I. Why Write a Philosophy Paper?
II. Vocabulary and Logic
Statement
Conditional Statement
Argument
Validity
Soundness
Formal Fallacies
Strength
Cogency
Informal Fallacies
III. Structure
Argument
Thesis
Introduction
Body
Conclusion
IV. Content
Arguments
Advancing your own original argument
Exploring the consequences of a particular hypothesis or position
Reconstructing someone else's position, theory, or argument
Evaluating someone else's argument
Evidence
Derivations from first philosophical principles (e.g., I think, therefore I am)
Scientific or factual claims
Logical principles
Appropriate personal experience
Linguistic analysis (definitions, colloquial uses of terms and phrases)
Expert testimony
Textual evidence
Definitions
Citations