1. How to read philosophy -- 2. How to read an argument -- 3. Rules of style and content for philosophical writing -- 4. Defending a thesis in an argumentative essay -- 5. Avoiding fallacious reasoning -- 6. Using, quoting, and citing sources -- 7. Writing effective sentences -- 8. Choosing the right words

"Writing Philosophy: A Student's Guide to Writing Philosophy Essays is a concise, self-guided manual that covers the basics of argumentative essay writing and encourages students to master fundamental skills quickly, with minimal instructor input. Opening with an introductory chapter on how to read philosophy, the book then moves into the basics of writing summaries and analyzing arguments. It provides step-by-step instructions for each phase of the writing process, from formulating a thesis, to creating an outline, to writing a final draft, supplementing this tutorial approach with model essays, outlines, introductions, and conclusions. Skills essential to evaluating arguments, citing sources, avoiding plagiarism, detecting fallacies, and formatting final drafts are dealt with in detail. The final two chapters serve as a reference guide to common mistakes and basic skills in sentence construction, writing style, and word choice."--Jacket