Writing a Proper Essay for Philosophy Classes

In 2003, I began teaching philosophy courses at a University in my hometown of Erie, Pa. The first course I taught was an "upper-level" class titled "the Philosophy of Law". I taught it in a frank,open manner. I attempted to make those philosophical thoughts and ideals of the class more relevant to today's students. Judging by the grades and enthusiasm of the class, I succeeded. Because of this I have chosen to take this opportunity to lend some guidance to those students out their struggling to understand the functions of a philosophy course. To begin this journey I feel it important to address essay questions and answers that the typical philosophy class will deal with.

For starters, it is important to note that philosophy in general is unlike any topic you are likely to deal with in college. Now it is nothing to be daunted by or feel intimidated over. You can do this. Philosophy deals with questioning more than anything else. It began in ancient Greece with men who hade leisure time to ponder existence. From these roots bigger and more general questions came forth, Understanding the expanse of philosophical thought and the general purposes of philosophy is crucial to achieving a well structured essay in your philosophy class. This is because unlike in your other classes, there will be some level of abstract thought required to produce a decent philosophy essay. This can be difficult to get a handle on in the beginning. You have been taught that "X" happened on this date, or that you need to use this formula to get this answer, and show your work, etc. This is what is called empirical knowledge, or empirical data. There is a form; there is a correct answer to all of this knowledge. Philosophy however, is abstract. You will have opinions, and theories and ideas that may or may not be correct. We may, in fat, never reach the "truth" of many of these subjects. As such when you approach the essay questions of philosophy you must do so with an abstract mind. You must be willing to consider all possibilities for an answer not just the "right" answer.

In my class, for example, I make it clear that all the while my students are reading about philosophy, they are actually merely reading THE AUTHOR'S philosophy on philosophy. Dizzying isn't it? Well relax, it's actually quite encouraging! This means you really aren't bound by what the author says is correct. When an author of a philosophy textbook explains to you what a philosopher says, common sense tells you we can prove or disprove this. Clearly there has to be a written record of this philosopher's ideas. However, the author is also likely to speak about the impact of the philosopher and his ideas. They will also tell you to an extent how correct or appropriate the ideas are. This is where you as a philosopher can interject. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO AGREE. For example, Socrates undeniably spoke about ethics, the soul, and the ideas of right and wrong. But he also said that when we truly know what is right and wrong, we as people will only be able to do what is right. Now as you read this, I am sure you had doubts about the latter ideas. You know and feel, most likely, that there are those people who DO know right from wrong, yet still commit evil acts. See? You have taken the thoughts of the author and put them in question by forming your own philosophies. It's just that simple.

The second hurtle to overcome however, is expressing this in your essay, without appearing like you are dodging the question of the essay. In other words, are you answering the question in an open philosophical manner, or just dodging the question. To avoid this, simply LOOK AT THE QUESTION. What is it asking? How do you think you should answer the question? Do you agree with the author or philosopher? Unlike in other classes you may have had before, philosophy is an outstanding opportunity for you to make a contribution to the material. Now bear in mind, this is not an open door for you to simply take all essay questions and turn them into "story-time". You cannot take a college level essay question about Plato's Allegory of the Cave and answer by talking about how your kitty cat died when you were three. You will still have to ANSWER the question in all its points. Use what you have learned from the book to draw upon when you answer the question. But make sure to illustrate how these facts or statements from the book apply to the issues raised in the question. If a question asks you to describe Plato's Allegory of the Cave and how it reflects on the culture of Plato's time, then you really have to issues to discuss in your answer. No matter how detailed and glorious your description of Plato's Allegory is, you still have NOT answered the question until you also discuss how it reflects Plato's culture. So, when writing your essay keep an open expansive mind on what this question is asking and the ways you can answer it.

The third factor to deal with in philosophical essays is that unlike other essays, you may not be able to just regurgitate facts and dates and ideas, as you would in a history or political science class. Most philosophy classes will want you to interpret the ideas you have been presented, apply them to today's issues, or even to create your own theories. Here is your time to shine. Now it is the old joke that you cannot fail a question that asks your opinion. In theory this is true. Your opinion is your opinion and that's that. But, most questions that ask you to express your thoughts or opinions are going to have the nasty little condition that you explain WHY OR WHY NOT. All this means is that you have to show your work, so to speak. In philosophy there is an area of practice called logic. This is where we as thinkers, look at our knowledge and arguments, and put them to the test to see if they are reasonable; if they are true; if they are logical. So when explaining your opinion, look at what you are writing and always ask yourself "Am I supporting my conclusions?" "Are there statements and facts in my answer that show the reader that my argument is sound?"

Remember, in philosophy classes you will have times where you are asked to answer a question on a topic you cannot prove to be true or false. Great ethical questions on life, death, religion, crime, punishment, etc. will always be in debate and may never have a true "right" or "wrong" answer as we know it. So do not feel that your professor is brash enough to put it on your shoulders to come up with the right answer. What they are more than likely looking for is how you take what is in the book and use it to help you come up with a sensible argument on the subject. One final thing to remember here is that while it is important to show in your answer that you have an understanding and recollection of the opinions expressed in the book, you DO NOT necessarily have to agree with them. Does this mean you can tell the professor that Plato DIDN'T write the Allegory of the Cave? Obviously not! But you can deviate from the opinions of the author of the textbook and the opinions of Plato in the Allegory, and create your own philosophy in your answer. Some of the greatest essay answers I have read as a professor are the ones that logically argued AGAINST the author of the book, or against certain philosophies. All you have to do is support your argument clearly; show your work.

At this point, you have a clear understanding of the thought process you need to use when approaching a philosophy essay question. All you have to do know is put it sensibly to the paper. This is where a LOT of students have trouble. You know what you want to say, but it just does not seem to hit the paper right. It does not look right, or read right. Well, in my next piece I will explain how to solve these problems using key concepts from philosophy. Until then, just focus on what I have discussed when you look at essay questions, and you will be better prepared to properly write a philosophy essay.