General Philosophy Paper Rubric

The following rubric applies particularly to the "Critical Analysis Paper" in some of my courses. It works generally for any philosophy paper in which the goal is to critically examine rationales for and against various points of view in the hope of establishing a philosophical position of one's own.

C

The C paper omits some significant rationales or points of view on the topic or reconstructs them poorly. It is not always easy to tell where one rationale ends and another begins. The balance of presentation of other's views and development of one's own through analysis is often lopsided. There may be organizational and writing deficits, but paragraphs have topics or themes and there is an overall structure to the paper. The overall organization of the paper may not be signaled well in the writing, transitions may be rough, paragraphs may need development, and sometimes conclusions are incomplete, but the elements of the author's position are recognizable.

B

The B paper considers a variety of points of view and reconstructs the rationales for them with pretty good accuracy. Sometimes detail in an argument or explanation is missing, but generally, the author shows a command of the issues under discussion. This paper shows some insights into the topic and gives a clear set of rationales for the author's own position. The writing shows consideration for the reader, good use of writing space (especially in balancing reconstruction and analysis), efficient sentences, good paragraph structure, and attention to mechanics.

A

The A paper does all of the good things of the B paper, but the writing demonstrates a deeper understanding of the rationales and issues under consideration. Often this is demonstrated through more detailed reconstruction, deeper consideration of alternative points of view, use of background knowledge, insightful analysis, and an awareness of the significance of the issues under discussion. The position established by the end of the paper is appropriate to the argumentation provided and demonstrates a thoughtful and reflective point of view.