Many students encounter the challenge of writing a philosophical essay for the first time at IHPST. It can be daunting. This brief overview is intended principally, but not exclusively, for those of you who have never written a philosophy essay before. It will introduce you to what a philosophical essay is supposed to do, and how you can go about writing one. 1. The Objective of a Philosophical Essay Your objective in writing a philosophical essay is to assert a thesis and to give the reader the best available reason for believing it. The basic tool of the philosophical essay is argument. A philosophical essay is judged on the cogency of its argument. Everything in a philosophical essay is there in the service of the argument, which, in turn, is there solely to support the thesis. The fun in writing a philosophical essay, and the challenge, are found not so much in creating an exciting structure-philosophical essays are not thrillers-nor in crafting aesthetically pleasing language-they aren’t poems-but in formulating and defending the argument. 2. The Structure of a Philosophical Essay The structure of the essay should serve the essay’s goals of presenting a thesis and supporting it with a compelling argument. The structure should be evident to the reader. It should guide the reader through your essay. If the structure of your paper is unclear, it will detract from the impact of your argument. You want the reader’s efforts will be expended in understanding and assessing your argument, and not in discerning your paper’s structure. There probably isn’t a single template that applies equally well to all philosophical essays. But the following, generalized schema might help guide you through construction of a good philosophical essay. Introduction Background Say what the issue is and motivate your choice of topic. Is this a contentious issue? If so, what are the positions one might reasonably take (very briefly). (You will have a chance to say more about this later). Anticipate your thesis. “In this essay I intend to argue that ...” There may well be prominent philosophers who agree with your view. At this point you should say who they are. There will also be philosophers who disagree with your view. You should say who they are too. Are you proposing a new argument for the thesis, or are you going to lend some novel support to an old argument for the thesis. Perhaps you are going to suggest a way to reconcile what are thought to be opposing views? Or perhaps you intend to split the difference between two opposing views? This is the place to say. Introductions are difficult to write (see below). They need to be short. The reader simply needs to know what you are going to say, how you are going to support it, and why it is important. The Thesis and the Argument Think of this section as the engine of your essay. After this section the reader should understand what your central claim is and what considerations you will bring to bear in its support. II.i State your thesis. Make it as simple and precise as you can II.ii Make your argument. Your argument will have premises and a conclusion. These should be laid out as clearly and succinctly as possible. The easier it is for the reader to follow the structure of the argument, the easier it will be for her to engage with it. Explain the Premises Say what the premises mean. All new terms in the premises should be defined. Disclose your Assumptions. If you are making substantive assumptions, this is the time to put them on the table. The remainder of the essay is pretty much all written in the service of this section. It should be clear to the reader how each subsequent part of the essay relates to this part. The reader should be able to return to this part to remind herself what you are arguing for. Justify the Argument This section provides the reader with a reason for believing your argument. This