01 Aug Philosophy Paper 2
“Bacon, Locke and Newton, . . . I consider them as the three greatest men that have ever lived, without any
exception, and as having laid the foundation of those superstructures which have been raised in the Physical &
Moral sciences.” -Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson also mentions that Aristotle and, again, John Locke, influenced his writing of the Declaration of
Independence. Keep this fact in mind as you attempt to discern what Jefferson might mean by his terminology.
“Drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776, the Declaration of Independence is at once the
nation’s most cherished symbol of liberty and Jefferson’s most enduring monument. Here, in exalted and
unforgettable phrases, Jefferson expressed the convictions in the minds and hearts of the American people. The
political philosophy of the Declaration was not new; its ideals of individual liberty had already been expressed by
John Locke and the Continental philosophers. What Jefferson did was to summarize this philosophy in “self-evident
truths” and set forth a list of grievances against the King in order to justify before the world the breaking of ties
between the colonies and the mother country.” http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration.html
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
Paper Assignment: Read the following two paragraphs from the Declaration of Independence
and answer the following questions in the light of Locke’s philosophy.
When in the Course of human events, it become necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands
which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and
equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the
opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the case which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. –
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed, — that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it
is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation
on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect
their Safety and Happiness.
1. What is the “law of nature” according to Locke (ch. 2)? What is the phrasing Jefferson uses to show that the law of nature comes from God? How does Jefferson indicate that the “God” he
refers to might not necessarily be the God of religion or revelation?
2. What is an “unalienable right”? (If you do not know its meaning, look it up in the dictionary.) How does Jefferson’s use of this term parallel Locke’s notion of a “natural right”?
3. The Declaration states that people have three unalienable rights: “life, liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” This formulation differs from Locke who says people have rights to “life, liberty,
and estates.” Speculate on why Jefferson uses the phrase “pursuit of happiness” instead of
“estates”?
As always, when discussing Jefferson and Locke, go back to the texts. As for Jefferson, you need
to only cite or quote from the above paragraphs. No fewer than 5 quotations are
expected. (At least two quotes from each)
Example of citation:
Locke states that “life, liberty, and estates” are natural rights (Second Treatise, Chapter 9, p. XX).
Jefferson states that we have “unalienable Rights” to “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”
(Declaration, par. 2).
*Notice that we quote exactly, even if Jefferson’s use of capitalizing is not the way we do it
today.
The format of the paper
1. 1-3 pages
2. Double-spaced. NO EXTRA SPACING BETWEEN PARAGRAPHS!!
3. 11-12 point font
4. Roman or Calibri style
5. One inch margins on top, bottom, right, and left
6. Separate Title Page with Title, Your Name, Class, Date Due, Semester, Teacher’s Name
-Note: Do not put title page information at the top of the 1 st page of your paper
Structure of the Paper:
1. Introduction stating the topic, the texts to which you will refer, and roadmap (or outline of how
you will approach the topic).
2. Compare and contrast Jefferson’s Declaration with Locke’s philosophy.
3. Conclusion.
Grading:
A Work is coherent, especially insightful, and free of errors. In an exceptional way it illuminates
the text. Directions are followed exactly.
B Work is coherent and largely free of errors and demonstrates solid understanding of the text.
C Work is largely coherent, may be marred by errors and demonstrates a basic understanding of the
text.
D Work lacks significant coherence, is full of errors and demonstrates minimal understanding of the
text.
F Work is incoherent, sloppy and misses the point of the assignment.
Tips to improve your writing and get a better grade
(1) Avoid contractions in scholarly writing, but do show possession!
Avoid: don’t, can’t, wasn’t, you’re
Correct: do not, cannot, was not, you are
Correct: the person’s car, Aristotle’s ethics, one’s soul [these show possession]
(2) When to italicize: Italicize titles of major works (e.g., title of a book), but put
“quotes” around short essays, chapter titles, or excerpts from a book:
Correct: Plato’s Apology OR the “Allegory of the Cave” from Plato’s Republic
Also correct: “The Madman” from Nietzsche’s The Joyful Wisdom
Incorrect: “Republic,” Allegory of the Cave, “Apology”
(3) Do not mix singular and plural pronouns.
