Writing Philosophy Essays
Do we need to be Philosophical when Writing a Philosophy Essay?
When you are required to write a philosophy essay, the required approach differs from other forms of essays such as process essays or expository essays. What is expected of you is to rationalize a thesis based on your analysis of other’s opinions and your own.
This will call for in depth analysis and understanding of the topic you are writing on. Let us now see how philosophical you need to be in writing your philosophy essay.
Here are some general essay tips which need to be applied in your essay:
R Begin the paper with a concise and clear thesis statement which defines the problem.
R Outline the manner in which you are planning to address this issue.
R Proceed to the body of the essay by stating your position in relation to the issue.
R Support and rationalize your position with well founded evidence such as arguments, relevant data and plausible explanations.
R Bring in the other’s view points in to the essay
R Do not fail to mention strong objections of others that contradict your position.
R Rebut their argument and refute yours. This can be done by analyzing the opposition arguments’ strong and weak points.
R Establish the validity of your point of view.
Similar to argumentative essays, you are expected to prove your position at the end of the essay. So, keep your argument logical and well supported. Make use of appropriate words to take away the ambiguity and misconceptions in your essay. Use simple sentence structures and words in your essay although traditional philosophy texts may have used confused sentence structures and words. Otherwise, you may end up conveying the wrong messages and confusing the reader of your argument.
Feel free to use quotes but make sure they are supporting or contradicting the point you are trying to establish. The pertinence of the quote matters and you must analyze them than merely stating them. The content of the quoted material needs to be linked to the argument you are building. Do not forget the importance of citing your references.
Your final opinion on the issue can be stated within the conclusion. The analysis you carried out in the body of the essay can support your final opinion. Your opinion stated in the conclusion should be linked to the argument you have been establishing throughout the essay. Do not introduce any new information or arguments in the conclusion. Bear in mind that your tutor will be evaluating the level of understanding you have on the issue and how deeply thought out is your arguments. Therefore, avoid superficial analysis if you want to write a quality philosophy essay.
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Tags: Argumentative Essays, Citing Your References, Essay Tips, Philosophy Essays, Process Essays
