1 Gandhis Political Writings Background & Personal Li

1
Gandhi's Political Writings
Background & Personal Life
Satyagraha
Swaraj
2 2
Outline
• Gandhi's background & personal life
– Early life (childhood, London, South Africa)
– Later life (Indian Nat'l Congress, Salt March)
– Indian Independence & Gandhi's death
3 3
Gandhi – Early life
Mohandas Gandhi (1869 – 1948)
• Mahatma = "Great Soul"
• Lead an Indian independence

mov't against British rule
• Influenced by:
– Leo Tolstoy (pacifist)
– Henry David Thoreau
(social/political dissenter)
• Notably inspired:
– Martin Luther King
– Nelson Mandela
"In a gentle way, you
can shake the world."
- Mahatma Gandhi
2
4 4
Gandhi's childhood
• Father
– Local political figure
– Stern and short-tempered

• Mother
– Deeply religious (fasting)
– Tolerant of others beliefs
– Common sense approach to human rights (untouchables)
• Arranged marriage
– Gandhi was only ________ years old?
– Gandhi felt ________ towards his bride?
– Later influenced Gandhi's views on women and marriage
5 5
London
• Studied law at University College
• Emulated many British values and
• Gandhi experienced _______?
South Africa
• Served as British army medic in "Zulu Rebellion"
• Protests "Indian ID" law
• Gandhi experienced _______?

6 6
Gandhi – Later life
Indian National Congress
• Political party (1885)
• Gandhi joins and leads party (1920)
• He leverages __________ and
__________ groups to great success
Salt March (1930)
• Protesting British tax on salt
• Lasted 25 days, covered 240 miles on foot
• Between 60,000 – 90,000 protestors arrested
3
7 7
Indian Independence (1947)
• Split Indian colony into 2 countries
– _________ (Hindu majority)

– _________ (Muslim majority)
• Gandhi opposed this & desired a "unified India"
• One of the largest forced mass migrations ever
seen in the 20th century
– Massive human rights violations
– Violence and rape commonplace
– Estimated 1+ million dead
8 8
9 9
Gandhi's death (1948)
• Assassinated by a Hindu nationalist seeking to
spark war with Muslims/Pakistan
4
10 10
Outline

• Satyagraha – defined
• Four (4) cornerstones of satyagraha
– Self-realization
– Ahimsa (non-violence)
– Vegetarianism
– Universal love
• Satyagraha Readings
11 11
Satyagraha (defined)
• Derived from two Sanskrit words
– satya = "Truth"
– agraha = "insistence / reliance on…"
• Satyagraha literally means "appealing to the
Truth…" or "insisting / relying on the Truth…"
12 12
Satyagraha (defined)
• For Gandhi, the "Truth" of our existence is that there
is an "…essential unity connecting all life."

• So then, for Gandhi, adhering to satyagraha means
that all of our actions/thoughts must insist on and
respect that Truth of our existence!
5
13 13
Self-realization
• Emphasizes individualism and self-reliance
• Gandhi argued that changing the world first requires
us to look inward…not outward!
14 14
Ahimsa
• Derived from Sanskrit himsa ("to do injury / harm")
• Ahimsa is the opposite of this. It literally means
“non-violence” or lacking the desire to injure / harm
• Read pgs. 5, 8, 17-18, 22
Discussion: How does Gandhi's version of non-
violence work? What exactly must we not do?

15 15
Vegetarianism
• Gandhi was raised vegetarian by his mother
• Gandhi is making a moral argument
– NOT a vegetarian "because it's healthier…" or "because
it's better for the environment…" etc.
– Instead, Gandhi argues that eating meat causes injury and
also violates the Truth (essential unity of life), therefore it
is wrong!
6
16 16
Universal Love
• Universal love is closely related to ahimsa and the
Truth (essential unity of life)
Example:
• I am being immorally oppressed. However, I cannot harm or
hate my oppressor because doing so would violate ahimsa. In

fact, because of the Truth of existence, I must only send love
out into the world because that's what I want back in return!
17 17
Satyagraha (Readings)
Domination & Submission
• Read pg. 1
• Over time, Gandhi came to understand connection
between Domination and Submission
"The British did not take India from us.
We gave it to them..." - Gandhi
Discussion:
• According to Gandhi, what happens if
we submit to a dominating force? What
if we never submit?
18 18
Civility & Humility

