Sex and Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective 333 Essay

Sex and Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective 333 - Essay Example Of course there are a variety of women who fall outside of these scenarios but if a woman chooses not to be the woman society expects, she risks being ostracized. Women have always been seen from their body parts instead of their intellect mainly because advertising has made it impossible for women to be seen in any other way. In the article, "Advertisements Stereotype Women and Girls", Katherine Toland Frith and Barbara Mueller present a series of viewpoints showing exactly how women and girls are made by the society in which they life. There focus was on the United States and they showed how the media forms the identity of women and girls to create goals for beauty that are impossible for them to attain. This focus on a beauty they cannot obtain forces girls as early as 14 year old to look for solutions to change their body to make it like what it is "supposed" to look like. Plastic surgeons report that many children of this age want to use plastic surgery to reshape them into the "ideal woman". The authors quote research that shows that college students who were shown pictures of beautiful models felt that they were to look like these models. Because they did not, their self image decreased. This is good example of how women are molded, shaped and brainwashed into accepting these stereotyped images and it gives them a lesser place in society than what men experience. Another study cited showed that males and females saw attractiveness differently. For adolescent girls self-perception declined over time but the boys kept their self-perception in tact. A reason for this that the authors gave was that boys tended to see their bodies as a work in progress and were able to see a bigger picture. Girls on the other hand focused on body parts because advertising tells them this should be their focus. This attitude form

Writing assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Writing assignment - Essay Example But I think use of algae as a biofuel among the alternatives is the most economical and practical alternative. Academic research on the uses of algae started over 30 decades ago, and because of its growing importance, research activities are intensified over the years. To date, scientific studies are being done by over 200 universities worldwide on the feasibility of using algae as a substitute. (Algae.com) Research showed that algae could easily meet the demands for 31 million crude oil. Algae is grown on many ocean floors n the United States. In contrast to corn, sugar soy and sunflower used as biofuels, algae does not need much caring to grow(view attached picture of a non-forested area of an algae farm). It does not require clearing of rainforests, fertile farmland or fresh water to grow. As compared to other feed stocks, algae produces more gallons per acre than soya, rape seed, mustard and palm. Algae produces 10,000 US gallons per acre, soya- US 45 gal; Rapeseed – 110-145 us gal; palm oil -650 US gal.(Thurmond, Will. 2009) He claims that algae alone can meet the requirements as a possible substitute for entire global fossil requirements. Algae can be used as biofuel, ethanol, methane, jet fuel and a lot more. Thus, algae provide a wide opportunity for investment. Due to its practicability, 32 countries worldwide serve as collection centers, while 70 companies are involved in energy commercial research. Algae has market potential because US and EU cannot produce enough corn and meet targets while research showed algae has enough capabilities to meet these demands. As potential targets, algae can serve the military that is the number 1 consumer of diesel fuel. Algae biofuel can also serve passenger cars that use gasoline and diesel. Algae production hopes to meet the target of Federal FRS36 billion gallons by 2022. As of 2008, algae