Incorrect: When a person says that they like someone, they should mean it.
Incorrect: When one examines the state of their soul, one might not like what they find.
Correct: When one examines the state of one’s soul, one might not like what one finds.
(4) Use of he or she. I do not care whether you use “he” or “she” when referring to the third person. You
can even say “he or she”; however, this can sometimes be cumbersome and interfere with the flow of
the paper. I recommend choosing one or the other.
Yes: When a person says that he likes someone, he should mean it.
Yes: When a person says that she likes someone, she should mean it.
Tolerable: When a person says that he or she likes someone, he or she should mean it.
Incorrect: When a person says that they like someone, they should mean it.
No!: When a person says that he/she likes someone, he/she should mean it. [No! also for s/he]
(5) Clear transitions: Have clear transitions when moving to a new section of the paper:
Furthermore. . . .
In addition. . . .
Contrary to this view. . . .
Someone might object to my position by stating that. . . .
The first point is. . . . The second point
Now that we have established such-and-such, we now proceed to. . . .
Finally. . . .
In conclusion. . . .
(6) Capitalization: Only capitalize proper nouns, names, or titles – not philosophical terms (Exception:
Always quote the author exactly, even if the author capitalizes words we normally would not):
Correct (Proper nouns, names, titles): Aristotle, Socrates, Nicomachean Ethics, God
Correct: philosophy, justice, epistemology, ethics, truth, the Greek gods,
Incorrect: Philosophy, Justice, Epistemology, Ethics, Truth,
(7) Slang: Avoid slang in scholarly writing.
Writing a college paper is serious, scholarly work. If you were to attend a special occasion, you
do not wear a t-shirt and sneakers. You naturally dress, act, and speak with a degree of
refinement. Likewise, one does not use slang when writing a college paper. Even if you do not
think of yourself as a scholar, act the part.
(8) Avoid using “ / ”. Choose your words deliberately and carefully. When there are two words or concepts that
you want to convey, state them separately. If you think that you are not sure which word to use, then make a
decision and choose! Using a “ / ” leaves things indecisive, vague and looks intellectually flabby/lazy.
No: Aristotle was an ancient Greek who was a great philosopher/writer.
Yes: Aristotle was an ancient Greek who was a great philosopher and writer.
Also avoid: s/he, he/she, she/he
Also avoid: and/or
(9) Do not begin declarative sentences with the following words. If you do, the sentence ends up being an
“incomplete sentence.”
Which (OK, of course, if it begins a question)
Meaning
(10) How to get rid of extra spacing between paragraphs. As you sit looking at your blank Word document: (1)
Click on “Page Layout,” (2) Within “Page Layout,” look at the section called “Spacing.” Underneath “Spacing,” it
says “Before” and “After” with numbers and arrows to their right. (3) Click on the arrows so that the number next to
both “Before” and “After” says “0 pt.”
(11) Numbers. Write out numerical values when describing quantity, but use numerals when referring to years and
dates.
OK: 1987, the four idols of the mind a two ton vehicle September 27th
NOT OK: nineteen eighty seven the 4 idols of the mind a 2 ton vehicle September twenty-seventh
(12) Block quoting: For such a short paper, avoid quoting really long passages. Quote shorter passages,
analyze them, and show how they contribute to the overall meaning of the text. If you do see the necessity
to quote a passage that is three lines or more, be sure to block quote.
Example of how to block quote:
According to David Hume, familial society is tenuous at this early stage due to its members’ conflicting
short-term self-interests and violent passions. Peoples’ unreflective preference for their immediate
interests poses the biggest impediment to social stability:
There is no quality in human nature, which causes more fatal errors in our conduct, than that
which leads us to prefer whatever is present to the distant and remote, and makes us desire objects
more according to their situation than their intrinsic value (Treatise, Bk. 3, 221).
The first rudiments of justice therefore emerge with parents striving to remedy the violent passions
triggered in their children (and themselves) by their immediate interests.
*Things to notice:
Whereas the body of the paper is double-spaced, (1) the block quote is single-spaced and each line of it is indented
like you would for a paragraph, (2) no quotation marks are used because the quote is demarcated by being indented
and single-spaced, (3) the citation and period can go at the end of the quote as usual.
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