Consider Scanti, Optimia, and Terence, each of whom is writing a paper for this class
Terence trawls the internet for articles, blogs, "encyclopedia" entries and other opinions about the topic. Terence takes quite a lot of time, and assembles a large collection of items expressing various opinions about the topic. Terence glances over the prompt, but doesn't really read it. Instead, Terence reads many of the articles he's found. (Most of the time, Terence skims, because there's a lot of material here.)
Optimia spends much less time on the internet. Optimia reads the prompt carefully, and makes a couple of notes. If the prompt gives links for further reading, Optimia follows and reads only as many links as the prompt requires. Optimia makes notes and tries to identify opposing arguments. Optimia takes important definitions, claims, and arguments and puts them into their own words. Optimia is careful to work out what each sentence actually says.
Scanti doesn't bother to read the prompt. Instead, Scanti scans the internet for an article that agree with Scanti's preexisting opinion, and then finds an article supporting the side Scant thinks is wrong. Scanti skims each article for key words, and then writes down what they thinks each writer is trying to say.
It should be clear that Optimia is the only one doing it right here. Terence wasted a lot of time collecting more articles than needed, and isn't giving anything any kind of careful attention, so Terence's understanding of their articles is shallow at best. As for Scanti, well Scanti isn't really isn't reading at all. Skimming for key words isn't reading. Speculating about what might be in the writer's mind isn't reading. Reading requires reading all the words, in order, and figuring out what the sentence actually says. Optimia, on the other hand, collected just enough material to work with, and then deeply analyzed that material.
Terence thinks about which articles they're going to use, and in what order, without bothering to get their arguments clear, and then stops thinking.
Optimia tries to work out what the known facts imply, and tries to work out logic of the various arguments, and figure out which which ones have logical flaws. (See "logical analysis above.) Optima also thinks about the issue while driving, or eating, and at various odd times during the day, and sometimes discusses their ideas about the issue with various friends and relatives. Optima doesn't necessarily spend any big block of time thinking, but does think, and think again, at various times over several days, at least.
Scanti goes straight to the writing phase.
Of course, Optimia is the only one actually thinking here. (And the other two are setting themselves up to fail.)
Terence has picked out four authors, two on one side, and two on the other. Terence takes the time to write a long introductory paragraph, describing what they take to be the history and background of the issue. Having written well over half a page, Terence ends the paragraph without including a thesis. In the next paragraph Terence describes the views of the first pro writer. After that Terence describes the views of the first con writer, followed by the second pro writer, and finally the second con writer. Terence includes no logical analysis of any of these arguments. Finally, Terrence writes a concluding paragraph about the importance of the issue, repeating a lot of things from previous paragraphs, and ending with a comment to the effect that we ought to figure all this out soon.
Optimia has pretty much concluded their thinking process, or has run out of ideas, or run out of time to think. Optimia may have a well-supported definite thesis about the issue, or they may have made some progress. Whatever set of ideas they have come to, they write a paper explaining what they think and why they came to the conclusions that they did. Where they have a definite conclusion, they explain that conclusion and give their reasons for thinking that conclusion is true. Where there is an opposing argument that they found to be logically flawed, they explain that argument in detail, and say what specific parts of that argument they found to be problematic. They include all the relevant facts they know about, and add in all the other thoughts they have about the issue. They use whatever structure works for them, whether it be a tightly structured thesis paper or a freeform thinkathon, or something in between. If they have a thesis, their first sentence is their thesis. If they don't have a thesis, their first sentence says what they presently think about the issue, even if it's just that they can't make up their mind. They don't write an introduction, or a conclusion, or any other time-waster.
Scanti came into their project with a preexisting opinion on the subject, and writes an introduction that eventually states that opinion. They then carefully describe the argument in the article they agree with, and after that, give a rough sketch of the argument in the article they don't agree with. They remember they're supposed to do some logical analysis, so they make some disparaging comments about the second author, and approvingly repeat the first author's argument. They then write a conclusion repeating most of the things they just said.
Depending on quality of reasoning, Optimia's paper could potentially receive full marks and some admiring comments. There's no wasted work, and the paper fully displays the results of Optimia's thinking process, which is what is required. Terence could potentially receive half credit, and some sympathy, for the descriptions of one pro and one con argument, but, since no thesis is stated and no analysis is done, there's no justification for much more than half credit. Scanti's paper receives zero credit, because it is basically a crime against philosophy.
Copyright © 2024 by Martin C. Young
