Philosophy writing, then. I think it must start with a philosophical idea or concept to be explored, discussed or analysed. And/or a particular philosopher's view and arguments. Compared to your own. — Amity

Perhaps this also:

What is philosophy?
Philosophy has two aspects. First, the study of fundamental questions such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Second, thinking deeply and critically about the topic using evidence, and clear, logical reasoning about this evidence. (based on GPT 4o)

What is a philosophy essay?
A philosophy essay starts with a thesis. The thesis is about a specific philosophical question, concept or argument. The essay then defends or explores this thesis using evidence and clear, logical reasoning about the evidence. The essay should question assumptions implicit within the thesis, engage with different viewpoints and explore implications if the thesis is true. (based on GPT 4o)

Curious what proportion of the Philosophy Forum fulfils these criteria, including my own posts.

But do these definitions exclude Friedrich Nietzsche, the German philosopher, who used a blend of philosophy, poetry and personal reflection?

Also, do these definitions exclude Jacques Derrida, the French philosopher, who argued that language is inherently unstable and challenged the idea of absolute logical certainty?

The problem with excluding logic is that my feelings about a topic are equal to your feelings about the same topic, and it then comes down to who can shout the loudest.

Thanks for the advice. It does help.

What inspires you to write? — Amity

The fascinating, complicated, up-and-down craziness of humanity. Religion, art, science, and philosophy are all products of that curly ball of gray fluff in our heads. And they're all connected by skinny electric wires covered in myelin, as well as by evolutionary and cultural roots and words, so many ambiguous words! Dividing them into clearly distinct categories is a Solomonian task.

I've been musing over Aldous Huxley's The Perennial Philosophy in which, on the subject of religions, he makes no severe cuts between philosophy and psychology; his question is only, "by which door to enter". I figure, if it was good enough for him, it'll do me well enough.

As for ice cream, I have maybe two helpings throughout a summer; I come alive on European beer.
(Socrates was dead wrong, btw: a miserable life is worth examining for possible improvement; a happy one doesn't require analysis. If it ain't broke, keep your mitts off of it!)

Hey there! It's the last day in March. Only 61 days to go. :monkey: :smile:

8) Deadline for submissions is May 31st 23:59 GMT
9) All entries will be posted on June 1st. — Moliere

You continue to raise interesting questions and perspectives. I hope your essay is progressing well. Update?

Thanks for the advice. It does help. — Vera Mont

Glad to help. A pity I don't take my own advice. I am struggling. I feel out of my depth. But your invigorating writing keeps me going. Thanks.

The fascinating, complicated, up-and-down craziness of humanity. Religion, art, science, and philosophy are all products of that curly ball of gray fluff in our heads. And they're all connected by skinny electric wires covered in myelin, as well as by evolutionary and cultural roots and words, so many ambiguous words! Dividing them into clearly distinct categories is a Solomonian task. — Vera Mont

Yeah, them damn categories, theories and consequences.
It is a challenge when it comes to their analysis and synthesis, even in an 'ickle TPF essay.

Here's one Critical Thinking Model:

In order to help you develop your critical thinking, you can use the critical thinking model, developed by Plymouth University (2006).
The model is does not need to be used in a linear way, or as a prescriptive set of instructions.
It should be used to trigger and encourage a questioning approach to your studies.
It can be applied to many different academic scenarios, such as interpreting assignment briefs, reading sources, developing arguments and problem solving. — Ulster University - Critical Thinking, Analysis and Synthesis

***

(Socrates was dead wrong, btw: a miserable life is worth examining for possible improvement; a happy one doesn't require analysis. If it ain't broke, keep your mitts off of it!) — Vera Mont

Well, there's another juicy topic to consider...

I come alive on European beer. — Vera Mont

European beer, huh? Tariffs, tariffs, tariffs...