• Read pgs. 26-27, 29
Discussion:
• Why is Gandhi insisting that his followers behave
civilly? Why must they remain humble?
7
19 19
Rules of Satyagraha
• Read pgs. 32-34
Discussion:
• Why does Gandhi want everyone to follow a specific
set of rules? Don't you just want passionate
followers doing whatever they can to help the cause?
• Do you think Gandhi's tactics would work against all

types of oppressors?
20 20
Outline
• Swaraj – defined
• Four (4) major social reforms of swaraj
– Hindu/Muslim unity
– Removal of “untouchability” from Hinduism
– Uplift women in society
– Economic equality
• Swaraj Readings
21 21
Swaraj (defined)
• Derived from two Sanskrit words
– swa = "self"
– raj = "rule"
• Swaraj literally means "self ruling" or self-
governance
• Read pgs. 2, 3, and 6

What is the Issue?
Gandhi uses the same exact word
to mean two different things!
8
22 22
Swaraj (defined)
Swaraj – Two (2) meanings:
1. External (political) sense
We must free India from
British control and influence.
2. Internal (self) sense
We must free ourselves from
ignorance and illusion.
23 23
Hindu / Muslim Unity

• Gandhi believed India could not have a true identity
as a nation until it addressed Hindu/Muslim tensions.
• How does Gandhi propose to solve this issue?
Read pgs. 9-10, and 11
Discussion:
So, what is Gandhi's ultimate solution to eliminating
Hindu/Muslim tensions? Answer: "We must cultivate
________, ________ and ________." What do you
think Gandhi's solution?
24 24
Removal of "untouchability" from Hinduism
• Hinduism founded circa 500 BCE
• Caste system (spiritual / commercial / manual labor)
– Strict rules re: marriage, social interactions, etc.
• "Untouchables" are ________________
• Read pg. 14
Discussion:

So, what is Gandhi's solution?
How easy/hard will this be?
What exactly has to change to
make this change permanent?
9
25 25
Uplift women in society
• Gandhi argues that Indian society (men!) have
deliberately kept women from learning/advancing
• Advocates for women's education and active role in
civil disobedience movement.
• Read pgs. 17, 19-20
Discussion:
Do you think Gandhi is serious about
uplifting women? Or is this just a political ploy on his
part? Today, would you regard women as

"degenerated" and in need of "regeneration"?
26 26
Economic equality
• Here, Gandhi is fighting against HUGE wealth
disparities that existed at the time.
• Gandhi wants to end "…the eternal conflict between
capital and labor" to avoid a "violent and bloody
revolution…"
• Read pgs. 24 and 26
Discussion:
• Do wealth disparities always
lead to conflict?
• Do you agree with Gandhi's
view of Western democracy?
27 27
"Oceanic Circle"
• Read pgs. 28-29

Discussion:
• What is Gandhi's overall idea here?
• What part of Gandhi's "oceanic circle" is most important?
• What else from Gandhi's philosophy reinforces the
"oceanic circle"?
10
Henry David Thoreau's
Civil Disobedience
Background & Selected Readings
Satyagraha vs. Passive Resistance
29 29
Outline
• Criticisms of Gandhi
• Henry David Thoreau (HDT) - background

• HDT's "Civil Disobedience"
– Selected readings / Discussion
– Satyagraha vs. Passive Resistance
30 30
Criticisms of Gandhi
Discussion:
• Any aspects of Gandhi's philosophy that you agree
with? Disagree with? Anything you think that he is
flat wrong about?
11
31 31
Criticisms of Gandhi
1. Non-violence has its limitations and will not be
effective against all oppressors.

