guide to writing a philosophy paper

Guide to Writing a Philosophy Paper

Richard Moore, Berlin School of Mind and Brain

Title: This Should Be a Philosophical Question

Some examples: Could there be language without thought? Is knowledge of

syntax innate? Are meanings in the head?

Your paper should constitute an answer to the question posed in the title.

Abstract

Give a brief (approx. 100-200 word) summary of the goals of the paper and

the arguments that you will deploy to realise these goals. State the

conclusions of the paper.

Introduction

What is the question that you will be answering? What is the standard way of

answering this question? Why is it important? For example, are there implications

for our thinking about the mind that follow from the accepted claim that meanings

are in the head?

In this section you could also give some historical discussion to the topic in

hand. But this discussion should be philosophically relevant. Dont waste

words on autobiographical facts about the philosophers being discussed.

These facts are irrelevant to the quality of the arguments you will discuss.

This is also the section in which you should define carefully any theoretical

terms that you will be using (using others work to do this).

Finish this section by outlining the paper to come, and by outlining the view that you

will defend in your paper.



Central Sections of the Paper

The central goal of a philosophy paper should be to accept or reject a current

philosophical view. To this end, you will be providing arguments for the view that

you wish to defend. Typically you will consider a range of arguments for or against

the view you are considering.

Arguments For

Outline the central arguments for the view you are considering here. Present

them in the most charitable way you can. Dont try to score cheap points by

casting your opponents views in ways that are obviously weak.

Where you can, outline your arguments in syllogistic form.

Be careful to make your claims as detailed as possible. For example, which

stages of an argument are you rejecting: (i) the truth of a premise? (ii) the

validity of a conclusion? (iii) or perhaps a definitional matter?

Arguments Against

As above, outline the central arguments against the view you are considering

here.

Note that these sections dont have to be in this order. For example, if you consider

two pro arguments and two con arguments, you could list them in whatever order

makes the most sense (e.g. pro pro, con con; or pro con, pro con).



Positive Claim

Often, having spelled out the reasons for rejecting a philosophical view, you will

want to offer a better account of the phenomenon you are trying to characterise.

For example, you may want to give a new account of the location of meanings. Do

that here. Again, try to make your claims as precise as possible for example, by

stating exactly which premises of the original view you are modifying, and how.

Objections and Replies

Often, if youre developing your own view, you could strengthen your case by pre-

emptively considering and refuting objections to the views that you are defending.

This isnt always necessary, but if you want to do this, do it here.

The Payoff

Are there philosophically attractive consequences of the new view that you are

defending? For example, are you now better able to explain certain phenomena

rendered mysterious on the traditional view? If so, articulate the payoff here.

Conclusions

State concisely the answer to the question posed at the outset, by summarising the

claims for which you have argued in the paper. Briefly reiterate the payoff. (Often

this section will be very similar to the abstract.)

Acknowledgements

These are probably unnecessary in a term paper, but put them here if you must.



Reference List

List all of the books and articles discussed in your paper, in alphabetical order of the

authors names.1 Be sure to include dates of publication. For articles include journal

titles, issue numbers, and page numbers. For books, include the publishers and

publishing locations. For internet articles (like entries in the Stanford Encyclopaedia

of Philosophy), include web addresses. Here are some examples:

Books:

Bratman, M. (1999). Faces of Intention: Selected Essays on Intention and Agency.

Cambridge: CUP.

Articles:

Butterfill, S. (2012). Joint action and development. Philosophical Quarterly, 62(246),

23-47.

Papers in edited volumes:

Grice, P. (1986). Reply to Richards. In Grandy & Warner (Eds.) Philosophical Grounds

of Rationality: Intentions, Categories, Ends. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

1 Your list should include only works cited in the text. You need not include works that have

shaped your thinking indirectly although you may wish to acknowledge such influences in a

footnote. If you do refer to a paper in a footnote, put it in the reference list too.

guide to writing a philosophy paper

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