I once fought the Atlantic courtesy of Stella Artois... *nostalgic sighs*

To all would-be, perhaps, maybe, definite participants - "We Can Do This!" :party:

I hope your essay is progressing well. Update? — Amity

Have managed to reduce my "how to write a philosophy essay" down to eight pages. Have starting researching, which gave me my plan. A bit more research then starting to write. Am learning, which is the main thing (using ??? for anonymity)

Have managed to reduce my "how to write a philosophy essay" down to eight pages. Have starting researching, which gave me my plan. A bit more research then starting to write. Am learning, which is the main thing (using ??? for anonymity) — RussellA

Wow. You have been busy! :sparkle:

Yes. Learning not only about the essay topic but 'how to write an academic philosophy essay'. :up:
Seems like a well-balanced and ordered outline for a 2,000 word essay.
10% each for Intro and Conclusion. The remaining 1600 words split equally between the 4 paragraphs in the Main Body (400 each). Would it be better to call them Sections? :chin:

Each paragraph relating to a key point that you have decided relevant and ties in with the title.
I read somewhere that academic paragraphs are usually 200-300 words long, but I think it depends on the individual. As long as it works and there is a logical flow or story leading to the Conclusion!

A great way to maintain focus during the writing process. And then, there's the revising and editing. :cool:

European beer, huh? Tariffs, tariffs, tariffs... — Amity

We're still friends with Germany, Holland and Denmark, so that's all right. I find American beer insipid. Anyway, it's already more expensive than some of the Europeans. Oddly, so is the Canadian stuff, which isn't bad to drink. Since I haven't been able to drink anything stronger, I've become quite familiar with beer.

I don't think I can write an academic essay. So far, I've referenced only one philosopher on the subject, which has not been of general interest to philosophers, and I'm hard put to find a rebuttal. I'll probably just have pants it.

So far, I've referenced only one philosopher on the subject, which has not been of general interest to philosophers, and I'm hard put to find a rebuttal. — Vera Mont

Can you slightly adjust the wording of your thesis such that you can find three philosophers that support it and one philosopher that opposes it?

If you can, then:

Write the 200 word Introduction in the future tense after you have written the Body.

Write the 200 word Conclusion in the past tense after you have written the Body.

Imagine a Body of four sections, each of 400 words. The first three sections based on three philosophers that support your thesis. The fourth section based on a philosopher that opposes your thesis.

Consider a typical 400 word section. An introduction of 20 words written after you have written the body of the section. A summary of 20 words also written after you have written the body of the section.

This leaves 360 words for the body of the section. The first 180 words describing the philosopher's position regarding your thesis. The second 180 words giving your thoughts about the philosopher's position, including why you think their argument is valid and where you think their argument can be improved.

Would this work?

I don't think I can write an academic essay. — Vera Mont

Well don't!
Philosophy writing is wider and brighter. It still needs a structure like any story but that you can do.
For some reason, I was thinking of the hunger and appetites of a reader.

I've referenced only one philosopher on the subject, which has not been of general interest to philosophers, and I'm hard put to find a rebuttal. — Vera Mont

Even better and more satisfying to read something fresh like a Red Riding Hood.
Read and listen to Roald Dahl:
https://childrens.poetryarchive.org/poem/little-red-riding-hood-and-the-wolf/

One philosopher might be more than enough to chew through :wink:
Rebuttals can come from anywhere, no? Bang, bang! :scream:
Play around with the topic in the Arts, Literature, Music...Science...

Make believe. From the innocence of childhood, playing games...to the treachery of adulthood.
Cher - Bang bang (my baby shot me down) 1966 [2:47]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfyBHZc9rK4

Remember, it's all a story...with or without a definite conclusion. Open ended...for further exploration.
Philosophy is a Conversation. Here, writers and readers can be in close dialogue or a wild dance!

I'm hard put to find a rebuttal. — Vera Mont

Have you tried Google Scholar? You can type in your topic or a concept in the Search box:
https://scholar.google.com/

Or:

...here I will focus on how to find your way with a new research question, and in particular, how to find sources.

First Steps
The first step in doing philosophical research is to hone your question and research terms. This is important because databases can only search the terms that you provide, they cannot search based on what you really meant to search for. You’ll want to know the terms that philosophers working on that question use, so that can more easily find some initial sources. A few ways you can get started:...
[...]
Once you’ve got your sense of the debate, and you know some keywords, it is time to look for articles. There are two basic strategies for finding articles.

