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Question: I got a zero on my existentialism final!.!.!.was it warranted!?
I did very well throughout the class, earning high marks on tests and essays!. We were then assigned a final project, and it could be anything having to do with existentialism!. I knew I was taking a risk and decided to deliver a hand written, one page letter to my professor declaring that I didn't need a final to define the knowledge I had gained from the course, and so I was opting not to participate!. I cited the very philosophers we had dissected in class as support for my decision!.
I got a zero!. This pulled my grade from a 98% to a 78% (I'm a 4!.0 student, so this was hard for me to accept)
Be honest, was this deserved!?Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Sure!. And you're absolutely right, you don't need to participate!.

And you don't need a passing grade either!.

Congratulations!

No really, this is great!. Don't take it too seriously!.

I agree, it was a bright idea!. But if you really understood what you were doing, getting the zero shouldn't bother you!.

Or rather I should say, you should have considered whether you wanted a passing grade or not!.

But yeah, cheer up!. Grades don't mean a whole lot in the real world!.

You probably just got a lot more out of this class than a lot people who aced it ever did!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Umm!.!.!.
Let's see!.!.!.

You knew what the professor wanted!. You knew you were taking a risk, but decided to give him a 1 page hand written letter saying you didn't want to do the work!. He gave you a grade comensurate with the work you did - nothing!.

And now you feel cheated!?

Sounds like you got a practical illustration of existentialist principles - you can believe and live as you like, as long as you are willing to live with the consequences!. After all, it is your life and your reality!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Yes it was!.


You chose not to do the final!. It's obvious that this final was a big chunk of your grade in this class!. You got the grade you deserve!.


However, you can try to redeem yourself by turning in the project late, if allowed!. If not, then chalk up the final grade to your own stupidity & continue your classes towards your chosen career path!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Hi, I'm only answering because these other two people that answered are jerks!. I understand what you're saying and your letter might have demonstrated a better understanding of existentialism than a report you could have written!. If your instructor cared about what you actually learned from class he would have at least given you some points!. After all, you at least wrote a page!.

I'm not sure if you deserve an A but you certainly should have got something!. Sometimes your instructors stand in your way more than they help you out!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

you moron! Just remember the law and all rules of nature and society are a poor interpretation of the needs of the individual!. While that is and always will be the case, they represent a cage the frontiers of which are never so clear!. Just do what people tell you and reflect on how bad it is like we all have to!. You see where you failed was in realizing the philosophy of existentialism has never had any practical application in society and whether you were trying to be funny, ironic etc!.!.!. it was clearly a display of existentialism!. This society judges us harshly and all we can say is damn them!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

You don't live in a philosophical bubble!. Obviously if you had a 4!.0, you know that regardless of what you gain in knowledge, if you don't play by the rules, you get kicked out!. Sounds like what some of my smart *** friends would do!. If I was a professor, I would give you a zero too!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Yes it was warranted!.

By handing in that letter, you were basically saying you didn't care about grades, but about philosophy itself!.

So you can't complain now about your grades being affected - that would be hypocritical!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It was!. It learned you something about existentialism too: you' re free to choose but there are consequences from your choices that you have to bear!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

You did nothing wrong!. Cheer up for your decision!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Existentially speaking:

You made a choice to write that declaration!.

Subsequent to that, your instructor made a choice to grade it accordingly!.

Both actions are great examples of how our lives are basically the result of a series of choices that are made against the backdrop of life and others!. The choices your instructor made as he was grading the essays of your classmates could also be categorized the same way, but without nearly the same level of stark lucidity that serves as a great example of existentialism in action!.

Instead of citing great philosophers as support, what you should've done was to continue forth in your declaration to predict that you would receive a zero because of the role your instructor would play as he responded to the choice that you had made!. See, in this way, you get to have your cake and eat it too, so to speak!. You still have written the declaration, but you'd have also addressed the essence of the assignment!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Yes, the grade was deserved!.

Your conclusion is true and irrelevant!.
i!.e!." I didn't need a final to define the knowledge I had gained from the course,"

This is not what a grade is!.

As someone who also takes fliers like this I can tell you that you shouldn't expect anyone to reward your efforts to make a point!. Making the point will have to be enough for you, otherwise don't do it!. I did a similar thing in an english class where I turned in a paper arguing the inappropriateness of a requirement in the course!. I got a C for the course!.

!.Www@QuestionHome@Com