Still Just Writing Essay Example for Free

Still Just Writing Essay Almost every man who walks this planet has goals, aims, and, aspirations that he dreams of achieving. However, distractions often come about, thwarting people and preventing them from attaining their aspirations. A distraction can pull a person’s whole mind and body into a different world manipulating him to neglect his lifelong goals, and never achieve his dreams. A student, entering college with dreams of achieving a 4. 0 GPA and becoming valedictorian, can easily be swept up by social distractions, causing him to abandon his goals. Tillie Olsen and Anne Tyler both discus in their narratives, â€Å"Silences†, and, â€Å"Still Just Writing†, how parenting, childrearing, and mundane errands effected their lifelong dreams of becoming writers. They both believe that women cannot possibly create â€Å"enduring literature† unless they remain childless. However, Olsen and Tyler each viewed her own personal situation through different perspectives. Their different perspectives on life led them to each deal with her lifelong dreams and desires of becoming authors in different ways. The constant responsibilities of motherhood will have an effect on a woman’s desires and dreams. Both Olsen’s and Tyler’s dreams of becoming writers were neglected because of the immense responsibilities of motherhood. Tillie Olsen states, â€Å"All distinguished achievements has come from childless women†. She believes that all her motherly tasks have left her writing skills to â€Å"fester†, â€Å"convulse†, and â€Å"die† within her. She feels that her responsibilities and trials of family have locked away her writing talents, â€Å"like a squirrel in a cage†. Similarly, Tyler’s busy life as a mother tremendously weakens her writing abilities. Between her children’s spring vacation, dental appointments, and gymnastics meetings, there seems to never be a free moment for her to sit down and concentrate on writing a novel, â€Å"Although she planned to work till three thirty everyday it was a month of early quittings†. Tyler’s writing skills slowly deteriorated, and her once powerful, thought-out characters, turned, â€Å"pale and knuckly, like someone scrabbling at a cliff edge so as not to fall away entirely†. The responsibilities and joy of bringing up children, and being a dedicated mother distracted Olsen and Tyler from developing their writing skills, and fulfilling their dreams of becoming renowned authors. Happiness is not dependent on one’s life situation, rather it is dependent on ones perspective and attitude regarding his situation. Although Olsen’s and Tyler’s situations in life were quite similar, their perspectives and attitudes on life could not have been more different. Tillie Olsen believes that social pressures squashed her talents and all women’s writing talents into a dark shadowy corner, denying their development. She believes that society views â€Å"woman writers, woman experience, and literature written by woman by definition minor†. Furthermore, Olsen believes that woman are forced to give into the social pressures of always, â€Å"being attractive†, and spend hours, â€Å"agonizing over appearance†, rather than spending hours working on literary writings. Olsen views herself and her lost dreams as the miserable victim of social discrimination against women. However, Anne Tyler views her situation in a totally different light than Olsen does. Tyler believes that distractions are a part of life that affects everyone, not just woman. She laments how her husband’s writing, â€Å"fell by the wayside†, while he was finishing his medical schooling. Additionally, she describes how her husband’s, â€Å"responsibilities to support a family† cause him to neglect his writings, which he cares so deeply about. Unlike Olsen, Tyler doesn’t view the world as an evil place that stunts women from developing their talents, rather she views the world as a place where everyone, man and woman alike, have responsibilities towards other people which must be fulfilled as they strive to accomplish their lifelong dreams. Differences in ones perspective in life leads to different outcomes in the way one leads one’s life. Olsen’s negative outlook on her life led her to permanently give up on her dreams. Olsen believes that one cannot find a balance between ones mundane responsibilities and one’s dreams. She believes that, â€Å"you must choose between your art and fulfillment as a woman†. Her pessimistic belief that she is the victim of â€Å"coercive working of sexiest oppression†, causes her to relinquish her lifelong goals. Although she admits that some women try to have a family life and become a writer, her negative perspective on the world causes her to believe that their work will be, â€Å"impeded, lessened and partial†. Olsen’s downbeat attitude towards life has led her to believe that the responsibilities of motherhood has sapped her from her literary and writing talents, and has cruelly snatched away her dreams of becoming a distinguished author. Unlike Olsen, Tyler’s positive outlook on life allowed her to learn how to deal with her responsibilities. Like a child who learns how to balance on a bicycle, Tyler learns how to properly balance her life as a mother and a writer. She believes that her experience of being a mother has caused her to grow, â€Å"richer and deeper†, allowing her writing to become more profound and meaningful, â€Å"when I did write I had more self to speak from†. Tyler has successfully found a, â€Å"way to slip gracefully through a choppy life of writing novels, plastering the dining room ceiling and presiding at slumber parties†. Tyler is a successful mother and yet she is also, â€Å"still just writing†. Tyler’s optimistic outlook on life led her to become a unique individual; she is a happy easygoing housewife and mother, and a deep profound writer. Few people can fulfill their responsibilities towards others and attain their dreams. Only with a positive, upbeat, easygoing attitude, like that of Tyler, can one fulfill the time consuming, mundane tasks of life, while simultaneously achieving one’s lifelong goals. This world is a challenge, where we each must find the exact balance between our general obligations to our family and mankind, and our lifelong goals and desires. We cannot allow our mundane responsibilities to sidetrack us from reaching our goals. We must use our mind like a laser beam, and focus on what is important in our life, whether it is becoming the next great author, earning a 4. 0 GPA or developing our character traits. We should be like Anne Tyler and view our responsibilities through a positive eye, learn to appreciate them, and grow from them, but not allow them overtake our desires to accomplish our aims, ambitions, and aspirations.