2. Gandhi's philosophy of satyagraha is difficult
(impossible?) for most people to follow.
3. Religion and politics should not be intermixed.
They are totally different enterprises and should
remain separate.
4. The idea that all violence is evil is problematic.
Morality is actually situational and sometimes
requires or demands violence.
32 32
HDT – background
Henry David Thoreau (1817 – 1862)
• Essayist, poet, philosopher
• Leader in Transcendentalist mov't
– People are inherently good.
– Society & its various institutions
have corrupted us!

Civil Disobedience (1866)
• Written while imprisoned for failing to
pay his poll tax
• HDT was protesting slavery and the
Mexican-American War
"I think we should be
men first, and subjects
afterward."
- Henry David Thoreau
33 33
"Civil Disobedience"
Selected Readings
• Read pgs. 1, 2, 3, and 4
Discussion:
• Do you associate your morality with the actions of your
government? Why/why not?

• Who does HDT blame for slavery and Mexican-
American war?
• What is HDT's view of voting to initiate social change?
12
34 34
"Civil Disobedience"
Selected Readings
• Read pgs. 5, 6, and 9
• Read Conclusion pg. 14
Discussion:
• According to HDT, do we have a moral duty to
eradicate enormous moral wrongs (e.g., slavery)?
• What is the "friction against the machine"?
• Gandhi was fascinated by HDT's time in prison. Why?
Living under unjust laws, where is HDT most free?

35 35
Satyagraha vs. Passive Resistance
Revisit Gandhi's satyagraha readings…
• Read pg. 31
Discussion:
According to Gandhi, are satyagraha and passive
resistance the same thing? If not, how do they differ?
Satyagraha avoids violence/hate ___________?
Passive resistance avoids violence/hate __________?
36 36
Compare/contrast HDT vs. Gandhi
Methods of Civil Disobedience
• Gandhi was / was not a strict pacifist
• HDT was / was not a strict pacifist

13
37 37
Duty of Civil Disobedience
• Both believed that we all have a duty to disobey
wrong or immoral laws BUT…
• Gandhi advocated following satyagraha, ahimsa,
and universal love. Strongly endorsed and sought
social changes.
• HDT believes we should not ______________
participate in causing an injustice, but we have no
duty to ______________.
38 38
Individualism/Solitude

• Both championed the individual & self-reliance BUT…
• HDT advocated simplicity, solitude and communing
alone with nature
• Gandhi advocated simplicity but rejected solitude
39 39
Copyright stuff
This work is licensed under a Creative
Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0
International License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
GANDHI CITATIONS – SUPPORT DOCUMENT
Issue: I made this "Support Document" because I have received

questions in the past about how to
cite to the Gandhi material. For example, students will ask
"There are page numbers all over the
place…which page numbers do I use in my citations?" or "There
are two Gandhi PDF
documents…which one do we use?" It's confusing, I know.
First, let me explain some quick
background information on Gandhi's Collected Works. Then, I
will explain how you should handle
doing the citations in your Term Paper.
Background on Gandhi's Collected Works: Gandhi's Collected
Works is a project where they
took everything Gandhi ever wrote (e.g., stuff he wrote to
newspapers, in letters, in private notes, etc.)
and published them into separate volumes. When they were
done, the full Collected Works spanned
dozens and dozens of volumes and was over 40,000+ pages
long!
For our class, I have given you two "Class Readings" PDFs.
These "Class Readings" contain excerpts
taken from the full Collected Works, organized by subject
matter (satyagraha and swaraj). Separately,

I have also given you the "Full Text" PDF, which is an
electronic copy of the entire Collected Works
book (all volumes).
Citations using the Collected Works "Class Readings" PDF:
Strictly speaking, if you were trying to
get your term paper professionally published, you are supposed
to cite to the particular volume each-
and-every-time in your citations. However, for the purposes of
our class, if you use the "Class
Readings" PDF, you may use the following "shortcut."
On your Works Cited page, you should include a citation to the
Collected Works, as follows:
Collected Works of Mahatma
Gandhi" (excerpts) blah blah blah the
rest of the citation.
At the bottom of your Works Cited Page, include a short note
similar to this one that explains how you
will handle in-text citations in your paper:
-text citations to Gandhi's Collected Works will
indicate whether the cited material came
from the "Satyagraha readings" excerpt or "Swaraj readings"
excerpt used in our class. All

