Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ How To Write A Philosophy Paper: Online Guides

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

Many readers will have noticed that my papers aren't like typical social science research papers. I don't do 'social science research', properly so-called. I tend to write in a philosophical style, which has its own rules, traditions, and standards. This list of guides provides a good introduction to the format. In a philosophy paper I am seeking to establish a thesis, for which I will argue, drawing upon evidence, all the while considering and responding to objections. For me, the most important standards are clarity and precision. This is very different from a social science paper, which (say) will use a theory as a lens through which to interpret data produced through some sort of study. Me, I have little use for theories, I certainly don't take them as starting points, and I think of them at best as a shorthand to reference a string of arguments or model.

Today: 3 Total: 114 [Direct link] [Share]


Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

Copyright 2024
Last Updated: Nov 23, 2024 05:14 a.m.

Canadian Flag Creative Commons License.

Force:yes