Following the Conversation
The first is to look to the bibliographies of the sources you’ve found (including the secondary literature). Philosophy is a conversation - philosophers are typically writing in response to the ideas and arguments of other philosophers. This means that following the references can help you find work by other philosophers on the same questions you are interested in.

Heading into the databases
Your other option is to search the databases using your keywords. The primary databases for Philosophy are Philosopher’s Index, and PhilPapers...
Philosopher’s Index is an EBSCO database, which means that you search not only philosophy articles, but articles in other disciplines at the same time — Jeff Maynes - How to Do Research in Philosophy

Thanks; that sounds like a great wast to organize an essay. But I don't think that works for me. A chatbot could do it far better than I can.

Remember, it's all a story...with or without a definite conclusion. Open ended...for further exploration.
Philosophy is a Conversation. Here, writers and readers can be in close dialogue or a wild dance! — Amity

That sound more like my neighbourhood.
PS I love Roald Dahl.

Remember, it's all a story...with or without a definite conclusion. Open ended...for further exploration. Philosophy is a Conversation. Here, writers and readers can be in close dialogue or a wild dance — Amity

Yes, but I am not sure about "with or without a definite conclusion".

A philosophy essay is about making a claim and then defending it.

There must be a thesis, such as "I intend to argue that J.J.C. Smart’s criticism of rule utilitarianism is correct because, as he argues, there are clearly some cases where it is optimific to break a generally optimific rule"

There must be a conclusion, such as "I have argued that J.J.C. Smart’s criticisms of rule utilitarianism are correct"

Yes, but I am not sure about "with or without a definite conclusion". — RussellA

Thank you for questioning.

A philosophy essay is about making a claim and then defending it. — RussellA

I agree that an academic philosophy essay tends to have this formal structure and aim. And I look forward to reading contributions like this.

However, this June event is wider. It is about philosophy writing.

There must be a conclusion, such as "I have argued that J.J.C. Smart’s criticisms of rule utilitarianism are correct" — RussellA

Yes. This is a conclusion at the end of one kind of academic essay. It states what has been done. It gives a summary of the main points of the argument. It reinforces the initial claim.
And, yes, it is a closed conclusion.

However, other essays and philosophy writing do not have the aim of providing a definitive answer. Their conclusions are open-ended.

It depends on the question or issue being discussed or analysed; its complexity and the creative imagination of the writer.

I immediately think of Plato and his Dialogues. They tend to be an exploration of ideas or concepts from different perspectives. The questioning process is seen as more important than arriving at a fixed answer. I think The Symposium is a good example, where the reader is engaged along with the participants.
We can be pleasurably puzzled...by Love.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symposium_(Plato)

The reader is encouraged to think on...perhaps own beliefs being challenged.

However, this June event is wider. It is about philosophy writing. — Amity

I agree that there is a difference between philosophy writing and a philosophy essay, but rule 4) does say it must fall under the broad category of a philosophical essay.

4) Must fall under the broad category of a philosophical essay. The Essay's Title and Topic are chosen by the author. The philosophical viewpoint can be academic or less formal. It should be systematic with an Introduction, Main Body and Conclusion. This is non-fiction. Poetic expression is allowed if it completes or supports the philosophical exploration.

@Moliere does conclude by saying "Resources were requested for help on what exactly an academic philosophy essay should look like, and provided by @Amity so I've appended them here:

The first link is "How to write a crap philosophy essay"
The second link "Guidelines on writing a Philosophy Paper" notes "don't try to establish any earth shattering conclusions in your 5-6 page paper."
The third link is "An academic guide to planning essays"

All this suggests that this writing challenge is looking for a philosophy essay rather than philosophy writing.

All this suggests that this writing challenge is looking for a philosophy essay rather than philosophy writing. — RussellA

This is an unfortunate interpretation of the challenge deliberately entitled:

Philosophy Writing Challenge - June 2025. — Moliere

***

Moliere does conclude by saying "Resources were requested for help on what exactly an academic philosophy essay should look like, and provided by Amity so I've appended them here: — RussellA

Yes. The OP was edited because some requested help, specifically with writing 'academic philosophy'.
Only one kind of philosophy writing.