page references will make use of the page numbers provided by
Professor Ellery on those
excerpts.
The in-text citations located in the main body of your paper
would then look something like this:
because doing so would
violate ahimsa (Gandhi - Satyagraha 13).
Here, the "Gandhi - Satyagraha" portion of the in-text citation
tells the reader you found that stuff
about ahimsa in the "Satyagraha readings" excerpt we used in
class. The "13" refers to "Ellery 13"
page number found in the upper-right-hand corner of the
"Satyagraha readings" PDF.
Citation using the Collected Works "Full Text" PDF: While
doing your research, you may find a
neat Gandhi quote or meaningful phrase that you want to use in
your paper BUT was not part of our
class readings. That's okay!!! E-mail me and I will help you
find the quote/phrase in the "Full Text"
PDF and I will show you how to properly cite it in your paper
using the volume numbers, etc.

Hope that helps!
Prof. Ellery
Mill vs. Kant: Ethics Applied to Modern Genetic Testing
Ms. Jane Doe
Houston Community College
PHIL 2306 – Introduction to Ethics
Spring 2018, TTH 5:30 p.m. – 6:50 p.m.
Professor Joshua Ellery
May 2, 2018
*******************************
*** SAMPLE TERM PAPER ***
*******************************

TO BE USED ONLY AS A "GUIDE" FOR INSTRUCTIONAL
PURPOSES!
YOUR PAPER SHOULD STRICTLY FOLLOW ALL OF THE
INSTRUCTIONS AND
REQUIREMENTS IN THE "TERM PAPER ASSIGNMENT"
DOCUMENT FOR YOUR
CLASS!!! (E.G., WORD COUNT, ETC.)
Mill vs. Kant
Page 1
Early 1800’s utilitarian, John Stuart Mill, and early 1700’s
empiricist, Immanuel Kant are
both notable philosophers who developed their own unique
ethical theories. This paper will
accomplish several things: First, it will examine the reasoning
behind each philosopher’s system
of ethics and compare and contrast the theories of each man.
Then, it will analyze how Mill and
Kant's philosophies would apply to the modern-day ethical issue
of genetic testing on unborn
human embryos. Finally, I will argue that Mill's approach to

genetic testing is superior to Kant's
because it is more pragmatic and better appeals to our common
sense notions of justice.
John Stuart Mill is best known for his contributions to the
theory of Utilitarianism, which
was founded by Jeremy Bentham (Macleod 1). The foundation
of utilitarianism is the following
two key principles: The Utility Principle and The Greatest
Happiness Principle. The Utility
Principle states, “Actions are right in proportion as they tend to
promote happiness and wrong as
they tend to promote unhappiness” (Mill 24). So, for Mill,
actions are morally right so long as
they increase happiness and avoid unhappiness/pain. The
Greatest Happiness Principle states,
“Those actions are right that produce the greatest happiness for
the greatest amount of people”
(Mill 24). So, for Mill, in choosing between two possible
actions, we ought to choose the one
that maximizes happiness (utility) for the greatest number of
people. Mill also adds that there
are qualitative aspects of happiness such as “higher” and
“lower” pleasures (Mill 47). Higher
pleasures are those that are related to intellectual pursuits and

are more valuable than lower
pleasures, which are related to physical desires. Mill believes
that higher pleasures are so
valuable that they are even more desirable than a greater
number of lower pleasures. So, Mill's
ultimate position is that we should always seek pleasure over
pain and also to maximize higher
pleasure over lower pleasures at all costs (Mill 26).
Mill vs. Kant
Page 2
Applying the Utility Principle and Greatest Happiness Principle,
a utilitarian faced with a
moral decision between two choices would proceed as follows:
First, he would calculate the total
amount of happiness each choice would produce for each
individual impacted by that decision.
Then, he would choose that action that maximizes happiness for
the greatest amount of people,
irrespective of how that action impacts a particular individual.
Since Mill is not interested in
how the moral action impacts one particular individual,

