Students will engage in focused, in-depth philosophical inquiry on a single topic of their choosing, demonstrating depth of understanding, appreciation of the historic and current state of the discussion, philosophical acuity, independent thinking and a broad perspective on how their special topic fits into other areas and types of philosophy, and relates to neighbouring disciplines. There are three capstone options possible.

Range of topics and formats

Unusual Capstones may be permitted. For example, there may be practical components to one’s capstone project; the appropriate nature of this, and its relation to the final written work (which it will not replace) will be determined in conjunction with the capstone supervisor. In addition, the final written product may also take non-traditional generic forms (e.g., a dramatic dialogue or a philosophical novel).

Students should tentatively decide how to fulfill their capstone requirement by the end of Week 14 of Semester 2, Year 3. Absent strongly extenuating circumstances, students may not change their mind about this after the end of Week 2 of Semester 1, Year 4.

In order to balance student need with a credible culminating experience, HoS may, in special circumstances, and with approval from the Capstone Committee, decide to allow a student to take 5 unit of their capstone requirement in the second semester of their junior year. In other words: at least 5 unit should be taken in the senior year; both 5 unit courses should be taken within the final three semesters.

Option 1: Two 4000-level courses:

2 x 4K courses, either in the same semester or in different semesters, with a modification in the final assignment only for those using this to fulfill their capstone requirement:

First, an extended paper (suggested length: 3,000-4,000 words). In the interest of independence, it is the student’s job to identify a topic and a thesis, although the instructor can provide guidance.

Second, for each paper, an oral presentation summarizing the work (suggested length: 15 min) followed by a 15-min Q&A (first half reserved for student questions; second half reserved for instructor questions). These will be worked into the final grade for the course as the instructor sees fit. When grading this final assignment, the instructor might wish to weigh the paper as 85% and the Q&A as 15%.

Option 2: Single 4000-level course plus Capstone Seminar:

A single 4K course, modified as described above (in our first option), plus completion of the Capstone seminar and a capstone paper in Sem 1 of Year 4 (which may be taken remotely, if necessary, by students studying abroad). Those who choose this option will complete the following requirements for the capstone paper:

A capstone paper written during the course of the capstone seminar showing substantial independent thought (suggested length: 3000-4000 words). An oral presentation summarizing the work (suggested length: 15 min), followed by a 15-min Q&A (first half reserved for student questions; second half reserved for instructor questions).  For the final capstone seminar grade, the paper will count as 75% and the Q&A as 10%, with the remainder the same as other capstone seminar students: 10% work-in-progress and 5% participation.

Option 3: Standard capstone option:

Over the course of a year, guided by a faculty member, the student will write a thesis on a topic—one that emphasizes independent thought—in the context of a year-long Capstone Research Seminar. The thesis will typically be about 8,000-10,000 words long, though lengths may vary; it will usually be a single essay, though it may (in consultation with one’s capstone supervisor) consist in distinct but related essays which together accomplish significant philosophical work; and the central thrust of the thesis will be to develop and demonstrate independent thought.

The Capstone Seminar

This seminar meets weekly, for three hours. The central purpose of the capstone seminar meetings is to support students in their successful completion of an excellent capstone. It will explore the following:

• Research skills (e.g., how to make writing a habit; how to find relevant literature; how to identify an appropriate project; perhaps how to write an annotated bibliography)
• Capstone writing skills (e.g., how to identify a topic that is neither too broad nor too narrow; how to engage with the literature; how to structure your ideas; how to revise; how to write an abstract).
• Presentation skills (e.g., how to select what to present; how to structure ideas; how to use voice and body language effectively).
• Discussion skills (e.g., how to ask a good question, for example by distinguishing (if relevant) the context, your question or comment, and its significance; how to give a good response to a question).

Philosophy students have written about a wide range of topics for their capstones. What follows is a selection of capstone titles from former Yale-NUS Philosophy students to demonstrate the wide variety of research topics they focus on:

• From Self-Cultivation to Political Constraint: A Confucian Case for Shaming Rulers
• New Materialist Ecofeminism: Reconceptualizing the Body as Fluid and Embedded in Nature
• Surveying the Grounds: A Defense of Relative Fundamentality
• Collective Responsibility for Sexual Violence
• The Bases of Filial Duties: A Defence of the Friendship Theory
• Money for Morality’s Sake: Achieving Moral Outcomes in a Capitalist Society
• Fighting Bob’s Democracy: The Compelling Case for a La Follette Progressivism
• Iris Murdoch’s Buddhist Platonism
• Connecting Moments of Experience
• Direct Phenomenal Transparency and A Theory of Consciousness