Read https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/the-case-for-not-bein

Read https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/the-case-for-not-being-born (Links to an external site.), then write a 2-page paper summarizing David Benatar’s (not Joshua Rothman’s) argument through the Toulmin Method while analyzing the effectiveness of the author’s argument.
You’ll only have two pages to complete this assignment, so make sure you don’t try to summarize and analyze everything within the argument. Instead, it’s best to choose two Claims and analyze how effectively they support the Main Claim (with one paragraph each) through the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of their Reasonings, Warrants, and Rhetorical Strategies. Remember that it’s not enough to just claim that the author’s argument is effective or ineffective, but rather you need to prove to me that it is effective or ineffective. To do so, you’ll need your own analysis of the argument, along with quotes from the text cited in standard MLA format based on paragraph number: (Rothman par. 4).
With a paragraph for introduction (Give me the author’s name, the article’s title, David Benatar’s Main Claim, and whether you find that Main Claim to be effective or ineffective), and another for the conclusion (summarize your points and reiterate your thesis), that should leave you with 2 full pages. If you go over 2 pages, that’s fine, but don’t hit 4.
Halfway through the second page is what is considered 2 pages. Any less than that will be docked points, and more than a page less than the requirement will result in a failing grade. Late submissions will be docked points, and more than a week late will not be accepted.
Standard MLA format is required, that means Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1 inch margins, a header with your last name and the page number (ex. Judd 1), the standard beginning information at the top of the first page (Your name, my name, the class name, and the name of the assignment or the date of the assignment), and a funny or interesting title.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Once again, don’t worry if you don’t know how to analyze. We’ll go over it in-depth throughout the class, and I won’t grade harshly for this first paper. I just want to see what your skills are at the start of the semester. ^_^
This assignment satisfies the 1st, 4th, and 5th SLO’s.
Here is the rubric:
A – Student has turned in a paper before the cut-off point that is full-length, with minimal formatting or grammatical issues and conforming to the standard MLA format, and including (if required) a Works Cited page. The student’s analysis demonstrates understanding and mastery of Rhetorical Strategies, Modes, and the Toulmin Method. The paper only briefly summarizes the author’s points in order to analyze them. Analysis effectively supports a claim (about the level of persuasiveness shown by the argument being analyzed), and would convince an unbiased but rhetorically educated audience to agree with that claim through careful and logical argumentation.
B – The student’s analysis demonstrates understanding of Rhetorical Strategies, Modes, and the Toulmin Method. There may be equal parts of summary as analysis. The analysis effectively supports a claim (about the level of persuasiveness shown by the argument being analyzed), and would convince an unbiased but rhetorically educated audience to agree with that claim through careful and logical argumentation. Formatting or grammatical errors may be keeping this from an A grade. If the paper is no more than half-a-page too short, is missing a Works Cited page, has regular formatting or grammatical issues, or was turned in late, it cannot receive a higher grade than a B. Multiple errors in the aforementioned regards may take the grade down even further.
C – The student’s analysis demonstrates adequate understanding of Rhetorical Strategies, Modes, and the Toulmin Method, but the analysis may be flawed in some way. If the paper has an abundance of summary with very little analysis, or if the analysis shown is brief and vague, or if the analysis shows elements of circular reasoning, it cannot receive a grade higher than a C. Additionally, if the paper is less than a full page short but greater than half-a-page, or was turned in more than a day late, it cannot receive a grade higher than a C. Lastly, if the paper has multiple examples of the following—is missing a Works Cited page, or has significant formatting or grammatical issues, or does not conform to standard MLA formatting—it cannot receive a grade higher than a C.
D – The paper is entirely summary, is greater than a page too short, or includes many-to-all of the issues mentioned in the previous entries: formatting and grammatical issues, missing a Works Cited page, late, and not conforming to MLA format. If the paper was turned in more than two days after the cut-off point, it cannot receive a higher grade than a D.
F – The paper is less than half the length required, or was not turned in within four days of the cut-off point. This could also be applied to a paper that has evidence of plagiarism or academic dishonesty in general. This could also be applied to a paper that is unrelated to the actual prompt.