How to Write a Philosophy Paper - Information Technology

[Pages:3]How to Write a Philosophy Paper Istvan S. N. Berkeley, Ph.D. (istvan@louisiana.edu)

General Points: 1) A good paper has a good introduction and conclusion. The introduction should out1ine the problem(s) which the paper is concerned with. The conclusion should sum up the arguments offered in the body of the paper and explain how they deal with the problem(s) discussed in the introduction.

2) Within the body of the paper, arguments should be presented in a concise, coherent and orderly fashion. It is important to ensure that each argument fits well within the overall structure of the paper.

3) The arguments presented in the body of the paper should be valid. That is to say, arguments should be such that, if the premises are true then, the conclusion also should be true. When a premise or point requires substantiation, references should be given, or examples should be cited. Remember however, there is a finite limit to the amount of justification which can be offered for each point or premise. Use common sense to determine what is sufficient in a particular context. Generally speaking, the greater importance of a premise to the overall argument of a paper, or the more controversial the premise, the greater the requirement for justification.

4) Possible objections to the point of view for which you are arguing should be considered. You should show why these objections are not fatal to your position. It is important to make the objections against your position as plausible as possible.

5) Try and be original in your papers.

6) Make sure that everything in your paper is relevant to your argument. Try to be as concise as possible.

7) Make sure that all material you quote, either directly or indirectly, is accurately referenced. IN EXTREME CASES, NOT FOLLOWING THIS GUIDELINE CAN AMOUNT TO PLAGIARISM!

8) Keep within the prescribed limits of length and so on for the particular assignment.

References: All papers that draw upon published sources should contain a bibliography at the end of the paper. The correct formats for entries in a bibliography are as fol lows;

Books: Author(s) Surname, Initial. (Date of publication), Book Title, Publisher (Place of publ ication).

E.g. : Clause, S. (1891), An Enquiry Concerning Reindeer Driving and Chimney Diving, Crimbo Pubs. (North Po1 e).

Papers: Author (5) Surname, Ini tial. (Date of publica tion), "Paper title", in Journal Name or Anthology, Vol. number/Issue number, pp. .

E.g. Simpson, B. (1989), "Philosophy and Skateboarding", in Phi1osophia Absurdia, 6/12, pp.

666-777.

In the paper itself, all works referred to should be in the bibliography and the works should be cited in the text by author and date. For example, See Simpson (1989: pp. 689-670). Citations may be given either in the body of the text or in footnotes, depending upon which is most appropriate. Citations are not necessary when you are quoting from your notes made in class.

Quotations: ALL QUOTATIONS MUST BE REFERENCED. Short quotations should be included in the body of the text, surrounded by double quotation marks. E.g.

Descartes (1682: p , 13) maintained that "The IceGators are the finest hockey team on the face of the Earth... , although many of his contemporaries did not support this view."

Longer quotations should be indented. E.g.

When considering this point, Thatcher (1991: pp. 67-68) noted that,

The purpose of political rhetoric is not to tell anybody anything. The point is rather, to sound important and thereby persuade people to cast their ballots in your favor. Policies are always subservient to polemics.

There are various conventions that apply to the material included in quotations. Words or phrases omitted from quotations should be indicated by three dots. Dots should also be used when a quotation does not begin or end at the start or finish of a sentence. E.g. "...it may be the case that wombats are good pets,...but they are seldom much use if they are constipated..." would be a way of quoting portions of the sentence, "Some have suggested that it may be the case that wombats are good pets, despite being prone to homesickness, but they are seldom much use if they are constipated, as this ruins their disposition."

Occasionally it is necessary to make small changes to a quotation in order to make it fit with the main text. Such changes should be indicated by the use of square brackets. Square brackets should also be used to indicate the remarks that you wish to insert into a quotation. E.g. "He [Descartes] was occasionally accused of being a Rosicrucian".

Outlines: When beginning to write a paper, it is always a good idea to write out a detailed plan, or outline. This helps to keep the text relevant to the question and makes that actual process of writing considerably easier. It is often the case that one discovers problems with one's argument in the planning process. They are much easier to rectify at this stage. Outlines are also useful in helping decide where paragraph breaks should come in your paper. Each paragraph should correspond to at most one particular point in your outline. Paragraphs should contain the arguments that pertain to those points. Avoid making paragraphs over long, however.

Style: When writing philosophy papers, whenever possible, you should avoid using the first person. When you do use the first person, justifications for your assertions should be offered. The fact that you believe something to be the case is of little philosophical relevance unless you also give your reader a

good reason for believing what you do too. One locution to avoid at all costs is "I feel...". The goal of a philosophy paper is to, as far as possible, get at the truth. There is no guarantee that one individual's intuitions on a particular matter are truth conducive.

When arguing a point, remember that repeating a proposition over and over again, even if it is worded slightly differently each time, does nothing to make the point more persuasive. Repetition is simply a waste of space. If someone were to say to you, "Black is white, black is white, black is white, therefore, black is white", would you be persuaded?

It is also important to be careful with your use of conclusion marker words and phrases such as 'thus', [hence', 'therefore', 'it follows that' and so on. These words and phrases should only be used when you wish to indicate the conclusion of an argument or a sub-argument. When using them, be sure to carefully check that the conclusion you wish to draw really does follow from the premises that you have put forward.

Finally, above all, use common sense when writing philosophy papers. Remember that the goal of your paper is to persuade your reader that the position that you advance on a particular topic is correct. Hopefully, if you do a good job in writing your paper, you should persuade your reader to adopt the same position too. It may be helpful, especially when first starting out, to take a look at a few philosophy papers by professional philosophers in order to get a feel for how papers should be constructed. Also, do not be afraid to ask for guidance from your instructor.

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