Argue that the author holds such and such a position; give reasons,
use the text as evidence. Analyze & explicate arguments that you find
in the text; raise objections that the author did not see, and reply to
them in such a manner as to improve the author's argument. Analysis that
clears up confusion, and arguments that make deep claims (usually spanning
apparently disparate themes), are better.
Help the author with his or her own project. Criticize the author's
reasoning so as to improve and clarify it; find contradictions and resolve
them; try to fill in gaps in ways coherent with the author's thought.
You may want to create a conceptual drama in which concepts are actors.
To do this, be sensitive to both the logical and rhetorical relations between
concepts. Highlight contrasts and affinities, organize concepts into clusters
that cohere and bring those into competition with other clusters; bring
contrasting concepts together to create conflict, raise it to a climax,
then resolve.
Pitfalls to Avoid
No bull. Philosophy is not about your personal opinions. It's about
your thoughts. Thoughts are backed up with reasons & evidence organized
into arguments.
Don't just summarize; a philosophy paper is not a book report. Don't
use extensive quotation. Mere paraphrase, then some quoting, then mere
paraphrase, will surely fail.
Don't neglect scholarship. Cite when you quote. Give credit where it's
due.
No stream of consciousness; organize your thoughts. Make outlines.
If you just write your paper from start to finish in one sitting, it is
probably badly done. Rereading and rewriting are, for most of us, essential.
Stream of consciousness tends to contradict itself; if you contradict yourself
in an obvious way, you will surely fail.
Avoid excessive rhetoric. Philosophy is not just literature. There
is no need for long introductions or conclusions, lots of rhetorical questions
or rhetorical padding. Don't blabber. Get to the point. Use simple sentences.
Rewrite! Rewrite! Rewrite! Put it aside, then rewrite again. Learn
how to take your writing apart, then put it back together in a better way.
This is really hard. Write each sentence on a separate line, number them,
fix up how they relate.
Edit! Eliminate filler & repetition. Proofread. Spellcheck. Get
it right.
Don't digress. Have a framework that binds your thoughts into a coherent,
systematic whole. Don't ramble. Have a goal in view and work towards it.
Don't bluntly and violently impose your own views on an author. Try
to figure out what the author means; be sensitive to the author's own meanings
for technical terms.
