write an essay for my module social and political thinkers from plato to mark for my international relations degree answering the question – ‘Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains’ (Rousseau, The Social Contract). What does Rousseau’s statement mean and how does Rousseau seek to emancipate ‘man?’ – the aims of the assessment are that essay is designed to explore your academic understanding of the module social and political thinkers from plato to marx – You should clearly and succinctly explain the elements of a thinker’s theory that are relevant to the question that 1.This should be written in such a way that someone who has not taken the module can understand it. And 2.Your teaching team wants to see that you have followed the module and that you understand the thinker you are writing about – A good philosophy paper is not just descriptive. It also tries to critically analyse or assess the material in relation to the essay question. Like 1.What can be said for and against a particular philosophical argument? 2.On which side of the fence do you come down? Do you agree or disagree with a philosopher’s argument? If so, why? 3.Can you spot any gaps and/or inconsistencies in an argument? and 4.Are there other arguments that are more suitable to solving a particular philosophical problem than the argument under consideration? If you feel it is appropriate, then cross-reference other thinkers and arguments from the module syllabus – The essay should analyse from a philosophical point of view – should contain knowledge from everything we have learnt so far in the module which is democracy and death in athens, plato’s philosopher king, aristotle and the political animal, the lion and the fox – machiavelli’s prince, the war of all against all, social contract, Rousseau, the Social Contract, and Freedom, Happiness and Liberty, Workers of the World Unite and A Theory of Justice – make sure key knowledge from this module is evident and it doesn’t seem as if though the essay lacks depth when speaking about these things from a philosophical level – keep this to a level that a first year student can write – do not use unknown jargon and extremely complex words however make sure it is articulate – Structure is important – STRUCTURE – At a minimum, your paper should have the following structure: 1.Introduction: Explain which question you are answering; explain in a sentence or two the key issue that the question pertains to; give a brief overview of how you are going to proceed (i.e. the unfolding structure of your paper) => the introduction should be brief, a paragraph or two. 2.Main analytical section: Here you can go into detail, outline the main ideas and arguments relevant to the question, outline the pros and cons of a particular philosophical position, and ultimately come to an overall argument that answers the essay question. This section should have descriptive and analytical elements. 3.Conclusion: Should only summarise the main points of the paper, summarising how you answered the essay question. The conclusion should not contain any new material. It should be a paragraph long – make sure there’s a good balance between breadth and depth – remember to use in text referencing and reference everything used in harvard referencing – make sure that you use good credible sources that are recent and not extremely old – this is an essay for my social and political thinkers from plato to marx module at the university of surrey – so find the topics we have learnt about online and make sure this is evident in your essay – the main reading for this module is George Klosko, History off Political Theory: An Introduction Vol 1 ((Ancient and Medieval) & Volume 2 (Modern). And D. Boucher & P. Kelly (eds.), Political Thinkers:: From Socrates to the Present. – use a relevant chapter from each book – this is the criteria used –
– This assessment will evaluate:
– The ability to combine your grasp of the subject matter with the formation of a clear and structured argument.
– The relevance of your argument in the examination of the question as well as why you have chosen to situate your analysis within the selected theme in a clear fashion.
The final mark will have emphasis on the structure of your argument, but most importantly the depth of your abilities in analysis and critical evaluation. – make sure it covers all these points ensuring it is a good analytical essay. – Definition of the concepts involved Have the concepts been clearly defined and directly addressed? Does the essay present a critical assessment? Are you able to more broadly reflect upon the critical assessment, reflecting on its larger implications? Content: Is there evidence of adequate reading and research? Is the breadth of coverage adequate? Are the issues, ideas, criticisms and reflections analysed in sufficient depth? Are arguments supported by evidence, examples, sources and citations? Have you supported your critique with appropriate references to at least two academic sources? Have you referred to at least two current empirical cases that illustrate your argument? Analysis Are the arguments logical and consistent? Are opinions based on evidence and/or logic? Does the essay show evidence of original and independent thought? Presentation Fluency and style of writing Spelling, grammar, paragraphing Neatness and legibility Sources: are sources acknowledged? Are references cited? Are references presented correctly? – make sure it reaches 2500 words and shows deep critical thought – read the criteria carefully to see it is completed making sure it is an excellent essay – can get a first at university standard – see if anything can be improved – great critical analysis – when referencing, incorporate more recent academic references to address current view – make sure to use real references – deepen critique by engaging with alternative frameworks or counterarguments – best essay it can possibly be – make sure it is an excellent essay – make sure it seems as if though written by a university standard and is not too complicated too read nor does it seem as if though it is complex but lacks any sort of real detail – it should be a good philosophical essay written from a first year student for this module –