Thesis
This is an argumentative paper. That means there’s going to be a thesis, a central claim, that
you’re defending. Here are some examples of theses:
Originality
You should strive to offer original analysis. Don’t just say that you agree with one or more of the
authors you cite. If you have something to say about why you agree or disagree, then that’s good.
Citations
You should read and properly cite at least 3 academic sources. Academic articles are either
academic journals, such as those you’d find through search engines like JSTOR and WorldCat,
or books published through academic publishers. Citations for topical philosophy papers can be
found at www.philpapers.org, though you might have to find the papers themselves on
WorldCat. Your academic sources don’t necessarily need to be from philosophy. You can cite
research in other disciplines so long as it bears on your thesis.
Part 1: Thesis statement and introduction
In the first paragraph, give your thesis statement. That is, one sentence, or at most two, to explain
what you will be arguing in your paper. You can use any of the following:
“In this paper, I argue that ________.”
“The thesis of this paper is that____”
You could also say a little bit more: “In this paper, I argue that _____ on the grounds that
____” or “…because _____.”
The thesis statement doesn’t have to be the first sentence of your first paragraph. You can start
with your thesis statement or you can introduce the topic and then segue into the thesis. One way of doing this is by asking a question.
Part 2: Explication
Now you need to give the background for your topic. Think of this as a short informative essay
in the middle of your argumentative essay. You’re going to want to:
Explain relevant terms (e.g., what is “abortion”? What is “civil disobedience”?)
Maybe say something about the history of the argument (e.g., X has said this, then Y
responds with this. Is there any good response to this?)
Discuss the range of views on the topic.
This could be a couple of pages or longer, especially if you have a lot of quotes.
Researching this part of the paper will also help you figure out what lines of argument are
new, so that you’re not merely repeating what others have said.
Part 3: Give your argument
This step is pretty important. It would be good if you could state your argument in a formalized
way, as follows: My argument is as follows:
Argument name
1. Premise.
2. Premise.
Therefore, conclusion.
Your next paragraph should explain the argument. For example, are there any terms or
ideas in it that are not self-explanatory? You’ll want to explain them here.
Be sure to your argument is logically valid, and that there is no equivocation in any of the
terms, i.e., that the words don’t mean one thing in one premise and another thing in
another premise. Then you will want to justify your premises. If they can be supported by
evidence, then you should at this point bring that evidence to bear.
You don’t have to state your argument in this way, but it’s good if you are able to
because it makes clear to me what your reasons are. You might want to see if you can
formalize your argument even if you decide not to put it in your paper that way. But you
should have one, and only one, central argument. You don’t want to give a bunch of
bullet points that are more or less independent of one another.
Step 4: Anticipate an objection to your argument
This may be the hardest part. It requires you to put yourself in the shoes of someone who
disagrees with you and see through their eyes. What might someone who disagrees with you say?
If you don’t know, you could actually try asking a friend who disagrees with you, or who you
think might disagree with you. Then think of something to say in response. It doesn’t have to be
so compelling that it would definitely convince anyone who disagrees. But it has to be
compelling enough that it might conceivably change someone’s mind.
Step 5: Conclusion
This is where you remind me what I’ve (hopefully) learned while reading this paper. If you
really want a great conclusion, consider whether what you are saying has any implications for
any other issues or questions. For instance, if you are writing a paper on abortion, does it mean
anything to the animal rights debate or the euthanasia debate?
Step 6: References
You are going to need a references page that complies with either MLA. Be
consistent. Again, you should cite at least three academic sources.