distributed/posted March 22, 2010
The final paper for this course should be 8-10 pages long (not 10-12 pages, as originally stated on the syllabus). There are two suggested topics below, plus instructions on how to suggest and seek approval for a topic of your own:
1. Write a paper that (a) lays out the role of "knowledge" in Martin Heidegger's description of the life of Christian faith in his essay "Phenomenology and Theology" and in Emmanuel Levinas's account of revelation in Judaism; and (b) identifies important points of convergence between those two accounts of how knowledge figures into the human-divine relationship. If you wish, you may also (c) identify at least one important point of divergence between the two accounts and try to explain how understanding the different philosophical projects of each thinker might help us make sense of that divergence.
2. Write a paper that (a) explains what Jean-Luc Marion means by "idolatry"; (b) briefly describes what Heidegger means by "onto-theology"; and (c) demonstrates how Marion draws on Heidegger's thinking about "onto-theology" in order to develop his concept of "idolatry" and launch his own critical approach to thinking God.
3. Writing a final paper on a topic of your own design that relates to the readings in the course is also an option. You must seek approval of your topic from me. In order to do this, please submit an initial one-page proposal of your topic to me by our class meeting of March 24, to be developed and discussed further with me on March 25-26. Your proposal should consist of one or more well-written paragraphs, should give a clear formulation of an overall question that your paper will pursue (with sub-questions to be answered, if applicable), and should also indicate which parts of which works we have been studying you will be looking at in order to address that question, as well as any additional texts you think you might consult. Please contact me if you would like to discuss this option, or your ideas for it, in detail.
General Guidelines
Whatever topic you choose, make sure to base your discussion on careful, well-substantiated readings of the texts by Heidegger, Marion, Levinas, and/or Derrida that you choose to focus it on.
As you prepare to write your essay, please consult my "Tips for Writing an Effective Paper" and draw upon what you have learned from my comments on your Text Summary and Text Preparation assignments and from class discussions about writing matters.
It might also be helpful for you to meet with a writing consultant--for instance at the Writing Clinic at the Center for Student Development on campus--during the writing process.
FINAL PAPER TIMELINE
Friday, March 26: You have the option to submit a one-page proposal for this paper along with a proposed outline for the paper and to receive immediate feedback from me on these materials at a meeting to be scheduled for this day.
A paper proposal should consist of one or more well-written paragraphs, should give a clear formulation of an overall question that your paper will pursue (with sub-questions to be answered, if applicable), and should indicate which parts of which works we have been studying you will be looking at in order to address that question, as well as any additional texts you think you might consult.
Monday, April 5: You have the option to submit a final draft with outline of your paper in my office hours (3:15-4:15 p.m.) today, or at another time and place to be arranged with me in advance, in order to receive feedback.
There are two deadlines for the final submission of this paper - to Dr. Hollander's department mailbox (UH 104):
Monday, April 12, 4 p.m.: deadline for those who wish to receive their papers back with comments along with a grade.