WRITING GUIDE, Major Elements

Purpose
The following information, in conjunction with the PAPER RUBRIC, should make clear
what the writing expectations are, and guide you in meeting them. It is possible to
disregard this guidance and still produce an outstanding philosophical paper. But its
unlikely. Understand the guidance as describing roughly what you want to accomplish
in your paper. Dont get bogged down in the details. It is not a formula. Instead, pay
attention to the role played by each of the major components. Appreciate how they
function in the overall structure of the paper.
This guide focuses on three aspects of your writing: (1) the essential elements in a
philosophy paper; (2) the structure and purpose of an effective first paragraph; and (3)
citations and plagiarism.
Essential Elements: Exegesis, Objection, Rejoinder, Assessment
Your big task: Make a contribution to the debate. Approach this as four smaller tasks.
ExegesisExplain the argument charitably. Tell the reader what the premises are,
and say why they are plausible. This involves something like the following: Singer
argues that X is true on the basis of p. He also argues that Y is true because of q.
The truth of X and Y entails his conclusion, Z. Done properly, the proponent of the
argument would say, Yeah, thats a really nice way to put my argument.
To ensure that youve properly interpreted the authors argument supply textual
reference. Direct quotations justify your interpretation. They do not constitute
your exegesis of the argument. Someone should be able to read your paper,
skipping all quotations, and still make sense of the argument.
ObjectionPresent a compelling problem for the argument explained in #1. Either
one of the premises isnt true, or the argument isnt valid (in which case the
conclusion doesnt follow from the premises.) You might say something like: Singer
claims that X is true on the basis of p, but p doesnt actually support X. To get to X
from p youd have to establish r. Or, you might say: Singer is right to claim that X
and Y are true, but they dont entail Z.
This is where you introduce your reader to a serious problem with the argument,
something worth paying attention to. Be on guard for two mistakes:
First, if the objection is obviously decisive, so much so that the argument looks
silly, then you should worry that youve properly understood the argument. If
the objection makes the conclusion defended appear implausible on its face,
then there is likely a better interpretation of the argument available.
Second, if the objection is really weak obviously predicated on a
misunderstanding or easily avoided then your reader may wonder they
should bother with the paper. If the objection clearly fails then devise another
one.
Notice, if youve done these two tasks properly, then you are well-situated to write
something philosophically interesting. Youve presented a compelling argument, and
shown that it faces a compelling objection. The more convincing your work is here, the
more impressed your reader will be later, when you offer a resolution.

The next two tasks are your opportunity to develop your own critical thought. Be sure
you are not merely reporting what other philosophers have said. Your reader is
interested in your contribution.
RejoinderReply to the objection. What is the best way for a defender of the
argument youve elaborated to respond to your challenge? Perhaps the objection
equivocates on an important term. Perhaps an important distinction needs to be
made, which the objection ignores. Perhaps the objection is a good one, but the
argument can be amended to accommodate it
AssessmentDetermine where we are left after the back and forth. Is the rejoinder
cogent? If the argument in must be modified, does it retain its original force? Does it
appear ad hoc? If the rejoinder requires appealing to a special term, does the
conclusion of the original argument change?
By this point youve completed your big task. Youve moved the debate forward. Some
philosopher made an argument, which you explained. Other philosophers have
differing views, and dispute the argument. You develop this opposition into an
objection. The last two tasks, where you present a rejoinder and offer an assessment
of the back and forth, involve telling your reader something new. Youve said
something not already present in the assigned readings. Crucial to success later is
getting a good start now. So we turn now to consider what an effective introduction
accomplishes.
Introductory Paragraph
The first paragraph is the most important one in the entire paper. In it you accomplish
two things. You state your thesis, and tell your reader to how you will support it.
Thesis: An explicit, interesting, single sentence statement of the claim that will be
defended throughout the paper.
ExplicitIt must be obvious what your thesis is. I suggest you start the
sentence, In this essay I argue or I defend the claim. Prefer clarity over
pleasant prose.
InterestingYour thesis should not be obviously true or excessively general,
e.g. I argue that intentionally killing innocent people is wrong. A more
contentious and specific thesis would be, I argue that the intrinsic value of our
humanity requires that no person ever be killed for any reason. You want to
defend a claim that intelligent people will dispute.
Single SentenceYou should be able to state your central claim in a single
sentence. If you cannot, you are probably trying to defend more than one.
Roadmap: A clear and informative yet concise description of how you will lead the
reader through an informed defense of your thesis.
ClearIt should be obvious to the reader, after having completed only the first
paragraph of your essay, what the general trajectory of the paper is. This usually
involves accomplishing a set of logically related tasks in a sensible order, with the
upshot being the truth of your thesis.
Informative yet ConciseIt is important to give the reader guidance as to how
the paper will proceed. Its easier for them to be convinced of your thesis if they
know how youre going to defend it. So you want your roadmap to be informative.
But if you include too many details your reader will be overwhelmed; there may

be terms in play that you havent defined yet, and you may be making some nice
points the importance of which isnt obvious at the outset of your paper. So you
want it to be concise too.
While you may start your writing with the first paragraph, you should also finish there.
Be sure what you say you will argue is what, in fact, you argue.
Citations & Plagiarism
Any clear and consistent citation style is acceptable. Using a citation tool like Endnote
(you can buy this through the Vanderbilt Software Store) or Mendeley (which you can
download for free) is a good idea since it will save you time and eliminate errors.
Plagiarism of any sort is not tolerated. Always cite sources in your papers even if you
paraphrase them. All suspected cases of plagiarism, accidental or intentional, will be
reported to the Honor Council. Familiarize yourself with the universitys honor code
and the policies on plagiarism. The honor code can be found click here. For resources
on how to cite properly and avoid unintentional plagiarism, click here.