***

Must fall under the broad category of a philosophical essay.

The key word is 'broad'. With 'essay' to be regarded in its widest meaning, as an attempt:

The word essay derives from the French infinitive essayer, "to try" or "to attempt". In English essay first meant "a trial" or "an attempt", and this is still an alternative meaning. The Frenchman Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592) was the first author to describe his work as essays; he used the term to characterize these as "attempts" to put his thoughts into writing.

***

The philosophical viewpoint can be academic or less formal. — Moliere

I think this is clear enough?

I hope this helps. However, perhaps the OP could be improved to lessen confusion. @Moliere?

However, perhaps the OP could be improved to lessen confusion. — Amity

@Moliere

As rule 4 says "must fall under the broad category of a philosophical essay", this seems to suggest that what is required is a philosophical essay.

There are many examples of how to write a philosophical essay on the internet, but taking University College Cork as an example.

Note 1: "philosophy paper" is synonymous with "philosophical essay"
Note 2: a philosophical essay is not about flowery language or story-telling technique.
Note 3: start with a proposition to be proved

Writing a Philosophical Essay: A Brief Tutorial

II. What is a philosophy paper?

Philosophical essays prove some point through the use of rational argument. A philosophical essay is not about flowery language, story-telling techniques, or surprising the reader. The beauty of a philosophical essay is found in your ideas; the language that you use is only a tool for conveying these ideas to the reader. The art is in proving one’s point clearly.

The philosophical essay generally follows a very simple structure:

1. State the proposition to be proved.
2. Give the argument for that proposition.
3. Show that the argument is valid.
4. Show that the premises are true.
5. Consider an objection to your argument and respond to that objection.
6. State the upshot of what has been proven. (Martinich, A.P. (1996) Philosophical
Writing. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. p. 53.)

To clarify, this event is about 'Philosophy Writing'.
So, that is the 'broad category'. Here's something that might clarify, perhaps inspire:

...philosophy teachers sometimes present too narrow a picture of what counts as philosophical writing. We teach our students to write short response papers and longer philosophical essays, all through the lens of argument analysis. But philosophical writing can be much richer than argument analysis and essays, much more than a well-structured argument and a thesis statement.

Even a cursory look at the history of philosophy will reveal a wide variety of philosophical forms and approaches to writing philosophy, only some of which fall into the paradigm of philosophical essays that most students are commonly taught to pursue in their own philosophical writing. Think of the philosophers in the history of philosophy, for example, who have written in the following styles and forms:

Essays
Journal articles
Books
Treatises
Diaries / personal journals
Letters
Aphorisms
Poetry
Dialogues
Blog posts

Although students may be exposed to these alternative forms of philosophical writing in the materials they are required to read in a typical Introduction to Philosophy class, very seldom are they encouraged to experiment with these alternative forms in their own writing. When, for example, was the last time, if you are a philosophy teacher, that you required your students to write a philosophical poem or to keep a daily journal? If you are or were a philosophy student, have you been asked to write your own philosophical dialogue or a series of aphorisms to capture the essence of your thoughts on a particular topic or philosophical issue?
[...]
Naturally we want to help train our students to do the type of writing that they will be expected to do throughout the rest of their academic and professional careers, boring as that writing may be. It’s worth noting, however, that the philosophers who made the biggest impact on the history of philosophy were often those philosophers who broke with traditional forms (especially those of their teachers) and developed their own styles of writing.

Think, for example, of the stylistic differences between the following philosophers, each of which I consider to be a linchpin or a turning point in the history of philosophy, or at least a philosopher with a radically unique style:...

[ inserts of photos and names]

What a philosophical and literary tragedy it would have been if each of these philosophers had been constrained to writing only the kind of uninspired, hegemonic philosophy essays we require of our students!

For me, part of the joy of reading the great philosophers is immersing myself in their literary style and gestalt, not merely in their premises and conclusions—seeing the world and all of reality through their own unique eyes, following the free-flowing nature of their thoughts like water running downstream to its inevitable conclusion based not just no differing conclusions but on differing personalities, styles, linguistic quirks, and individual perspectives—all while bucking the trend of philosophical writing.

