5 Virtues of Good Philosophical Writing

By Willie Costello

The Virtues

Clarity | Structure | Justification | Examples | Modesty

How To Write Virtuously
1. Writing Clearly
Keep reminding yourself: The point of a philosophical essay is not to summarize
(as in a book report), nor to persuade (as in a speech), nor to present results
(as in research) – what you are being asked to do is to explain things clearly
2. Writing with Structure
Keep asking yourself: What is the point of this [section / paragraph / sentence
/ clause]? How does it relate to the [sections / paragraphs / sentences / clauses]
before and afer it?
Furthermore, make these relations clear to your reader through the use of signposting
and transitional phrases. For example, to establish…
sequence: to begin; first; next; following this; as we saw above
consequence: therefore; thus; in this way; consequently; for this reason
clarification: that is; in other words; namely; in short; to put it otherwise
emphasis: in particular; specifically; especially
contrast: however; nonetheless; on the one hand … on the other hand; yet;
despite this; on the contrary; otherwise; conversely; rather
a new point: in addition; furthermore; moreover; additionally; also
analogy: similarly; likewise; analogously
examples: for example; for instance; to illustrate this point
Use these as much as possible! If this is your first time writing a philosophy
essay, force yourself to use a transitional phrase in every sentence
3. Writing with Justification
Keeping asking yourself, for every claim / assertion / statement you make:
Have I also explained why this is the case?
Don’t just say: “Socrates claims that mustard is not an essential ingredient of
any good sandwich.” Also explain why Socrates claims this: “This is because,
as he points out, there are good sandwiches which do not include mustard.”
4. Writing with Examples
Want to be sure a claim you’re making is sufficiently clear? Give an example!
Don’t just say: “In fact, some sandwiches are made worse by the addition
of mustard.” Also give a specific example of what you are claiming: “For
example, putting mustard on an egg salad sandwich would be gross.”
5. Writing Modestly
Don’t overstate your conclusion. It is highly unlikely that you have demonstrated
the unquestionable failure of any argument in your essay. Keep your conclusion
modest, honest, and representative of what you’ve said.
Other Resources
• Jim Pryor, “Guidelines on Writing a Philosophy Paper”
 http://goo.gl/e6tyz
• Harvard College, “A Brief Guide to Writing the Philosophy Paper”
 http://goo.gl/PolpAE
• Angela Mendelovici, “A Sample Philosophy Paper” (Prezi presentation)
 http://goo.gl/yX7tRo
• James Lenman, “How To Write a Crap Philosophy Essay”
 http://goo.gl/ze3gf8
 (for advice on what not to do in your essays)

Source: Five Virtues of Good Philosophical Writing