Are you finding it challenging to write philosophy papers? You are not alone. Many students find it challenging to write philosophy papers, given that the expectations and requirements differ from the other regular disciplines.
You are lucky you stumbled upon this guide written by our top philosophy paper writers (not a random Reddit bot or self-proclaimed writer) who have done it for ages and know the bells and whistles of how to write a philosophy paper that scores the best grades.
Writing a good philosophy paper is tedious and tricky. You must incorporate critical thinking and analytical skills to examine relevant information from many sources. You are also expected to clearly and comprehensively present your argument and defend it with relevant examples, quotations, and other evidence to achieve the paper's objective. While this may seem complicated, this guide will show you how to write a philosophy paper, including tips for writing a high-score paper.
Unlike other types of academic writing, a philosophy paper is not a research paper or a literacy expression essay. It is also neither a report that focuses only on what other scholars have written nor is it a presentation of the current results about a particular topic. Instead, a philosophy paper or essay is a type of writing where you present your argument and defend it with evidence. It entails critically analyzing, synthesizing, and exposing philosophical concepts, arguments, and theories. At its best, a good philosophy paper (whether an essay, term paper, or research paper) must have balanced and well-reasoned arguments supported by evidence to show your capacity for logical reasoning. In philosophy, an argument is a set of reasons (premises) you offer to support a specific conclusion. The conclusion is what you want readers to believe.
As a philosopher, your biggest motivation is the "big question," for example, what is free will? Is it morally wrong to start a war? Is it moral to abort? What is truth?
Expressing your personal opinions about questions like these is not enough to be considered philosophy. You must first clearly understand what is being asked, then back your answers with logically structured arguments. With that said, a good philosophical argument should lead readers from a true premise to an unobvious conclusion through reasonable steps.
Your professor will assign a philosophy paper to test whether you can:
Philosophy papers aim to test your understanding of a particular philosophical issue and demonstrate your analysis and augmentation skills. You must provide clear arguments for all the claims you make in the paper.
A person with a keen interest in understanding a particular topic in philosophy that is unfamiliar to them will likely read your paper. Therefore, you must write the paper so they can understand and follow your discussion. State your premises explicitly. One way to do this is assuming the readers have yet to learn what you are discussing and don't accept your position.
Philosophers do not insist on a particular citation style. If your instructor has given explicit instructions on the type of citation style to use, ensure you use it. Without specific directions, you can use APA, MLA, OXFORD, TURABIAN, or CHICAGO.
The length of a philosophy paper will vary depending on the type of paper you are working on. You will generally encounter three kinds of papers in a philosophy class.
Short papers
These are between 3-7 pages and are meant to summarize and offer your responses or objects to an article or a claim.
Medium Papers
These range between 10-15 pages. These are rough estimates because some could take a few pages to give a persuasive and powerful argument, and others could take 50 pages to write meaningless content. Medium papers focus on stating, explaining, and responding to a debate between numerous philosophers.
Long Papers
Long papers are between 20-50 pages. They are focused on giving a novel argument or objection about a particular debate.
Before you write your philosophy paper, you must create an outline guiding the writing process. This outline is like a plan describing the points you will make in every paragraph. It provides a logical structure for your paper, guiding you as you organize the ideas and points. The overall clarity of your philosophical argument will depend on how well you have structured it. Ask yourself how what position you plan on arguing. When do you plan to present your opponent's arguments? In what order do you plan to present your criticism? It is essential to think about questions before you begin writing.
Like other academic essays, a philosophy paper includes an introduction, body, and conclusion.
Introduction
Background Information (You could also cover this in the introduction)
Main Body
Conclusion
Your essay or paper should include a reference page on a separate page after the conclusion. Although rare, you can also include an appendices section to the paper after the reference list.
Writing a philosophy paper is your chance to demonstrate that you understand philosophical concepts and ideas. You can pick topics and explore them using logic and reason. Notably, philosophy paper is mainly made up of reasoned defense of some claims. Here are the steps to take to write a philosophy paper assignment successfully.
Ensure you understand your instructor's expectations because they are your best writing resource. Read the set of instructions informing you of the criteria for evaluation. Ensure you understand elements like:
Find out the answers to these questions before you begin writing.
