2. The purpose of the paper
There are a variety of things a philosophy paper can aim to
accomplish. Most philosophy essay questions require you to
make your own judgments about arguments advanced by certain
writers.
It is important to remember that your opinion is the central
argument- you are then to use important philosophical
contributions to help support your case.
3. What do you need to do?
In order to analyse an essay topic, there are a number of
important questions you can consider
1. What precisely do I need to make a judgment about?
2. What type of judgment do I need to make?
3. What are some possible judgments that could be made about
the question?
4. To begin….
Your essay should do one OR two of the following
1. Criticize the question/statement or show that certain arguments for the thesis
are not good
2. Offer reasons to support the statement
3. Offer counter examples to the statement
4. Contrast the strengths and weaknesses of two opposing views about the
statement
5. Discuss what consequences the statement would have, if it were true
6. Revise the statement, in light of some objection
5. What do you think about the question?
An essay on the philosophy of religion wants you to take a
position. Do you agree/disagree?
You can establish your position (thesis) when you understand
what the question is asking you to do.
6. Taking time to plan
Once you have determined your position in relation to the
question/statement, you should be able to map out a plan for your
essay.
You need to organise your argument, select your evidence and
then establish the connections between your points.
Spend 2/3 of the essay arguing for the point that you decide to
make (this is your thesis) and 1/3 against.
7. Introduction
This should function as the roadmap for your essay- it outlines the
direction that your essay is going to take. Your introduction should:
1. Make reference to the question- ‘This question invites a discussion
of…’
2. State your position in relation to the question/statement- ‘I agree
with this statement…’ or ‘I agree to a certain extent….’
3. Outline the evidence that you are going to use to support your
position- ‘In this essay I will explore the contributions of….. ‘ I will
attempt to demonstrate that…….’
4. My thesis is… (this is your line of argument)
8. Example Introduction
‘All talk about God is meaningless- discuss’
The statement ‘all talk about God is meaningless’ invites a discussion
about the nature of religious language. The function of language is to
convey factual information about the world. Religious language
purports to do just that; however, there is a distinct difference
between religious propositions and ordinary propositions. Religious
language, by its very nature, is to do with the transcendent and the
immaterial. This is problematic as the meaning of a statement is
often judged by its method of verifiability. In order to prove that
religious statements can be valid I will examine both cognitive and
non- cognitive theories of meaning. My thesis is that one can speak
about God in a meaningful way.
9. The body of the essay
The function of the body of the essay is to fully develop the
argument outlined in the introduction (this is the thesis). The body
elaborates on the major points in the development of the overall
argument.
The main point in each paragraph needs to be clearly stated in
the form of a topic sentence, which is then supported with
evidence. A topic sentence signals to the reader what the rest of
the paragraph is about. It states the topic and the central idea of
the paragraph.
10. The conclusion
The function of the essay’s conclusion is to restate the main
argument. It reminds the reader of the strengths of the argument:
that is, it reiterates the most important evidence supporting the
argument.
Be careful that your conclusion is not simply a repetitive summary
as this reduces the impact of the argument you have developed in
your essay.
11. The conclusion
The conclusion provides the opportunity for you to persuasively
and succinctly restate your position and consider some of the
following points:
What is the significance of your findings?
What are the implications of your conclusions for this topic and
for the broader field?
Are there any limitations to your approach?
12. P.E.E.L
Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link
For each paragraph-make your point, evidence it (in the form of
philosophical arguments advanced by others) and explain it (this
is where your opinion comes in).
You should then link the point that you make back to the question.
You can do this by saying ‘this helps to answer the question by
providing an insight into….’.
13. Tip 1
Carefully select the arguments that you are going to use to
support your point of view.
Choosing the correct arguments is crucial. Philosophy is more
concerned with how you argue and less concerned about how
much you know.
This means greater evaluation and discussion and less
description.
14. Tip 2
Use signposts- these are important as they signal the direction that your essay will
take:
These passages suggest…
I will now defend the claim…
Further support for this claim comes from…
The strongest objection to this point is…
However; the objection does not succeed because…
There are three reasons to believe point X. Firstly….
(Also use the 4 C’s)
15. Tip 3
Commit to memory statements that you will always use.
For the introduction:
‘This essay invites a discussion of…..’
‘In this essay I will explore…..’
‘My thesis is……’
16. Tip 4
Use ‘I’. Philosophy essays are meant to be personal.
Philosophy is all about putting yourself at the centre of the
philosophical debate. Do not be afraid to do this.
18. Tip 6
Use connective words such as:
Because, since, given this argument, thus, therefore, hence, it
follows that, consequently, nevertheless, however or or on the
other hand.
19. Remember the 4 C’s
To further improve you can refine your skill of evaluation
(this means to make a judgment). You can do this by:
Clarity- how clear is the argument?
Consistency- does it have any logical contradictions?
Coherence- how does it all go together?
Comprehensiveness- does it raise more questions than it
answers?
20. Essay writing frame
If in doubt, then use the P.E.E.L essay writing frame for support.
https://islandschoolphilosophy.wordpress.com/skills/peel-essay-
frame/
