As it is my first one I have to imagine that I am Aristotle and give insight of my philosophical ideas and commitments. and based on these, convince the committee that I am the right person for the job.
Formatting Instructions
Font: Times New Roman 12 point
Spacing: Double, not 1.5,2.1, 1.8 or some other creative variant. Also make sure that under
the Page Layout tab you have set the “Before” and “After” spacing to O pt.
Margins: 1″ margins at the top and bottom; 1″ margins on the left and right; paragraphs
should be indented .5″. If you do not know how to adjust the font, spacing or margins, solicit
the help of someone who does.
Your paper should not have a title page. Simply place your name, my name, the course name
and number, and the date -all on separate, double-spaced lines- at the left-hand margin at the top of the first page.
Include page numbers at the bottom of each page. All papers must be submitted both in hardcopy and to the online dropbox.
Assignment In this course, you will study philosophers from four historical periods: ancient, medieval, early
modern, and late modern. For each essay, I would like you to imagine that you are one of these philosophers searching for a job. Happily, there is an open position in philosophy at Rogers State University and the search committee has asked applicants to submit a letter of intent. What your letter says will directly depend on your philosophical outlook: how you view the world, how you view the human person, how you view the relationship between persons and the world, what you happen to value, what you think the purpose of life is all about, and so on. For your first essay,
you are to imagine that you are Aristotle; for the second essay, Thomas Aquinas; for the third, Descartes; and for the fourth, Nietzsche. Your objective is twofold: to give some insight into your philosophical commitments and, based on these commitments, to convince the committee that you are the right person for the job.
** This is not a research paper. Do not use any resources other than your course texts. **
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Opening Paragraph (5 pts.). Your introductory paragraph should be succinct yet purposeful. In it, you should introduce yourself to the hiring committee and indicate your reason for writing. Be sure to specify which position you are applying for and what interests you about it.
Body (25 pts.). After you have introduced yourself, begin your argument for why you are deserving of the position. When discussing your philosophical commitments, accomplishments and skills, be sure to connect them to the position. What makes you qualified? Are you a productive scholar? Are you an effective teacher? What, typically, are your course objectives? How will you ensure that students meet these objectives? Are there special assignments you consider particularly effective? What is your teaching style? Make sure that your answers are consistent with the philosopher you have chosen to emulate. In addition, be sure that your exposition and interpretation of the pertinent philosophical texts is accurate and charitable and that your letter reflects an in-depth understanding of the course material, moving beyond mere description and summary. The paragraphs should be organized in a logical manner, appropriate in length and framed by topic sentences supporting the thesis. If quotations are used, they should be used sparingly and properly introduced, not just inserted in between sentences without any explanation.
Closing Paragraph (5 pts.). Your closing paragraph, like your opening paragraph, should be short and to the point. Summarize or give a final statement of interest in the position. Thank the committee for their time and consideration.
Writing Mechanics and Style (10 pts.). In the words of Cambridge University Literature Professor George Sampson, “Style is the feather in the arrow, not the feather in the hat.” In other words, the style adopted should not be merely decorative, but rather a control that makes the author’s meaning fly true to the center of his or her target. In addition, you should commit few, if any, errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar, sentence structure, verb tense and vocabulary.
Task Completion (5 pts.). Be sure to stick to the assignment, completing the task set forth in the instructions. Have you answered the prompt? Is your paper the specified length? Have you followed the formatting instructions?
