論述寫作

Argumentative essays are essays that attempt to establish a position regarding a particular topic. They require the synthesis of a number of writing skills, including description, summary, interpretation, analysis, argument, and counterargument. The writing sections of standardized tests like the GRE and TOEFL test for these skills, and they do so for good reason. This genre of writing is practiced throughout the sciences and humanities, and many of the scholarly publications in these fields are, in essence, argumentative essays. In this course, students will go through a guided process of reading, prewriting, writing, revising, editing, and rewriting. Throughout this process, they will receive and incorporate feedback from their instructor and from their peers. Students will thereby sharpen their academic writing skills and produce two argumentative essays over the course of the semester.

The central aim of this course is to enhance students’ academic writing abilities in English. Students will learn how to ‧ read and respond to a writing assignment; ‧ quote, paraphrase, and summarize sources accurately; ‧ develop a thesis, defend it with arguments, and anticipate and refute counterarguments; ‧ organize an essay; ‧ title an essay; ‧ structure a paragraph; ‧ write introductions and conclusions; ‧ compare and contrast distinct positions regarding a given issue; ‧ cite sources, evaluate their reliability, and use them in a variety of ways; ‧ recognize plagiarism and other misuse of sources; ‧ revise and edit an essay; and ‧ respond thoughtfully to a peer’s essay and to peers’ comments on their own essays.

Essay 1 (3-4 pages): 40% Essay 2 (3-4 pages): 40% Pre-draft assignments (summaries and introductions: about 1 page each) and drafts: 10% Attendance and participation (includes take-home activities): 10% Late assignments will be penalized. There will be no exams for this course.

Course handouts Alkhateeb, Ahmed (2017, April 24). Science has outgrown the human mind and its limited capacities. Aeon. https://aeon.co/ideas/science-has-outgrown-the-human-mind-and-its-limitedcapacities Goff, Philip (2017, March 1). Panpsychism is crazy, but it’s also most probably true. Aeon. https://aeon.co/ideas/panpsychism-is-crazy-but-its-also-most-probably-true Nanay, Bence (2017, October 16). ‘Know thyself’ is not just silly advice: it’s actively dangerous. Aeon. https://aeon.co/ideas/know-thyself-is-not-just-silly-advice-its-actively-dangerous Smith, Subrena E. (2017, November 13). Why philosophy is so important in science education. Aeon. https://aeon.co/ideas/why-philosophy-is-so-important-in-science-education