Formal essay

Generally speaking, a good philosophy essay should include:

1. A clear statement of what you are arguing. For example, if you were composing an argument for the conclusion that Pope Francis would have an easier time than most people following the Eightfold Path then say so.

· It is generally wise to put this in your first paragraph. Avoid autobiographical comments such as how long you have thought about this. Also avoid general comments such as “Philosophers have talked about this question for a long time.” These comments don’t add anything of interest to your discussion. Jump in by telling your reader what your conclusion is. Philosophers don’t generally aim for subtle kinds of beginnings. We want others to be clear about what we’re arguing. In addition, starting this way makes for a more interesting beginning to the essay than the kinds of statements mentioned above.

2. Reasons in support of your view (think here of what considerations you can put forward to convince someone that your view is the most reasonable one to adopt)

· Imagine what you have written will be read by someone who doesn’t agree with your view. What could you say to convince such a person that this view is the best? Sometimes ideas that seem obvious to us are not obvious to others. Reflecting in this way (or even trying your idea out on others) can be a way to find what needs more explanation.

· Don’t spend time (or space) laying out aspects of your view that are not necessary for the argument being made. For example, if you were writing an essay arguing that Tolstoy’s focus on death was a mistake, then the fact that he was the author of War and Peace is likely to be irrelevant and should not appear in your discussion. Only bring it in if it supports your conclusion in some way (and be sure to make clear how it provides this support).

3. Consideration of the most serious objections someone might raise to your view

· When giving objections, philosophers make it very clear that the consideration being discussed is an objection. If one fails to do this, readers get confused (suddenly criticizing the view that one has hitherto been defending is definitely baffling). So, we introduce objections by writing things such as: “It might be objected that…” or “A possible criticism of this view is…” or “The most serious objection to the view defended here is…” or something else of similar nature.

· Try to come up with a relatively central objection. Suppose you were discussing Gunaratana’s account of why we suffer and raised the objection that he somewhat overestimates how much of our experience falls into the “ignoring” category. That would not be a good objection because the specific amount of our experience that we ignore is not central to his view; even if he has overestimated the amount somewhat, that will not contradict or undermine his overall argument.

4. Your response to that objection

· How can you argue that readers should still adopt your view, despite this criticism? Is the criticism confused? …based on a mistake? …correct, but not serious? …a less serious problem than the problems that alternative views face? (These are just some of the avenues one might explore.)

· If you cannot come up with a good response to the objection then consider whether your conclusion needs to be adjusted. The view you argue for need not be simple. It might be that in certain cases, x is best, but in other cases y is preferable. Just be sure to give reasons why the two kinds of cases are importantly different.

5. A conclusion

· At the end of the essay, there should be a paragraph which briefly ties your argument together, reminding the reader of what he should be concluding and why.

Some other important instructions: