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Writing in Philosophy

Please keep in mind that these are only general guidelines; always defer to your professor's specifications for a given assignment. If you have any questions about the content represented here, please contact the Writing Centers so that we can address them for you.

Whether you are discussing Socrates or Sarte, Descartes or de Beauvoir, philosophy as a discipline offers a number of challenges to writers. It is often difficult enough to simply understand a philosophical argument while reading it, so incorporating those claims into your own analysis or argument can be overwhelming. Professors will often ask you to both demonstrate that you understand a philosophical argument and offer original insights of your own, so learning how to explain others’ ideas while simultaneously crafting your own position will be key. In essence, you are inserting yourself into a number of ancient and contemporary discussions, which requires creativity, attention to detail, critical thinking, and close reading. The resources below are meant to provide you with some initial tips and guidelines to help you get started in writing philosophy papers.

In general, these questions from NYU’s Jim Pryor are important to think about when writing any type of philosophy paper:

  • Do you clearly state what you're trying to accomplish in your paper? Is it obvious to the reader what your main thesis is?

  • Do you offer supporting arguments for the claims you make? Is it obvious to the reader what these arguments are?

  • Is the structure of your paper clear? For instance, is it clear what parts of your paper are expository, and what parts are your own positive contribution?

  • Is your prose simple, easy to read, and easy to understand?

  • Do you illustrate your claims with good examples? Do you explain your central notions? Do you say exactly what you mean?

  • Do you present other philosophers' views accurately and charitably?

Overall, writing an effective philosophy paper often draws upon the same skills involved in many academic writing projects: conducting research, analyzing arguments, using a strong thesis statement, and so on. However, many philosophy assignments require students to perform some degree of exegesis, which is a term most commonly encountered with regard to philosophical and religious texts. This is also known as argument reconstruction. In exegetical writing, you essentially need to first read and think critically about a philosophical argument. When you understand the author’s ideas, then your task is to put the argument back together in your own words (see Common Writing Assignments below for more information on writing exegeses). It is not all that different from paraphrasing, for in exegesis you must restate the key claims of the philosopher in a clear way. In introductory courses you may need to write an exegesis on its own as an assignment, but in later courses this type of writing will be incorporated into larger papers in which you are moving beyond this initial step and providing original insights. Many writers struggle with philosophy papers if they do not first understand the basics of exegetical writing, so if you are puzzled about how to do this, it is a good idea to read through the resources below and/or schedule an appointment with a writing consultant who specializes in this discipline.

Preferred Bibliographic Style

As the study of philosophy centers on developing an interpretation of others’ work (and defending that interpretation) it is of utmost importance that care is taken to distinguish between your own ideas and those you borrow from others. Though most academic disciplines share the need for citation, there is a decreased emphasis on direct quotations in philosophy. Rather, the goal is to interpret writings using your own words. Accordingly, one must also be careful not to paraphrase too closely; simply changing a few words around or inserting synonyms in a few places is not enough. In order to demonstrate a mastery of the material, one should ensure that s/he completely understands the concepts presented in a piece of writing and then compose from that knowledge base. Whether quoting or paraphrasing, acknowledging the source of words or ideas can be accomplished through using proper citation. Citing sources in this field is commonly done using MLA style or Chicago (Turabian).

The DePaul University Center for Writing-based Learning offers helpful resources on using these citation styles.

Northwest Missouri State University offers a useful guideline to follow when using sources in a philosophy paper.

Common Writing Assignments

  • Exegesis/Argument Reconstruction: For detailed information on how to write these papers and/or incorporate exegetical writing into larger projects, visit the UNC-Chapel Hill Writing Center’s handout.

  • Compare-Contrast Paper: These papers will challenge you to compare and contrast the ideas of two or more different philosophers, and you may be required to contribute your own insights to the conversation you have set up between them.

  • Research Paper: The DePaul University Department of Philosophy provides a useful handout for students writing research-based philosophy papers.

Helpful Resources

Jim Pryor from NYU offers a helpful guide to writing philosophy papers.

The Philosophy Department at the University of North Carolina offers a detailed handout which includes helpful tips and strategies on the elements of a philosophy paper.

Douglas Portmore from the University of Arizona provides a comprehensive guide to writing philosophy papers with examples and a further list of helpful resources. (pdf)

The Dartmouth Writing Program offers some tips on general writing conventionsin philosophy papers, such as structure, tone, and strategies to help you begin writing.

Stanford offers a comprehensive, searchable encyclopedia of philosophic terms.

Feinberg, Joel. Doing Philosophy : A Guide to the Writing of Philosophy Papers. 3rd ed. Belmont, Calif.: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2005.

View a list of tutors who specialize in writing in philosophy

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