Method of Submission: As an attachment to my gmail address (so I can make comments in google doc)
General tips for writing
What should be in the outline?
A. Your tentative first paragraph (say what you're going to say)
1. Issue: What is the main issue your paper is about and why is it important.
2. Thesis: What position are you going to take on the issue and why? (E.g., I'm going to argue that Ami is like Jesus because he wears sandals and says wise things.)
3. Road map: What will be the main sections of your paper? (E.g., First, I'm going to give an overview of the issue and position X; second I'm going to explain and evaluate the first argument; third, I'm going to explain and evaluate the second argument; fourth, I'm going to give my own argument; finally, I will conclude that, based on the evaluations of the available arguments, X is not a very plausible solution to/explanation of the issue, instead we ought adopt an approach more like Y.
B. Exposition (say it)
You can do this two possible ways. One is to write this section in terms of the position you'll be defending, the other is to focus on explaining the position you'll be arguing against. Either way is fine. About a page to a page and a half should be dedicated to explaining precisely what the main issue is and what the points of debate are (i.e., sub-issues). You don't need to give the particular arguments for/against a position in detailed form but once you've outlined the contested sub-issues, you should, in a sentence, state what the main positions are on that sub-issue. In this section you should also make clear any technical terms.
For your outline, in point form identify and explain any important technical terms and the main points of debate within the issue (that you'll be addressing in your paper).
C1. Arguments and Dialectic (say it)
Now it's time to get fine-grained.
1. In point form, state the main premises of the argument you'll be evaluating.
2. In point form, state the main objection(s) to this argument.
3 In point form, state what position you'll eventually side with and why (in terms of whether the objections are successful or fail.
Repeat steps 1-3 for each main argument you'll be evaluating in your paper.
C2. Optional (say it)
Depending on how you structure your paper, your own input might be in the form of (a) analysis or original reply/counter-argument within the context of the dialectic in C1 and/or (b) adding an innovation to or strengthening an existing argument or response. However, you may also, if you so choose, introduce your own original line of argument into the issue. If you choose to do this, you should follow this structure:
1. Introduce your own line of argument for/against the main position.
2. Explain why your argument is relevant to the debate.
3. Consider objections to your argument.
4. Show why those objections don't, on balance, defeat your argument.
D. Conclusion (say what you said) *Not required for the outline*
1. Resummarize the main issue and the position you were arguing for/against.
2. Resummarize the main reasons for which position X should be accepted or rejected (i.e., your conclusions from C1 and C2).
3. (Optional) Suggest how you conclusion might have implications for other issues.
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