Writing Do's and Don'ts

OMG YES

Your paper must provide a direct answer to the question(s) asked in the paper prompt. If it doesn't, no matter how smart you show yourself to be, and no matter how true, insightful and original the points you make, you'll get a poor grade. 

If the prompt includes several questions, be sure to answer each of them. It helps to type out your paper prompt in full at the top of your paper, so you can refer back to it constantly and check that you're keeping on track.

Keep your sentences and paragraphs short. Use everyday words. 

Don't be afraid to repeat words when referring to the same things, to use the verb "to be" too often, or to use the first person. Avoiding these can make your writing needlessly complicated.

Don't begin your paper with grand wannabe-eloquent claims like "Since the dawn of time, philosophers have pondered questions of right and wrong...." or vacuous ones like "The topic of abortion is an important and controversial issue." These things sound silly and take up valuable space.

Write in a voice that's serious, but basically sounds like you.  After you've written your paper, try reading it aloud. If it sounds like something you'd feel embarrassed reading to your best friend, because you sound like you're trying too hard to be fancy, revise.

Not all professional philosophers are good at this one. Do not, for example, produce something like this:

“Total presence breaks on the univocal predication of the exterior absolute the absolute existent (of that of which it is not possible to univocally predicate an outside, while the equivocal predication of the outside of the absolute exterior is possible of that of which the reality so predicated is not the reality, viz., of the dark/of the self, the identity of which is not outside the absolute identity of the outside, which is to say that the equivocal predication of identity is possible of the self-identity which is not identity, while identity is univocally predicated of the limit to the darkness, of the limit of the reality of the self).” -- D.G. Leahy (2006)

Don't make the reader do all of the work in figuring out how the various parts of your argument fit together. Instead, make it easier for them by:

An easy way to do this is to start a paragraph with a topic sentence: a key claim in your argument that the rest of the paragraph is dedicated to explaining, elaborating or supporting. (Some paragraphs won't need a topic sentence, because they'll be dedicated to continuing to support the topic sentence of the previous paragraph. If your topic sentences are well formed, you should be able to identify a skeletal version of your entire argument by reading only the thesis statement included in your introduction and the topic sentences that follow it. If your paper doesn't yet allow you to do this, try to reorganize it so it does.

Often the best way to convey a point to your reader is to illustrate it with a vivid example. Don't take this too far, though: if your examples are too lengthy or contain irrelevant details they can be distracting and waste space.

Make clear what you mean by any unusual terms you introduce. Don't throw in controversial claims without offering support for them. Don't assume that your reader knows as much as you do about the topic you're writing about, or indeed that they known anything at all about it. Pretend, roughly, that you're writing for a smart and curious 12-year-old.

There's no need to panic about this! No one expects you to come up with a brand new answer to an age-old question. It's important, though, to demonstrate to your instructor that you've thought carefully about the topic you're writing about and haven't merely parroted what you've read or heard in class. Try to come up with at least a few novel points, criticisms, examples, or elaborations of the material you discuss. Don't be afraid to try out new ideas or make your own suggestions--provided, of course, that you're able to back them up with good arguments.

OMG NO

There should be nothing in your paper that doesn't contribute to supporting your thesis. Irrelevant digressions interrupt the flow of your argument and distract and confuse your reader. When going through your first draft, ask yourself of every sentence: "Is this sentence necessary for my argument?" and, if so, "Is this the best place in my paper for it or would it be more effective elsewhere?" (Mantra: "Everything in its place, but not a place for everything.")

Generally, if you write less than the word limit, you've missed some important arguments or objections. If you write over the word lime, you're either including unnecessary material or are failing to express yourself succinctly.

Many terms used in philosophy have a precise, technical meaning. They're not well capture by dictionary entries, which attempt to explain how a term is used in everyday language. Try to avoid using too many technical terms, but if you do use some, make sure to explain very carefully what they're intended to mean.

Because philosophy covers some very complex and deep questions, there are usually many, many things you could say about a given paper topic. Part of the what's involved in being a good philosopher is knowing what to put into your paper ansd what to leave out. Concentrate on selecting a few of what you think are the most important arguments for and against your thesis, and use the limited space you have to examine those carefully. It's generally better to delve deeply into one or two issues than spread yourself thinly over five.

While you do need to argue for a thesis of some kind, that thesis doesn't have to commit you definitively to one side of a debate over the other. It's fine for your thesis to be that the reasons for and against a given position are equally compelling and that therefore a final decision would be premature. (For this kind of thesis to be convincing, though, you have to give your reader good reasons to believe it!)

Your instructor is interested in your ideas and responses to the arguments discussed in class. Secondary readings are useful in some cases (especially in higher-level classes). But in introductory classes discussing them takes up space in your paper that might otherwise be dedicated to understanding the material your instructor has assigned and elaborating your own views.

If you think you absolutely need to quote an author, do it sparingly. Try to keep yourself to a maximum of two or three quotations per paper, of no more than one or two sentences. Where possible, paraphrase instead (i.e. summarize the author's claim in your own words.) Paraphrases shouldn't involve merely changing a few words, but should be distinct enough from the original text to demonstrate your understanding of the passage selected.

Presenting another person's view as your own is a serious offense. To avoid being accused of plagiarism, you need to take special care to make explicit when you're reporting the views of a philosopher you're discussing. You should never quote or paraphrase an author without acknowledging the source in a reference. Some instructors want you to use a particular citation format (and will tell you which). Others don't mind which format you use, provided that you include the essential details (author, title of book or article, publisher and year of publication) and are consistent throughout your paper. If you have any doubts about how to refer to an author's work correctly, see your instructor.

"Oh, and remember, treasure!  If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again."