• Exam on the history of philosophy
• Senior Essay
• Departmental honors

It is generally expected that students will fulfill the exam portion of the capstone experience during the fall semester of their senior year and the senior essay portion during the spring semester of their senior year.  If adjustments need to be made to this schedule due to off-campus study or for other reasons, a student may petition the Philosophy Department and present a different proposed schedule and a rationale for why this adjustment should be made. 

Exam on the History of Philosophy

Six exam questions will be distributed by the end of the first week of classes.  Each student will be required to answer four of the six  questions in essays of no more than 3000 words using highly stylized, well-crafted, and edited writing.  Accompanying each essay should be a one-page outline (not included in the word count of the essay) and a formal bibliography for any sources used, including any citations resulting from collaboration with your peers.  That is to say, collaboration is allowed, but if you develop an idea that you gained through collaboration you must cite the peer who suggested what you included in your essay.  When you write your essays you must write alone, but be sure to give credit where credit is properly due.  The essays that you submit should be of a quality that they could reasonably be considered for publication in an undergraduate journal.

The exam will be due back to the faculty (as an electronic Word.doc attachment) by noon on the Friday prior to Thanksgiving. Any exam turned in late will receive a 2/3grade reduction for every day it is late.  An exam is a day late even if it is only a minute past the hour it is due.

Guidelines for Your Answers

These guidelines will be printed on the question sheet itself. We publish them here as well to give you a preview of the exam requirements.

Unless a question is clearly about just one philosopher, always be specific in exegesis or analysis with two or three philosophers, even if you also paint a larger picture. Within the constraints of the question, aim for depth over breadth.

When a question asks you to "compare and contrast" two philosophers, then state their views, state their arguments, describe the important similarities and differences between their views (and their arguments), and show how they would respond to one another's arguments.

You may not have read every philosopher named in the questions. Sometimes the unfamiliar philosophers are optional and you may focus your answers on those you have already read in classes. But sometimes an unfamiliar philosopher will not be optional. This is a deliberate departmental decision, not an oversight. To prepare a small number of philosophers on your own, or with peers, is a valuable exercise for which you are ready.

When summarizing the views of a philosopher, cover the arguments as well as the conclusions. Argue cogently for all your important conclusions. Write for the philosophical public, not just for your professors, your peers, or yourself.

The chief criteria in grading will be: directness of your answer to the question, clarity of writing, cogency of supporting argument, and sensitivity to textual and doctrinal complexity.

General Comments on the History Exam

1. The students taking the history exam will register for Comprehensive Independent Study (CIS). Their overall grade of the exam will be recorded as CIS course grade (2 credits).
2. The exam will be graded by two full-time members of the department.
3. The exams are fully graded, not pass/fail. The graders do not attempt to reach consensus on the grades. Your overall grade will be the simple average of the two grades reached by your two graders, and this will be recorded as your CIS grade.
4. If you fail the history of philosophy exam, then you may take a make-up exam during the spring semester of the same year. Your grade for CIS will be recorded as F.  You will have to register for CIS again in the spring semester.  On the first day of the spring semester, we will give you a new set of questions chosen by the department. You will take the exam in the same way and approximately with the same time-table as you did during the fall semester.  The exam will be graded by two Earlham philosophers chosen by the convenor. 

Senior Essay

Each student will produce a 25-30 page senior essay.  This essay will be based upon a paper that was previously submitted for a class, but it will include a focused deepening of research on the topic that demonstrates engagement with the secondary literature on the topic.  Accordingly, the final product will have an annotated bibliography (included in the page count above.)  In order to determine which paper will provide the basis for this project, each student will submit, by the last class day of the fall semester, two of her or his representative, previously graded essays, along with a brief explanation regarding why the student is interested in working further on these papers.  The student will also make arrangements to choose his or her primary reader. The primary reader and the student will decide on one of the two essays submitted to be developed into a senior essay.   A second reader for the essay also will be assigned by the Department through consultation with the student.  Generally the second reader will be another Earlham philosopher; if deemed appropriate, the Department will consider a request from a student for a second reader outside of the Philosophy Department.  It is expected that the student will meet with her or his advisor regularly before the essay is due, in order to receive appropriate guidance on this project. 

The first version of the essay will be due on approximately mid-March.  Any essay turned in late will receive a 2/3 grade reduction for every day it is late.  An essay is a day late even if it is only a minute past the hour it is due. The student will have an opportunity to revise his or her paper after receiving the comments from the readers. The final version of the essay will be due approximately 2 weeks after the student receives the comments on the first version.

General Comments on the Senior Essay

1. The students writing their senior essays will register for Thesis Independent Study (TIS). Their overall grade of the Essay will be recorded as TIS course grade (2 credits)
2. The supervisor of your TIS must be one of the full-time members of the department (Ferit, Kevin, Marya, Charles). We will not refuse a request to supervise a TIS unless we are on leave, on sabbatical, or are already committed to leading a larges number of that year's TIS's.
3. If your topic is interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary, you may want additional readers from other departments or programs. You may have as many as you can persuade to take part. However, only the two graders will have a voice in your grade.
4. The Essay is fully graded, not pass/fail. The readers do not attempt to reach consensus on the grades. Your overall grade will be the simple average of the two grades reached by your two readers. Your grade will be calculated according to the following distribution: First Version: 30%;  Final Version: 60%; Annotated bibliography: 10%.
5. Your readers may require you to read a reasonable number of specific essays or books relevant to your topic. Apart from these readings, your research is self-guiding.
6. It's never too soon for declared philosophy majors to start thinking about topics and readers. Any of the philosophy faculty would be happy to talk through your ideas with you.

Departmental Honors

The college has set four requirements for departmental honors:

1. GPA of at least 3.4 in all graded courses in the junior and senior years (inside and outside the major field),
2. GPA of at least 3.65 in all upperclass courses in the major field (courses numbered 300 and above),
3. a grade of "pass with honor" on comps, and
4. a specific individual project of "marked distinction and worthy of mention to the College as 'honorable'".

The department decided in March 1997 that item #3 is the written examination on the history of philosophy, with a grade of A or A-. Item #4 is the senior Essay, with a grade of A or A-.

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