CIE100: Common Intellectual Experience - Essay 2 (100 Points)

Assignment Goals

The goals of this assignment are:
  1. To synthesize multiple text sources into a comprehensive narrative discussion

Background Reading and References

Please refer to the following readings and examples offering templates to help get you started:

The Assignment

Purpose/Context [1]

This paper is an opportunity to pursue one or two ideas about a CIE text in much greater depth and detail. We’ve read these texts on our own, discussed them in class, and now it’s time to return to a text and dig deeper.

In our last paper, we worked on integrating carefully chosen references to the text and providing thought-provoking analysis to those references. We will continue to apply and build on these skills, while now adding a focus on developing a debatable, detailed, and insightful thesis that will govern the evidence throughout our paper.

Writing Prompts (Choose one!)

Tradition vs Innovation (from the CIE Working Group)

Choose a community you’re a part of that engages in a tradition that you believe should be altered, eliminated or transformed. Community here can mean family, friends, religious or political group, etc., and can virtual as well (e.g., social media platforms). The key is that you must be someone who actively participates in this group (e.g., no choosing Twitter if you’ve never used the platform). The traditional should seem important – even integral – to the group. This means your opinion will be unpopular, but what do you think is at risk if you don’t speak up and attempt to change the group’s opinions and behavior?

Our task: Consider the above prompt by doing the following: (a) construct an argument for why and how you believe this tradition should be changed, with the goal of convincing members of the community to adopt your ideas, (b) think about how your proposed change helps answer the question “How should we live together?”

What is the purpose of ritual? (from the CIE Working Group)

The communities in which we exist often have normalized behaviors that could be considered ritual and are used to communicate intent and purpose to others. For example, the donning of “business appropriate” clothing before going to work, or the use of certain words or idioms to indicate belonging, such as saying “jawn” or using the phrase “spill the tea”. What is the purpose, if any, of these rituals and norms? Are they a necessary part of how we live together, or do they serve to create divisions between different communities?

Our task: Consider the above prompt by doing the following: (a) construct an argument for the role of ritual in society, (b) consider whether societal rituals can be used to promote people to act against their own self-interests, or whether they help ensure people follow their desired path.

Aristophanes was a misogynist who wrote a feminist text (adapted from the CIE Working Group)

On the surface, Lysistrata portrayed women as empowered to influence men and politics to end a war. One could superficially conclude that the moral of the story was that Lysistrata, a feminist, organized and empowered themselves to effect social change. Was the audience meant to conclude that they should listen to their wives more often? Or, was this empowerment presented satirically? Who was the intended audience, and what was intended as their takeaway message?

Our task: Consider the above prompt by doing the following: (a) construct an argument regarding your agreement, or disagreement, with the statement in bold at the start of the essay prompt (and the subsequent description), (b) think about how our understanding of modern (e.g., Adiche) and ancient (e.g., Sappho) feminism can be used to shape our understanding of Medea and Euripides.

Writing Goals

  • A thesis statement that is debatable, concise, clear, indicative of our essay’s argument, detailed, specific, and insightful.
  • Lively, distinctive, original voice.
  • Carefully chosen, frequent, detailed references to the texts.
  • Thoughtful, provocative, creative, nuanced interpretations of your textual references.
  • Logical, coherent, easy to follow organization.
  • Clear, dynamic sentences; accurate, varied diction; lack of grammar and spelling mistakes.
  • One of the goals of CIE is to develop a process of writing that includes incorporating feedback and substantial revision. There needs to be substantive change between the first and final draft. Submitting a slightly edited, or unedited, version of the first draft does not reflect the development of a writing process.

Our writing will be assessed based on how well we meet these goals.