utilitarianism is known as an "agent
neutral" theory (Macleod 1). According to Mill, evaluating
moral choices within this construct
and always choosing that action which maximizes happiness for
the greatest number of people
will promote the “greater good” for society (Macleod 2).
Immanuel Kant, a rationalist, made significant contributions to
metaphysics and ethics.
He is probably best known for articulating what is known as the
“Categorical Imperative”, an
absolute command of reason that commands us to follow our
moral duty irrespective of our own
self-interest (Kant 67). In articulating his “Categorical
Imperative”, Kant follows a series of rules
referred to as “grounding” which begins the groundwork of
ethics. Major concepts include the
idea that the only unconditionally good thing in the world is a
good will, a good will is a will that
acts from duty rather than in accordance to duty, and an action
must be done from duty to have
moral worth (Johnson 1). Kant develops his ethical reasoning by
taking a maxim, or an “if/then”
statement, and running it through a series of infallible tests to
determine if an action is morally

right or wrong. There are two of these tests that he defines as
“formulations” of his Categorical
Imperative– the "Universal Law" formulation and the
"Means/End" formulation.
The Universal Law formulation states that a maxim is morally
right only if you can will it
to become a universal law (Kant 102). So, for Kant, the only
actions that are moral are those
actions that we would be comfortable "universalizing," meaning
they would apply to everyone
Mill vs. Kant
Page 3
each-and-every-time that particular issue or situation occurred.
For example, Kant famously
argues that lying is universally prohibited. That is, telling the
truth is something that we would
want to "universalize" and make applicable in all situations
since we ourselves would not want to
be lied to. The other formulation of Kant's Categorical
Imperative is the Means/End
formulation, which states that we must always treat ourselves

and others as a “means” rather than
an “end” (Kant 125). So, for Kant, an action can never be
morally right if it means treating your
own self or another merely as a means to achieve some stated
goal. Kant believes these two
formulations of his Categorical Imperative are functionally
equivalent, meaning that a maxim
cannot fail one formulation without also failing the other.
Comparing Mill and Kant's theories yields some interesting
findings. While Mill bases
his ethical theories around consequences and emotion, Kant
bases his ethical theories around
personal intent and rationality. According to Mill, an action is
determined as right or wrong
based on the effects it has on others and how happy an action
can make a person. The Utility
Principle is a quantitative distinction that supports this
argument and sides with those actions that
produce higher levels of happiness. Kant would say an action is
right if and only if it is
performed from a self-recognized moral duty. The core of Mill’s
moral code is based on emotion
from happiness while Kant comes to conclusions from logic and
one’s own conscience.

It can become cumbersome to determine how each philosopher
would determine what is
morally right or wrong on complex ethical issues. Mill
approaches ethics differently for each
unique situation as a result of his consequentialist Greatest
Happiness Principle and Utility
Principle. According to Mill, it is possible to have the same
issue at hand and come out with a
different result depending on external factors (MacLeod). Kant
approaches every situation
exactly the same regardless of how complicated the situation
may be (Johnson 2). Kant will have
Mill vs. Kant
Page 4
the same result every time regardless of who, when, and where
this is happening. John Stuart
Mill comes to conclusions based on past experiences and natural
responses while Immanuel Kant
relies solely on logic, setting aside sensory experiences to come
to a conclusion.
Although these philosophers differ in many ways, they can be

similar when it comes to
their goals. Both men aim to create a better society. The
Greatest Happiness promotes society by
prioritizing happiness and higher pleasures above all else. A
more positive, higher regarded, and
intellectually fit society will prevail. The Means-Ends
formulation puts others first in every
situation. By treating others with respect, we could create what
Kant refers to as a “Kingdom of
Ends” similar to a utopia (Kant 130). Both philosophers are
inclusive and do not discriminate
against or hold anyone to a higher esteem when determining
what is ethical. When calculating
happiness, Mill considers the happiness of all people, total
groups, regardless of social or
economic status. Kant follows the Universal Law formulation
and does not consider anything
ethical that does not meet the requirements of universalization.
Kant’s Categorical Imperative is
intended and commanded to be followed by all people. Both
philosophers have a will to better
the world and put laws in place to keep their philosophical
approaches fair and universal.
We can now clearly see how each philosophy applies to a

