Philosophy 345/Economics 319
The Philosophy and Methodology of Economics
Keys to writing a good philosophy paper:
- Answer the question or address the question set; do not go off onto tangents that do not further the main aim of the paper.
- Interpret authors charitably: try to understand the best, strongest case for their arguments. The goal is not to score points or assign praise or blame, but to understand thoroughly, and to assess the logic, soundness, and relevance of their arguments, the relationship of their arguments to those of others, and so forth.
- Your opinions matter and are worthwhile only when your arguments are explicit, detailed, logical, and to the point.
- Avoid waffle or padding. Be succinct in summarizing background information. While you can assume that I have read the texts, you do need to point out briefly which parts matter or summarize relevant arguments. The act of succinct summary often clarifies one's understanding of the text.
- When referring to specific ideas or quotations, cite page numbers (not just whole texts). This makes it easier to compare your interpretations to the originals.
- While neither the short assignments nor the analytical papers are research papers, you must always follow the standards of academic honesty: do not plagiarize or use the material of others without acknowledgment; your work must be your own.
- I refer to some particular points that annoy me in writing as Hoover's Hobgoblins. If you want to avoid annoying me, have a look at them and do your best to avoid them.