Assignment 1: Essay 

The focus is on brief but important primary source material written by major authors. Read the selections as identified with each topic below. Write a three to four (3-4) paragraph essay (250 words minimum) which analyzes the “surprise ending” of the reading selection. 

Topic Choices 

 Reading selection from Descartes’ Discourse on the Method (Part IV). Descartes begins with a 

proof of one basic conclusion and ends with a proof of something much grander. Remember to 

focus on the surprise and point of realization, not the details of the philosophical argument. Read 

Part IV of the Discourse on the Method located at 

http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/authors/descartes.html. This is only four or five (4 or 5) pages 

of the larger work. 

Requirements:

1. Clearly state in your own words the “surprise ending” in the reading you selected. Clearly identify 

the point in the reading when you realized that there were elements in the reading that surprised 

you. Not all of the surprises come at the end. 

2. Evaluate how successful the author was in convincing you to accept the validity of the “surprise 

ending” that was different from what you expected. 

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements: 

 Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all 

sides; citations and references must follow APA Style format. Check with your professor for any 

additional instructions. (Note: Students can find APA style materials located in the couurse shell 

for reference) 

 Include a cover page containing the tile of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s 

name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in 

the required assignment page length. 

 Use the source(s) identified above for the topic you choose, focusing on the main primary source 

of that author. You may use additional sources also if they are of good academic quality for 

college papers (Wikipedia and similar websites do not qualify). Use proper APA style in-text citing 

and also a matching APA style References list at the end. 

 Explain how key social, cultural, and artistic contributions contribute to historical changes. 

 Explain the importance of situating a society’s cultural and artistic expressions within a historical 

context. 

 Examine the influences of intellectual, religious, political, and socio-economic forces on social, 

cultural, and artistic expressions. 

 Identify major historical developments in world cultures from the Renaissance to the 

contemporary period. 

 Use technology and information resources to research issues in the study of world cultures. 

 Write clearly and concisely about world cultures using proper writing mechanics.