Writing Philosophy?

Writing a Philosophy Essay – Some Thoughts

Almost without exception, the most difficult thing for most introductory philosophy students to do well is to write a philosophical essay.  Here are some guidelines to use in writing essays for this course.  In fact, using these guidelines may not be a bad idea in most courses – the basic concepts are applicable anywhere.  There are some additional guidelines in an appendix to our textbook, and I have provided links to some additional places for guidance on my web page.

First and foremost, if you’re writing a paper, make sure the topic you choose is appropriate for the course!  In the case of this course in ethics, that means you are writing on a topic of interest in the field of ethics, either ethical theory or some pertinent ethical issue, and that your approach to the topic is appropriate.  In most courses, some form of research paper will be expected.  In this course, I am looking for an evaluation, contrast and comparison, or other similar form.  In other words, this is not a research paper.  This is your chance to tell me what you think, and why.  Of course, if you’re writing an answer to an essay question on a test, the topic selection is already done for you…

As you prepare to write your answer, there are several things you should do.  The very first is to read the question.  As obvious as that sounds, many students give away points on essays because they don’t do this very basic step.  Of course, reading the question involves more than just seeing and recognizing the words as they appear on paper.  Reading the question means taking the time to understand what is being asked.  Many times essay questions have more than one part.  Identify all the questions that are being asked of you.

Once you understand the question, take some time to think about the answer.  Don’t just start writing immediately.  For longer essays or term papers, make an outline of what you think a good answer to the question might include.  You’ll save yourself time later by taking a few moments to do this.  For a philosophy paper, the essay is typically going to include some kind of justification for the position you advocate.  Include a rough outline of your argument in the overall outline of the paper.

MacKinnon, in her essay on writing, mentions some guidance she received from a professor in graduate school:

1. A paper should have a beginning, a middle, and an end.
2. First you should tell what you are going to do. Then you should do it.  Finally, you should tell what you have said or done.

This was good advice.  I got pretty much the same advice when I was a student, and again while I was attending various schools in the Air Force.  If you read nothing else in the appendix, read this section.  And follow it.  Make sure your outline (whether mental or on paper) reflects this.

One last thing before you commit ink to paper (or bytes to disk or toner to paper…).  Look at your outline (if it’s written down) and compare it to the question you are trying to answer.  Have you covered all the parts of the question?  If the question includes a word like “Why?” or “Justify your answer,” have you given reasons for the position you are taking?  Many times in philosophy, the reasons behind your position are actually more important to the project than the position you take.  So don’t skimp on this. 

Now, write your essay.  Follow your outline, but don’t be a slave to it.  If some better argument comes to mind, don’t be afraid to include it in your essay.  Write clearly, making sure your grammar and spelling are as clear as you can make them.  I have seen many potentially excellent essays that needed just a little more clarity to be actually excellent.  But don’t spend all your time worrying about being clear and not say anything.

Finally, and this is the most often skipped part, review what you’ve written.  Compare it to the question you are answering.  Did you cover all parts of the question?  Was anything left out?  If so, you still have time to fix it.  When you get it back after it’s been graded it will be too late. 

Will it take a little more time to follow this advice?  Maybe.  If you write your essay once.  But it could save time in the long run if it keeps you from having to write and rewrite several times because you just didn’t answer the whole question the first time.  Which is not to say that you shouldn’t write drafts for your term paper – but here too it can save time if your first draft follows this guidance, you’ll likely have a lot less correcting to do for your final version.

One last piece of advice:  Pick a topic that seems interesting to you, if you have the choice.  You will almost always write a better paper on an interesting topic than on one you don’t care about.  Choose something that fires you up – and go!

For Further Information

Try these links:

James Pryor: Guidelines on Writing a Philosophy Paper

Jeff McLaughlin: How to Read a Philosophy Paper