Download file to see previous pages The more we learn about neuroscience, the more we understand that information literacy is a fundamental aspect of the human brain (Kandel & Squire ), and that humans are simply more naturally adapted to understanding certain things (like personal experience) than others (like numerical data). This sheds light on why we understand the world in the way we do How to Analyze a Philosophical Essay. In many of your philosophy classes you will be asked to write a critical analysis of a philosophical essay. This assignment has a specific form which is common to most classes. This document contains the basic instructions for writing such an analysis GOOD WRITING EXAMPLE Jen was an excellent philosophy writer who received the following assignment: Evaluate Smith’s argument for the claim that people lack free will. Jen decided before she began writing her paper that Smith’s argument ultimately fails because it trades on an ambiguity. Accordingly, she began her paper with the following
Critical Reasoning and Information Analysis Essay
Writing is especially important in philosophy because it allows you to clarify your ideas and arguments. Often times writing your ideas down reveals problems or areas that need philosophy critical analysis paper example. Furthermore, philosophy critical analysis paper example, writing is the primary medium for the exchange of philosophical ideas. Thus, to do philosophy well, one must write well.
This page contains notes on form and standards philosophy critical analysis paper example writing in the English language. I recommend reading this guide and then looking at a sample philosophy essay written by a college student, such as one of these:. Mayes of CSU Sacramento. I have used much of it here with his permission. I have made some changes to the original, however.
To write a philosophy paper, philosophy critical analysis paper example, first, read the paper assignment prompt a. topic prompt several times. This is good. In general, your paper should have a more narrow than broad topic. And now the topic is already found for you. If this is the case, then you will need to select an aspect of the text that you find particularly interesting, troubling, exciting, confusing, or problematic.
By an aspect of the article, I do not mean a particular section of words or bits of language; I mean a claim or set of claims to which the author is committed, either by explicitly arguing for them, or presupposing them.
Note: before you can philosophy critical analysis paper example a topic, you should make sure to read the text s of interest several times until you think you understand it fairly well. In short, always strive to express yourself in the simplest, clearest, and most precise terms possible. The paper should demonstrate a strong grasp and command of the material from the course.
Remember that accuracy is still important regarding fine details—even minor differences in words can drastically change the meaning of a sentence. Furthermore, a good essay goes beyond a typed up version of your class notes by demonstrating that you know how all the material connects together conceptually.
Instead, write as if your reader is someone who is intelligent, philosophy critical analysis paper example, about your level of education, but has not studied the material in your topic before.
So, make sure to define all technical terms. A good rule of thumb: if you first learned the word or phrase in the class, then you should probably explain what it means to your reader. This section must accomplish the following tasks in the following order. A good option is to devote a single short paragraph to each task, philosophy critical analysis paper example. Avoid lengthy or dramatic introductions, philosophy critical analysis paper example, especially if they insult the discipline.
Your evaluation a. critique should be organized in a way that reflects the structure of your exposition. This is easy to do since you have selected for exposition only those aspects of the article about which you have something to say.
Be sure your evaluation obeys the rules laid out in the Writing Style section above. For a negative evaluationdefine your project in terms of arguments and views with which you disagree. For a positive evaluationdefine your project in terms of arguments and views with which you basically agree. For an undecided evaluationdefine your project in terms of arguments and views that you find interesting, but which you are currently disinclined to either accept of reject.
Carefully articulate the strongest considerations in favor of the view and the strongest considerations against the views. Then carefully explain why one ought to remain undecided and indicate precisely what sort of information or arguments would be required for one to make a rational decision on the matter. Note: The evaluative part of your analysis should demonstrate an awareness of other relevant readings. You should be careful to note when you are reproducing criticisms that are made by other authors, especially those read in the class.
You should be careful to include or consider important criticisms made by other authors when they are clearly relevant to your own concerns. However, if your analysis is sufficiently complicated, it may help the reader to briefly recapitulate the steps you have taken in reaching your conclusions. The summary should be very short and it should contain no new information or claims.
This restriction prevents you from making closing comments which are not sufficiently articulated in the body of the paper. The norm seems to be a mix between Chicago a.
