What is the Point of Writing a Philosophical Essay?
In the context of an undergraduate programme writing a philosophical essay has the following functions. • It provides you with an opportunity to come to grips with a topic of a module. It is very hard to do this without writing about it. For most of us, it is only through writing that our thoughts become clear. • It enables you to demonstrate the level of your knowledge and understanding of a topic. The extent to which you understand the issues will become clear. This is a step towards gaining an improved understanding. • It enables your teachers to grade your performance and so judge the extent to which you are achieving the learning outcomes of the module. If an essay is to serve function (2) then it must be clearly written, well organized, and well informed. It is advisable to write as if your essay were directed at someone who does not know what the topic is about but wants to learn about it, and what you think about it, by reading your essay. Keeping such a reader in mind may help
