ideas that you absolutely cannot express in other words or are expressive of thoughts which you feel are either fundamental to discussing the texts/author*****s views or are key terms coined by the author or by another author on whose thoughts the author of the assigned text is commenting. Also keep in mind that direct quotes must be as short as possible and absolutely central to and in support of your arguments and should not simply serve as a ruse to fill out the pages or as a means of reproducing segments of the assigned texts without elaborating them. You will be penalized for simply stringing up one quotation after another (with or without minimal original text by you in between).

Citing your sources

You must give credit where credit is due. This means when you discuss an idea from the assigned reading(s), whether you are using a direct quotation or paraphrasing, you must provide a citation of that source. (You also should cite any additional sources on which you may rely; although you are not required to rely on outside sources and will be assuming full responsibility for any inaccurate information you may utilize by going to websites such as Wikipedia.). You do not need to provide citations of information covered during the lectures (that information is regarded *****common knowledge***** for students in the course).



Note that failure to cite your sources may constitute plagiarism.



Avoid using the first person pronoun throughout your paper.



5. EVALUATION AND GRADING SCALE

(4 points) Summary: concise and clear coverage of the major themes in the readings.

(6 points) Analysis: Argumentation, contextualization, evidence, and clarity--critical engagement with the course material.

(6 points) Critique: clear and coherent concluding personal *****reflection***** on the readings in light of the particular paper assignment, incorporating the student*****s own reflections and *****"critical historical thinking***** in connection with the broader course material covered so far.



(4 points) Proper citation of sources and correct citation style, as well as general writing skills, such as spelling and grammar.

Take-home Analytical Position Paper #1

This is an analytical paper on selected assigned readings in Brooklyn College, Department of History, ed. The Shaping of the Modern World (fifth edition). The paper should be 3-4 pages long, typed, double-spaced (Times New Roman font size 12, with regular margins). You may lose points for going over the page limit. This is to make sure that you learn to write in a concise and focused manner, avoiding repetitious statements or material not centrally related to the assignment topic. Before commencing work on this paper, you should first read the instructions on *****HOW TO WRITE THE TAKE-HOME ANALYTICAL PAPERS.*****

To write this paper, you will need to have carefully read the following: pp.127-131, 90-93, and 107-112 in The Shaping of the Modern World (fifth edition).



Assignment:

As we shall see in detail over the coming weeks, the 18th-century Enlightenment ideology emphasized the *****rational***** capacity of humans and the ability of human reason (i.e., rationality) to overcome social, political, economic, and other hurdles and attain continuous *****progress.*****

As indicated in Marquis de Condorcet*****s *****The Future Progress of the Human Mind***** (pp.127-131) and *****The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen***** (pp.90-93), which was drafted following the outbreak of the French Revolution of 1789, many advocates of the Enlightenment also believed that *****nature***** had endowed humans not only with a rational capacity, but also with the *****right***** to be free from oppression and (i.e., the concept of *****natural rights of man*****) ***** leaving aside for the time being the limitations of definitions of *****rights***** and/or their uneven application to various groups of people by many of the *****Enlightened***** thinkers.

Following the outbreak of the French Revolution, the British political commentator Edmund Burke emerged as a leading critic of the French Revolution and its stated goals of citizens***** rights and equality (based on Burke*****s own particular assumptions about society, politics, and nature ***** which is why Burke is generally regarded as a founding figure of political *****conservatism*****).

In your paper, analyze and reflect on the excerpt from Edmund Burke*****s 1790 Reflections on the Revolution in France (The Shaping of the Modern World pp.107-112) in light of your understanding of Condorcet*****s and the French Revolution*****s advocacy of *****natural rights of man.*****

To help you better formulate your thoughts, here are a few points you should consider when reading the texts: 1) What is Burke*****s overall stance on the French Revolution and on what grounds? 2) What are his thoughts on the concept of *****collective***** or *****popular***** sovereignty and why? 3) What are his views on the application of *****natural law***** to the social and political spheres (i.e., in regards to *****rights of man*****)?

Other than the above points, be sure to also address the following in your paper:

--The central theme of each text.

--What is Burke criticizing and why?

--What is Burke*****s prescription for maintaining social and political *****harmony***** / balance?

--Does Burke also ascribe to the concept of *****progress***** and, if so, how?

--What is your overall assessment of these texts?

Stay focused on the central themes of the assignment rather than going on tangents.

Avoid being repetitious.

Avoid a purely descriptive account that lacks analysis and simply repeats certain details found in the readings.

Be specific when making a point (avoid ambiguous or general statements).

Make a strong case in support of your position/conclusions (rather than simply saying *****in my view,***** *****I feel that,***** *****I think,***** etc.) . You can do this by giving specific examples from the readings that firmly back up your position (always citing your sources).

Assignment Submission:

Do not forget that in addition to handing me a hard copy of the papers during the class session when the papers are due, you are also required to submit each paper by the due date to Blackboard via SafeAssign, which will check the content of your papers for plagiarism. Failure to submit your papers to SafeAssign by the due date will result in a grade of zero.

You should submit the assignment to SafeAssign at the link below.

No late assignments will be accepted.

(Keep in mind that this paper is 20% of your course grade. Therefore, you should not treat the assignment lightly or put off working on the paper until the last minute.)

Please make sure you are going to follow the directions above.Should be introduction ,body and conclusion *****