Phil 194 Paper
Davidson
Spring 2017
What view in philosophy of mind does Jackson hold (in the paper we read)?
What view does Papineau hold? What is CCP? Explain CCP's role in the
reasoning of Jackson and Papineau. Whose view do you find more plausible, and
why?
3 pages. The rough draft is due in class Tuesday June 6.
The final draft needs to be in my mailbox in UH 235 by 12:00 noon Friday of finals
week.
The paper should be typed, double-spaced, and in 12 point Helvetica or Arial fonts.
Writing a philosophy paper is different from writing other sorts of papers you've written.
Your goal is to convince the reader that a particular claim is true. Your writing should be
clear and concise; you should include only what you need to make your claim. Begin
with a short introductory paragraph in which you briefly summarize what you will argue
in the paper. Then proceed in setting out the arguments/positions you will evaluate,
following what you said you would do in the introductory paragraph.
The Introductory Paragraph
The introductory paragraph is crucial in that it will provide a structure in which you'll
write your paper. Begin with a short statement of the position you will defend in the
paper. Then list and briefly explain the argument(s) you will consider in the course of
the paper
So, one might say,
In this paper, I will first set out the Straightforward Skeptical Argument "SSA". I will
consider reasons for accepting each of its premises. I then will set out a reply to
arguments like SSA from GE Moore. I will argue that Moore's reply [succeeds/doesn't
succeed] as a response to SSA.
Then you will follow in your paper what you've said in your introduction you're going to
do. Your introductory paragraph should serve as a sort of map for you to guide you
through the rest of the paper. It should provide a structure for your paper so that your
paper is a coherent whole.
You should spend most of your time planning what you will say in the paper. Do this in
a quiet environment where you can concentrate and think hard. Don't go right to the
computer and start composing. 90% of your time should be spent in preparing what you
will say, not in typing it out.
Read the paper aloud to yourself and/or have someone else read the paper aloud to
you. This will help you to know exactly what you have written and whether you have
communicated what you wanted to communicate.
Then you should revise the paper after reading back through it as described above.
You cannot write a good philosophy paper with just one draft.
If you use outside sources, make sure you cite them.
Also, have a look at this site.