Writing Philosophy A Student's Guide to Writing Philosophy Essays

by Vaughn, Lewis

• ISBN13: 9780195179569
• ISBN10: 0195179560
• Additional ISBN(s): 9780197751916
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-11-10
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• More Book Details

Summary

Writing Philosophy: A Student's Guide to Writing Philosophy Essays is a concise, self-guided manual that covers the basics of argumentative essay writing and encourages students to master fundamental skills quickly, with minimal instructor input. Opening with an introductory chapter on how toread philosophy, the book then moves into the basics of writing summaries and analyzing arguments. It provides step-by-step instructions for each phase of the writing process, from formulating a thesis, to creating an outline, to writing a final draft, supplementing this tutorial approach with modelessays, outlines, introductions, and conclusions. Skills essential to evaluating arguments, citing sources, avoiding plagiarism, detecting fallacies, and formatting final drafts are dealt with in detail. The final two chapters serve as a reference guide to common mistakes and basic skills insentence construction, writing style, and word choice. Employing a rulebook format similar to that of the classic Elements of Style (by Strunk, White, and Angell), Lewis Vaughn distills helpful writing advice into simple rules that students can easily remember and apply--and that instructors can refer to when reviewing student papers. These rulescover essay organization, sentence structure, documentation styles, plagiarism, grammar, usage, and more. Written in a clear and engaging style and incorporating samples of student writing, Writing Philosophy is an indispensable resource for virtually any philosophy course.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
PART I READING AND WRITING	1	(102)
Chapter 1 How to Read Philosophy	3	(18)
What Is Philosophy?	3	(4)
Reading Philosophy	7	(6)
Rule 1-1 Approach the Text with an Open Mind	8	(1)
Rule 1-2 Read Actively and Critically	9	(1)
Rule 1-3 Identify the Conclusion First, Then the Premises	10	(1)
Rule 1-4 Outline, Paraphrase, or Summarize the Argument	11	(1)
Rule 1-5 Evaluate the Argument and Formulate a Tentative Judgment	12	(1)
Writing a Paraphrase or Summary	13	(3)
Applying the Rules	16	(5)
Chapter 2 How to Read an Argument	21	(22)
Premises and Conclusions	21	(6)
Judging Arguments	27	(12)
Rule 2-1 Know the Basics of Deductive and Inductive Arguments	27	(3)
Rule 2-2 Determine Whether the Conclusion Follows from the Premises	30	(8)
Rule 2-3 Determine Whether the Premises Are True	38	(1)
Applying the Rules	39	(4)
Chapter 3 Rules of Style and Content for Philosophical Writing	43	(12)
Rule 3-1 Write to Your Audience	43	(1)
Rule 3-2 Avoid Pretentiousness	44	(2)
Rule 3-3 Keep the Authority of Philosophers in Perspective	46	(1)
Rule 3-4 Do Not Overstate Premises or Conclusions	46	(1)
Rule 3-5 Treat Opponents and Opposing Views Fairly	47	(2)
Rule 3-6 Write Clearly	49	(2)
Rule 3-7 Avoid Inappropriate Emotional Appeals	51	(1)
Rule 3-8 Be Careful What You Assume	52	(1)
Rule 3-9 Write in First Person	53	(1)
Rule 3-10 Avoid Discriminatory Language	53	(2)
Chapter 4 Defending a Thesis in an Argumentative Essay	55	(30)
Basic Essay Structure	56	(12)
Introduction	56	(2)
Argument Supporting the Thesis	58	(1)
Assessment of Objections	59	(1)
Conclusion	60	(1)
A Well-Built Essay	60	(8)
Writing the Essay: Step by Step	68	(12)
Step 1 Select a Topic and Narrow It to a Specific Issue	69	(1)
Step 2 Research the Issue	70	(1)
Step 3 Write a Thesis Statement	71	(1)
Step 4 Create an Outline of the Whole Essay	72	(3)
Step 5 Write a First Draft	75	(3)
Step 6 Study and Revise Your First Draft	78	(1)
Step 7 Produce a Final Draft	79	(1)
An Annotated Sample Paper	80	(5)
Chapter 5 Avoiding Fallacious Reasoning	85	(11)
Straw Man	86	(1)
Appeal to the Person	86	(1)
Appeal to Popularity	87	(1)
Appeal to Tradition	88	(1)
Genetic Fallacy	88	(1)
Equivocation	89	(1)
Appeal to Ignorance	90	(1)
False Dilemma	91	(1)
Begging the Question	91	(1)
Hasty Generalization	92	(1)
Slippery Slope	93	(1)
Composition	94	(1)
Division	94	(2)
Chapter 6 Using, Quoting, and Citing Sources	96	(7)
Rule 6-1 Know When and How to Quote Sources	96	(3)
Rule 6-2 Do Not Plagiarize	99	(2)
Rule 6-3 Cite Your Sources Carefully	101	(1)
Rule 6-4 Build a Bibliography if Needed	101	(2)
PART 2 REFERENCE GUIDE	103	(23)
Chapter 7 Writing Effective Sentences	105	(13)
Rule 7-1 Make the Subject and Verb Agree in Number and Person	105	(2)
Rule 7-2 Express Parallel Ideas in Parallel Form	107	(1)
Rule 7-3 Write in Complete Sentences, Not Fragments	108	(1)
Rule 7-4 Connect Independent Clauses Properly	109	(2)
Rule 7-5 Delete the Deadwood	111	(1)
Rule 7-6 Put Modifiers in Their Place	112	(2)
Rule 7-7 Be Consistent in Tense, Voice, Number, and Person	114	(1)
Rule 7-8 Communicate Pronoun References Clearly	115	(3)
Chapter 8 Choosing the Right Words	118	(8)
Rule 8-1 Select Nouns and Verbs Precisely	118	(1)
Rule 8-2 Prefer the Active Voice	118	(1)
Rule 8-3 Use Specific Terms	119	(1)
Rule 8-4 Avoid Redundancy	119	(1)
Rule 8-5 Be Aware of the Connotations of Words	120	(1)
Rule 8-6 Learn to Distinguish Words That Writers Frequently Mix Up	121	(2)
Rule 8-7 Strive for Freshness; Avoid Clichés	123	(1)
Rule 8-8 Do Not Mix Metaphors	124	(1)
Rule 8-9 Beware of Awkward Repetition	124	(2)
Appendix A Formatting Your Paper	126	(7)
Appendix B Documenting Your Sources	133	(13)
Index	146