Turabian and APA American Psychological Associationalthough the trend seems to be that many philosophy journals are looking more like the latter these days. However, most instructors, especially for philosophy courses, will allow you to deviate quite a bit from such formal citing styles. Training you to cite using some specified style is not one of the main goals of philosophy even though it is an important one in, philosophy critical analysis paper example, say, English.
We want train you primarily to explain and evaluate philosophical arguments and theories in a clear, rational, and rigorous way. Table of Contents: The Paper Topic Writing Style Format Content Citations and Sources Relevant Links 1.
The Paper Topic To write a philosophy paper, first, read the paper assignment prompt a. Writing Style Your paper should be concise and thorough. This involves exposition like the previous assignment type but evaluation as well. Expository papers should have the following sections: Introduction Exposition Summary optional in that order.
Evaluative papers should have the following sections: Introduction Exposition Evaluation Summary optional in that order. Content Construct each section of your paper along the following guidelines.
Introduction This section must accomplish the following tasks in the following order. Identify the article, and describe in one or two sentences what problem s it addresses and what view s it defends. Orient the reader to the topic and provide a conceptual map of the rest of the paper, philosophy critical analysis paper example. State precisely which aspect s of the article your analysis will address and precisely what you intend to accomplish.
This is something like a thesis statement. Rather, it must be a very specific and concise statement of the case you intend to make, and the basic considerations you intend to employ in making it. You will probably find it philosophy critical analysis paper example to write this section before your analysis has gone through the rough draft phase.
Exposition The basic rules for constructing an exposition are as follows: For the most part, you should explain only those aspects of philosophy critical analysis paper example article that are relevant to your evaluation.
Do not produce an unnecessarily lengthy or detailed explanation. As a general rule of thumb, the exposition and evaluation will usually be roughly equal in length.
This restriction does not prevent you from expressing some uncertainty about what the author is saying, however. The exposition should be organized logically, not chronologically. Each paragraph in the exposition will ordinarily present argument s the author makes in support of a particular position.
This means that, depending on the organization of the article itself, a single paragraph from the exposition may contain statements that are made in very different places in the article. Under no conditions are you to simply relate what the author says the way she says them. Evaluation Your evaluation a. Here are three different approaches to doing an evaluation: 1. Negative Evaluation For a negative evaluationdefine your project in terms of arguments and views with which you disagree, philosophy critical analysis paper example.
Positive Evaluation For a positive evaluationdefine your project in terms of arguments and views with which you basically agree. Undecided Evaluation For an undecided evaluationdefine your project in terms of arguments and views that you find interesting, but which you are currently disinclined to either accept of reject. Relevant Links Sample Philosophy Paper — by Angela Mendelovici Western Ontario.
The Source of Bad Writing — short essay by Steven Pinker, one of the best academic writers around see philosophy critical analysis paper example his book, philosophy critical analysis paper example.
Video on the Sense of Style — a video on writing in the 21st century by Steven Pinker. The Elements of Style — a popular, albeit increasingly dated, style guide by Strunk and White. How to Construct an Essay — my guide to writing essays in general.
Top 10 Grammatical Errors — by Robert Pasnau at Boulder.
Critical Analysis Essay [Example, Outline, Tips]
, time: 8:44SAMPLE SHORT PHILOSOPHY PAPER: For Illustrative purposes only
· A critical analysis essay requires its writers to write a critical evaluation of an argument. Topics can range from analyzing a modern or historical event, film, book, types of music, and complicated social and political issues. It is a form of evaluation and observation with subjective elements GOOD WRITING EXAMPLE Jen was an excellent philosophy writer who received the following assignment: Evaluate Smith’s argument for the claim that people lack free will. Jen decided before she began writing her paper that Smith’s argument ultimately fails because it trades on an ambiguity. Accordingly, she began her paper with the following How to Analyze a Philosophical Essay. In many of your philosophy classes you will be asked to write a critical analysis of a philosophical essay. This assignment has a specific form which is common to most classes. This document contains the basic instructions for writing such an analysis
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