Some Helpful Tips for Writing Philosophical Arguments

I've put together a list of some helpful pointers to take into consideration when trying to construct an argument in philosophical writings, but these could also prove quite helpful in other areas as well. The real key to successful philosophical arguing lies not in your content, but in the structure and organization of your argument. While content is of course important, it is natural that within this realm debates will ensue. However, the ways in which you construct your argument can have profound implications on the success of your argument. Many of these come from my own personal experience through multiple revisions and criticisms of my own works, and I hope these can be helpful to others as well.

1. Strong thesis. Indicating why you have bothered to make an argument in the first place, and what you hope the reader is to take from the work is crucial. A strong thesis will clearly and concretely indicate to your readers what you are trying to undertake and what you hope to prove/disprove. Formulating a strong thesis will give help your readers contextualize your arguments and draw as much from them as possible. If you start your work with a weak thesis, then it is quite possible the reader will be unable to decipher what grounds for which you've made your argument, why you are making this argument to begin with, and what the concept is focusing on. A strong, assertive thesis will also make clear for the writer what it is he intends to prove and will serve as a guiding light of relevance for his argument so that he may continue forward with a structure that is both clear to his readers and himself, and poignant to his central ideals.

2. Lay a groundwork or foundation for your work. When making an argument, it is essential that you posit a base for which your argument is coming from. The importance of a foundation is to make certain to the reader the possibility of necessary posits for which you may justifiably proceed from so as to leave nothing assumed. This may seem obvious, but often times when writing many make the mistake of assuming that their presuppositions are universal, when in fact they may be highly contested. If you fail to establish certain posits and make perfectly clear why they should be accepted as such, then you will find your argument has been significantly weakened from the beginning. Grounding your argument (even if this foundation is contested) will at least lay out the building blocks for your argument. Questionable groundings are not unheard of, and may in fact lead to further works to prove this grounding, but their very presence is essential so as the reader may have a solid understanding where you are coming from, and you the writer may be justified in moving further along to your premises.

3. Don't 'Beg the Question.' "Begging the question," or circular reasoning, occurs when one assumes the truth value of the premises for which he is using to support a given conclusion. This form of arguing assumes the conclusion of your argument in at least one of your premises (hence circular). Not only is this fallacious reasoning for which you should try to avoid, but even the casual reader may be quick to identify this faulty reasoning and your argument may crumble. Circular arguments are problematic and easily render your argument invalid. By introducing premises to support your conclusions, rather than using your conclusion itself as an implied (or explicit) premise for your argument, then you can avoid circular reasoning and prove whatever it is you intended. If you don't, then your argument is worthless and does not prove anything at all.

4. Write authoritatively. Writing your argument with confidence will demonstrate to the readers that you are certain of the premises and conclusions (and the validity) of your argument that you are presenting. Using passive, indirect language not only can make your argument incoherent or unpersuasive, but it leaves little reason for the reader to walk away with your conclusions if you do not seem that confident in them either. This is particularly helpful when attempting to write on controversial issues and will definitely aide in the efficacy of your argument. While this is a concern more of style rather than substance, it does play a role in the psychology of the reader whom you are addressing.

5. Be direct and to the point, and use accessible language. When making your argument, you should use language that is clear, concise, and to the point. Unintelligible babble will not help your argument, and using unnecessarily verbose language for the sake of making your argument look impressive may in fact do more harm than good. If you have to use jargon, keep in mind your audience, but if you can write and construct your argument in language that is accessible to the common reader than that is preferable. It will make your argument more intelligible and easier to follow. It follows that arguments that are easy to understand (when possible) will prove more effective on your readers than those which don't. If there comes a time when you have no other choice but to use technical jargon, be sure to keep your audience in mind. If you are writing for colleagues or an audience with a thorough philosophical background then it is acceptable; however, it is necessary to provide adequate definitions for certain words that are crucial to your argument if you are addressing a more general audience.

6. Take a critical stance against your own conclusions. When constructing your argument, keep in mind any holes, flaws, or invalid logic that may be interpreted by your readers. Also try to undertake a critical response to your own arguments, and predict what opponents might try to draw out from it. By predicting and addressing possible points of contention from opponents, you have undermined some of the possible criticisms they may have and thus made your argument even stronger. If you are trying to argue for something new, or controversial, you will always be able to expect criticisms that will seek to undermine your argument. By addressing those criticisms that are most poignant and competently and successfully countering them, you will make your argument more potent than before, and thus more effective.

7. Finally, make sure your premises actually support your conclusions. This is crucial, not only for the readers to follow your argument, but also necessary for your work not to have been a complete waste of time. You may make brilliant and insightful points to serve as your premises, if it simply does not follow directly to your conclusion, for which you have not given sufficient argument for, then you have proven nothing at all. No matter how successful the premises may be towards some given end, if they are not in support of your (the author) conclusion then your argument has failed. Always keep in mind the conclusion for which you are trying to prove when constructing your premises in your argument.

These are just a few helpful tips to aide you in constructing arguments in philosophical writings. It is always important to cover the necessary steps in order to make your argument persuasive, relevant, logically valid, and accessible to the reader.