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How to Write a Philosophy Paper

The papers are mainly explication papers: I want to know if you can explain complex ideas.
Your paper should also demonstrate your analytical skills. I want to know if you can reflect on
the ideas, decide which argument you find best, and explain why.

A philosophical essay is all about STRUCTURE and CLARITY…

1. A GOOD INTRODUCTION
In the introduction, state your topic and your thesis clearly. Be direct, say “I”.

Difference between a topic-statement and a thesis-statement:

Topic: In this paper, I will discuss Plato’s cyclical argument for the immortality of the soul.
Thesis: I will argue (show, demonstrate, etc.) that the argument is incomplete as it stands and
does not necessarily prove the immortality of the soul.
Topic: In the Republic, Plato argues that justice is always advantageous. Thesis: Even though
his arguments are compelling, I think that they ultimately fail because his definition of justice is
mistaken. (Or: I think that Plato succeeds in defending justice but only at the cost of defining
justice in a way that is not common-sensical).
Topic: Plato is famous for having argued that a city can only be truly good if it is ruled by
philosophers. Thesis: Even though I think that Plato is right, I think it is impossible and even
dangerous to try to apply his proposition to any real city or country.

Do not introduce your paper with a meaningless sentence like: Plato is one of the greatest
philosophers ever. How do you know? How many philosophers have you read? Or: Since the
dawn of time, men and women of all cultures and religions have wondered about the immortality
of the soul. What does that bring to your argument? If the answer is nothing, then erase the
sentence. We also don’t need to know anything about Plato’s life.

2. A GOOD PLAN AND A GOOD STRUCTURE

In the body of you paper:

1) Present Plato’s arguments: explain Plato’s position (or the opponent’s) and say what reasons
Plato has for claiming what he does. Do not tell a story but defend Plato’s position. Avoid
starting all your sentences with Plato says this, Plato goes on to say this. This might be true and it
might be an interesting story, but why are you telling me this? How does it help support Plato’s
position? I know your paper is about Plato, no need to remind me every sentence.

2) Present arguments supporting your thesis: say why you are claiming this or that. If you are
having problems finding reasons, think about how you would go about convincing someone who
disagrees.
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Do not conclude by restating all the steps you went though, it’s only 3 or 4 pages, I remember
what you said. Your paper should end on your thesis: “This is why….”
3. SOME RULES TO FOLLOW:

§ Think about your topic before you start looking at the text or writing anything. What
information do you need to give the reader to make your point? What is the logical order of the
demonstration? Write this down, use it as a plan. This will prevent you from writing about
everything and nothing and help you focus your paper. You should not repeat the same idea
twice.

§ Link your ideas using logical connectors. Avoid plain enumerations: Socrates says he does
this. Socrates also says he does this. And he goes on to say he does this. What is the link
between all those affirmations? Better: Socrates says he is not a teacher because… However,
Socrates also says… Therefore, we can conclude…

§ Use simple language and simple sentences. Do not try to hide your ignorance under 5-syllable
words and 5-line sentences. If you use a technical word, define it and give a simple example
(using horses and tables). The goal is to be clear, not to impress me. My head should not hurt
when I read your essay. Be precise with your use of concepts. In philosophy, a critique is not a
deconstruction, a theory is not an ideology, a person is not a consciousness, etc. E.g. make sure
you do no confound parts of the soul with virtues of the soul, etc. Also: make sure your paper
is easy to read (no typos, no grammatical mistakes…)

§ Assume that any philosopher is right, that the theory is coherent and the arguments sound. Do
everything you can to defend the position before you try to attack or undermine it. If you
misrepresent Plato’s position for example, his defence is going to be easy: that’s not what I
said! If you represent the position as well as you can, then even the most modest criticism can
be fatal.

WANT TO KNOW IF YOUR PAPER DESERVES AN “A”?

§ If we were to ask you what each paragraph is about, could you tell us in a sentence: “Here I do
X”? (You should be able to label each paragraph.)

§ If we were to ask you what each sentence is doing in your paper and why it is where it is, could
you answer: “Here I do this, then I do this, then I do this, so I can explain why X”?

§ If we were to ask you how each sentence relates to the topic and helps you defend your thesis,
would you know?

§ If we were to ask you: what does this word mean, could you explain it in a simple way? Would
your paper be clearer if you included this explanation? (If so, include it.)
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***For more tips about paper writing consult:

Anthony Weston’s A Rulebook for Arguments (Hackett, 2008)***