What Philosophical Writing Isn’t
• Not simply a report of what a philosopher said on a particular theme or topic
• Not an exercise in literary expression
• Not a summary of various facts
• Not a venue for the simple expression of personal opinions or impressions
What Philosophical Writing Is
• Reasoned defense of a claim or thesis
• Defense involves the marshalling of arguments in support of the claim
• Clear, concise and precise reasoning
How to write well
• Define clearly and precisely what the thesis is, and what it might entail
• Present strongest arguments available to support the thesis (if necessary, motivate the thesis)
• Make the structure of paper clear: use signposts (‘because’, etc.) and brief intro and conclusion
• Use first-person pronoun (‘I’)
• Use examples as illustrations and elaborations of claims in argument
• If critiquing an argument, be sure to explain what it is
• Anticipate and answer possible objections a reader may have
• When paraphrasing, be precise and clear in the reconstruction of an author’s argument
• Pay attention to grammar and sentence structure
Some traps to avoid
• Avoid long introductions and historical/conceptual stage-setting
• Cite sparingly and only where necessary
• State your position as clearly as possible – make it clear where you stand
• Avoid technical language and define ambiguous or technical terms if necessary
• Be as concise as you can; avoid long and meandering discussions
• Don’t beg the question against an opponent
General Writing Suggestions
• Start early
• Write and rewrite (edit) continuously
• Show your work to others (students, family, friends, profs, etc)
• Read your work aloud
Useful reference work (short):
www.fas.harvard.edu/~phildept/files/ShortGuidetoPhilosophicalWriting.pdf
Useful reference work (long):
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~phildept/files/GuidetoPhilosophicalWriting.pdf
Useful website on how to write philosophy: http://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/guidelines/writing.html
Some rules of composition
• Don’t use no double negatives.
• Make each pronoun agree with their antecedent.
• When dangling, watch your participles.
• Don’t use commas, which aren’t necessary.
• Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
• About those sentence fragments.
• Try to not ever split infinitives.
• It is important to use apostrophe’s correctly.
• Always read what you have written to see you any words out.
• Correct spelling is esential.
• Use quotation marks “correctly.”
Some more good advice on writing: http://www.phil.ucalgary.ca/undergrad/howtowrite.html
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