common ethical issue. For
example, when it comes to genetic testing and modification, we
can see how both Mill and Kant
would evaluate the topic. First, Mill would consider all aspects
of the situation and how the
consequences affect all others. Doctors and practices may be
inclined to perform testing and
genetic modification on living embryos. Mill would argue this
is morally right because in doing
this, doctors would be able to retrieve new information about
genetic diseases and disorders that
could save millions of lives. This helps the greater good of
society and follows the Utility
Principle and Greatest Happiness Principles so long as it
maximizes overall happiness. By saving
Mill vs. Kant
Page 5
more lives after cures and treatments are found, overall societal
happiness would be increased.
New scientific discoveries would be found and shared, thereby
increasing higher pleasures.

There would also be a loss of pain and suffering and a gain of
life and an infinite number of
positive unintended consequences of those saved lives.
On the other hand, Kant would say genetic testing on unborn
embryos is morally wrong.
First, Kant would say that testing on the embryos violates the
Means/End Formulation because
we would be treating the embryos merely as a means to advance
our scientific research. Since
we are merely using the embryos as a "means" to that stated
end, Kant would say doing this
research would be immoral. Furthermore, Kant would also say
that we could not universalize
this action because we would not desire for ourselves or the
unborn embryos of our loved ones to
be sacrificed against our will, even if doing so might help the
general welfare of humanity at
large. Since this action fails the Universal Law and Means/End
formulation, Kant would say it is
our moral duty to protect the human embryos and find a more
ethical way to do our research.
Between the two theories, I firmly believe that Mill's approach
is the best. First, Mill's
utilitarianism is more practical and more easily applied to the

issue of genetic testing on human
embryos than Kant's rigid Categorical Imperative. Common
sense tells us that by allowing this
research to proceed, we will undoubtedly discover new
scientific advancements which will
increase the common good more than not allowing the research.
If we allow Kant's theories to
control, however, we may never make those same scientific
discoveries and humanity as a whole
will suffer. Moreover, I do not believe that Kant's theories
apply in this particular moral
situation. Personally, I believe that early human embryos are
little more than collections of
cellular material, a far cry from being a full-fledged human
being. As such, these embryos do
not have a same moral status as a human being. Therefore, Kant
cannot argue that conducting
Mill vs. Kant
Page 6
genetic testing on human embryos amounts to using it merely as
a means to an end. By analogy,

do I mistreat my dishwasher when I use it merely as a means to
clean my dirty dishes? At some
point, those human embryos have the potential to become full -
grown human beings, but that
potential should not prevent us from doing valuable scientific
research.
Mill vs. Kant
Page 7
Works Cited
Johnson, Robert. “Kant’s Moral Philosophy.” Stanford
Encyclopedia of Philosophy,

Stanford University, 23 Feb. 2004. Web. 27 Apr. 2018
<http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-moral/>
Kant, Immanuel. Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals.
Cambridge University
Press, 1998.
Macleod, Christopher. “John Stuart Mill.” Stanford
Encyclopedia of Philosophy,
Stanford University, 25 Aug. 2016. Web. 27 Apr. 2018
<http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mill/>
Mill, John Stuart. Utilitarianism. Liberal Arts Press, 1957.
Word Count = 1,852
Term Paper Assignment
Guidelines: This term paper must follow the following

guidelines:
· Total paper length must be at least 2,500 total words in length
(approximately eight (8) to nine (9) double-spaced pages plus
title page and works cited page). Papers failing to meet this
requirement will be heavily penalized.
· You must insert the final "word count" on the bottom of the
works cited page. Instructions for adding the "word count"
field to this term paper will be given in class. Instructions can
also be found here:http://www.thewindowsclub.com/how -to-
insert-word-count-in- d, double-
spaced in 12-point Times New Roman font with 1-inch (1”)
margins on all sides.
· Paper should include a title page at the beginning of the paper,
as well as a separate works cited page located at the end of the
paper. The title page should be fully descriptive and include (at
minimum) the paper title, course name, semester and year,
instructor name, student name, and date. The works cited page
should adhere to MLA Style (discussed further below).
· Each page of the paper (except the title page) should include a
page number located in either the upper or lower margin. Do
not include a table of contents.
· In writing this paper, you must clearly articulate a central
thesis that responds to the paper topic chosen. Then, you must
develop and execute that thesis. If you have any questions
about this requirement, please ask me.
· In writing this paper, you must use and properly cite any
relevant primary course text(s), aswell as at least two (2)
additional outside sources. Your outside sources should be
scholarly in nature (e.g., article from a peer-reviewed journal;
not Wikipedia or SparkNotes). If you only use the minimum
two (2) outside sources, both MUST be scholarly in nature. If
you use more than two (2) outside sources, most (but not al l)
should be scholarly in nature.
If you have any questions about outside sources, please ask me
automatic "0."

