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PHILOSOPHY ESSAY WRITING WORKSHOP
October 17, 2019Writing Workshop
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COURSE BUSINESS
Paper # 1: Papers returned on Tuesday
Came to class today? Sign up to receive digital comments within 48 hours!
Paper # 2: Topics posted online by Friday
Q1: Hume on Causation and Billiard Balls Q2: Descartes on Dreams vs. Reality Q3: TEAM UNICORN wants YOU!
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ON WRITING
On the importance of writing
Every piece of writing has an objective
Clarity as the chief virtue of writing
Writing requires practice
Writing requires a plan of attack
Best way to write?
EXCEPTION = FRANCE*
START WRITING! …EDIT LATER
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ON WRITING
2 METHODS IMPROVE YOUR WRITTEN SKILLS
1) Practice + Repetition + Feedback
2) Read more!
3) Magic? NEGATIVE… :(
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ON [NOT] WRITING
MERLIN MANN ON PROCRASTINATION Procrastination is an effect not a cause. It is when you temporality forget who you are or who you want to be. It’s when you forget what you’re suppose to be paying attention to, and when you lose confidence about what your options are for doing something about it.
Writer’s Block = Lack of Preparation or Confidence
Merlin’s [OLD] Blog: 43Folders.com“Time, Attention and Creative Work”
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ON WRITING
WRITER’S CREEDO
Writing is RE-WRITING
Don’t be this guy →
Writing is a process…
… perhaps beautiful
… perhaps painful
PHIL’S WRITING ETHOS Writing is like child-birth
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WHAT IS AN ARGUMENT?
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WHAT IS A PHILOSOPHY PAPER?
ARGUMENT with reasons to support a conclusion
Reasoned defence of some claim — TAKE A STANCE!
Exercise in abstract reasoning
More time spent THINKING than writing
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OPINIONS ARE LIKE…
Difference between your OPINION and an ARGUMENT
FIRST THING’S FIRST: We want to read what YOU think!
Can’t only make assertions — back up your claims with reasons to form an argument
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WHY? SO WHAT? EXPLAIN FURTHER
Always think about the SO WHAT? question
Explore your own reasoning process
Make an assertion… EXPLAIN significance
Arguments as causal-chains of reasoning
Engage with the author’s argument
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WRITERS; NOT PSYCHICS
You are would-be writers/ aspiring reasoners…NOT [BULLSHIT] PSYCHICS!
Reasoned/considered/thoughtful disagreement…ENCOURAGED!
Your OBJECTIVE as a paper-writer…
…not [necessarily] to change your prof’s mind
…present a reasoned defence of a position/claim
…CERTAINLY NOT…to provide a definitive solution
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KEY ELEMENTS
Be as direct and specific as possible — ‘implicit’ arguments do not make good papers
Well reasoned argument — not definitive or groundbreaking argument
QUALITY over QUANTITY
Short paper: BE CONCISE!
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KEY ELEMENTS
Explain important terms and concepts
Unpack important claims
EXAMPLE: Cash for Sterilization
ARGUMENT: a drug addicted women is not capable of making a voluntary decision when offered easy cash
Explain the significance of your claims: SO WHAT?
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ESSAY STRUCTURE
Hamberger/1-3-1 Model
Burn this out of your minds
Virtually every paper will have more than three body paragraphs
No single formula — every paper is like a snowflake
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ESSAY STRUCTURE
Break down a question into its component parts
SAMPLE QUESTION: After some protestations, Meno concedes to Socrates that people do not need Knowledge, and should rest content with achieving “correct opinions”. Explain Plato’s argument for why it is enough for people have achieve “correct opinions.” Evaluate whether Meno was too quick to concede the point to Socrates, and discuss your reasons why.
