How to Write a Dissertation in Philosophy Brief Guide

How to Write a Dissertation in Philosophy Brief Guide Writing a dissertation in philosophy is a challenging experience because this project is different from those that students are asked to do when writing academic papers in other fields of studies. You need to show how you understand complex philosophical concepts, theories, and arguments, critically assess them, and have an ability to provide your own answers to big philosophical questions. Working on the dissertation is an opportunity to conduct extended independent research and writing on a specific topic and to present this project to ones peers. Your dissertation should reflect your own views on some philosophical problem but must be based on some established part of the philosophical literature. Due to philosophy dissertation specific characteristics, writing a good final paper can be really stressful for the majority of students. If you are one of them and face difficulties in developing a coherent and logical argument to provide an answer to one of the big questions, read this article where you will find a complete guide to writing a philosophy dissertation and get quick answers to all your questions. If you have problems with completing different types of other college papers, check full guides to all writing assignments out there on our website. What Is a Dissertation in Philosophy? The goal of your final project is to get you doing philosophy. Dissertation offers you a great opportunity to develop intellectual independence and specialize in depth in a topic of interest. Your task is not just present results of your independent research, findings of different tests and experiments or your personal impressions and feelings. Instead, you need to present a reasoned defense of some claim. That means that your dissertation must present a specific point that you are trying to establish and provide justification for its acceptance or reasons to believe your claims. You need to make a statement and present logical argument to convince your readers accept your point of view. You can’t just say in your dissertation: My point of view is that B. or: Plato says that C. Instead, you should say something like this: My point of view is that B. I think so because †¦ or: Plato says that C. but the following reasons prove that it is not true. You need to create an independent inquiry-based paper. You are expected to produce a mature and a competent piece of writing which embodies the results of significant original research. To achieve that goal, you need to seek out a researchable question, decide on relevant literature to research the question, employ an appropriate methodology and draw your subsequent research together to provide a sustained and reflective argument that reveals your critical thinking skills. You need to demonstrate profound knowledge and understanding of the chosen subject and its place in philosophy as a field of knowledge. You should be able to synthesize and integrate a critical evaluation of a wide range of primary and secondary texts into a coherent argument. Present your ideas logically and defend them both in writing and orally in a rigorous way. How to Find a Good Topic for a Dissertation in Philosophy Finding a good dissertation topic is a rather difficult part of getting your PhD in philosophy and many students struggle at this step. You need to find an interesting topic of appropriate scope and depth which will be regarded as an essence of your academic identity. You need to find a subject that will suit both earning a diploma and getting a job. Since you will be searching for an initial faculty position, you should choose a topic in the fields of philosophy that are most in demand. Of course, you may pursue an independent part in your research but in this case, you are likely to face special challenges connected with finding a position. Have no idea of what to write about? Review 15 awesome philosophy dissertation topics! Logic and Metaphysics; Moral Judgment and Decision Making; The Philosophical Judgments of the Muslims; Solipsism and the Problem of Other Minds; Determinism vs. Fatalism; Difference between Living and Being Alive; Existence: Is it a Series of Random Events; Why Is Beauty Associated with Morality? Ethical Issues of Human Cloning; Womens Role in the Enlightenment; Positive Philosophy of Auguste Comte; The Role of Reflexivity in Hermeneutic Phenomenology; Hegels Philosophy of Absolute Spirit; The Purpose of Feminist Theory; Kants Theory of Self-Consciousness. Feel free to use any topic suggestion for your own project. You should choose a topic that you are passionate about or a topic which is not familiar to you but you would like to learn more about it. After you pick some interesting idea, start reading existing philosophical literature to narrow your topic down and to find some specific approach to it. Then create a research question and a thesis statement that will help you stay focused and ensure a logical argument. For example, if you decide to write a dissertation about Voltaire philosophy of history, your thesis statement may look like this one: ‘Being a severe critic of a traditional way of thinking, Voltaire made an attempt to reinterpret the religious, aesthetic, and moral views as well as the traditions, customs, and practices that were prevalent in ancient civilizations.’ How to Structure a Dissertation in Philosophy and Make an Outline The structure of a typical dissertation in philosophy should include at a minimum, the following elements: Title conveys the main message of your paper; Introduction briefly explains your main claim and how you are going to prove it; Sections with headings explain different aspects of your topic and contribute to overall argument; Conclusion provides information about implications of the central claim and suggests possible areas for further research; References section provides a list of sources in an alphabetical order. The general requirement to structuring your dissertation is that you should present an argument which culminates in a particular central claim (evaluative or interpretive) and use logic to persuade your readers that your claim is true. If you have no idea how to organize your project, you can take an article in a scientific journal as an example you can follow. Remember: you need to provide an original, independent piece of research that is based on primary texts and relevant secondary sources but it’s crucial to draw your own conclusion. Structure of a dissertation in philosophy is very important because it allows you to: Provide a context for your topic and explain the background assumptions; Build a sustained argument to reach a conclusion; Explain why your conclusions matter; Anticipate possible objections and respond to them. You should break the content of your dissertation into chapters and each chapter should have a specific focus and contribute to the overall argument. Before you start writing your draft, create an outline of your paper and of all key arguments that you are going to present to defend your thesis statement. So, you should think about the order of explaining different terms and positions youll be discussing and presenting your own arguments, how you are going to present your opponent’s positions and the way you will offer your criticism. If you do it before you actually start writing, it will be easier for you to organize your points and get a clear understanding how they are going to fit together. A detailed outline will help you stay productive during the writing process and avoid the writer’s block which typically happens when you don’t know exactly what you are trying to say. Writing a Draft of a Dissertation in Philosophy Now let’s discuss different aspects of writing a draft and its section in your philosophy paper. Introduction When you start writing an introduction, it’s important to be concise and make the structure of your dissertation in philosophy clear to your audience. You should start with formulating your precise thesis statement so that your readers will be able to see clearly what your project sets out to achieve. You need to define special or ambiguous terms that will appear in the text of your paper to help your readers understand the argument. Tell your readers why the subject of your discussion is important for them and why should they care to read your piece of writing. Explain briefly how you are going to defend your thesis statement and outline what points you are going to make. If it’s necessary speak about the arguments you are going to criticize. Body of Your Dissertation in Philosophy When writing the main sections of your dissertation, you need to be concise but at the same time explain yourself fully. You should develop a strong and coherent argument to support your thesis. Don’t skip any steps assuming that your readers will accept all premises which they don’t understand or know very little about them. If you use some claims that your audience may find doubtful, you should give your readers convincing reasons to accept that point of view. But don’t include anything in your paper that doesn’t directly address the subject, specific questions and problems related to it. It’s always better to concentrate on 1 or 2 points and develop them in detail than try to cover too many points and use multiple weaker arguments. An essential part of your philosophy dissertation is anticipating and answering objections to your argument. Dont be afraid to bring up relevant objections to your own thesis because in this way, you actually support your main argument and make it more compelling. Keep in mind that when you present objections to your argument, you should always present reasons for thinking they are true. Think about the strongest objections and reply to them. When you present your argument, you should do your best to be straightforward and say precisely what you mean. Sometimes, you will need to present examples to explain your points but it’s crucial to be as concise as possible because unnecessary words will confuse your audience and make your argument less convincing. Your dissertation doesn’t always have to give straight answers to some questions or offer definite solutions to all problems. It’s acceptable to ask questions and raise important problems in your dissertation even if you can’t provide satisfying answers to all of them. You must explain what makes such questions interesting explain your audience that you leave those questions unanswered on purpose. Don’t include lengthy quotations and don’t rely heavily on paraphrases. Use direct quotes only when it’s essential to present another writer’s exact selection of words. Keep quotes and paraphrasing to the minimum. Your task is to do original research, critically assess views of other philosophers and present your own ideas on the topic of your dissertation. Credit all your sources appropriately to avoid plagiarism. You can use any major referencing style, for example, MLA or Harvard but keep in mind that you should be consistent. Conclusion In the conclusion, you should briefly restate your thesis and key points and explain why you think your paper has achieved its goals and what your argument has established. Don’t include any new information in this section of your paper or any examples. You can also emphasize the significance of the problem and make suggestions about further research. Revise and Edit Your Dissertation in Philosophy Don’t think that you will be able to write your philosophy dissertation from scratch without revising the structure and the content of your arguments multiple times. Any first draft can be improved significantly by rewriting. You should edit boldly focusing on clarity of the overall structure of your argument to ensure that it is as concise as possible and clear for your readers. Remember that shorter drafts are always better drafts and clear sentences are the result of thorough and tough-minded editing. Edit your paper to ensure that the final draft of your dissertation in philosophy offers the clearest expression you can manage in your argument and proofread the final draft multiples time to make it the best it can be. We hope that our guide to writing a dissertation in philosophy will help you successfully cope with this challenging task and make a great impression on your committee.