I want students to immerse themselves not only in philosophical argumentation but in the drama of philosophy and in its many beautiful forms of writing for their own sake, all in the interest of helping students experiment with their own writing and acquire their own voice that they will carry with them and keep developing over the course of their entire lives.g as it had been previously known. — What Counts as Good Philosophy Writing

So, the vision is a widening of the scope of philosophy writing, even if philosophical argumentation and logical soundness lie at the core. It's an experiment and, hopefully, an enjoyable experience. Get quirky!
Or, at least, find your wings and "Fly, baby, fly!" :cool: :sparkle: :flower:

To clarify, this event is about 'Philosophy Writing'. So, that is the 'broad category'. — Amity

You are saying that rule 4 should have read "must fall under the broad category of philosophy writing"?

You are saying that rule 4 should have read "must fall under the broad category of philosophy writing"? — RussellA

I am saying that rule Guideline 4 and other aspects of the OP can be improved upon. I was involved with this and it was done quickly to meet the deadline. I have a suggestion to make.
Perhaps a re-write. Along the lines of:

4) Must fall under the broad category of philosophy writing. The title and topic are chosen by the author. The philosophical viewpoint can be academic or less formal. Even if philosophical argumentation and logical soundness lie at the core of philosophy, this is a chance to widen the creative scope. See Resources, Learning Centre for helpful information.

Any useful 'philosophy writing' resources that have been offered throughout both this thread and the original can be collected and placed in the Learning Centre, then a link provided.

I think this would make the OP less cluttered. The Edit removed. The Guidelines easier to read.
The Resource thread would also be readily available for any further events.

All thoughts and suggestions welcome.

Personally I'm fine with either formal or less formal writing. I'm not going to screen essays on that basis, anyways.

Part of writing philosophy is choosing your own norms. In a way to say that philosophy writing must be such and such is to already put a philosophy forward, to have already chosen norms. This is necessary in order to write at all, but it's because of this that I don't want to say anything terribly specific. Some will gravitate towards the formally structured essay and some will not, and both are just fine for the purposes of this exercise.

I think I've said all I ever want to on the subject.
Now, to get on with my heavenly creation. Peace :pray:

Yes, a critique of academic elitism may be worth exploring. I am not sure whether I feel up to it, but you never know and, maybe, someone will. — Jack Cummins

Jack, you know you are one of my favorite people, but civilization as we know it may collapse. In the US, rule by law has crumbled, and many of its highest order to citizens are quaking in fear. I am sitting here in total horror of universities giving in to Trump instead of uniting and opposing his power over reach. Our reaction to 911 led to fascist overreach and asking libraries to keep information about patrons and make this information available to the like of the CIA. There has been a deep and fundamental change in the US citizenry, and focusing on "love" may lead us in the wrong direction. This is not the time for escapism!

However, academic elitism and the meaning of being self-governing with protected human rights and duties has substance. The new thread of consciousness is excellent for thinking about what we think and why we think it.

Jack, you know you are one of my favorite people, but civilization as we know it may collapse — Athena

The good thing about a philosophical essay is that the author needs to defend their thesis using a clear and well structured argument, critically analyse the evidence and show that their premises are true and that their argument is valid.

Hello, I am extremely worried about human civilisation collapsing, with the current world leaders we have. I have been depressed about it since November and December. At first, I was it was affecting my mental health and I dreamt of the end of civilisation a couple of months ago. Then, I got ill physically and have ended up in hospital with a chest infection, on oxygen. I also still feel worried about civilisation collapsing, while lying in hospital.

If I do write an essay for this, I think, it may be hard to formulate this topic into a clear philosophy argument, as I saw by the response by @RussellA. Part of the difficulty is translating experience, the anecdotal and intuition into the formula of philosophy arguments. This may be the biggest challenge of the competition, as opposed to literary writing in creative writing activities.

If I do write an essay for this, I think, it may be hard to formulate this topic into a clear philosophy argument, — Jack Cummins

Tentative suggestion: start with the Social Contract. That concept is not hard to defend in an essay, but horrifically hard to defend on the actual ground. (I briefly considered making it my subject, but set it free again as I didn't have a context in which to frame it. I think maybe you do.)