Method and Advice

  • Writing a thesis statement, or the governing argument or claim of your paper, is a process. The act of writing and thinking about your ideas will likely result in a change in your thesis over the course of writing and revising your paper. That’s normal! It means you’re on the right track to constructing a nuanced, debatable argument. Begin with a provisional, or “working,” thesis statement as a starting point, with the expectation that it will need to be changed. As you draft and revise, take stock of whether your provisional thesis statement is still reflecting the main ideas and claims you’re making throughout the paper, and how the thesis could be revised as your argument become clearer to you.

  • Keep this thesis statement checklist in mind as you draft and revise your argument:

  • Concise (one sentence, two max)
  • Clear (accessible enough to be understood early in the essay)
  • Specific (avoids vague generalities; shows what the essay is about)
  • Debatable (a person could reasonably disagree)

  • Interesting (unexpected; pushes beyond the obvious; insightful)

  • One way to check whether you’re writing an insightful argument is to consider what your classmates’ or my reaction might be to your claim. Will it make us think about the text in a new way that we might not have considered? If given your thesis statement and introductory paragraph, would we be interested to keep reading your paper to learn more about your ideas?

Submission Requirements:

Whichever option you choose, the following requirements need to be meet:

  • The essay should be 1200-1500 words
  • Essay must include quotes from at least two of our CIE text. One text must be from selected from Lysistrata, Sappho, Euthyphro, Genesis or Analects. The second text can be another from that list, or any of the previous texts we have covered in the course to date.
  • The essay must be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point font
  • Do not include a cover page.
  • Include your name on the document
  • Every essay should have an informative and interesting title. Titles such as “Essay 2”, “CIE Essay on Education,”, “Lysistrata Essay”, etcetera, don’t count.

Acknowledgements

  1. Essay prompts and instructions were adapted from an assignment by Prof. Gilman-Forlini. ↩

Submission

Submit a word processed or PDF document.

Assignment Rubric

Description Pre-Emerging (< 50%) Beginning (50%) Progressing (85%) Proficient (100%)
Thesis Statement (25%) Lacks a clear thesis statement or the statement is irrelevant to the topic. Thesis statement is present but lacks clarity or specificity. Thesis statement is clear and specific but may lack depth or originality. Thesis statement is clear, specific, original, and thought-provoking, guiding the reader's understanding of the essay's purpose.
Introduction and Conclusion (20%) Introduction lacks a hook or relevance to the topic, and conclusion does not summarize or provide closure. Introduction and conclusion are present but lack connection to the thesis or main argument. Introduction effectively introduces the topic, and conclusion summarizes the main points but may lack insight or reflection. Introduction engages the reader with a strong hook and clear connection to the thesis, and conclusion provides insightful summary and reflection.
Argument Development (25%) Arguments are underdeveloped or irrelevant, lacking evidence or logical reasoning. Arguments are present but lack sufficient evidence or reasoning, making them weak or unconvincing. Arguments are well-developed with some evidence and reasoning but may lack depth or complexity. Arguments are thoroughly developed with strong evidence and logical reasoning, contributing to a persuasive and compelling essay.
Paper Organization (10%) Paper lacks clear organization, making it difficult to follow the flow of ideas. Paper has some organization but lacks clear transitions or logical flow between paragraphs. Paper is mostly well-organized with clear transitions but may have minor inconsistencies in flow. Paper is excellently organized with clear transitions and logical flow, enhancing the reader's understanding and engagement.
Use of References and Proper Citations (10%) Lacks references or citations, or they are improperly formatted. Includes some references and citations but with inconsistencies or errors in formatting. Includes appropriate references and citations with minor errors or inconsistencies in formatting. Includes appropriate references and citations, all properly formatted according to the relevant citation style.
Synthesis of Materials into a Cohesive Argument (10%) Lacks synthesis of materials, resulting in a disjointed or fragmented argument. Some synthesis of materials is present but lacks cohesion or connection to the main argument. Materials are mostly synthesized into a cohesive argument but may lack depth or complexity. Materials are expertly synthesized into a cohesive and complex argument, enhancing the overall quality and persuasiveness of the essay.

Please refer to the Style Guide for code quality examples and guidelines.