26 Feel-Good Words

26 Feel-Good Words 26 Feel-Good Words 26 Feel-Good Words By Michael Some writers neglect the power of emotion when communicating their ideas, valuing logic more than others do, and assuming that everyone thinks like they do that careful reasoning is enough to convince readers and make points. But even the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, who was no enemy of reason, taught that stimulating emotion in your audience can be the key to persuading them. Ive decided that communication, instead of simply inserting information into my readers head, is more like striking a tuning fork that resonates with the tuning fork in my readers head. Emotion resonates in a way that logic does not. Here is a list of words that express powerful, positive emotions. They would fit well in a movie ad or a blurb on the back cover of a novel, two bastions of emotionally persuasive words. amazing from a Proto-Germanic word to confound or confuse so if you were a Proto-German you might not want to be amazed. But amazing now has a positive connotation of delight and wonder, though it is often used lightly, even when youre not paralyzed under a weight of marvelous singularity. appealing from the Latin for call, something that is appealing calls to you or attracts you. A convict would appeal to a judge to reconsider his innocence. arresting If you were a fugitive from the criminal justice system, you would avoid anything arresting, that stops you in your tracks. But sometimes its nice to be so overwhelmed by a thought or experience that you dont even move. astonishing Related to the modern word stun (as in stun gun) and to ancient words for stupefy, crash, daze, bang. One synonym is flabbergasting. I had a boss who liked to retort, I am astonied, as used in the King James Bible. astounding Closely related to stun, it includes the meanings of dazzling and bewildering. An astounding experience goes beyond mere surprise. attractive As you might expect, one synonym is magnetic something that allures or draws you by its own intrinsic power. Often used to describe members of the opposite sex. awe-inspiring Literally breathing awe into. The word awe once meant overwhelming dread, and this compound word preserves some of the dictionary connotation of majesty that awesome has lost. captivating Originally it simply meant making captive, something that pirates might do to others that you wouldnt want done to you. But like many words in this list, it now has pleasant connotations: being confronted by something so wonderful that you cant stop thinking about it. compelling When someone compels you, they force you to do something. When something is compelling, it forces you to consider it, as in a compelling argument that makes a lot of sense, or a compelling novel that makes you think. engaging From root words for pledge, promise, secure, an engaging person or thing makes you want to involve yourself with it and commit yourself to it, similar to the way two people become engaged when they decide to get married. Used in business buzzwords such as audience engagement and product engagement which involve much less commitment than marriage, though the marketing department might hope it was different. enticing Meaning tempting, alluring, its roots meant torch, firebrand. I suppose that being enticed is like being ignited. You can use the synonym inveigling, but few will know what you mean. You can use the archaic synonym illecebrous, but nobody will know what you mean. exhilarating This word exhilarating has the connotation of invigorating, refreshing, thrilling, exciting. Unlike awesome, this word has become stronger, not weaker, since the days of Rome. It comes from the Latin roots for ex-hilarity-ate-ing so its origin is something like gladdening, maybe as in That thoroughly hilarized me! That is, its related to hilarious, which today means very funny but formerly meant cheerful. fascinating Another happy word with sinister roots, coming from the Latin for bewitch, enthrall, cast a spell upon. It refers to something you find so interesting that youre spellbound or trapped (in a good way). impressive Yes, one of its roots is to press. An impressive experience makes an unforgettable impression on your mind, as the press at a government mint makes a powerful impression on metal blanks that turns them into coins. marvelous A marvelous sight provokes almost uncontrollable wonder in those who see it. From the Latin for worthy to be looked at. memorable Its Latin root originally meant worthy of mention, but it soon changed to worthy of remembering, as it means now. A synonym is remarkable, which means worth noting. mind-blowing Alfred Hitchcock wondered if it involved compressed air. Common in the 1960s and used to describe the effect of hallucinogenic drugs, it carries the sense of an experience so intense or unusual that the human mind is overwhelmed by it. mind-boggling First used in the early 1960s, it results in being overwhelmed, dumbfounded, or confused, usually mentally but also emotionally. overwhelming If whelm means to capsize, flood, or engulf, then overwhelm is even stronger. The power of an overwhelming experience is more than you can handle. rapturous It means blissful, filled with extreme delight. It comes from a Latin word for snatched, carried off, as