Before writing your paper, you must read the source materials thoroughly to understand what is being said. Approach these materials with curiosity and attention to detail. Make sure you understand the text by taking note of the:
Even if you have read the texts before, you must reread them with the question that you are to answer in mind. This time, you will know what to look for. Generally, philosophical assignments will ask you to consider an argument/ thesis statement and explain it.
The sources to read depends on the topic you intend to tackle. Your instructor could offer a list of materials to read, or you may have to do that independently.
As you read the sources, write down the important points and ideas that are crucial for your paper. Organize these ideas into logical steps because they will be a basis for your outline. If you are working on a short paper, the parts you are working with will be clear. Medium and longer papers will require a lot of effort. However, these parts will be clear once you develop a thesis statement.
This is where you clarify what you will be arguing in the paper. Ensure you immediately grab the reader's attention by using a great hook to make them interested in what you are talking about.
Also, state your thesis statement clearly in your introduction. A thesis is the main argument you will be making in your paper. Go back to the notes and see the theme that has come out, then use it to develop your thesis. Remember that a philosophy paper attempts to answer a question, so state it clearly so that readers can understand your paper's aims.
Additionally, provide brief background information about the topic. Since you are coming into an argument that has already been happening, you need to educate readers about what has been going on so that they can catch up. Even if they already know the argument, your interpretation of it could differ. Present the elements of the original argument in a way that sets ups your argument.
If you are writing a longer paper, you may need to motivate readers as to why they should care about your position.
In philosophy, you must define all the technical terms you think readers will not understand. In addition, define the terms commonly used in philosophy, such as nemesis, nomos, arete, etc. If you do not know what these words mean, familiarize yourself with them before writing.
This is where you summarize your argument and explain it so readers can understand it. It is the main focus of your philosophy paper. The aim is to add your thesis (argument) to the ongoing debate. Provide evidence to support your argument and show how it relates to the ongoing debate. Use examples and quotes to explain complex concepts for readers to understand. If you want to compare abstract ideas and daily experiences, use clear analogies and metaphors.
Imagine what your opponents will say as a response to your argument, then state and respond. In other words, anticipate objections and provide answers to them. You have to defend your thesis as much as possible. This is where you have to use critical thinking. Think of the most serious objections you might encounter and try to come up with a relevant answer. If you can't come up with an answer, you can either:
Changing your position and rewriting your paper from the beginning is okay.
Ensure you also explain the counterarguments fairly so that you maintain credibility. In addition, don't just state the counterargument; thoroughly explain why you think they are not valid.
After stating and responding to the counterarguments, provide a positive and strong argument supporting your main claim.
Conclude the paper by restating your thesis statement and summarizing the main arguments of the paper. Try to convince the reader that you have stated and supported your thesis. Ensure you do not provide any new information. Any information you want to include should be in the body part.
Additionally, provide the implications of your arguments and questions that need further exploration. You could also add limitations to your argument.
Your work should be free of any errors before you submit it. Read every sentence slowly and loudly to catch grammar, spelling, and other errors in your paper. As you read, ask yourself whether you have captured every element and expressed your argument clearly.
To be a better philosophy paper writer, follow these tips.
Before you begin writing, outline how the ideas will develop. Readers want to read logically written arguments that flow naturally. If you begin writing without establishing a clear outline, your readers will have difficulty following your ideas and, therefore, not find your paper worthwhile. It is also essential to make the structure of your paper evident so that they don't spend time or effort trying to understand it. Use words like, in this argument, because, in the first case, I will begin with, these materials suggest that, etc.
Choose the right words that will convey your message clearly. If you have been given a strict word limit, there is no room to write meaningless words. Go for words that precisely capture what you want to say. Each sentence must add meaning to the overall argument of your topic and clarify any point you have raised.
Avoid using flowery language or writing like a famous philosopher. These philosophers are famous for what they convey, not how they do it. Therefore, do your best to use precise language in your paper.
Even though you are advised to do your own philosophical thinking, you will likely use other philosophers' arguments. If you use someone else's words, convey the message in your own words and according to how you have understood the text.
When you quote or paraphrase anything in your paper, indicate the source of the information. Giving credit for the words you used in your text gives you credibility because it shows that you have conducted extensive research. It also prevents plagiarism, a serious academic offense that could get you suspended or expelled.
Related: How to paraphrase without plagiarizing.
Use short sentences to keep your readers attention throughout your paper. Longer sentences will bore your readers and remove your opportunity to convey your message clearly. It's critical to get your messages in the shortest words possible.
