A Typical Philosophy Writing Assignment
Choose a passage from one of your readings (length: 1 sentence or as much as a paragraph) Quote your selected passage at the top of the page
NB: The quotation does not count towards your word limit.)

STEP 1: Explain the passage.
Put the author’s point in your own terms. Define technical jargon; illustrate important concepts with examples. Provide enough context to explain why the passage is important. If the passage contains an argument, set it out explicitly. Your imagined reader is a classmate who has not studied this material. Explain everything an intelligent reader would need to have explained in order to see the point of the quotation.

STEP 2: Engage with the passage.
If it presents a difficult interpretative question, offer an interpretation and defend it. If it contains an argument, assess the argument. Are the premises true (plausible, adequately defended)? Is the argument valid? If you offer an objection, imagine how the author might respond and say why the response is unpersuasive. (This may not be possible in the very short papers.) If you support the argument, consider the best objection to it and offer a response.

Please don’t offer your own staggeringly original theory of everything! Your goal is to make incremental progress on a philosophical problem.

NOTE: Do not use sources/readings that have not been assigned.
Philosophy is an odd subject, and philosophical writing is rather different from the writing you’ve done before. Good luck!

TIP:
Often the section in THE BOOK will be followed by “Test Your Understanding” questions which are easy and longer “Notes and Questions” which are more substantive. The latter may provide possible paper topics for you!

A Typical Philosophy Writing Assignment Choose a passage from one...