Explore sovereignty in Hobbes. What, according to Hobbes, are the basic functions of sovereignty, that is, what is it that a sovereign does; and what are the ways that sovereignty is created? Can sovereignty ever be divided? What are the implications of his views on sovereignty for his political theory?
ONLY USE HOBBES LEVIATHAN AS SOURCE. NO SECONDARY SOURCES
Guidelines for Papers
Your paper is supposed to be an interpretation of some aspect of the work(s): in other words, an argumentconcerning some aspect of the work based on analysis of relevant textual evidence. Your paper is not supposed to be a summary of the work, a statement of your opinion about the work, or a discussion of its historical significance or relevance. Frame your paper as an investigation of why and how the author makes the argument he or she does rather than simply saying what is said. Do not summarize. Turn your topic into an argument.
2. Give a clear statement of your argument at the beginning of your paper (e.g. a thesis statement in the introductory paragraph followed by a roadmap of what your argument will explore).
3. Unify your paper with a single argument with a logical development from one step of the argument to the next. Do not make your paper a collection of separate points or examples.
4. Every time you state that the author states or argues something you should have evidence to support your statement, either in the form of a quotation or a specific textual reference. Only quote what you need for your purposes. Try to look at your quotations as something more than mere evidence, and instead as material that you can analyze (break down into its parts in order to interpret it) in order to make your argument.
5. Use clear and simple language, but a formal style. Obscurity is not profundity. Make sure that you know the meaning of the words you use. You are writing a formal paper, not an email message. Avoid colloquial or chatty language. Do not use contractions: not using them reminds you of the appropriate level of discourse for your paper.
Criteria for assessing your work:
Do you have a clear statement of your argument?
Do you provide relevant evidence?
Is your writing clear?
Do you demonstrate understanding of the work(s) you are analyzing?
To what degree do you address the most important questions and problems posed by the work(s) you are interpreting?
Warning: If your paper is effectively a summary of the work rather than an interpretation of it or an argument about it, then the best grade you can possibly receive is a C+. If your paper is a statement of your opinion about the work or a discussion of its applicability or relevance, then the best grade you can possibly receive is a C.
Please see this paper workshop lecture for further help:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1y9pb50fd2B4y3DSmPQsoJZ2Hs8JwOOKD4WTDB9PDWz8/edit?usp=sharing (Links to an external site.)
Practical matters:
State your prompt
Double-spaced
12 point font
1 inch margins
Cite the works by page numbers in parentheses after the relevant reference or quotation. If you need to clarify which work you are using, simply add the author. For instance, you might say: Locke’s theory of property is based upon the idea that something becomes one’s own when an individual mixes their labor with an object, as “whatsoever then he removes out of the State that Nature hath provided, and left it in, he hath mixed his Labour with, and joyned to it something that is his own, and thereby makes it his property” (Locke, Second Treatise, Sec. 27).
Papers should be organized: introduction, body paragraphs supporting the main argument, conclusion
Include a works cited page/bibliography
Please put a word count at the end of the paper
The paper for this class is supposed to be an interpretation of the relevant text(s) based on your careful reading of those texts. You defend your interpretation by providing the relevant textual evidence and analyzing it in order to build up a logical case for your interpretation. You should not use secondary sources (i.e. sources other than the philosophical text we are reading), and the papers must not have any extraneous material in them, for example, praise of the author and his importance to western philosophy, or historical examples that buttress the argument. Your papers are not supposed to be opinion pieces or personal philosophical statements. The goal of paper assignments is for you to think critically about the arguments of the author in question based on your own reading of the text.
Last Completed Projects
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