Introduction and General Tips on Writing Philosophy Papers

If you are like me, your first experience writing a paper for a philosophy class may have been a total bust. It may have been the first low grade you had ever received. Granted, I went on to major and even attend graduate school in philosophy, but had I known then what I now know, the process would have been easier. Writing philosophy is different from writing for other classes. When you write for other classes, often you are simply presenting research. When you write philosophy papers, you present, defend, and analyze arguments. Another distinction between philosophy papers and papers you may be writing for other classes is the format of the paper. Philosophy papers often contain an abstract at the beginning of the paper. Abstracts are one-paragraph summaries of what you will be saying in your paper. The abstract is different from an introduction - it states everything you will be saying in the paper in about 300 words whereas an introduction serves to draw the reader into the paper.

Before you begin any paper in college, it is a good idea to outline what you want to say. This is especially important in philosophy. Philosophy papers should be clear, concise, and especially well-written. Remember, you're writing this paper for someone who analyzes arguments for a living.

All good papers begin with an introduction. The introduction catches your reader's attention and it gives an overview of what you will be discussing in your philosophy paper. It "tells them what you're going to tell them." A strong introduction gives way to a strong paper - if you stick to the point.

The structure of your paper may vary depending upon what sort of philosophy paper you are writing (history of philosophy, ethics, opinion, etc.) but the main point in outlining your paper is that you should make sure that each section of your paper relates to your thesis (main argument) and that each paragraph of your paper relates to the section it is in. The beginning of each section should contain its own introduction to the topic of that section. The end of each section should contain a mini-conclusion where you remind readers of your main point, and transition into the next section.

Finally, good papers finish strong. Papers should have a conclusion where you "tell them what you told them." Sum up your main argument, and the main supporting points for that argument. Also, leave your reader with something. A good paper is like a delicious sandwich - it contains a top slice of bread (introduction) filling (body) and a bottom slice of bread (conclusion). Nothing should go in your sandwich unless it fits the type of sandwich you are creating.

Finally, for a great philosophy paper, you will want to leave enough time to proofread what you wrote. I know, it's college, and it's tempting to leave things to the last minute, but you'll be thankful you didn't. Make sure everything fits together, that the words you chose fit, and that your spelling and grammar are on. Grammar or spelling mistakes can cause big problems in philosophy papers in terms of clarity. A misplaced comma can make a huge difference in the way your argument reads. If you have trouble writing, there is no shame in asking for help. Many universities have tutoring centers and writing centers. Also, you can find that exchanging papers with a classmate is beneficial. If you have the resources, you may find that hiring a tutor outside the university helpful.