1) In the first section (titled Introduction) you set up the problem. Explain briefly why one would think that life without God is absurd. State briefly your own answer to this question (your thesis statement).
2) In the second section (titled Arguments for an affirmative answer or “Arguments for a negative answer” – depending on your standpoint), present what you take to be the best existing argument(s) in favour of your position, put forward by one of the authors whose readings are listed on Moodle. Also here you give a full formulation of your own answer and present your own arguments.
3) In the third section (titled Evaluation), you assess the strengths and the weaknesses of the arguments presented in the previous section. Also here you must consider at least one possible objection to the view that you are defending and answer it.
4) The last section is the Conclusion. Here you summarize the main points made in your essay and briefly restate your own position and why you think its true
-More citiations from the readings than external sources
6-8 source references
Grading scheme
Your essay will be graded by your TA based on the quality of your arguments, the quality of your writing, and on how well you carry out the indications above.
Formatting information:
Wordcount: your essay must be around 2000 words (but not less than 1500 or more than 2500 words).
Font: Times New Roman. Size: 12. Line Spacing: 1.5; Margins: 1″ (or 2.54 cm)
Bibliography format: any bibliography format is allowed, as long as it is used consistently. See here for examples: https://library.concordia.ca/help/citing/apa.php For information on how to cite Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy articles, see the link “How to cite this entry” at the end of every article. For Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy articles use the same citation format as for the Stanford Encyclopedia. As a rule, do not cite any work that you have not looked at. If the encyclopedia article refers to a work that you consider important for your arguments, but which you have not looked at, try and find that work, read the relevant pages, and cite that work directly instead of the encyclopedia article.
Do not cite the lecture notes, or what the instructor or the TA may have said in class, or any unpublished materials. Instead, read and cite the works of the philosopher/author of the readings. Also, you are not allowed to cite any websites except the encyclopedias mentioned below.
Only external sources from
-Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy http://plato.stanford.edu
– Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy http://iep.utm.edu
You are not allowed to cite any websites (with the exception of the encyclopedias listed above, if you must)
