Guideline on How to Write a Philosophy Essay
Guideline on How to Write a Philosophy Essay
If you still don’t feel that confident about writing a philosophy paper, don’t worry. Philosophical questions, by definition, have more than one interpretation. That’s what makes them so challenging to write about.
To help you out in your philosophical writing journey, we’ve prepared this list of seven tips on how to write a philosophy essay.
Read Your Sources Thoughtfully
Whether your recommended reading includes Dante’s Divine Comedy or Jean-Paul Sartre’s Existentialism Is a Humanism, approach your sources with curiosity and analytical thinking. Don’t just mindlessly consume those texts. Instead, keep asking yourself questions while you’re reading them, such as:
What concepts and questions does the author address?
What’s the meaning behind key ideas and metaphors in the text?
What does the author use as a convincing argument?
Are there any strange or obscure distinctions?
As for which sources you should turn to, that all depends on your central question; philosophy topics for essay are diverse and sometimes opposed. So, you’ll have to do your fair share of research.
Brainstorm & Organize Your Ideas
As you’re reading those texts, jot down what comes to your mind. It can be a great quote you’ve stumbled upon, an idea for an argument, or your thoughtful, critical responses to certain opinions.
Then, sort through and organize all of those notes into an outline for your essay in philosophy. Make sure that it holds up in terms of logic. And ensure that your arguments and counterarguments are compelling, sensible, and convincing!
Now, you might be wondering how to write a philosophy essay introduction. Don’t worry: there’s an explanation right below!
Craft Your Introductory Paragraph
Think of your introduction as a road map preparing your reader for the journey your essay will take them on. This road map will describe the key ‘stops’ in your essay on philosophy: your topic, stance, and how you will argue for it – and refute other stances.
Don’t hesitate to write it out as a step-by-step guide in the first or third person. For example: ‘First, I will examine… Then, I will dispute… Finally, I will present….’
Need an example of an excellent introduction for a philosophy paper? You’ll be thrilled to know that we have one of our philosophy essay examples below!
Present Your Key Arguments & Reflections
Philosophy papers require a fair share of expository writing. This is where you demonstrate your understanding of the topic. So, make your exposition extensive and in-depth, and don’t omit anything crucial.
As for the rest of the main body, we’ve covered how to structure a philosophy essay above. In short, you’ll need to present supporting arguments, anticipate objections, and address them.
Use your own words when writing a philosophy paper; avoid pretentious or verbose language. Yes, some technical philosophical terms may be necessary. But the point of a philosophical paper is to present your stance – and develop your own philosophy – on the topic.
Don’t Shy Away from Critical Ideas
Whenever you examine a philosophical theory or text, treat it with a fair share of criticism. This is what it means in practice – and how to structure a philosophy essay around your critical ideas:
Pinpoint what the theory’s or idea’s strengths are and every valid argument in its support;
See the scope of its application – perhaps, there are exceptions you can use as counterarguments;
Research someone else’s criticism of the theory or idea. Develop your own criticism, as well;
Check if the philosopher already addressed those criticisms.
Ponder Possible Answers to Philosophical Questions
Writing an essay in philosophy is, in fact, easier for some students as the topic can always have multiple answers, and you can choose any of them. However, this can represent an even tougher challenge for other students. After all, you must consider those possible answers and address them in the paper.
How do you pinpoint those possible answers? Some of them can come to your mind when you brainstorm, especially if you’ll be writing about one of the Big Questions. Others will reveal themselves when you start reading other philosophers’ works.
Remember to have arguments for and against each possible answer and address objections.
Write a Powerful Conclusion
The conclusion is where you sum up your paper in just one paragraph. Reiterate your thesis and what arguments support it. But in philosophical writing, you can rarely have a clear, undebatable answer by the end of the paper. So, it’s fine if your conclusion doesn’t have a definitive verdict.
Here are a few tips on how to write a conclusion in a philosophy essay:
Don’t introduce new arguments or evidence in conclusion – they belong in the main body;
Avoid overestimating or embellishing the level or value of your work;
Best conclusions are obvious and logical for those reading the paper – i.e.; a conclusion shouldn’t be surprising at all;
Stay away from poorly explained claims in conclusion.
Philosophical Essay Example
Sometimes, it’s better to see how it’s done once than to read a thousand guides. We know that like no one else, so we have prepared this short philosophy essay example to show you what excellent philosophy papers look like:
Do Humans Have Free Will?
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30 Philosophy Paper Topic Ideas
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