Voice: In contemporary philosophy, there is roughly a fifty-fifty split between papers in the first person and in the third person. Generally, the third person voice reads more formally. Therefore, if you adopt the first person voice in your paper, be extra careful that you do not lapse into an informal, chatty style. Writing in the second person is almost invariably awful. Attempt this voice at your peril.
These are inappropriate:
I was talking to my friend Hector on the phone the other day, and between us we came up with a great objection to Descartes’ argument for dualism.
You are going to be absolutely convinced by the argument in the paper against Descartes’ dualism.
These are acceptable:
In this paper, I will argue that Descartes’ argument for dualism fails.
This paper offers a refutation of Descartes’ argument for dualism.
Dialogue: Although it is much much harder to write anything of philosophical substance in a dialogue, feel welcome in my courses to try your hand at writing in a dialogue format. Take care not to include useless conversational filler between the participants in the dialogue.
This is inappropriate:
Socrates: The subject-matter of knowledge is being. [Socrates then walks over to the couch with a triumphant look on his face].
Vivian: No way, you crazy old man. Only an ancient Greek dude would think something so foolish. You have to be kidding me.
Ad hominem arguments: These are arguments that attack the person rather than the merit of her or his views. Insulting comments of any kind directed at the author of a philosophical view are to be avoided at all costs. Vivian, above, is offering an ad hominem argument.
Spelling, Punctuation & Grammar: These are not the principal virtues to aspire to in a philosophical paper, but they are still virtues. Poor spelling and grammar will detract from the authority of your writing. It often helps to read your papers aloud to arrive at smooth sentence structure. Have a friend look at the paper for errors. You will not be graded on the mechanics of your writing, but if there are significant errors, I will have you rewrite the paper with corrections.
Names: If you are dealing with a contemporary philosopher, the first time you mention an author use her or his full name. All subsequent times use last name only. You may refer to authors in the canon by their last name only if you wish (e.g., Hume, Nietzsche, Arendt).
Gender: Until recently the masculine pronoun was generic. We would write, “A student must prepare his notes carefully to be successful on the quiz,” even though many students are women. In the academy, this is no longer the norm. You may, of course, endorse any stance you wish on this matter, but I urge you to think about the gender of your pronouns and the “genderness” of your paper. Writing is sometimes powerful in its content. Writing is also sometimes powerful in implicit ways. Make sure that your papers express your considered views on gender issues.
Contractions: Avoid them.
Humor: Save your attempts at humor for another setting.