5 Effective Tips For Composing A Dissertation Introduction In Philosophy

One of the most important things to remember when you are doing any work in Philosophy especially at the level where you will be producing a dissertation is that you are going to be looking at works by other philosophers and you are going to have to either back up their argument or offer an objection to their argument. To do this you are going to have to follow some instructions to make sure that you meet some standard requirements. Try these 5 effective tips to help you out and stay focused.

1. Create your Thesis. You will need to use precise language. It takes time to get the exact words that you need, so don’t be surprised if you are not happy with the thesis statement straight away. Ideally the more you talk about your work the exact and detailed your description will be each time you talk about your dissertation. The clearer you are in you statement the less likely you are to confuse your readers.
2. Start your Introduction by Brainstorming. You will need to put you work into some form of context. Which philosophers have worked on arguments that would support your dissertation and which philosophers have provided arguments against your thesis? Think of how their ideas and philosophies are bound by history and culture. Make sure that you are very clear how you are going to support your argument.
3. Technical terms. Make a note of any technical terms that you are using in your argument. This is important even if your reader has previous knowledge of the subject that you are focusing on. By explaining technical terms it means that you are trying to reach out to a wider audience. It also means that you are not just throwing in some technical terms because they sound good!
4. Reach out to your reader. You need to do this in the introduction. Don’t leave this until a lot later on in the dissertation. Your reader needs to know right from the start why they need to be reading your work. Does it have the potential to influence the way that people are treated or would it have an influence on some social policies. You need to draw those threads together very early on in your introduction.
5. Make your arguments strong. To do this you will need to put yourself in the position of your reader. What questions do your think that they will ask? What objections do you think that they could present. By thinking ahead to what their responses may be and answering their questions before they have even thought of them will help you to produce a first class introduction.