Guidelines to writing a philosophical paper

早上八點半，我剛打完最新的sample paper

九點全部印完打包送到FedEx去

開始一連串戲劇性的不幸 一路搞到中午。

只能說...這麼趕對心臟不好。請大家早點開始寫。

http://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/guidelines/writing.html

Especially...

"A good philosophy paper is modest and makes a small point; but it makes that point clearly and straightforwardly, and it offers good reasons in support of it

People very often attempt to accomplish too much in a philosophy paper. The usual result of this is a paper that's hard to read, and which is full of inadequately defended and poorly explained claims. So don't be over-ambitious. Don't try to establish any earth-shattering conclusions in your 5-6 page paper. Done properly, philosophy moves at a slow pace."

And...

"Philosophical problems and philosophical writing require careful and extended reflection. Don't wait until two or three nights before the paper is due to begin. That is very stupid. Writing a good philosophy paper takes a great deal of preparation."

Some brainless but useful stuff:

connectives:

• because, since, given this argument
• thus, therefore, hence, it follows that, consequently
• nevertheless, however, but
• in the first case, on the other hand