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ESSAY STRUCTURE
COMPONENT PARTS:
EXPOSITION
- Socrates’s position on knowledge/correct opinion- Socrate’s reasons for thinking correct opinion equally valuable
EVALUATION
- Reason(s) for agreeing/disagreeing with Meno’s decision to concede to Socrates
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ESSAY STRUCTURE
EXPOSITION
- definition of knowledge - definition of correct opinion
- how knowledge differs from correct opinion- why knowledge “appears” more valuable - necessary conditions for “correct” opinion
- function / purpose of knowledge - how correct opinion can play the same role as knowledge
EVALUATION
- Knowledge unattainable - What is unattainable is a poor guide for action- How can something guide action if we can’t attain it?
- Additional conditions on opinions being “correct” safeguard search for a guide - for opinion to be “correct” must be reliable - best guide is a reliable guide!
COUNTER ARGUMENT(S): knowledge “shackled” unlike correct opinion
Thesis: If the point of attaining knowledge is having a reliable guide, then correct opinion is just as valuable as knowledge.
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PLAN OF ATTACK
Start with an outline![I’m delighted to review outlines >48 prior to deadlines]
Strategy — Divide word count among component parts [reverse engineer if necessary]
- introduction = ~200 words - conclusion = ~150 words
- exposition = ~ 400 words - evaluation = ~ 450 words
BAD STRATEGY…
- introduction + exposition = 1,000 words - well…now I need to fit evaluation + conclusion in remaining words…
900 words remaining!
OH CRAP! Now what?!?
RESIST THE URGE TO FREAKOUT!
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COMPONENT PARTS
INTRODUCTION
Preview of the paper — Roadmap of your argument
Topic sentence: not overly general; avoid clichés
Finish with a thesis statement — the central claim that you’ll be defending in the paper
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COMPONENT PARTS
EXPOSITION
Before you can evaluate an argument, need to present the argument under investigation for context
This is where you’ll define the relevant terms, concepts, and central ideas
RULE OF THUMB: Should be less than ½ the paper
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COMPONENT PARTS
EVALUATION
Bulk of the paper…
Provide your argument in support of your conclusion
Address the article’s central arguments/claims, and resist the temptation to latch on to peripheral issues
Avoid begging-the-question — provide reasons in support of your conclusion
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COMPONENT PARTS
CONCLUSION
Briefly restate what you’ve proven in the paper
Good idea to restate your thesis statement (NOT word for word) at the beginning of the conclusion
Avoid lengthy introductions and conclusions — no more than ½ page each
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QUOTATIONS
Avoid lengthy direct quotations
Use direct quotations sparingly
Every quotation needs to be interpreted/unpacked
Learn to paraphrase — citations are absolutely necessary
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VOCABULARY
The most convincing prose…is clear prose
Use a thesaurus with CAUTION!
BLUNT ADVICE… don’t try to “sound smart”…be smart
…but OVERLORD Phil uses big words all the time in class?
…that’s because OVERLORD Phil is well read and knows the meanings (and appropriate usages) of many words
HELPFUL ADVICE FROM MARK TWAIN: “Don’t use a five-dollar word when a fifty-cent word will do.”
Example — “rebuttal” …why not “response” or “reply” ?
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PANDAS AND PUNCTUATION
PANDAS…
Whimsical bear-like creatures with black/white spots, or… murderous restaurant patrons?
STORY TIME…
A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and proceeds to fire it at the other patrons.
“Why?" asks the confused, surviving waiter amidst the carnage, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.
“Well, I'm a panda,” he says. “Look it up.”
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PANDAS AND PUNCTUATION
The waiter turns to the relevant entry in the manual and, sure enough, finds an explanation. "PANDA. LARGE BLACK-AND-WHITE BEAR-LIKE MAMMAL, NATIVE TO CHINA. EATS, SHOOTS AND LEAVES."
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PUNCTUATION
It matters... A LOT!
Do not use punctuation that you do not know how to use properly
[e.g., SEMI-COLONS!!!]
Lynne Truss's
EATS, SHOOT AND LEAVES: A ZERO TOLERANCE APPROACH TO PUNCTUATION
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PROOFREADING
It matters... A LOT (TOO)!
Proofreading and the buddy system
Read the paper ALOUD to catch mistakes
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NEXT LECTURE
Introduction to Moral Philosophy
Plato, THE REPUBLIC [selection]
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