Make sure you also spend time thinking about the question so that you can have an easy time when you begin writing. Remember that you must understand what is being asked to answer the question.
Every first draft ever written will need a few edits to make it a proper final draft. Do not fear to rewrite your paper or even reorganize it.
Good writing is founded on rewriting, or that is often the case. Ensure you have no spelling, judgment, presentation, grammatical, or stylistic mistakes. Only then can you appeal to your professor, and all the good grades are yours for the taking. When editing and proofreading, revisit the thesis statement, main points (topic sentences of the body paragraph), and the conclusion. Your paper should demonstrate a reasoned defense of the thesis statement. Also, check that you have correctly used transition words.
Your paper should also show mastery of pertinent philosophical materials, concepts, arguments, and views. It should convey your understanding to the reader instead of regurgitating content. Overall, your paper should be rationally persuasive. Avoid uncontentious claims and embrace supported claims.
Ensure that the paper is also clearly and precisely written. Therefore, focus on the choice of words and briefly explain everything to the point. In equal measure, avoid vagueness by expressing your points precisely. Also, avoid ambiguity by choosing the vocabulary to use wisely.
Your paper should also not assume that the opposing views are automatically rejected. Instead of discerning those with opposing views, make your arguments stronger.
You can demonstrate strength in your position by considering one or two objections. This means presenting counterarguments and following them with rebuttals to fortify your position. This way, you disarm your opponents before they hit you. You show you are a mature writer when you anticipate objections that critics would bring forth.
It also demonstrates that you understand philosophical thinking and problem-solving. Show how the arguments against you miss the mark as far as your context or case is concerned. Help your readers understand why taking such positions is ill-conceived even though plausible. Such a level of philosophical writing encourages scholarly discussion by engaging your argumentation.
When writing philosophy papers, where you are to give your objective or subjective opinions, you can use first-person and possessive pronouns to signpost your ideas.
You can use a phrase such as "I will use the term 'commoner' to mean ...," is allowed when defining terms. You can also use a phrase like "I argue that ...", "I will demonstrate that ...", "My first, second, or nth objection is that ..." or "My argument has demonstrated that ..."
Using such signposting phrases gives the reader a roadmap of your paper, especially the context and organization of your argument.
Avoid it entirely Unless you need a quote within your philosophy paper. You should use direct quotes sparingly. Ensure you second every quote with an explanation of what the author means and its relevance to your arguments. When paraphrasing from a source, explain the author's arguments and other technical or ambiguous terms.
Go slow on jargon or specialized language when writing philosophy papers. Some terms and phrases might be reserved in philosophy for special or narrow meanings only peculiar to the subject. Such terms as begs the question, sound, solid, premise, valid, deduction, vague, unfounded, unsound, etc., are preserved as special terms. If you are using them, understand their philosophical contexts first.
A philosophy paper is vital in assessing whether you can evaluate and defend an argument. You have to express your argument logically for readers to understand clearly. For this reason, it can be daunting to write a philosophy paper. We hope the above guide will help you construct an explosive philosophy paper.
Check out these related readings to expand your understanding and skills:
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There is no standard format for writing a philosophy paper. Use the one your instructor has told you to use. If there are no specific instructions about this, use any formatting style.
Start by introducing and addressing the questions you plan to discuss in the paper. Next, state your thesis, which summarizes what the paper is about. Make sure you also have some background information about the position you have taken and why.
There are two parts of a philosophy paper: expository and evaluation. In the expository part, you present your arguments. On the other hand, in the evaluation part, you critically engage with the argument. Generally, a philosophy paper has an introduction, body, and conclusion sections.
A good philosophy paper is modest, concise, precise, and original, has balanced arguments, and is well-organized. It entails either defending or criticizing an argument using reason and logic. Here is how to create a philosophy essay or paper that everyone reads and instantly wants to read many of your subsequent papers.
Yes, you can use the first person in a philosophy paper when announcing your argument or signposting the ideas in your paper for the readers in the introduction.
You should be cautious not to write as though you feel the philosopher you are analyzing is dumb, even when it seems they are. You should focus on answering the prompt. Go directly to the answer without causing unnecessary drama. Also, do not make the mistake of being broad, and contentious. Avoid vague arguments such as 'Criminals should be shot dead' when developing your thesis.
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