DISCUSSION QUESTION GUIDE†
You must write a discussion question—relevant to that week’s required reading—for section
each week. However, you will not submit your question at every meeting. Instead, you will submit a
total of 10 questions throughout the semester, each worth 10 points. These submissions will work like
a pop quiz. You will not know whether you are required to submit your question that week until you
arrive in section. Failure to submit your question when prompted will result in a 0 for that assignment.
The purpose of this weekly assignment is to encourage close reading of course materials, and
incentivize section attendance. Please bring a device with which you can access Canvas, and
your discussion question, to section each week.
You will learn how to ask 3 kinds of questions this semester: clarificatory, examining, and exploratory. You
will receive a separate handout with detailed information about each kind of question.
For now, you may ask only clarificatory questions. Do not ask examining or exploratory questions
until we cover them in sections. Do not work ahead. Submitting the wrong type of question will harm
your grade. It will be made abundantly clear when you are permitted to ask the other kinds of
questions. Once we get the hang of clarificatory questions, as a class, we will add two other sorts of
questions to your philosophical toolbox, one at a time. We will likely add examining questions at the
end of or mid-September and exploratory questions in October.
BASIC CRITERIA
Your question must be 4-8 sentences. This is a strict minimum and maximum—you should
not exceed 8 sentences, nor should you submit less than 4 sentences. Aim for 6 sentences.
Your question must be of the assigned question kind(s).
You must indicate what type of question you are asking (clarificatory, examining, or
exploratory). Remember: We will begin only asking clarificatory questions.
Your question must be relevant to the current week’s required readings. This does not
include recommended reading or other additional materials.
Write questions that will cultivate meaningful discussion. This is the main purpose of your
question. You should be able to envision fruitful discussion based on your question.
QUICK TIPS
If you want to cultivate success in writing discussion questions, then do these things:
Focus primarily on understanding the text.
Be concise. Say exactly what you mean.
Be clear. Write as if the person reading your question has very little knowledge (or none) of
the content. Do not assume the reader knows what you mean, especially if the reader is a
philosopher!
Read the text. Write your question. Re-read the text (at least the portion relevant to your
query). Edit your question. Your first draft will likely not suffice.
† I borrowed and made adaptations to much of this material from Elise Whatley. I am extremely grateful to Elise.
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Do not write your question right before section. Give yourself plenty of time to think
about it after reading the material.
WHAT TO AVOID
Avoid questions like the following (if you want to cultivate success in writing discussion questions, then do not do this):
“The author says X is true. What do you think?”
“Would society accept X?”
“How/when does something become a convention?”
“Is X applied outside of philosophy?”
“Is doing X legal?”
“Did people think X was wrong in 1800?”
“Who are we to judge?”
Such questions are not quite in the spirit of philosophy. They are psychological, sociological, historical, legal, or simply
low effort.
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