Industrial Pollution And Environmental Sustainability Environmental Sciences Essay

Industrial Pollution And Environmental Sustainability Environmental Sciences Essay Industrial pollution is one of the main causes of pollution worldwide. Apart from health hazards, water pollution due to discharge of contaminated water and global warming are some of the harmful effects of industrial pollution. Industry accounts for more than half the volume of all water pollution and for the most deadly pollutants. Some 370,000 manufacturing facilities in the United States of America alone use huge quantities of freshwater to carry away wastes of many kinds. The waste-bearing water, or effluent, is discharged into streams, lakes, or oceans, which in turn disperse the polluting substances. In its  National Water Quality Inventory,  reported to Congress in 1996, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concluded that approximately 40% of the nations surveyed lakes, rivers, and estuaries were too polluted for such basic uses as drinking supply, fishing, and swimming. The pollutants include grit,  asbestos, phosphates  and  nitrates,  mercury,  lead, caus tic soda and other sodium compounds,  sulfur  and  sulfuric acid, oils and  petrochemicals.(Sell, 1992) In addition, numerous manufacturing plants pour off undiluted corrosives, poisons, and other noxious byproducts. The construction industry discharges slurries of gypsum, cement, abrasives, metals, and poisonous solvents. Another pervasive group of contaminants entering food chains is the  polychlorinated biphenyl  (PCB) compounds, components of lubricants, plastic wrappers, and adhesives. In yet another instance of pollution, hot water discharged by factories and power plants cause thermal pollution by increasing water temperatures. This increase changes the level of oxygen dissolved in a body of water, thereby disrupting the waters ecological balance, killing off some plant and animal species while encouraging the overgrowth of others. Global warming is one of the most common and serious consequences of industrial pollution. The emission of various  greenhouse  gases such as CO2, methane (CH4), among others from various industries, increases the overall temperature of the earth, resulting in global warming. Global warming has various serious hazards, both on the environment as well as on human health. It results in melting of glaciers and snow-capped mountains, causing an increase of the water levels in seas and rivers, thereby increasing the chances of flood. Apart from this, global warming also has numerous health risks on humans, such as increase of diseases such as malaria and dengue, cholera, Lyme disease and plague, among others.(Freeman, 1995) Industrial pollution, as stated above, is one of the major causes of air pollution. With the increase in the number of industries and factories due to the industrial revolution; air pollution also has increased significantly. The emissions from various industries contain large amounts of gases such as carbon dioxide, sulphur and nitrogen, among others. These gases, when present in elevated levels in the atmosphere, often result in various environmental and health hazards such as acid rain, and various skin disorders in individuals.(Freeman, 1995) Pollution emitted from the industries is also one of the major factors contributing towards water pollution. Dumping of various industrial waste products into water sources, and improper contamination of industrial wastes, often result in polluting the water. Such water pollution disturbs the balance of the ecosystem inside, resulting in the death of various animal and plant species present in the water.(Freeman, 1995) Soil pollution is defined as a phenomenon is which the soil loses its structure and fertility due to various natural and artificial reasons. Dumping of industrial wastes is one of the prime factors contributing towards soil pollution. Industrial wastes contain large amounts of various chemicals which get accumulated on the top layer of the soil, resulting in loss of fertility of the soil. Such loss of fertility ultimately results in changes in the ecological balances of the environment due to reduction in plant growth.(Freeman, 1995) Other Common Effects Certain other common effects of industrial pollution include damaging  building sand structures, increasing the risk of various occupational hazards such as asbestosis, pneumoconiosis, among others.(Freeman, 1995) Pollution of Love Canal The infamous case of the pollution of Love Canal, on Lake Erie in New York, brought environmental pollution to the public attention in the 1970s. From 1942 to 1953, several chemical companies dumped 20,000 metric tons of chemical waste at this site. In 1953 the land was sold to the local board of education, and the 99th Street School was constructed on the land. The school attracted families to the neighborhood, which grew to contain 800 single-family homes and 240 apartment units by 1978. Unfortunately, eighty different chemicals, including dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), started to leach through the soil, and residents began complaining of odd smells in their houses and experiencing many unexplainable health problems. The school was closed in August 1978, and the federal government contributed $10 million for the relocation of 200 families nearest the site. In 1980 President Carter sent additional funds, for the relocation of 700 more families.(Shen, 1999) Conclusion: Strict Legislation is required to control Industrial Pollution. In England and Wales, pollution from industrial installations has been controlled to some extent for over 150 years. The Pollution Prevention and Control (England and Wales) Regulations 2000 (the PPC Regulations) were introduced under the Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999 and built on existing systems. The PPC Regulations replaced the pollution control regimes called Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) and Local Air Pollution Control which had been set up under Part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA 1990). The PPC Regulations also transposed the Integrated Pollution and Prevention and Control Directive (now Directive 2008/1/EC) the IPPC Directive. The primary aim of the IPPC Directive is to ensure a high level of environmental protection and to prevent and where that is not practicable, to reduce emissions to acceptable levels. Separate legislative provisions are in place to transpose the IPPC Direc tive in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the offshore oil and gas industries. In America, federal laws stipulate that generators of hazardous waste are responsible for the proper storage and disposal chemicals from the cradle to the grave.(Department of Environment, 2009) Using environmentally-friendly products like Oil Gone Easy S-200 and supporting environmental conservation organizations are some steps that can be taken to curb industrial pollution.

