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Supporting Philosophy, Theology, Religious Studies,
History of Science and Philosophy of Science
| Practice top tips... | |
|---|---|
| Strategic Approach 3 | Philosophical markers love work with a strong focus. |
| Strategic Approach 2 | You can step into a debate which is already in full swing. |
| Strategic Approach 1 | Pick on a theory that has been advanced and you explain why it is inadequate |
| Doing philosophy | Reading philosophy is doing philosophy |
| Supervision example 1 | A supervisor might suggest considering a range of possible issues and trying to settle on one of them to discuss. |
| Writing overview 3 | Know the difference between clear and unclear writing Write short sentences. Read your work back to yourself (possibly aloud, preferably a day or so after writing it). Ask a friend to read your work and see if they understand it. Avoid jargon. (Use only ordinary English if this is at all possible.) Define technical terms. Make it very clear when you are presenting your own view, and when you're presenting someone else's. Take great care organising your dissertation, so that its structure can contribute to clarity. |
| Supervision example 2 | Your supervisor will help you narrow down your topic. |
| Role 10 | Supervisors provide ongoing feedback. |
| Role 11 | Supervisors can help you conduct research according to ethical principles. |
| Role 5 | Your supervisor isn't a mind reader! Keep her informed! |
| Role 6 | Refer to your institution's regulations and policies. |
| Role 9 | Supervisors can help identify appropriate methods and strategies. |
| Argumentation styles | very few teachers insist that students use formal methods when writing dissertations markers tend to value highly thought experiments that are relevant and original the dialogue form is ideal for students to demonstrate that they can handle a situation in which there are different possible positions |
| Example topic 4 | Choose what you find the most plausible position and try to work on arguments for and against this position. |
| Strategy overview 3 | Anything that strengthens your core argument strengthens your essay. |
| Example topic 5 | Although breadth is important, insufficient depth is to be avoided by all means. |
| Clarity example 2 | Make it clear whose voice is being used. |
| Strategy overview 4 | Strictly speaking, the only method is to present your thoughts clearly, coherently and concisely. Always be honest and do not try to make things more complex than they appear to you. Reflective awareness of what is going on is an important virtue in writing philosophy. |
| Example topic 6 | Ideally a philosophical question should make good sense to everyone. |
| Clarity example 3 | Always run a check on crucial sentences or important phrases to see if they can be taken in different ways. Ambiguity in philosophical writing has to be hunted down and eradicated. |
