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The aim of the assignments in your philosophy classes is to get you doing philosophy. But what is philosophy, and how is it to be done? The answer is complicated. Philosophers are often motivated by one or more of what we might call the “Big Questions,” such as: How should we live? Is there free will? How do we know anything? or, What is truth?
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You will at the very least need to give a brief definition near the start of your essay, though, depending on how you want to answer the question, you may need to go into more detail. In this case, there are several different versions or theories of egoism, and you may want to argue,
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- Read The Texts Carefully, Asking Questions
- Organize Your Ideas Into A Logical Structure
- Augment Your Thesis with A Road Map That Reveals The Structure of Your Argument
- Show Your Understanding Through Clear and Accurate Exposition
- Critically Evaluate A Philosophical Theory
- Develop Your Own Answers to Philosophical Questions
Before you write a paper, though, you need to understand the course texts and recommended readings. Philosophical works need to be read slowly and with focused attention. As you read, ask yourself the following: 1. What philosophical question(s) is the author addressing? 2. What exactly is meant by key ideas or concepts in the text (e.g., Plato’s “...
Take notes as you read. Then put your ideas for the essay into a logical order. Because philosophy papers proceed by logical argument, creating a point-form outline that captures the structure of your argument is generally a good strategy. An outline will allow you to spot problems in your argument more easily.
Most assignments will require you to present a clear thesis statement that sums up the position for which you are arguing. In the introduction you should also provide a ‘road map’—a few sentences that announce in sequence what you intend to accomplish in each of the key stages of your paper. Road maps often rely on first person (“First, I will anal...
Try to make your expository writing as clear and accurate as possible, and try to show the logical connections between the different parts of a philosophical system. Avoid vague or overly brief exposition, serious omissions, or misunderstandings. In some first year courses, an early assignment may ask you to write a short paper expounding but not e...
When studying a philosophical theory, you will need to think about both its strengths and weaknesses. For example, is a particular theory of art (such as the view that art is the expression of emotion) comprehensive: does it apply to all the arts and all types of art, or only to some? Is it logically consistent or does it contain contradictions? Ar...
In the type of critical assessments above, you are already, to some extent, articulating your own philosophical positions. As you read texts in a course on, say, philosophy of mind or philosophy of art, you should be asking, based on what you have read so far, which theory is the best? Don’t be content to just understand theories and know their str...
The point of a philosophy essay is to do your own thinking and draw your own conclusions. However, you need to have a firm understanding of any philosopher’s work that you’re trying to evaluate or critique. This means you need to study the philosopher’s argument in detail.
Explore insightful questions and answers on Philosophy at eNotes. Enhance your understanding today!
WHAT MAKES A GOOD PHILOSOPHY ESSAY? THE SHORT ANSWER: Writing philosophy is very different from other writing you have been and may be asked to do. We want you to engage critically with the philosophers you read in such a way that you are able to form your own opinions about the issues under discussion and not just to report
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What do I do in a Philosophy essay? Philosophy essay topics are not designed to provide an intellectual obstacle course that trips you up so as to delight a malicious marker. They are designed to invite you to "grapple with" with some particular philosophical problem or issue.
