Tips for Writing Good Papers and Exams

• Organize your paper in two main sections. In the first, explain the view of the philosopher or philosophers you are writing about. In the second, develop your own argument for the conclusion you agree with. Before you begin writing, you may want to write your argument out in premise and conclusion form and ask yourself whether or not the argument is valid and sound. Play devil's advocate and try to anticipate possible objections or problems.
  
  
• Write in your own words! Quote sparingly, and even then explain what the quotation means. Be very careful about plagiarizing bits and pieces of wording. We should not be able to find more than three or four words in a row that appear exactly as they do in the text or in my lecture notes unless they're in quotation marks. Never ever ever include any sentence in your paper that you yourself do not fully understand—we'll be able to tell.
  
  
• Avoid "fluff." Fluff is anything which is not directly relevant to either presenting the views of the philosopher(s) you are discussing or developing your own argument. Unfortunately, writing instructors often advocate putting fluff in the opening and concluding paragraphs of a paper to make it "flow better." They are crazy. Don’t listen to them. In an exam of this size, you need to get right to the point and keep on it until the very end. Don't worry if your essay is slightly shorter than what we've recommended.
  
  
• Avoid half-assed conclusions/saying nothing. Here is an example of a half-assed conclusion that really amounts to saying nothing at all: "Metaphysical questions are very difficult to answer and no one can say with certainty whether what Descartes had to say is right or wrong. There are good reasons supporting both sides of the debate. Perhaps we will never know." This is an annoying cop-out which really amounts to not even attempting to do what was assigned. It's OK to be undecided with regard to philosophical issues, but if you are, you need to be clear about why you are, i.e., you must say what issue is unresolved and why you are unable to resolve it. What you cannot do is to not even try to address the question, or conclude prematurely that no one can answer it just because you were unable to do so.
  
  
• We encourage you to use gender-inclusive and culturally-sensitive language in your papers. (This will not be a factor in grading.) Also, proper use of grammar, spelling and citation methods are expected. (This also will not be a major factor in grading unless your writing is so poor as to detract from the clarity or meaning of what you are trying to say.) Use complete sentences. If you need help with these things, let us know.
  
  
• CLARITY, ACCURACY, and LOGICAL SOUNDNESS are much more important than PROFUNDITY.
  
  
• This is an exam, not a group project. We always encourage you to discuss philosophical issues with your classmates, but when it comes to actually composing your answers to these questions, you are expected to work alone.
  
  
• Please feel free to ask us if you have questions or need help. That's what we're here for.