Description This assignment is to be written after you complete Unit 3, and is worth 20% of the final grade. It is to be written in paragraph form, not in point form. The assignment can be in either MLA or APA format, but the important thing is to choose a format and apply it consistently throughout. This assignment is composed of discussion questions taken with slight variations in wording from Units 1-3 in the Study Guide, as is Part I of the final examination. Therefore, the best way to prepare for it (and for the final examination) is to write down your answers to each of the discussion questions as you come to them in the units. If you have specific questions or particular concerns you may consult with your tutor. Please answer three of the following questions in approximately 500 words each. Structure each answer as a mini essay, following the guidelines in the section of the Course Information titled “Writing Essays.” 1. What do you think “health” means, and why? In answering this question, be sure to consider the various definitions of health offered in Unit 1. 2. What are some of the determinants of health? Which ones do you think are most important, and why? 3. Summarize, in your own words, the most important features of each of the moral theories studied in Unit 2 (utilitarian, Kantian, Aristotelian, feminist). 4. What do you think are the greatest advantages of the modified-egalitarian model as compared to the libertarian model of resource allocation? Do they outweigh its disadvantages? Why or why not? 5. With respect to micro-allocation, would you consider yourself a utilitarian, a bare Kantian, a fair Kantian, or something else? Justify your answer. An essay written for a university course serves two main purposes. The first and most obvious is pedagogical: researching a topic and writing about it is an excellent way of learning. The second function served is evaluation: an essay enables the instructor to assess the student’s ability to explain the subject in a lucid and cogent fashion, to integrate the different types of material covered, to analyze events or themes, and to place them in a comprehensible order?in short, to evaluate the writer’s mastery of the subject matter. During their university studies, students will write many essays. It therefore makes sense to learn at the outset how to organize, write, and document a university paper. Although developing good essay writing skills is important, it need not be an arduous task. The following are a few basic principles and rules to keep in mind. An essay should have an evident structure. Open your essay with an introduction that states the problem you wish to explore, or the question you plan to answer. Examine the most important facets of the topic, and discuss the issues that have been (or ought to be) the subject of scholarly debate. Then develop your own argument, and present your evidence in the body of the essay. When your argument is complete and well presented, end your work with a conclusion that summarizes the problem or question and states your judgement or answer. An essay should convey the key elements of an argument, and the evidence supporting the intellectual position argued. In this sense, an essay is like a legal case: it contains a point of view (perhaps more than one) expressed logically; it presents appropriate evidence to support the views expressed; and it leads to a conclusion that should appear natural and persuasive in light of the evidence presented. An essay must therefore contain a thesis, supported by evidence that has been appropriately documented by footnotes or endnotes. It must also contain a non-partisan discussion and analysis of the material. Hence, in this crucial respect, an essay is not like a legal case: it must be balanced and judicious, taking opposing arguments into account, and recognizing where the available information is insufficient or inconclusive. An essay must be based on adequate and appropriate reading and reflection, and must always acknowledge intellectual indebtedness through proper citations. A superior essay should also show evidence of individual thought: originality will be valued highly by the marker, provided, of course, that the case is properly argued and not merely eccentric. Your grade will reflect how well you have met these standards. In attempting to achieve these goals, you will develop and practise several intellectual skills that will prove invaluable to you throughout your university career. They are the ability to synthesize information from a variety of sources. the ability to analyze the significance of primary source material. the ability to make appropriate use of secondary source material (for example, summarizing the research that has been done on a topic, placing it in context, and noting similarities to and differences from other writers’ presentations). the habit of documenting, carefully and honestly, the sources of your information and ideas. the ability to develop a cogent, balanced, and well-supported argument. These skills are necessary for essay writing, and they are developed by essay writing. One of the benefits of refining these skills is that they will serve you, not only in the classroom, but also in every other area of your life. The Mechanics of Essay Construction There is no single model that you must follow to write a good essay. Thoughtful, creative, and well-argued essays may be organized in various ways. However, we have endeavoured to provide some detailed guidelines that, if followed carefully and sensibly, should go a long way toward ensuring that an essay is satisfactory in its form and structure. If you need help with the mechanics of constructing essays, the following suggestions will help you to organize and write your assignments. The guidelines are presented in five sections, titled “Introduction,” “Organization,” “Editing,” “Bibliography” and “Reference Books.”
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