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Hey All

The process of writing a good philosophy paper can begin when you are evaluating the works of others; that is, you can learn by example. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, not all ‘classics' are good candidates for you to follow. What follows here are just a few suggestions on how to write your own paper. Of course, any requirements or recommendations of your Professor will take precedence over these instructions.



Your Title

Although the first thing a reader will see is the title of your essay, the choice of title is perhaps best left for last. This is the case because a title should give an good indication as to the nature of the work – and you'll have a better idea of what this is when the paper has been completed.



Why should the reader read your paper and not someone else's? Make the title informative but not too specific – it's a title, not a wordy thesis statement. Feel free to personalize the title but don't make it wildly outrageous!



Let's image that you are writing a paper in Epistemology. One possible title would be: Truth Problematic? Definitely. ‘Truth' is far too generic, and a bit pompous to boot. How about: The Correspondence Theory of Truth. – Better; but it is still too broad and it doesn't provide the reader with a sense of the paper's purpose. The Correspondence Theory of Truth: A Defense – This is even better as it gives the reader an indication as to what you're examining and hints at what your point of view will be. Of course, it's not very sexy but we leave that possibility up to you.



Your opening

Your opening paragraph(s) should set the stage for the rest of the paper. You are providing your reader with a contextual roadmap of what they can expect. It provides the reader with some indication as to why the topic is important, what the general problem is (or has been) and what your general thesis will be. If you have the space, you may wish to provide a brief glimpse of the main points you will be...