- The point of having you write a philosophy paper is for you
to
develop the ability to
- comprehend,
- reconstruct,
- analyze,
- evaluate, and
- argue.
- Also, to articulate your thoughts in a
- clear,
- concise, and
- well-organized manner.
- Clearly define your thesis before you begin writing.
- Your thesis should not be trivial.
- You must support your views by presenting arguments.
- Avoid the use of inflammatory language and
name-calling.
- Your arguments must ultimately rest upon assumptions that even
a
reasonable person of the opposing view would accept.
- The following are two of the most common strategies for
arguing against
a claim:
- Reductio ad Absurdum,
- Presenting a Counter-example.
- To criticize an argument, state it first in a fair and
sympathetic
way. Even make charitable revisions.
- A word must be defined if:
- it is a technical term,
- it's meaning is not sufficiently clear or precise;
or
- it is used to mean something other than what it ordinarily
means.
- Unless it provides necessary background or supports your
thesis,
it is irrelevant.
- State your thesis.
- Explain the order in which you will argue.
- Always make and retain a photocopy of your paper.
- Rough drafts shouldn't be "rough" at all.
- Choose an issue that intrigues you, about which you have
something
to add.
- Review the materials and jot down your ideas about them.
- Develope your own take on the issue. If not, then consider two
opposing
viewpoints and try to work out which one has the more plausible
position
and why. Your thesis can be that philosopher X's argument is
unsound.
- Outline all your arguments and the structure of your
paper.
- Take a break for a week.
- Go over the arguments you outlined a week ago and look at
them from
the perspective of someone with the opposing viewpoint. Would she
accept
your premises? Your reasoning? What objections might she
raise? Try
to respond to potential criticisms, and incorporate your responses
into your
paper.
- Write your paper. Save the introduction for last. The
introduction
and conclusion should mirror one another.
- Take a break again for a few days. Then read your paper out
loud.