A Comparison of Hemingway and Frederic in A Farewell to Arms Essay

Parallels Between Hemingway and Frederic in A Farewell to Arms      Ã‚  Ã‚   "All fiction is autobiographical, no matter how obscure from the author's experience it may be, marks of their life can be detected in any of their tales"(Bell, 17).   A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway is based largely on Hemingway's own personal experiences.   The main character of the novel, Frederic Henry, experiences many of the same situations that Hemingway lived.   Some of these similarities are exact, while some are less similar, and some events have a completely different outcome.  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois. Hemingway worked as a reporter for the Kansas City Star after graduating from high school in 1917.   During World War I, he served as an ambulance driver in the Italian infantry and was wounded just before his 19th birthday.   Hospitalized, Hemingway fell in love with an older nurse.   Later, while working in Paris as a correspondent for the Toronto Star, he became involved with the expatriate literary and artistic circle surrounding Gertrude Stein.   During the Spanish Civil War, Hemingway served as a correspondent on the loyalist side. He fought in World War II and then settled in Cuba in 1945. In 1954, Hemingway was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.   After his expulsion from Cuba by the Castro regime, he moved to Idaho.   In his life, Hemingway married four times and wrote numerous essays, short stories and novels.   The effects of Hemingway's lifelo ng depressions, illnesses and accidents caught up with him. In July 1961, he committed suicide in Ketchum, Idaho.   What remains, are his works, the product of a talented author.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A Farewell to Arms is the stor... ...est Hemingway: The Writer in Context. Ed. James Nagel. Madison: U of Wisconsin, 1984. Bloom, Harold. Introduction. Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea, 1987. Donaldson, Scott. "Frederic Henry's Escape and the Pose of Passivity." Hemingway: A Revaluation. Ed. Donald R. Noble. Troy: Whitson, 1983. Lewis, Wyndham. Twentieth Century Interpretations of A Farewell to Arms. Ed. Jay Gellens. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice, 1970. 56-64. Schneider, Daniel. "Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms: The Novel as Pure Poetry." Modern Fiction Studies, 14 (Autumn 1968): 283-96. Spanier, Sandra Whipple. "Hemingway's Unknown Soldier: Catherine Barkley, the Critics, and the Great War." New Essays on A Farewell to Arms. Ed. Scott Donaldson. New York: Cambridge U, 1990. Young, Philip. Ernest Hemingway. New York: Rinehart, 1952.   

