APPENDIX A: How to Write a Philosophy Paper

[Pages:2]APPENDIX A: How to Write a Philosophy Paper

Philosophy professors assign several types of writing assignments to assist you in understanding the material and developing your analytical and writing skills. You should always be certain you understand the instructions and what your own professor is looking for. Here are some of the most popular kinds of writing assignments in introductory classes and suggestions for what to include.

Article summaries or abstracts: You might be assigned to write a brief summary or abstract of an article in the textbook. The goal is to focus on the most important aspects of the material from a philosophical perspective, including:

1. What is the main claim or thesis of the article? What position is the author trying to convince you of?

2. What are the main arguments offered in favor of this thesis? Restate these as succinctly and precisely as possible.

3. Does the author identify possible objections to the arguments? Are there responses or answers to those objections?

Journals: Some professors ask you to keep a written journal during the course and turn in your entries periodically during the semester. Typically, the goal is to reflect on theoretical material from classwork and consider examples of those issues you see in your daily life. For example, if you are studying euthanasia and read about a local person with terminal cancer who has requested assisted suicide, consider what factors would be helpful in determining whether or not it would be ethical in that situation and what you would do if someone in your own family made that request.

Hypothetical problems or puzzle cases: Writing an analysis of a hypothetical, perhaps something like the case studies in this text, is a good way to test your understanding of philosophical principles by applying them to specific factual situations. Be sure you provide a comprehensive analysis in two respects:

1. Consider all the details in the hypothetical. Small changes in the facts can have major ramifications for the justifiability of your conclusions. Hypotheticals include these details for a reason, namely, to see whether you can recognize their significance in your analysis.

2. Use the range of material you are studying in class and bring it to bear on the problem. Different theoretical ideas and principles can address and help you resolve the puzzle. Don't limit yourself to just one theory or idea in analyzing a complex hypothetical problem.

Term papers: You might be assigned to pick a thesis or claim you want to defend and write a paper supporting that claim. Some important elements in this type of paper:

1. Pick a precise thesis that reasonable people could debate philosophically, not just a general area of interest that does not frame a dialogue or disagreement. A good thesis might be: "Capital punishment is immoral in all circumstances." A general area of interest that would be difficult to focus in a paper might be: "Capital punishment is a form of punishment allowed under our Constitution."

2. Clearly identify specific arguments in support of the position you are defending. Use

good reasoning principles in your arguments and avoid the common fallacies presented in Chapter 2. 3. To further bolster your arguments, anticipate objections someone might make to your position, and explain how you would answer them. Identify tough objections, not wishywashy "strawmen" that are easy to shoot down. 4. Use the ideas of philosophers and other writers as a starting point for your paper, but not the ending point. Don't simply summarize other people's ideas, but use those ideas as a way to frame your own arguments. In all cases, though, you must give credit to other writers when you use their ideas, whether you use direct quotations or close paraphrases or distinctive ideas. But you should try to move beyond those ideas to make your own contribution to the philosophical dialogue on the issue, however modest you might think it is.

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