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n philosophical writing:Avoid direct quotes. If you need to quote, quote sparingly, and follow your quotes by expla. ning what the author means in your own words. (There are times when brief direct quotes can be helpful, for example when you want to present and interpret a potential amb.
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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...
1. Planning. Typically, your purpose in writing an essay will be to argue for a certain thesis, i.e., to support a conclusion about a philosophical claim, argument, or theory.[4] You may also be asked to carefully explain someone else’s essay or argument.[5] To begin, select a topic. Most instructors will be happy to discuss your topic with ...
a new philosophical argument or account. Philosophy papers are thus closer to the \proof" end of the writing spectrum than the narrative, free association \journaling" end of the spectrum. What you are doing in a philosophy paper should be clearly re ected in the structure and content of the paper, at each step of the way. 2 Format requirements
Simon Fraser University. Good writing is the product of proper training, much practice, and hard work. The following remarks, though they will not guarantee a top quality paper, should help you determine where best to direct your efforts. I offer first some general comments on philosophical writing, and then some specific "do"s and "don't"s.
Jan 10, 2023 · Introduction - Clarify the question you will be answering in your philosophy paper. State your thesis – i.e., the answer you'll be arguing for. Explain general philosophical terms if needed. Main body - Start with providing arguments for your stance and refute all the objections for each of them.
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Writing a philosophy essay is probably different from any kind of writing you have done before. What is most distinctive about philosophy is its focus on argument – developing a position, defending it against objections, considering alternatives, and so on. In this guide, we offer some advice about how to construct successful argumentative ...