Part of the difficulty is translating experience, the anecdotal and intuition into the formula of philosophy arguments. — Jack Cummins

Introduction, Body, Conclusion.

Perhaps a Body of four sections.

In support:
Section one of 400 words - Ghandi. "There is no path to peace; peace is the path."
Section two of 400 words - Erasmus of Rotterdam. Perhaps the foremost humanist writer of the Renaissance, and arguably also one of the foremost philosophers of peace.
Section three of 400 words - Bertrand Russell. Established the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation. Launched in 1963, the Foundation was established to carry forward Russell's work for peace, human rights and social justice.

Counterargument:
Section four of 400 words - Nietzsche. Controversially valorizes struggle and war as necessary ingredients of human flourishing.

Section one as typical:
20 words as introduction
180 words just describing Ghandi's approach to peace. See https://www.mkgandhi.org/articles/fighting-for-peace-the-Gandhian-way.php
180 words giving your personal reasons why Ghandi was right. Here you include your own experiences and thoughts.
20 words as summary

This would make up an academic philosophical essay

The good thing about a philosophical essay is that the author needs to defend their thesis using a clear and well structured argument, critically analyse the evidence and show that their premises are true and that their argument is valid. — RussellA

:lol: I don't think that is a discussion for this thread. I just wanted to explain that my mind has been highjacked by current events. I have some difficult choices. What I want to talk about is best in a political forum, but the folks in that forum are emotional reactors, not intellectual thinkers. That puts me in this forum, and the issue of elitism was brought up. That is a hot cultural/political issue right now but it isn't exactly philosophical. I am just not in the mood for talking about love.

I have a problem with philosophy. It is a great source for some important thinking about life and everything else, but it can be way out there in la-la land and not of practical or useful. Philosophical elitism is more like a dog show where unimportant things really matter, instead of judging the value of a working dog. Thinking of the best way to talk about love and meet the standards of a good argument is like caring if a dog exactly matches the features of its breed when the building is burning down. I may be wrong, but I think we could use philosophy for more important things than being in the best form.

Hello, I am extremely worried about human civilisation collapsing, with the current world leaders we have. I have been depressed about it since November and December. At first, I was it was affecting my mental health and I dreamt of the end of civilisation a couple of months ago. Then, I got ill physically and have ended up in hospital with a chest infection, on oxygen. I also still feel worried about civilisation collapsing, while lying in hospital.

If I do write an essay for this, I think, it may be hard to formulate this topic into a clear philosophy argument, as I saw by the response by RussellA. Part of the difficulty is translating experience, the anecdotal and intuition into the formula of philosophy arguments. This may be the biggest challenge of the competition, as opposed to literary writing in creative writing activities. — Jack Cummins

To me, you are totally awesome because you trigger so many thoughts in my head. Your thinking and my thinking go together like a left and right hand.

If philosophy is good for anything, it is good for dealing with life. You are not the only one dangerous effect by what is happening in the world today. Trust me, I have been awake in the middle of the night because of some darn thing I saw in the news. Those of us who are so affected by what is going on are doing good because at least we not committing senseless murders or mass murders. I can so empathize with the desperation of those people who need to effectively turn things around, so they behave rashly instead of rationally. I am keeping my fingers crossed that my cold is not turning into pneumonia, but seriously, we can not be the only ones affected by the stress of the day

So, what can philosophy do for us now? There have been really bad times in history, and surely some people here can bring that past into the present with the wisdom of philosophers. Socrates gave his life to defend freedom of speech and democracy as he understood it. Back in the day, there was serious conflict about teaching rhetoric versus the higher thinking of philosophy. Asian philosophers have given us much to think about in developing ourselves into better human beings. I think we can make a difference if we work together and build a shared understanding of how philosophy can get people through hard times.

Are footnotes mandatory?

I get to finally spout vitriol about dumb philosophers without causing a flame war... I'm totally game. My first draft is on 5800 words though. Now I have to cut text... which I hate doing.

No.