I want to ask the prof about how to get a good mark on the essay he assigns. I want to know specifically whether or not he cares about the conclusions we come to.
Should I just BS the paper & put down what he wants to hear? I know he’s a devote Catholic & has been affiliated with the sect of Opus Dei.
I went to the office of the ombudsperson to ask about policies. They suggested that I drop the course. The alternative is to go through a long process of filing a petition if I feel a grade I receive is unwarranted (but my grade couldn’t be changed). They pointed out that philosophy isn’t like a math where an answer is right or wrong. There’s more grey area to assign a poor mark to “lack of academic rigour” rather than favouritism towards a particular conclusion.
I just don’t want to receive a bad mark for being honest about my beliefs. How can I ask him how we’re going to be marked without implying that he’ll pick favourites?
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Very Religious Philosophy Prof – How Should I Ask Him A Question?
Posted on January 18, 2013.
I would apply academic rigor to the essays & keep it in the third person with citations & plenty of academic rigor to back it up. If he asks for a reaction paper, that’s the time to ask, maybe in his office, to find out if he wants your ideas & beliefs in 1st person. In other words, stay out of that gray area, but consult with him to be sure.
Also, you need to know if this is the type of paper in which you’re supposed to say what several philosophers say on the topic, is this the type when you focus once again on what you believe to his & perhaps yours. Whenever possible, avoid any areas in which yours & his even enters the picture. If you like, you could ask him about his own beliefs in his office, asking how that has affected his interest in his subject area. Seems like you might be kind of curious about that. At the same time, ask if students should discuss that type of idea in their papers, or very specifically, not supposed to bring it up. In other words, satisfy your curiosity because it might be interesting but leave it out of the paper. That’s what I would do
Btw, for any class, it’s always a good idea to get your topic approved. Also, find out if he wants it to be in first, second, or third person. Some want even a reaction paper to be written in third person. Also, avoid saying, “I think…” The professor may write on the paper, “We know it’s what you think. You wrote the paper.” You must always support any opinions & not just say that it’s what you think..
Other than the suggestion I made on the other question you posted your options are limited.
– You can withdraw from the course. That is better than receiving a failing grade.
– You can give the answers you believe the prof wants to read. This is no guarantee you’ll get a good grade.
– You can hope that the prof is not biased and will appreciate your points of view regardless of his own religious beliefs.
While there are no right or wrong answers when it comes to philosophical matters it is difficult to grade subjectively without personal biases affecting the marker. This doesn’t necessarily translate into favouritism. I’ve graded papers many times and did not agree with the author but appreciated how the argument was presented.
You will need to decide based on personal observation how you feel about this prof and go from there. By the sounds of it you’ve already come to your own conclusions.
It will not matter whether you speak to the prof. If you get a low grade even after being assured he is a fair marker you will probably assume he wasn’t being truthful.
Edit:
Well if dropping the course is not an option then that simplifies things somewhat. I guess you will have to go with your instincts and either give answers that you think the prof will “approve” of or take a leap of “faith” [pun intended] and hope he has an open mind about the kinds of answers you give. There is not much more wiggle room than that. Good luck.