· You may find the following online research sources helpful:
· Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy –
https://plato.stanford.edu/(good background reading on topics
and philosophers)
· www.philpapers.org (a very extensive database of published
philosophy articles) o The JSTOR database at your school's
library.
· Use MLA Style Guide when citing your primary and outside
sources. Please note that MLA Style differs depending on
whether you are giving an in-text citation or a citation on a
works cited page. The following link contains a helpful free
guide on MLA Style and several citation examples:
https://library.hccs.edu/mla-guide
Plagiarism:Any student submitting plagiarized work will receive
an automatic zero ("0") for the assignment.
Writing and Style Tips: There are many ways to write a very
good philosophy term paper. We will discuss several of these
approaches during my Writing Workshop lecture. In addition,
you should also follow these general writing and style tips:
· You should re-read the relevant text several times before you
start writing. You should research and find an informative
outside academic source to help bolster your paper. You should
outline your paper before you begin writing. You should revise
and re-write your paper at least once after writing your first
draft. You must be sure to cite properly any direct quotes or
paraphrased passages – to do otherwise constitutes plagiarism.
· This paper should have a short introductory paragraph and
thesis that explains to the reader what your paper will set out to
accomplish. Do not give a lengthy introducti on and avoid
protracted background/historical narrative. Indicate the task
you will undertake and then immediately get down to business.

· Use correct grammar, spelling and punctuation throughout
your paper. Write in a clear and readable style. Use shor t,
direct language rather than complicated sentences or fancy
words. If you are in need of a reference, I highly suggest
reading Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style.
· Never write in run-on sentences, they are distracting,
sometimes confusing, and almost always can be written as
separate full sentences, however fragments are just as bad. Do
not use them. Unless you are a professor trying to make a
point. Emphatically.
· Avoid using contractions in your writing (e.g., “do not”
instead of “don’t”).
· Use transition words and “signposts” to guide the reader
through your paper (e.g., “First, I will discuss…” and
“However, many counter-arguments to this position exist.”).
· Use the present tense, except when describing historical
events. Even though he is dead, “Descartes argues that the
use your computer’s spell checking feature, but you should not
rely on it entirely. Read your paper out loud at least once.
Watch out for tricky words:
· Properly use “cannot” (one word) not “can not”o Do not
confuse “then” with “than” o “quote” can only be a verb;
“quotation” is the nouno “accept” means allow; “except” means
excluding
· “effect” is usually a noun; “affect” is usually a verb meaning
“to influence or produce an effect”
· “it’s” means “it is” (“It’s raining outside.”) while “its” is
possessive (“This magnet has lost its magnetic powers.”) Other
examples include “you’re” vs. “your” and
“they’re” vs. “their.”
· Avoid using the passive voice, especially phrases such as “It
is believed…” or “It is argued that…”
· Quotation marks go outside commas and periods (e.g.,
Socrates argues that piety cannot mean simply “…what all the
gods love.”)

