the details below
Grading Guidelines
A
This is a truly outstanding paper. It is clearly written, well argued, and original. A paper that just gives a
straightforward or “obvious” response to some philosophical or interpretive problem would not merit
an A, even if it is
clear. An A paper does something extra
—
but not at the cost of a clear treatment of the
problem.
A
-
This is a really good paper, one that operates at an advanced level. It is clearly written. (If there are any
significant problems with the writing or th
e organization of the paper, then it wouldn’t merit an A
-
. This
is because good clear writing and organization aren’t separable from good philosophical thinking.) The
paper may have a couple of minor mistakes or confusions, or it may fail to unpack some of
its arguments
sufficiently. It may have an original argument or interpretation, but if so, that will be offset by some
other flaw. For example, in a longer paper, there may be too little philosophical back
-
and
-
forth
–
i.e.,
considering objections and chal
lenges, and responding to them. Or perhaps it is not as engaged with the
text as it should be.
B+
This is a well
-
written paper with nothing terribly wrong. The writing may have some small problems, or
it may be flawless. The paper may make some mistakes
or have some ambiguities that have to be sorted
out, but overall it will be a good paper. It will show more promise or originality than a B paper, but
nothing will make it stand out like an A
-
paper, or it won't be operating at as advanced a level as an A
paper. (Or perhaps the paper would stand out if some of its ideas were properly developed, but as it
stands they aren't.)
B
This is a solid paper, with some notable mistakes or obscurities, but no serious misunderstandings. The
writing may not be super
-
cl
ear. To earn a B, the paper needs to make it clear why the problem addressed
in the paper is a problem, and offer some response to it. (It may be a straightforward or unoriginal
response; it may not be a decisive response; the paper may even end by showing
that a certain response
doesn't work. But the paper must put forward or examine some response to the problem.) A B paper
does not seriously misrepresent the views of other philosophers.
B
-
There are starting to be some serious problems. Perhaps the writi
ng is really unclear or the paper is
poorly organized. Or perhaps there are straightforward mistakes and misunderstandings about what the
problem is, or about what other philosophers say. Or perhaps the paper presents the problem correctly,
but doesn't rea
lly address it. Still, there is an effort. The author has some understanding of the problem
and of the relevant texts. She does offer some argument. A paper with no argument won't merit a B
-
.
C+
There are more serious problems. Either the writing is reall
y hard to get through; or the paper has no
discernable structure; or the author doesn't understand the text or the positions she is discussing; or the
paper doesn't really attempt to offer any argument.
Papers with more problems will earn grades of C or b
elow. It is difficult to give a general gloss on those
grades since the problems that beset these papers are quite varied.
