How do I structure and write a philosophy essay?

When you write a philosophy essay, remember that you need to have a clear thesis and develop an argument.

The introduction is a very important part of your essay: here you need to clearly state what your thesis is and how you intend to defend it. You should make it as simple as possible for your reader to follow your argument in the main body. This means that, in your introduction, you shouldn’t present points that will not be mentioned in the main essay. For example, there is no need for biographical information on a philosopher, unless you require it for your argument. Equally, your reader should not be surprised with new major points when she goes through your argument: therefore, if you realise that you will be introducing an important new idea in the main body which you haven’t mentioned in the introduction, you should consider going back and making the necessary changes in the introduction.

As I have already mentioned, the main body is where you fully develop your argument. Whenever you make a new point, always remember to explicit how it relates to the main argument or thesis. If you make a controversial statement, explain why you believe that your reader should accept it. If you are quoting someone else’s ideas, always remember to cite them appropriately to avoid plagiarism. Also, try to limit one major idea or point per paragraph, making sure that each paragraph is connected coherently with the previous and following ones. A good way to do this is to think of each paragraph as a little essay: the first sentence (or topic sentence) is the introduction, and it should summarise what you are going to explain in that paragraph and how it relates to the previous one; the middle of your paragraph is like the main body of the essay, in which you develop your point, providing definitions or examples; and the last sentence is the conclusion, where you summarise again what you have just explained and show how it relates to the following paragraph.

The conclusion of your essay should not contain any new information which you have not mentioned in the main body: it should summarise the main steps of your argument, and how this supports your thesis. Don’t worry about repeating yourself (for example, by clearly restating the main points discussed) throughout the essay: even though it may seem unnecessary to you, your reader will actually be able to follow your argument more easily.