Death Penalty

Tips for Writing the Paper:

Many of you have noticed that, although I’ve provided a rubric for the paper (it’s on the first page of the syllabus), I have not included a question, or prompt for you to write about. That is because you must pick your own topic to write about. You can write about anything you want, as long as you make a debatable thesis claim, and incorporate some thinker’s ideas from our course. (By the way, you may also include many other thinkers or writers we haven’t discussed in the course; just make sure you also discuss at least one writer from our course, too like Ernest Van Den Haag, Hugo Adam Bedau, )

Some folks may not be accustomed to selecting your own topic. Here are a few tips to select your thesis topic: 

1) The easiest thesis to write is whether you agree (or disagree) with some philosopher’s ideas. Your thesis might look something like this: “(Some philosopher) ____ is a philosopher whom I agree with (or disagree with) and is correct (or wrong) about _____ (some issue), and I will illustrate why she is so brilliant (or so wrong).”

2) Pick an movie (or book, or tv show, or something like that) which involves legal issues, and apply some philosopher’s ideas to that movie, and how you can analyze that text with such ideas. You thesis might look like this: “(Some movie) ____ portrays (some character) _____ who faces a conflict about what to do regarding _____, but when we examine (some philosopher’s) _______ ideas, it is clear that this character (or the law) should ________.”

3) Pick a real-world legal issue (or case), and apply some philosopher’s ideas to that issue or case, and how you can analyze that issue with such ideas. This thesis might look like: “(Some real-world trial) ____ involves (some defendant) _____ who is accused of (some crime) _____, but when we examine (some philosopher’s) _______ ideas, it becomes clear that the law should be applied like this ________.”

4) Expand one of our writing assignments into a paper (or maybe combine several of our writing assignments into one paper). One example of this might be: “In Wisconsin, a defendant was accused of having sex with an ‘animal,’ but he defended himself by suggesting that since the ‘animal’ was dead, it was not really an ‘animal’ anymore, and thus he should be acquitted of the crime; however, when we apply the ideas of (some philosopher) ____, it becomes clear that the law should be applied like this ______.”

5) Or, anything else you can think of! (as long as it applies to our course, and you utilize the writings of one of our readings)

If you have a vague idea of what you might want to write about, but you still aren’t sure, please share your ideas with me, and I can help you build upon your ideas. (That’s why we are utilizing the rough-draft writing process!)

If you are really lost, and can’t figure out a topic for yourself, then please tell me, and I will pick a topic for you: I will simply repeat one of our Study Questions, and ask you to turn it into a paper. (And if you don’t like the Study Question I pick for you, then you can pick your own.)

Sample Outline Structure for Paper: (You are not mandated to follow this structure. Please make your own structure if you wish.)

Section 1: Introduction and Thesis.

Give brief context and background.

Give your thesis, something like:

“I believe ________ is the most reasonable position about ______”

(I’ve offered other sample thesis statements in the tips above.)

Section 2: Philosopher(s) who most supports your position (from our course)

Explain the reasons and arguments that some writer(s) gives to support your position.

Remember to include citations. (I don’t care what citation format you use; pick your favorite.)

You can also discuss and reference other writers we didn’t discuss in class.

Section 3: Philosopher(s) who oppose your position (from our course)

Explain the reasons and argument that some writer(s) gives to oppose your position.

Remember to include citations. (I don’t care what citation format you use; pick your favorite.)

You can also discuss and reference other writers we didn’t discuss in class.

Section 4: Why you think your position is the best position.

Why are your philosopher(s)’s reasons and arguments more reasonable?

Why are the opposing philosopher(s)’s reasons and arguments less reasonable?

Do you have any other reasons and arguments not discussed by them?

Works-Cited Section.

List all the works you referenced in your paper.

(You all should include the textbook and some author from class, at least!)