one might feel during an ecstatic experience. A rapt listener is transported by and absorbed in what he or she is hearing. refreshing Literally, making fresh again, revitalizing because of its newness. It comes from ancient European words for fresh, as you might expect. But these words also have the sense of sweet, pure. riveting A rivet is a small metal fastener, so a listener would have trouble separating himself from a riveting conversation because it holds their attention so strongly. staggering Meaning reeling, tottering, bewildering. A drunk man staggers as he walks. Having a truly staggering realization might make it hard to walk straight its so amazing and astonishing that it affects the body. stunning Saying a person has stunning beauty means that he or she is so attractive that it causes the viewer to lose strength. Thats usually an exaggeration, but the word does imply amazement and high quality. Related to astonishing. thrilling Causing a sudden, intense excitement, even causing shaking or vibrating. Sword clashing against sword is thrilling in that sense. wondrous This word is not for ordinary experiences. A wondrous sight is truly amazing, causing deep awe and marvel. Though these words are all based on emotions, notice that they are also based on verbs actions that stimulate emotions in my heart that change my behavior or attitude. For example, an amazing event amazes me. An appealing object appeals to me. They are intended to inspire action. You could use most of them as exclamations, putting an exclamation mark after them, though people might look at you oddly if you blurted out, Oh rapturous! Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Passed vs PastTelling a Good Poem from a Bad OneHyphenation in Compound Nouns

MUS 121 Research Paper on The Fulte Instrument

MUS 121 on The Fulte Instrument - Research Paper Example However, the most preferred flute is the Boehm`s flute. His modification was successful, as he changed the flute from wooden to silver. The silver flute produced the best tone, and the thin hard-drawn tubes increased the metal`s capacity for vibration. The development of the flute has changed from one shape and size to another, and these modifications have improved the tune and the sound of the flute. In modern days, the flute has numerous uses ranging from musical shows and concerts, movies, Broadway shows, as well as Jazz players. Keywords: Flute, Development, Boehm Flute, Murrays Flute, Music, Old System Flute, German Flute, Keys, Tone, Sound, Tune Introduction Many forms of wood-wind instruments began to appear in the late fourteenth century. Brass instruments and their brass sounds had earlier been the only forms of music in the church services in Europe. According to the Marshall Cavendish Corporation, â€Å"the only woodwind instrument to leave a mark was the flute, which str ongly influenced the popular music† (2003, p.2713). The flute was preferred for its softer tone compared to the brass instruments. It is the most flexible music instrument among the woodwind instruments. According to Moratz, â€Å"it can execute just about any style of music, from classical to jazz to rock. Other woodwinds like the oboe and bassoon don’t play mush jazz or rock, although they have a lot of classical repertoire† (2010, p.18). History and Development of the Flute Learning how to effectively play a flute is quite easy compared to other woodwind musical instruments. The â€Å"flute†¦.is a musical weed which springs up everywhere† (Toff, 2008, p.3). There is quite a close relationship between the history of the flute and history of flute music. The history of the flute is divided into two phases namely the old system or German flute, and the Boehm flute. The old system flutes existed in the Middle Ages, it â€Å"was constructed of a single piece of wood; cylindrical in shape and just under two feet in length, it sounded a primary scale of D major† (Toff, 2008, p.41). It was commonly known as fife, and was mostly used by infantry marches, together with a small drum. Although instrumental music was distinct during the Renaissance period, the vocal model of various voice types, soprano, alto, tenor, and bass was still followed in the construction of musical instruments. In 1529, a publication by Martin Agricola`s called Musica Instrumentalis Deudsch, â€Å"showed four flutes, called Schweizer Pfeiffen, and labeled Discantus, Altus, Tenor, and Bassus† (Toff, 2008, p.41). A family of transverse flutes, whose musical values were different from the military use of the fife, was discovered by Michael Praetorius. Toff points out that â€Å"each of the three sizes of flutes in Praetorius’s plates has a two octave range and four additional falset notes available only to the most skilled performers† (2 008, p.42). The first flute divided into two pieces in order to regulate the tuning of the ensemble was the bass flute. Two transverse flutes pitching D and G appeared in the 1636 work of Martin Mersenne called Harmonic Universalle. Spaced evenly on the cylindrical tube were six tones or finger holes. â€Å"Although these flutes had no keys, the farsighted Mersenne called attention to their absence and explained that the flute could be made fully chromatic by the addition of keys† (Toff, 2008, p.42). Despite the fact that Mersenne provided a sketch of what the