Life vs. Death Penalty

The death penalty has been one of the most debated topics in America for years. It holds the same level of importance in politics as abortion or gun control because it is such a controversial subject. The stance that I currently hold with this debate is closer towards life in prison. Not because I don't fully believe that someone who kills a lot of people or does Just horrible acts should 100% be punished and possibly killed themselves, but because I find more benefits towards keeping someone in Jail for life. For example, the cost to keep someone in Jail is a lot cheaper than it is to kill them.A study in 2011 showed that it cost California more than $4 billion dollars to do executions since 1978. $1. 94 billion went towards the trails, $925 million towards Automatic Appeals and State Habeas Corpus Petitions, $775 million towards Federal Habeas Corpus Appeals, and $1 billion went towards Costs of Incarceration. And we can't forget how much it costs to pay for the security guards who look over these inmates. The total cost to pay these security guards a year comes up to $90,000 PER INMATE a year. It's also been said that the death penalty trails are 20 times more expensive than a trail for imprisonment without parole.If the Governor of California sentenced the inmates that are on death row to life in prison he could save almost $170 million a year! The Executive of the DPIC stated, â€Å"The death penalty in the U. S. is an enormously expensive and wasteful program with no clear benefits. All of the studies on the cost of capital punishment conclude it is much more expensive than a system with life sentences as the maximum penalty. In a time of painful budget utbacks, states are pouring money into a system that results in a declining number of death sentences and executions that are almost exclusively carried out in Just one area of the country.As many states face further deficits, it is an appropriate time to consider whether maintaining the costly death pena lty system is being smart on crime. † Another reason that life in Jail is a better punishment is because it is an actual effective punishment. There is nothing that shows that the death penalty has been effective in lowering crimes. To be in a prison cell for your entire life with nothing to o but think, sit, sleep, eat, and maybe a recreational activity or two, that is actually worse than death.Being in prison sends some people crazy or can possibly change them completely, which I believe is a way better punishment because they are forced to live with the crime that they committed. Death would be an easy and quick way out. Granted, the death row inmates are doing nothing but sitting, thinking, and waiting. That is what they are doing, waiting. They are waiting for the end, because they, unlike the other inmates, have an end. And honestly how is that fair, we for hatever reason think that if we kill them that will teach them and others like them to never commit the bad acts ag ain, when in fact we are making it simple for them.The DPIC executive said, â€Å"The nation's police chiefs rank the death penalty last in their priorities for effective crime reduction. The officers do not believe the death penalty acts as a deterrent to murder, and they rate it as one of most inefficient uses ot taxpayer dollars in tgnting crime. Criminologists concur that the death penalty does not effectively reduce the number of murders. † The death sentence is absolute, here is no reversing it so if we execute someone and more evidence comes up that later proves someone innocent, we can't take back the execution. 40 people were wrongly executed since 1973. The most common reason for people wrongfully being charged with the death penalty are false confessions, witness errors, government misconduct, faulty science, bad lawyers or snitch testimonies. Also believe it or not but race does play a factor in whether or not someone can receive the death penalty vs. life in pris on. Just about 68% of inmates that are on death row are non-whites. We simply cannot say we live in a country that offers equal Justice to all Americans when racial disparities plague the system by which our society imposes the ultimate punishment. Senator Russ Feingold, 2003. In 1990, a report from the General Accounting Office said that 82% of the cases that were reviewed showed that if the criminal killed a white person they were more likely to be sent to death row than if they killed another minority. There are currently 1,822 minority inmates on death row and there has been approximately 394 minorities executed since 1976, comparing his to the 1,475 white death row inmates and the 643 that have been executed.Something interesting is the death rate by homicide in California varies sole by race. African Americans are six times more likely to be murdered than whites in California. While 27. 6% of murder victims are white, 80% of executions in California have been for those convict ed of killing whites. Lastly, the death penalty is Just morally wrong. How do we as a country Justify that someone is being punished for murder or something of that sort and to correct/ punish this behavior we execute them. That is o backwards.America is a country that frowns upon other countries who don't value life but we don't really know how to back up that thinking because we are a country who grew up knowing to fix problems with violence. After George W. Bush stated in the 2000 presidential elections, â€Å"l don't think you should support the death penalty to seek revenge. I don't think that's right. I think the reason to support the death penalty is because it saves other people's lives† Family guy retaliated with, â€Å"l support the death penalty to teach people killing is wrong† Brian on Family Guy.When you think bout it, how does killing the inmate keep us any safer than Just keeping them in Jail forever? At the end of the day no one is being harmed, and ev eryone who is outside of prison is safe. The families of the victims can have peace of mind that they know the person will rot in prison and everyone else no longer has to even wonder if that person will come for them next. It's a win win situation. Until someone comes up with a plan that is more cost effective, humane, and still effectively punishes people for crimes the same or better than life in prison does, that seems to be the best way to handle criminals.

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.