· In your paper, be clear when you are citing or paraphrasing
someone else’s work or text versus when you are presenting
your own ideas or arguments. You should use “I” freely when
doing the latter.
· Finally, think of writing as teaching someone about a really
interesting idea you want to them to understand. Maintain a
tone and level of discourse appropriate for the subject, but think
of your audience as a good friend or spouse whom you hope to
enlighten and perhaps convince. In fact, it can be helpful to
have someone else read your paper and tell you where it i s not
clear enough or needs more explanation.
Term Paper Topics:Choose one (1) of the topics below and write
a fully developed term paper that adheres to the above
guidelines.
1. Compare and contrast the philosophies of non-violent
resistance/protest of Mahatma Gandhi and Henry David
Thoreau. How are their versions of non-resistance protest
similar? In what ways are they different? Is one version
better? Do you think either philosophy could be used
successfully today? Why or why not?
Note: Please consult the "Gandhi Citation – Support Document"
that I will attachto this assignment. This support document
explains how we will handle citing passages/quotes from
Gandhi's Collected Works.
Please let me know if you have any questions about this
assignment.
Page 1
Page 1

Term Paper Assignment – Grading Rubric
The "A" paper
The "B" paper
The "C" paper
The "D" paper
The "F" paper
Overall execution
Excels in responding to the assignment. Central thesis is clearly
communicated and then fully executed. Shows sophisticated,
independent thought and mastery of subject matter.
A solid paper, responding appropriately to the assignment.
Clearly states and executes a central thesis, but may have minor
lapses in execution. Shows basic understanding of subject
matter.
An adequate but weaker paper, responding less well to the
assignment. Central thesis is not clearly communicated.
Alternatively, central thesis is not well executed. Shows basic
competency of subject matter.
Does not respond appropriately to the assignment. Thesis may
be missing or vague. Demonstrates little understanding of
subject matter. Paper may also be deficient in length.
Non-responsive to the assignment and/or severely deficient in
length.
Literary support
Uses in-class and outside sources very effectively. Citations are
well executed throughout.
Uses in-class and outside sources appropriately and effectively.
Citations are more or less well executed throughout.
Uses in-class and outside sources somewhat effectively.
Citations are present but are sporadically used and/or not well
executed.
Missing references to inclass and/or outside sources. Citations

may also be missing entirely and/or not well executed.
Does not use any inclass or outside sources. Citations may also
be missing entirely.
Organization & coherence
Very well organized. Uses a logical structure appropriate to the
central thesis and subject matter. Sophisticated transitional
sentences are used. The paper guides the reader through the
chain of reasoning or progression of thought.
Organized, but shows less of a command of transitional
sentences. Uses a logical structure appropriate to the central
thesis and subject matter, but may have minor lapses in
execution. Each paragraph clearly relates to the thesis, but
some transitions may be awkwardly executed.
May present ideas or arrange them randomly rather than using a
logical structure. While each paragraph relates to the central
thesis, transitional sentences are not widely used and the logic
is not always clear.
Arrangement of paragraphs or sentences within paragraphs may
be awkward or lack structure and coherence.
May have random organization, lacking overall organization or
internal paragraph coherence. Makes use of few transition
sentences, but they are unfocused or vague. Paragraphs may
lack topic sentences, are off-topic, or may be too general or
vague to be effective.
No appreciable organization; lacks transition sentences and
coherence.
Writing style
Chooses words for their precise meaning and uses specificity
when needed. Sentences are varied, yet clearly structured and
carefully focused – not long and rambling.
Generally uses words accurately, but can be too general or
vague at times. Sentences generally clear, well structured and
focused, but a few are awkward or ineffective.
Uses vague or general words, may use some inappropriate
language. Sentence structure is fair, but some sentences may be
wordy, unfocused or confusing at times.

Uses vague, abstract or inappropriate language. Usually
contains several awkward or ungrammatical sentences.
Usually contains many awkward sentences, misused words or
inappropriate material.
Writing mechanics
Almost entirely free of spelling, punctuation and grammatical
errors.
May contain a few errors, which might annoy the reader but
does not impede his understanding.
Usually contains several mechanical errors, which may
temporarily confuse the reader but does not impede his
understanding.
Usually contains many mechanical errors which impede the
reader's understanding.
Usually contains many errors. These errors may be serious
enough to cause confusion to the reader.
Page 4

1 Gandhis Political Writings Background & Personal Li

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

More from LeilaniPoolsy

More from LeilaniPoolsy (20)

1 Gandhis Political Writings Background & Personal Li