What is philosophy?
Philosophy is interdisciplinary. In fact, all subjects that exist today in a professional academic setting, be it physics, psychology, or economics, all began with philosophy before specialising into their own disciplines. While this might make philosophy seem obsolete, being able to ask a question in the right way, and synthesise and evaluate answers across disciplines, is the realm of philosophy.
Philosophy begins as soon as you start asking questions, and using evidence, logic, and critical thinking to approach answering them. It is the asking of fundamental questions, particularly “big questions”, where it doesn’t seem like a there is a clear answer:
What is knowledge?
Do we have free will?
Where does your personal identity come from?
What makes for a good life?
Writing for philosophy basics.
A philosophy paper is best when it is well-structured and straightforward. Do not be ambiguous with your language, as this will confuse your reader. Signpost often to provide structure throughout your essay. In a philosophy paper, you generally are presenting a thesis, or contention. Your thesis might be why a particular position you hold is true, or why somebody else’s position might be false, or you might be defending someone else’s position from someone else’s objections. Or you might be asked to evaluate contrasting arguments on a particular issue. In any case, philosophy consists of presenting an argument to support your thesis. Note that in philosophy, an “argument” carries a different meaning than in everyday usage, where it generally refers to shouting back and forth, or a heated verbal clash. Philosophy is much more formal, orderly, and respectful than that, and your paper should be reflective of that in the way that it is written.
An example of philosophy discussion in action:
You must clearly outline your thesis, or main point, in the introduction. For example, you might be addressing the question “do we have free will?”. State your thesis clearly: I will argue that the compatibilist account of free will is internally inconsistent. Here, you have clearly explained what you are doing; you have identified the compatibilist account of free will and stated that you will present an argument that shows that the compatibilist account is internally inconsistent, meaning that two premises that are within the compatibilist view contradict each other (i.e., that free will and determinism are contradictory and therefore cannot both be true). You should also define compatibilism, the view that free will and determinism can both be true, and in this case free will and determinism, as these concepts are central to your argument. On the other hand, you might defend the compatibilist position from the criticism that it is internally inconsistent, arguing that free will exists so long as our choices are not caused by external forces. Or you could simply outline and contrast the three main positions on free will, known as libertarian free will, compatibilism, or hard determinism. Note that in the example argument you have only stated you will be showing why the compatibilist view is internally inconsistent. If you wanted to conclude that hard determinism is true, you should, again, state so in your introduction: I will argue that the compatibilist account of free will is internally inconsistent, and that hard determinism is true.
Furthermore, it is paramount that you present viewpoints both as accurately and as strongly as possible. In the compatibilist example argument, you should present the compatibilist view as strongly as possible before you go about arguing that it is false. You should similarly present anticipated objections to your argument as accurately and as strongly as possible, and then respond to those objections.
Citing in philosophy papers.
While in essays for other subjects, you might cite another person’s work to advance your argument, generally because of their credibility in the field, in philosophy, this is not seen as a valid way to make a point, because it raises the question of why they are correct in the first place. After all, authorities on a subject can be wrong. The merit of your argument comes directly from how well you argue it.
Finally, in philosophy, you are expected to carry out your own research and find your own sources. Unless there is a specific number of references to cite, aim for just a few, and give them in-depth analysis. This helps you to grow as a critical thinker, because it hones your ability to research, which is an invaluable skill after university, and it encourages you to think critically about the ideas you encounter as you evaluate them and figure out your responses to them.
Final tips:
Remember, the paper is an expression of your own voice. While you can use another philosopher’s argument, you must acknowledge that it is their argument, and still offer your own. The best way to ensure your own voice is clearly articulated is to quote in moderation, thereby leaving more of the word count for your own words. Of course, some questions may ask you not for your own opinion. In this case you still must give proper credit to other philosopher’s ideas when you use them and do your best to put them in your own words.
About the author:
Tom Vlamis is the Secretary for the Deakin Philosophical Society. They host casual philosophical discussions, guest lectures and dinners throughout the academic year, which are catered free of charge for members.
Everyone is welcome and no background knowledge in philosophy is required.
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